Elyrian Calendar

The Elyrian calendar has 416 days over the course of 11 months. Each day is 24 hours in length and the 7 days of the week are named Alday, Forgeday, Festday, Oelday, Zoiday, Tanday, and Zanday.

Whilst this calendar is used nearly universally across the continent, it was created by Vurolingian scholars and thus reflects imperial traditions and theology more heavily than those of other cultures.

The Year
There are 11 months in the Elyrian Year, with an average of 5 weeks each. Although some months have as few as 4 and others as many as 9 and 1/2.

Avanoa
Avanoa is the first season of the year, succeeding Vacarion and preceding Pavaseos. It is named after Avanoa, a God of the Pantheon. It is marked by a rejuvination of the natural world following the freezing months of Vacarion. Avanoa starts with Year's Bloom and ends with Year's Pith.

Dawn
Dawn is the first month of the year and of Avanoa. It lasts 40 days.

Year's Bloom (1st Dawn)
Year's Bloom celebrates the start of the year and of Avanoa. It is celebrated most commonly by grand bonfires and expensive festivities. Those that can afford it even fire some expensive and innovative fireworks that can briefly shower the sky with colourful sparks.

First Light
First Light is primarily a religious holiday and is positioned on the spring equinox. It celebrates the deeds of the Pantheon and particularly the creation of light by Tanus and Aldar.

Starfall
Starfall is the second month of the year and of Avanoa. It lasts 33 days.

Provenance of Beauty (17th of Starfall)
On the 17th, the Provenance of Beauty marks the formation of the Triumvirate of Beleg'Bar, which is seen as the most prosperous period of elven history. In the New Age, only Drowadians and Irissian Firbolgs still celebrate the date.

Rainswrath
Rainswrath is the third month of the year and of Avanoa. It lasts 34 days.

Zenith
Zenith is located on the day that the Sun travels the longest path through the sky, and that day therefore has the most daylight. It is a day of celebration of the beginning of Pavaseos.

Pavaseos
Pavaseos is the second season of the year, succeeding Avanoa and preceding Oton. It is named after Pavaseos, a God of the Pantheon. It is the hottest of the four seasons and particularly dry in regions around the Varenfair Gulf.

Skysrise
Skysrise is the first month of Pavaseos and lasts 28 days.

Day of Glory (15th Skysrise)
The Day of Glory is celebrated only in the Vurolingian Empire but is marked in all Elyrian calendars due to the importance of this nation. It marks the day of Emperor Adalard's glorious victory over the southern Laghan hordes. It is celebrated by large military parades throughout the Empire, culminating in an enormous parade within Adalberg itself and the presence of the Emperor himself.

Day of Unity (16th Skysrise)
The Day of Unity follos the Day of Glory and celebrates the foundation of the Vurolingian Empire with the coronation of Adalard Vurolingia as first Emperor of the Vurolingians. It is the only day of the year in which all work is halted within the Empire and a day of grand celebrations and festivities sponsored by the imperial government.

Heatswrath
Heatswrath is the second month of Pavaseos and lasts 40 days.

Midyear
Midyear is the third month of Pavaseos and lasts 33 days.

Grand Meridian
Grand Meridian is positioned on the day and night are equally as long, and are getting shorter. It is a day of celebration marking the transition from Pavaseos to Oton and the harvest of many Pavaseos crops.

Oton
Oton is the third season of the year, succeeding Pavaseos and preceding Vacarion. It is named after Oton, a God of the Pantheon. It is marked by a decrease in the length of days and increase in the length of nights, but also of a cooling temperature and falling leaves from deciduous trees.

Sunfall
Sunfall is the first month of Oton and lasts 34 days.

Windswrath
Windswrath is the second month of Oton and lasts 28 days.

Skysrest
Skysrest is the third month of Oton and lasts 40 days.

Vacarion
Vacarion is the fourth season of the year, succeeding Oton and preceding Avanoa. It is named after Vacarion, a God of the Pantheon. It is the strongest season of the year, which is attributed to Vacarion's sorrow over losing Sudara. The season is denominated by short days, long nights and freezing weather that harrows most of the continent.

Frostfall
Frostfall is the first month of Vacarion and lasts 67 days. It is by far the longest month of the Elyrian year, due to the fact that it was merged with a 12th month called Godsday sometime around the Age of Devastation or Restoration.

Last Light
Last Light is a religious holiday that marks the start of Vacarion and is positioned on the shortest day and longest night of the year. It is a day of mourning for Vacarion's sacrifices and losses involving offerings and sacrifices made to the God of Winter to appease him and make the winter shorter and endurable.

Godsnight
Godsnight is the final month of Vacarion and the Elyrian year. It lasts 39 days.

Festival of Lights
The Festival of Lights is a three day holiday and the oldest holiday in the Elyrian calendar. It is universally celebrated in all cultures and even many isolated tribes. Though it's precise origins remain a mystery, in the New Age the holiday is used to remember the sacrifices made by Oelim (who suffered terrible pain at the hands of the Betrayer).

The first day of the Festival of Lights is most sorrow and involves communally parading the neighbourhood and city whilst holding candles and singing laments to Oelim. Towards the evening of this day, every person generally places a lit candle onto the nearest flowing body of water, such as a river or the sea. They make a confession and watch the candle crest the horizon, and with it their sin.

The second day of the Festival of Lights is marked by communal activities and gatherings. Trees are often cut and placed indoors, decorated with wooden and metallic barbles, garments and lights. Poetry are often exchanged between family and friend, and musicals and other performances enjoyed collectively.

The third and final day of the festival is the most jolly of the three. Pleasant and cheerful songs of winter are abound whilst gifts are lavishly exchanged. Many towns have a town tree under which every citizen places a gift and receives a random gift from another.

The Week
The Elyrian week is split into 2 Dyads, each consisting of two work days followed by a day of rest. The two dyads are connected by the transition day (Zanday).

Alday
The week starts with Alday, named after Aldar. Alday is the first work day of the First Dyad.

Forgeday
Forgeday is one of two days not named after gods. It is the second day of labour of the First Dyad.

Festday
Festday is a day of relish, where most people do not work. It marks the end of the First Dyad.

Oelday
Oelday, named after the Fatebringer, is the first day of labour of the Second Dyad.

Zoiday
Zoiday (namesake being the Allmother) is the second and final day of work of the Second Dyad.

Tanday
Tanday marks the end of the Second Dyad and is a day on which very few people work. The Tanusian Intercession occurs on the final Tanday of each month and there are gatherings at temples of Oelim, Zoi and Zanje on every Tanday.

Zanday
Zanday is the transition between the two dyads and is a day on which a portion of the population does not work.