I am tired of hearing the word “millennium” over and over again from the media, from advertising and from everyday people who don’t know that the year 2000 does NOT begin the new millennium.

I certainly wouldn’t mind if this word was (over)used correctly, but most people don’t know that the third millennium will begin on Jan. 1, 2001.

Yes, I was as enthusiastic as everyone else when all the year’s digits changed, but that is not an appropriate excuse to call it the millennium! Just because it’s convenient does NOT make it right.

It won’t be the new millennium until 2001 because there is no Year Zero in our calendar; we jumped from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D.

The first millennium lasted from 1 A.D. to 1000 A.D. The second millennium was from 1001 A.D. to 2000 A.D. The third millennium will be from 2001 A.D. to 3000 A.D.

People might clamor, “But there’s no convenient way to wish people a happy new year ‘where-all-the-digits-change!'” Well, the computer industry solved that for us with the Y2K problem. It was accurate to wish people a “Happy Y2K” a few days ago and a “Happy New Millennium” for the upcoming Dec. 31.

Oh, and we’re also not in a new century or even a new decade. The rules for millennia also apply to centuries and decades. The next decade is from 2001-2010, and the 21st century is from 2001-2100.

But yes, all the digits have changed, and that’s pretty cool.

Adam Joshua Smargon

Resident

Washington, D.C.