Accordingly a commission of scientists was appointed to formulate a system, which was adopted in October 1793.

The "Era of the Republic" was to be counted from the autumnal equinox, 1792.

The year was divided into twelve months, as before, but they were renamed (_Thermidor_ hot month, _Fructidor_ fruit month, _Nivose_ snow month, &c.), and ran in periods of thirty days each from the 22d of September.

This left five days undistributed, which were set apart as feast-days in celebration of five virtues or ideals.

Each month consisted of three decades, and each tenth day, or _decadis_, was a holiday.