The real start

One of your correspondents was recently trying to decide who exactly was right about the real start of the millennium: is it January 1, 2000, or January 1, 2001? Perhaps the following will help.

Had Jesus Christ been Chinese, he would have been born one year old, according to Chinese custom, and the new millennium would start on January 1, 2001.

He was born Jewish, however, and therefore surely his date of birth is the year zero - that is, December 25, 0000. Thus, the new millennium will start on January 1, 2000.

H. LLOYD Kowloon