Calendar
Interview with David Barkam III, Astronomer Royal, Forbeck "Our calendar, you say? Well, it’s complicated. Very complicated. Do you want the long or the short answer? Ah, ok, wise choice. So. "It’s important to realize that there is an astronomical calendar, which takes into account the movement of the Sun, Moon, and stars, and then there’s the civilian calendar, which is what everyone else uses. So, for example, today’s date is, uh, 17 April 46,89. The reason it is the year 46,89 is because that’s when our calendar started counting. Tem is much older than that, it’s just that we’ve been using the same calendar for thousands of years. Technically, it’s called the Absolute Calendar, and it was developed by scholars of the Old Janee, at the Muhjan Academy, around the year 20,03. It’s used everywhere today, in Janee, Malanthea, and so on. Hmm, I’m not sure how they decided what year 1 was, for that you’ll have to speak to a historian, I suppose. "Why are there two calendars, you ask? Well, like I explained a moment ago, a day is not exactly 24 hours long, when you look carefully, like we do. That means that, after a few years, the civil calendar doesn’t line up with what the Sun, Moon, and stars are doing. So the civil calendar is wrong, and eventually needs to be corrected so that the clocks match up. It is tweaked by adding in an extra day, called an inter-calendar day, or dark night, on June 21, every now and then, just to fix things. "OK, so that was the short answer. Would you like the long answer? No? OK!"
The Absolute Calendar
Ruling Kalderani agencies and scholars use the Absolute Calendar (AC) reckoning, in the tradition of the Old Janee and Malanthean scholars. The start of the calendar is at a very remote date, well before the age of any known artefacts, and coincides with the moment of a triple-conjunction of an eclipsed Sun with Exalted Tower (a star visible in winter).
On certain ceremonial occassions, the year-count since Founding (02 June 4212 AC) is used, designated KC.
Astronomical observations
The civilian calendar and methods of time keeping are largely based on the movement of the Sun and Moon. The average time between consecutive sunrises, 24 hours, is called a day. A period of 30 days, from one Full Moon to the next, is called a month. A period of 360 days, when the stars return to their same position at the same time, is called a year.
Based approximately on the movement of the Sun, four seasons are defined. These are listed in the adjacent table.
Divine conventions
Based on revelation from the Seven, specific seasons are regarded as important to specific Gods, as follows: summer is the season of Oohm and Salaah, autumn is for Sahir and Razim, winter is for Arawn and Razim, and in spring the focus is on Qidra, D'Aad, and Salaah.
Typically, major religious festivals and ceremonies relating to the Gods or their works, are held during the corresponding season.
Cultural conventions
By historical tradition, a period of seven days is called a week. In certain groups, a specific day of the week is dedicated to a God, but this practice is uncommon.
Amongst magic users specific elemental influences are said to be more powerful at certain times. These relationships are illustrated in the arcane diagram opposite.
Special days and holidays
Religious special days celebrate the works of Razim, Qidra, D’Aad and Salaah, who feature significantly in the early history of Kalderesh, a nation born out of peaceful rebellion, for justice, in a new land.
The founding day and the first king are celebrated, as is the birth day of the current ruler. The Winter Festival on the solstice serves as a reminder to prepare for the coming winter as well as the promise of spring to come.
Beyond these widely-observed national celebrations, the churches of the Seven have their own special commemmorative events which are known to the faithful and celebrated where-ever they live.
Duchies may have special days, as defined and promulgated by the duke. Cities usually have several local celebrations, often funded by guilds. Village and towns, as part of their formal Letter of Founding, are also allowed to create unique holidays.
Table of significant days
| day | date | significance |
|---|---|---|
| All-Sun's Day | January 21 | Commemorates Oohm |
| end of summer | February 30 | Calendrical season change |
| start of autumn | March 01 | Calendrical season change |
| Autumnal Equinox | March 15 | Equinox; day and night are equally long |
| end of autumn | May 30 | Calendrical season change |
| start of winter | June 01 | Calendrical season change |
| Founder’s Day | June 02 | Commemorates the settling of Kalderesh |
| Winter Solstice | June 15 | Solstice; Sun is lowest in the sky |
| Winter Festival | June 15 | Celebrates the winter solstice |
| Day of Victory | June 17 | Commemorates Razim |
| King’s Day | August 01 | Birth day of King Maynard of Kalderesh |
| end of winter | August 30 | Calendrical season change |
| start of spring | September 01 | Calendrical season change |
| Leaf and Root | September 03 | Commemorates Qidra |
| Spring Equinox | September 15 | Equinox; day and night are equally long |
| Day of Justice | October 09 | Commemorates D’Aad |
| Day of Roses | October 13 | Birth day of Anselmet, first King of Kalderesh |
| end of spring | November 30 | Calendrical season change |
| start of summer | December 01 | Calendrical season change |
| Summer Solstice | December 15 | Solstice; Sun is highest in the sky |
| White Monday | December 27 | Commemorates Salaah |