22 September 1792, the year I of the Republic is decreed! The Convention wants to get rid of the Gregorian calendar, one of the symbols of the ancient order: a working group innovates with a calendar composed of months of thirty days, weeks replaced by decades… a strict application of the decimal system!
Fabre d'Eglantine brought him the touch of poetry he lacked by dedicating, through the calendar, agriculture, the first of the arts of civil life.
Grouped according to the rhythm of the seasons, the months bear names that recall an aspect of the French climate, nivôse, snow period, important moments of agricultural life, vendemic, harvest period, or the benefits of nature, fructidor, fruit period.
The names of the days, on the other hand, recall the objects which, according to him, make up the true national wealth with names of plants (flower, fruit, vegetable, etc.), animals (bee, dog, goose, etc.), or agricultural instruments (36 in total, for example plough, scourge, barrel, etc.).
With a few exceptions, the Musée des métiers has in its collections the tools that appear on the calendar and can present them in versions quite similar to those that inspired Fabre d'Eglantine. A treasure hunt in the agriculture room of the museum identifies these tools with a small booklet given to visitors.