French Republican Calendar – Explore History in Your Pocket
Step back in time and immerse yourself in a unique chapter of French history with the French Republican Calendar app. Whether you are a history student, a passionate researcher, a teacher, or simply curious about alternative ways of measuring time, this application is your gateway to the fascinating calendar introduced during the French Revolution.
The French Republican Calendar was officially adopted in 1793 and used until 1805, with a brief revival during the Paris Commune in 1871. It was designed to break away from the Gregorian calendar and the traditional religious structure of timekeeping, replacing it with a system inspired by the decimal system and the ideals of the Revolution. The months were renamed to reflect nature, agriculture, and the seasons, offering a poetic and symbolic connection to the passing of the year.
This app allows you to easily convert dates between the Gregorian calendar (the one we use today) and the Republican calendar of Revolutionary France. Whether you want to know what day today corresponds to in the Republican system, explore a historic event like Napoleon’s coronation, or check the very first recorded Republican date, the process is quick, intuitive, and beautifully presented.
Key Features
- Instant Date Conversion – Seamlessly switch between Gregorian and Republican dates with just a few taps. No need for complicated tables or manual calculations.
- Beautiful, Authentic Interface – The design is clean, elegant, and adorned with illustrations representing the 12 Republican months, from Vendémiaire (grape harvest) to Fructidor (fruits).
- Historical References – Quickly set predefined dates such as:
- Today’s date
- Napoleon’s coronation (2 December 1804 in Gregorian, 11 Frimaire Year XIII in Republican)
- The first day of the calendar (22 September 1792 in Gregorian, 1 Vendémiaire Year I in Republican)
- All in French – The app is entirely in French, making it authentic and perfect for language learners, history enthusiasts, and researchers who want to experience the calendar as it was used.
Why the French Republican Calendar?
The Republican calendar was an attempt to rationalize time, aligning it with scientific principles and removing religious and royalist references. It divided the year into:
- 12 months of 30 days each, named after seasonal and agricultural events: Vendémiaire, Brumaire, Frimaire, Nivôse, Pluviôse, Ventôse, Germinal, Floréal, Prairial, Messidor, Thermidor, and Fructidor.
- 5 or 6 complementary days at the end of the year, called “Sansculottides,” dedicated to celebrations of virtue, talent, labor, opinion, rewards, and the Revolution itself.
Each month was divided into three décades of 10 days each, and each day had a name inspired by plants, animals, or tools, instead of saints’ names.
While the system was innovative and symbolically powerful, it proved difficult to adapt to daily life, especially for farmers and workers, and was eventually replaced by the Gregorian calendar under Napoleon in 1806.
Who is this app for?
- Students – Learn about Revolutionary history and the social reforms of the era.
- Historians & Researchers – Access accurate date conversions for historical documents.
- History Enthusiasts – Rediscover an alternative way of measuring time.
- Francophiles & French Learners – Explore the language and culture through authentic historical terminology.
- Teachers – Use it as an educational tool in classrooms to bring history to life.
Accuracy & Limitations
* Note: The period before 22 September 1792 (1 Vendémiaire Year I) is not historically accurate, as the Republican calendar was not yet in use. The app can still display equivalent dates, but they are for reference only, not official historical conversion.
* Note: All interface text, month names, and details are in French. This preserves authenticity and ensures the app reflects the true historical system.
Why You’ll Love It
Using the French Republican Calendar is like opening a time capsule. You’ll see familiar dates transformed into something new – yet deeply tied to the rhythms of nature and revolutionary ideals. The images of the months bring color and life to the historical names, while the quick conversion tool makes it effortless to explore any date in the past two centuries and beyond.
Whether you’re checking when today would have fallen in Year II, seeing Napoleon’s coronation from a new perspective, or simply appreciating the beauty of Floréal and Messidor, this app blends utility with historical charm.
Download the French Republican Calendar app today and rediscover time as the revolutionaries of France once imagined it – precise, poetic, and profoundly different.