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How to Read an Almanac Calendar

An almanac is an annual book that contains detailed information for the coming year, including the time of sunrise and sunset each day, phases of the moon, weather forecasts, planting charts for farmers, and ocean tide tables that are important for people who live and work by the sea. One important example is the Old Farmer's Almanac, which has been published continuously since 1792. Each almanac edition includes a calendar of the year, which notes annual and seasonal events such as holidays, astronomical and astrological events, and agricultural cycles.

Instructions

- 1
  Look at the beginning of the calendar section to see an overview of the year's four seasons, and information about how the Earth tilts on its axis as it orbits the sun, which results in different parts of the planet having different amounts of sunlight throughout the year.
- 2
  See the calendar's highlights section for a list of religious observances whose dates move from year to year, including Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Rosh Hashanah and the first day of Ramadan.
- 3
  Turn to the page for a particular month and look at the top for an overview of astronomical events, such as meteor showers, the location and visibility of planets and the moon, and a table listing each phase of the moon and when it occurs.
- 4
  Consult the chart on each month's left-side calendar page to see details about each day, including what day of the year it is, what day of the month, and what day of the week, as well as what time the sun rises and sets, and how long the day is. Also notice the times of each day's high tides, when the moon rises, and details about astrological activity.
- 5
  See a month's right-side calendar page for predictions about the weather, such as hurricanes and rain, daily tidal heights, and information about historical events that occurred in that month.

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