Today It's Really Tomorrow

Can you imagine if you woke up today and discovered that December 30 had disappeared - and that it was really New Year's Eve?


That is what happened today (or is it tomorrow?) in the country of Samoa.

Poof - December 30, 2011 gone, all because they are moving from one side of the International Date Line to the other.  Not physically, of course.  Just on their calendars.

I find the concept of the International Date Line confusing enough (fortunately I've never had to cross it.) so better them than us.

(By, the way, Samoa is not to be confused with American Samoa, which is not making the switch.)

This isn't the first adjustment the people of Samoa have had to make recently - two years ago they had to switch from driving on the right side to driving on the left side.  Now, just imagine having to adjust to that!  After that, losing a day would feel like nothing much.

Of course, we shouldn't be too smug here in the United States. In 1752 (when we were still a colony of England here in New York) the colonists had to adjust to a major calendar switch.  That switch still creates problems for historians and genealogists.  And that switch creates endless joy for trivia buffs who like to ask people what George Washington's birthdate is.

At least the Samoans only have to deal with one day vanishing and not 11.

Considering what 2011 did to us here in upstate NY, perhaps we wouldn't have minded 2011 being shortened by a day.

(And finally, our big news here in snowless Binghamton, NY:  it snowed last night.  Sigh, back to normal.)