“Quarter” is a word with several meanings. On the one hand, this is the name of the part of the city territory bounded by intersecting streets, on the other hand, it is a unit of time. The second term is actively used in accounting and characterizes the reporting period during the calendar year. It is to him that the proposed article is devoted.
Astronomical year
For chronology, a period of time is used that corresponds to the phase of revolution of the planet Earth around the Sun. This period is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 51 seconds. In the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the duration of the time cycle is 365 days.
Every four years, it is customary to add a day to avoid a shift in the day of the vernal equinox. Additional hours, minutes and seconds add up, turning the year into a leap year. Then a new date appears on the calendar - February 29th.
The year is divided into 12 months. During the Earth’s revolution, due to the inclination of its axis to the ecliptic plane, the seasons change. For convenience, in Russia they are counted from the first day of a particular month: autumn - from September 1; winter - from December 1, spring - from March 1, summer - from June 1.
And how many quarters a year, and for what purpose did this unit of measurement appear?
The origin of the term "quarter"
The word is of Latin origin and has become part of the German language. It translates literally as a “quarter”. The very meaning of the term as if carries the answer to the question of how many quarters a year. There are four of them, for we are talking about the fourth part.
In the Russian Federation, this period is usually denoted by Roman numerals: IV, III, II, I. And in English-speaking countries (including the United States) - Arabic, before which the Latin letter Q is written. For example, Q4. This unit of measure is used in economic statistics and accounting to summarize the subtotals of the year.
How long is the quarter
There are four seasons, and each lasts 3 months. Does this mean that the concepts of "season" and "quarter" are identical? And under what circumstances is this possible? Indeed, the quarter also lasts 3 months. But he counts from the beginning of the year and further - in order, regardless of the season. We would observe a complete coincidence when celebrating the New Year, for example, on the first of March.
This could be the case with the ancient Slavs, who celebrated the transition of the calendar in the fall. For them, the new year counted down from the first of September.
So how many quarters a year? There are four of them, let’s name them by month (there are three of them) and compare with the seasons.
| I (Q1) | January March | December - February (winter) |
| II (Q2) | April June | March-May (spring) |
| III (Q3) | July - September | June - August (summer) |
| IV (Q4) | October December | September - November (fall) |
Why division into quarters is necessary
Having decided how many quarters a year, you should understand why and to whom such a separation is necessary. Any production needs to plan its activities and take stock. To do this, use statistics as well as financial statements.
During the fiscal year, it is necessary to be able to draw intermediate conclusions and adjust certain indicators. A month is too little time for this. Therefore, neighborhoods have become an established tradition in the world.
The number of months in them is the same, but the days are not. The smallest number of them in the first quarter - 90. In a leap year - 91. The same number in the second quarter. Most of the days in the next two are 92. This brings some inconvenience, so the world community has been discussing the possibilities of a different financial calendar for more than a century.
But so far no alternative has been created, for the modern Gregorian calendar is closest to the astronomical one.
Interesting Facts
In Soviet times, some industries began the fiscal year in October, but over time, this tradition has become obsolete, as it caused confusion.
In accounting, when summing up, they use the concepts of "reporting period". We are talking about the time during which you can submit a report, for example, in tax. So, to pass all the indicators for three months should be within 20 days from the end of the quarter, otherwise penalties will follow.