Calendar Reform
The traditional Egyptian calendar had 365 days: twelve months of thirty days each and an additional five epagomenal days. According to the reform, the 5–day "Opening of the Year" ceremonies would include an additional 6th day every fourth year. The reason given was that the rise of Sothis advances to another day in every 4 years, so that attaching the beginning of the year to the heliacal rising of the star Sirius would keep the calendar synchronized with the seasons.
This Ptolemaic calendar reform failed, but was finally officially implemented in Egypt by Augustus in 26/25 BCE, now called the Alexandrian calendar, with a sixth epagomenal day occurring for the first time on 29 August 22 BCE. Julius Caesar had earlier implemented a 365¼ day year in Rome in 45 BCE as part of the Julian calendar.
Read more about this topic: Decree Of Canopus
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