When's the new decade?

[CastletonSnob]

Is today the start of a new decade, or is that not until 2021?

[s_bushido]

Most people probably think decades start on 0, so they start on 0...regardless of whether or not that's technically accurate.

[PC2]

People are just being pedantic about it to sound clever...

[XDurionX]

The millenium started in 1/1/2001, so i think the decade will start next year accordingly.

[zealo]

Technically, we're still in the second decade of the 21th century until January 1st of 2021.

That's just needless pedantry though to make a fuss about it, as it diverges from common usage.

[Forgettable]

Well was the very first year year 0 or year 1? That should answer your question.

[Afrospinach]

Technically, we're still in the second decade of the 21th century until January 1st of 2021.

How is this technically correct lol.

In year zero you are in the first decade, this goes up to 9.999 etc and then in 10 you are in the...next ten years ie the next decade.

[s_bushido]

How is this technically correct lol.

In year zero you are in the first decade, this goes up to 9.999 etc and then in 10 you are in the...next ten years ie the next decade.

Because there was no "year zero" in the calendar we use. It starts at 1.

[Afrospinach]

Because there was no "year zero" in the calendar we use. It starts at 1.

The calendar we use stated 400 years ago.

[Nevcairiel]

The calendar we use stated 400 years ago.

That doesn't matter, we defined it this way. No year zero.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_zero

There is no Year 0 in our calendar, it goes 1 B.C. to 1 A.D., nothing in between.
Which means the first decade was 1-10, not 0-9, which consequently means that every decade after that follows this scheme.

(On a side note, the Julian Calendar which preceeded our Gregorian Calendar also has no Year 0, it only really differs in handling of leap years to ours - and the Julian Calendar actually existed around what would've been (but wasn't) year zero)

[Afrospinach]

That doesn't matter, we defined it this way. No year zero.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_zero

There is no Year 0 in our calendar, it goes 1 B.C. to 1 A.D., nothing in between.
Which means the first decade was 1-10, not 0-9, which consequently means that every decade after that follows this scheme.

(On a side note, the Julian Calendar which preceeded our Gregorian Calendar also has no Year 0, it only really differs in handling of leap years to ours - and the Julian Calendar actually existed around what would've been (but wasn't) year zero)

Yeah I actually forgot the Romans did not have a zero, which I should know because I know there is no numeral for zero.

For some reason though, as per decades, the 2020s is defined as a new decade. The 1901/2001 thing only seems to be common for centuries and millennia.

[Nevcairiel]

For some reason though, as per decades, the 2020s is defined as a new decade. The 1901/2001 thing only seems to be common for centuries and millennia.

Defined by what? The average person on the street? Thats not really an authority.

All of these words, decade, century, millenium, all they really only define is a span of time, 10, 100, 1000 years respectively, they do not imply any starting point.

But if one is talking about the 203rd decade in our calendar, then that starts next year. If one wants to call it the "2020's", then it might as well start today.

That might explain why centuries are less confusing, because its far more common to say the 19th century, the 20th century, the 21st century, but noone really refers to a decade by its ordinal number. 203rd decade? I bet you the majority of people you would ask what that means would get the answer wrong.

[Adam Jensen]

I'm a programmer. Arrays start at zero. Decades are an array of years with a length of 10. This is the 0th year of this decade, ergo, new decade.

[Jonnusthegreat]

Most people probably think decades start on 0, so they start on 0...regardless of whether or not that's technically accurate.

Our starting time of 1 or 0 was also entirely subjective so it doesn't actually matter.

[XDurionX]

I'm a programmer. Arrays start at zero. Decades are an array of years with a length of 10. This is the 0th year of this decade, ergo, new decade.

According to programmers, time started 1/1/1970.

[Adam Jensen]

According to programmers, time started 1/1/1970.

Yep. Welcome to Epoch Year 50.

[Grimbold21]

The millenium started in 1/1/2001, so i think the decade will start next year accordingly.

Started for whom?

I'm pretty sure that during the 99-00 switch everyone was talking and later celebrating the new millenium.

On topic, a decade is 10 years, so we're on the 2nd decade 21st century

[XDurionX]

Started for whom?

I'm pretty sure that during the 99-00 switch everyone was talking and later celebrating the new millenium.

Yes they did, and it was wrong, for obvious reasons. They celebrated the big 2, not the 3rd millenium.

On topic, a decade is 10 years, so we're on the 2nd decade 21st century

And the third one will start next year.

[Amerissis]

Depends whether you mean the cardinal or ordinal decade. The ordinal decade starts at 2021, cardinal (the 2020s) started today.

[Chinese Bootlickers]

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[Infraction]