The Calendar of Chane

The calendar of Chane: the year, the months, the week, and the holy days of the Vale. The year is exactly 360 days — twelve months of thirty days, four seasons of ninety. Reckoning is solar and stellar, measured by the sun's faultless circuit and the fixed stars, never by the broken and irregular moon. Years are numbered from the rebellion against the monarchy and the Crown Concordia that followed it (Year 0): Concordis after, Discordis before; the year the campaign begins is 412 Concordis. The twelve months are Janvar, Fevrar, Martis, Avril, Maian, Juneth, Julan, Augnam, Septen, Octen, Noven, and Decin — old names from the Age of Song whose first meanings are lost. The week is a ten-day tenday, three to a month, named for the ten gods in worn-down forms: Aunday (Adûn), Calsday (Cavall), Orsday (Ord), Onsday (Ovanor), Kulday (Kul), Rvisday (Cyrvis — its leading R silent, said 'Vizday'), Nixday (Nikros), Sornday (Salorna), Nebday (Nebular), and Valday (Val). The last two, Nebday and Valday, are the Highdays — the rest at the tenday's end, commonly the weekend. The four seasons each open on a great festival falling on a month's thirtieth day: Evenspring (the spring equinox), Midsummer (the solstice), Evenfall (the autumn equinox), and Midwinter, also called the Turning, the solstice and the last day of the year. The year's end gathers a small season of its own — Kindling Eve, Kindling Day (anciently Starwake, and called Gracenight by some), the Turning, and Janvar Day, the new year. Kindling Day is the great festival of remembrance and of one another: lights kindled against the dark, the dead remembered in the many ways the regions of the Vale each keep, and thanks given as gifts.