Today we are going to know a somewhat special calendar that has a beauty and charm since it does not focus on science but has predictions for a whole year without any scientific rigor. Its about Zaragozano calendar. It is a Spanish annual publication that includes a prediction of both meteorology and astronomy for a whole calendar year and without any type of scientific rigor.
In this article we are going to tell you all the history and characteristics of the Zaragozano calendar.
Origin of the Zaragozano calendar
The first edition of the Zaragoza calendar was made for the first time in 1840. It was prepared by the Spanish astrologer Mariano Castillo y Ocsiero. Uninterruptedly, except for a few years when the Spanish Civil War took place, it has been elaborated and edited. In almost all the editions the same portrait of the astrologer appears to refer to its creator. Said astrologer is a man with a very elegant appearance. His hair is completely ruffled and he has a solemn expression.
Currently, they are no longer printed physically, but can be purchased online. However, it still retains the same design of both the cover and the contents. The calendar name Zaragozan whatever its author is from Zaragoza. It was made in honor of the Spanish astronomer Victoriano Zaragozano and Gracia Zapater. This astronomer was born in Puebla de Albortón in the XNUMXth century and was quite popular in his time. And he knew a lot about astronomy and he drew up competing almanacs for another Spanish scientist who stood out for his studies in astrology, mathematics and natural history. The competition was Jerónimo Cortés.
History of the Zaragozano calendar
The history of the Zaragozano calendar begins after its first edition. Its diffusion reached all corners of Spain in the two formats that were dedicated at that time. This calendar consisted of a sheet folded in half that was one of the best sellers and the other model was a pocket publication the size of a folded leaflet.
Today we are used to having a large amount of information about the weather forecast not only for our country, but for the whole world. You can know the weather forecast thanks to various complex models that study it supported by graphs, satellite photographs, mathematical formulas and much greater knowledge. Thanks to this technology, the meteorology for several days can be predicted quite accurately. Nevertheless, the need to know the weather is not something new. This need has been in existence since ancient times. This is one of the reasons why it has always been tried to know what is going to happen in advance.
Previously, meteorology could be known by direct observation of the signs that could be observed in the place itself and meteorological variables such as clouds, wind and temperature that were present at that time were studied. You also had to count on the experience that certain older people had or the predictions that made them warm and two such as the Zaragozano calendar. As happens today, it was those who were dedicated to agriculture who put a special effort to write down and know what the following year would be like to be able to choose the sowing and harvesting times to optimize the yield. Today many people they take up these observations although they do it in a more curious way than with a scientific objective.
This calendar has been and is used since its inception as a bedside book for farmers since crops could be subject to multiple adverse weather conditions. Droughts, storms and phases of the moon affect crops and thanks to the Zaragozano calendar it was possible to have more knowledge about it.
Key features
The first price that this calendar had in 1840 must have been in reais since it was the currency that was available at that time. It was not until 28 years later that the peseta was introduced in Spain as legal tender. The price was originally only about 15 cents in 1920 (which would be equivalent in euros today). As the years go by, its price has risen to almost 20 duros or 100 pesetas or 0,60 cents. Currently the price is 1.8 euros. As you can see, the trend of increasing prices for the same product has been advancing for years and years.
In 1900, the Zaragozano calendar was sold out loud in the main squares of cities and towns. Most of the clientele was peasant and approximately 1.270.000 copies were sold. Today only 300.000 copies are sold. As is to be expected, with the advancement of science, this type of calendars has a more nostalgic and conservative impact as a tendency to curiosity rather than scientific rigor.
If we analyze well some of the pages throughout history, this calendar can show us many elements of each era. For example, on the cover of the year 1883 a warning could be measured so as not to be fooled by other calendars that were imitations. Another example is the cover and the inside of the Zaragozano calendar from 1936. In this issue there were hidden advertising treasures that pointed out and portrayed various problems that society had at that time. Let's not forget that at that time close to the Spanish Civil War phrases such as Viva Franco! and ¡Arriba Spain!
In the middle of the war it was not at all advisable to distance oneself from the victorious regime and they were written on the covers of these proclamations, at that time politically correct and the increase in sales was intentionally favored. Over the years, the advertisements on the Zaragoza calendar are gradually reduced until they no longer exist. It has been wanted to give more importance and publicity to this calendar including its sale price to the public. The current cover can be seen to be the same as years ago and will continue to be as a symbol of its charm.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Zaragozano calendar and its characteristics.