Danica Patrick has ignited an unexpected debate by fiercely criticizing the widely accepted 12-month calendar system, expressing her concerns in a passionate Instagram Story earlier this week. Speaking candidly to her followers, the former NASCAR star insisted that a significant overhaul is overdue, saying that the 12-month arrangement is unnecessarily complicated and illogical. Calling for a radical switch to a 13-month calendar, Danica Patrick argued forcefully that such a system would bring clarity, fairness, and crucial alignment with the natural lunar cycle.
Her emotional outcry was direct and intense. “How and who (expletive) this up?!” Danica Patrick questioned. “A year should have 13 months. If we had 13 months instead of 12, every month would be exactly 28 days, the 1st would always be a Monday, and the 28th would always be a Sunday. Every month would have exactly four weeks instead of 4.257 and we would properly align ourselves with the cycle of the moon.” With these words, she highlighted not only her frustration with the uneven distribution of days but also the sense of disorder she feels is forced upon everyone by the existing system.
The roots of today’s 12-month calendar, known as the Gregorian calendar, go back to 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII implemented a sweeping reform. Abandoning the 13-month “Julian calendar,” which Julius Caesar introduced centuries earlier, this change sought to keep the calendar in line with the seasons. Yet, as history has shown, this solution has never entirely satisfied critics of calendar precision or simplicity. For over 1600 years, the Julian system held sway, demonstrating how deeply embedded such timekeeping traditions become. In the early 20th century, yet another attempt to introduce a 13-month calendar happened with Moses B. Cotsworth’s International Fixed Calendar, which found limited long-term use at Kodak for over 70 years before quietly fading from wider adoption.
Danica Patrick’s criticism exposes old wounds and ongoing dissatisfaction with the way time is measured. Despite centuries of adjustment, there remains no consensus on the best method, as each system involves complex mathematical and social compromises. Clarity and consistency, the very ideals Patrick yearns for, have proved elusive. “It would certainly be easier to remember 13 28-day periods than have to recite the old ‘30 days hath September…’ rhyme that we were all taught in school,” many experts agree, echoing her sentiment and frustration.
Despite her impassioned demand for reform, Danica Patrick faces an uphill battle against longstanding convention and societal inertia. The entrenchment of the 12-month calendar in global routines, business, and culture means resistance to change runs deep. Still, her plea for simplicity and fairness has stirred a conversation that could influence future debates, challenging assumptions previously left unquestioned. Whether Patrick’s call sparks meaningful change or is added to the long list of failed calendar revolutions, her criticism is a reminder of how even the most familiar parts of daily life can be suddenly, emotionally, and productively questioned.
