diff --git a/lib/Date/Language.pm b/lib/Date/Language.pm
index 17570f4..ae7e101 100644
--- a/lib/Date/Language.pm
+++ b/lib/Date/Language.pm
@@ -74,13 +74,14 @@ sub format_Z {
 sub str2time
 {
  my $me = shift;
+ my $now = @_ > 2 ? splice(@_, 2, 1) : time;
  my @t = $me->strptime(@_);
 
  return undef
     unless @t;
 
  my($ss,$mm,$hh,$day,$month,$year,$zone) = @t;
- my @lt  = localtime(time);
+ my @lt  = localtime($now);
 
  $hh    ||= 0;
  $mm    ||= 0;
diff --git a/t/lang-str2time.t b/t/lang-str2time.t
index 658ed48..78f7c1a 100644
--- a/t/lang-str2time.t
+++ b/t/lang-str2time.t
@@ -105,4 +105,45 @@ my $lang = Date::Language->new('English');
     is($parsed, $t, "German round-trip ctime/str2time");
 }
 
+# --- EPOCH parameter: Date::Language should match Date::Parse ---
+
+{
+    # Use a fixed reference time: July 1 2024 00:00:00 UTC
+    my $ref = 1719792000;
+
+    # "25 Dec" relative to July 2024 → Dec 2023 (most recent past)
+    my $dp = str2time("25 Dec", undef, $ref);
+    my $dl = $lang->str2time("25 Dec", undef, $ref);
+
+    ok(defined $dp, "Date::Parse parses '25 Dec' with EPOCH ref");
+    ok(defined $dl, "Date::Language parses '25 Dec' with EPOCH ref");
+
+    if (defined $dp && defined $dl) {
+        my @dp_t = gmtime($dp);
+        my @dl_t = gmtime($dl);
+        is($dl_t[5] + 1900, $dp_t[5] + 1900,
+            "EPOCH param: '25 Dec' ref=Jul-2024 → year matches Date::Parse ("
+            . ($dp_t[5] + 1900) . ")");
+        is($dl_t[5] + 1900, 2023,
+            "EPOCH param: '25 Dec' ref=Jul-2024 → year 2023 (most recent past)");
+    }
+
+    # "15 Mar" relative to July 2024 → Mar 2024 (already past this year)
+    my $dp2 = str2time("15 Mar", undef, $ref);
+    my $dl2 = $lang->str2time("15 Mar", undef, $ref);
+
+    ok(defined $dp2, "Date::Parse parses '15 Mar' with EPOCH ref");
+    ok(defined $dl2, "Date::Language parses '15 Mar' with EPOCH ref");
+
+    if (defined $dp2 && defined $dl2) {
+        my @dp_t = gmtime($dp2);
+        my @dl_t = gmtime($dl2);
+        is($dl_t[5] + 1900, $dp_t[5] + 1900,
+            "EPOCH param: '15 Mar' ref=Jul-2024 → year matches Date::Parse ("
+            . ($dp_t[5] + 1900) . ")");
+        is($dl_t[5] + 1900, 2024,
+            "EPOCH param: '15 Mar' ref=Jul-2024 → year 2024 (past this year)");
+    }
+}
+
 done_testing;