Calendar

In the world of the Dragon Empire, one year is 364 days. Each year is broken down into 4 seasons (Wind/Spring, Fire/Summer, Earth/Autumn, Water/Winter). Each season is comprised of 13 weeks, broken into 3 parts. The first 6 weeks in each season is known as “Rising”, so the first 6 weeks of spring are in the Season of Rising Wind (usually just called Rising Wind). The final 6 weeks in each season are called “Falling”, so the final 6 weeks of spring would be the Season of Falling Wind (or just Falling Wind). The middle of each season is the week of the solstice/equinox and is referred to as the week of Changing Wind/Earth/Fire/Water.

The calendar year begins the first day after the winter solstice, during Changing Water. So Falling Water is always the first full season in a new year. The year is the date from the founding of the Dragon Empire. Calendar dates are broken down by season, day, and year. So the current date (when this game began) is 25th of Rising Water, 573 AE. Other example dates are 42nd of Rising Fire (last day of summer), 4th of Changing Water (First day of the new year), 1st of Rising Wind (first day of spring).

The day names are (in order) Sunsday, Fieldsday, Dragonsday, Highday, Kingsday, Hearthday, Moonsday

Each week is still 7 days, each day is still 24 hours, each hour is 60 minutes, each minute is 60 seconds. So for the most part things are relatively similar to how you are used to them.

Holidays

Festival of Renewal: The end of year celebration, held during Changing Water and lasting for 2 days. The holiday celebrates the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Most employees are given a yearly bonus during this holiday and are given time off to celebrate. Aside from Founding Day and the Imperial Jubilee, this is the biggest and most widely celebrated holiday in the Dragon Empire. The first day of the Festival is a day of reflection on the last year and an opportunity to wash those events away. Mourning those who were lost, offering apologies to those were were wronged, reflecting on poor choices, and so on. It tends to be somber and quiet. The second day of the Festival is completely the opposite. It is to celebrate the opportunities of a new year and the chance to make things better. There are many parties, feasts, dances, parades, and other celebrations. It’s considered lucky to make big plans on this day, so many wedding proposals, wedding ceremonies, business agreements, and other events happen then.

Founding Day: This day long celebration marks the founding of the Dragon Empire, more specifically the Battle of Felden Hill, the turning point in the war against the Wizard King. This holiday is near the end of Rising Fire, a few days before the solstice. The day is marked by parades, plays and other reenactments of the battle (one in particular, “Dawning of a New Age” is particularly popular), fireworks, and nearly always a large community feast or meal. Although this holiday is obviously not celebrated where the Dragon Empire is not the dominant force, the proximity to the summer solstice means that many other cultures and places end up celebrating at the same time anyway.

Imperial Jubilee: This three day celebration is to mark the coronation anniversary of the ruling Emperor. In the event that it’s the crowning of an Emperor, the celebration is instead a full week long. In the city of Axis, the Jubilee all but shuts down the city aside from essential services, places serving food and drink, as well as entertainment venues. There are parades, free food, fireworks, concerts, many gladiatorial fights, and other things to keep the citizens happy. In other places, the Jubilee is still celebrated but does not have quite the effect. In these other places, there are often feasts, concerts, and the occasional parade but life often otherwise continues as usual. For the reigning Emperor, the Jubilee is towards the beginning of Falling Earth.