Javanese calendar facts for kids

The Javanese calendar (Javanese: ꦥꦤꦁꦒꦭ꧀ꦭꦤ꧀ꦗꦮ, romanized: Pananggalan Jawa) is a special calendar used by the Javanese people on the island of Java in Indonesia. It's unique because people in Java often use three different calendars at the same time!

• The Gregorian calendar is the official one used for school and work, just like in many parts of the world.
• The Islamic calendar is used for religious holidays and worship.
• The Javanese calendar is used for cultural traditions, festivals, and spiritual beliefs.

This calendar is an important part of the culture for the Javanese, Madurese, and Sundanese people.

The modern Javanese calendar was created by a famous king, Sultan Agung of Mataram, in the year 1633. Before that, the Javanese used a calendar based on both the Sun and the Moon. Sultan Agung updated it to follow the Moon's cycles, similar to the Islamic calendar, but he kept the old year-numbering system. This is why the Javanese year number is different from other calendars. Sometimes, it's called by its Latin name Anno Javanico (AJ), which means "Javanese Year."

Understanding the Calendar's Cycles

The Javanese calendar is made up of many different "cycles," which are repeating patterns of time. These cycles overlap and work together. The main cycles are:

• Pasaran: The special Javanese five-day week.
• Dina Pitu: The normal seven-day week.
• Mangsa: A solar month, based on the Sun and farming seasons.
• Wulan: A lunar month, based on the Moon.
• Tahun: A lunar year.
• Windu: A cycle of eight years.
• Kurup: A very long cycle of 120 years.

Because the Javanese year is based on the Moon, it is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar year. This means the Javanese New Year happens on a different Gregorian date each year. About every 33 years, a Javanese year will happen completely inside a single Gregorian year.

How a Javanese Day is Divided

In the Javanese calendar, a new day starts at sunset, not at midnight. Traditionally, the Javanese people divided the day and night into different phases instead of hours.

The Weeks of the Javanese Calendar

The Five-Day Week: Pasaran

One of the most interesting things about the Javanese calendar is its five-day week, called Pasaran. The name comes from the word pasar, which means "market." Long ago, villagers would gather at the local market on a certain day of this five-day cycle to trade goods and socialize.

Signs of the Pasaran cycle

The five days of the Pasaran week are:

• ꦊꦒꦶ (Legi)
• ꦥꦲꦶꦁ (Pahing)
• ꦥꦺꦴꦤ꧀ (Pon)
• ꦮꦒꦺ (Wagé)
• ꦏ꧀ꦭꦶꦮꦺꦴꦤ꧀ (Kliwon)

In Javanese culture, each day is also linked to a color and a direction:

• Legi: White and East
• Pahing: Red and South
• Pon: Yellow and West
• Wagé: Black and North
• Kliwon: Mixed colors and the Center

Today, most markets are open every day, but some still have names like Pasar Legi (Legi Market) or Pasar Kliwon (Kliwon Market), remembering the old tradition.

The Seven-Day Week

The Javanese calendar also uses the familiar seven-day week. The names for these days originally came from the Arabic language, which became common after Islam spread in Indonesia.

The Wetonan Cycle: Combining the Weeks

The five-day Pasaran week and the seven-day week run at the same time. When they are combined, they create a 35-day cycle (5 x 7 = 35) called the Wetonan cycle. Each day in this cycle has a unique combination of names, like Jumat Kliwon (Friday Kliwon) or Selasa Wage (Tuesday Wage).

The Wetonan cycle is very important in Javanese culture, especially for knowing a person's character based on their birthday. This is called their Weton. It is similar to how some people use zodiac signs in Western astrology. Important events and ceremonies are often planned on days that are considered lucky.

The Months of the Javanese Calendar

Mangsa: The Solar Months for Farming

Signs of the solar months (mangsa) in the Javanese Calendar (top row) with signs of the Hindu zodiacs (bottom row).

The Javanese calendar has a system of 12 solar months called mangsa. This system is based on the Sun's position and is connected to the seasons and farming in Java. The length of each mangsa is different. The cycle starts around the middle of the dry season in June.

Wulan: The Lunar Months

Each Javanese year (taun) is also divided into 12 lunar months, called wulan. This system is based on the cycles of the Moon and is adapted from the Islamic calendar. Each month has 29 or 30 days.

The length of the last month, Besar, depends on whether it is a leap year (taun kabisat).

Counting the Years

When Sultan Agung created the modern Javanese calendar in 1633, the old calendar was on the year 1555. Instead of starting over from year 1, he continued the count from 1555. This is why the Javanese calendar has a different year number from the Gregorian or Islamic calendars.

Windu: The Eight-Year Cycle

The Javanese calendar groups years into an eight-year cycle called a windu. Each of the eight years in the windu has its own name. A full windu cycle lasts about 7 years and 9 months in the Gregorian calendar.

Kurup: The 120-Year Cycle

A kurup is a very long cycle of 120 Javanese years, which is made up of 15 windu cycles. Each kurup is named after the day it begins. The current kurup is called Alip Selasa Pon. It started on March 24, 1936, and will end on August 25, 2052.

Special and Noble Days

Dina Mulya means "noble days." These are special days for worship and reflection in traditional Javanese beliefs.

• Satu Sura: The first day of the month of Sura, which is the Javanese New Year.
• Anggara Kasih: Tuesday Kliwon.
• Dina Purnama: Friday Legi.

See also

• Islamic calendar
• Pawukon calendar
• Balinese saka calendar