The concept of 12 months in a year originated from the ancient Babylonian calendar, which was later adopted by the Egyptians and then the Romans. These cultures believed in the importance of the number 12, as it represented the number of lunar cycles in a year. This idea was then carried on and standardized by the modern Gregorian calendar.
Similar to the 12 months in a year, the concept of 12 hours in a day also originated from ancient civilizations. The Egyptians used sundials to divide the day into 12 parts, with each hour representing a different deity. This system was later adopted by the Greeks and then the Romans, and eventually became the standard for measuring time.
The number 12 has been considered a sacred and significant number in many cultures throughout history. Some scientists believe that our brains are naturally wired to understand and process information in groups of 12, making it a convenient and efficient way to measure time and organize our calendars.
There have been several attempts to change the number of months or hours in a year, but they have not been widely accepted. For example, the French Revolutionaries tried to implement a decimal-based calendar with 10 months, but it was met with resistance and eventually abandoned. Similarly, there have been proposals to switch to a 24-hour clock, but it has not gained enough traction to replace the 12-hour system.
One potential drawback of having 12 months and 12 hours is that it can be limiting and inflexible. For example, the Gregorian calendar does not account for the extra quarter of a day that it takes for the Earth to orbit the sun, which is why we have leap years. Additionally, some argue that the 12-month system is not inclusive of all cultures and religions, as it is based on the Western tradition. However, these limitations have not been significant enough to warrant a major change in our current system.