The Eidoran year consists of two cycles, the seed cycle and the harvest cycle. A cycle consists of five months. A month consists of five weeks. A week consists of five common days, and one uncommon day. Every fourth week has two uncommon days instead of one.
Common days
The week is divided into 5 common days, each day corresponding to one of the five lords.
Knightsday - Heironeous
The first day of the week, Knightsday is a day for remembering who you serve and doing your duty. It is a day for long and hard, often tedious work, and little else.
Fightsday - Kord
The second day of the week, Fightsday is day not only for working hard, but also for playing hard. Sports and wargames are often set to this day. This is also commonly the market day.
Hammerday - Moradin
The third day of the week, Hammerday is a day for doing the work you love doing. Fine craftsmanship and passion projects should be done on Hammerday.
Feastday - Yondalla
The fourth day of the week, Feastday is a regular working day. As evening falls however, people gather in feasts and parties to eat and drink richly, and celebrate the fruits of their labor.
Arborday - Wee Jas
The fifth day of the week, Arborday is considered the holy day in the week. Only minimal work is to be done, and the day is spent going to temples, performing sacred rites and remembering the dead (and of course recouperating after Feastday).
Uncommon days - Religious
Each week also has an uncommon day, alternating from week to week. These days range from major to minor holidays, and they have a religious significance rooted in the Vansir pantheon.
Moonday - Boccob
Moonday comes around every month, and signals that there will be a full moon the coming night. As such, Moondays can occur at any time during the week. For most people Moondays are not very significant, and are simply treated as another workday with a few holy rites (involving strongwine) performed at midnight.
Sunday - Pelor
Sunday comes twice a year, at summer solstice and at winter solstice. They mark the beginning of the harvest cycle, or the beginning of the seed cycle respectively. They are major religious holidays, and most people observe them. Huge fires are built during the day, and ignited during the evening. The feasting food is prepared by roasting over these fires.
Greenday - Obad Hai
Greenday comes once a year and marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. This is a major holiday, involving a lot of singing, drinking and dancing.
Wanderday - Fharlanghn
Wanderday comes many times during the year. It is a day for starting journeys. The purpose of these journeys can vary wildly, from travelling to distant friends or kin, to going to a larger city to sell their wares.
Wilderday – Ehlonna
Wilderday comes once a year, during the high summer. It is a day made for new experiences, trying new things or travelling to new places. However, it is mainly celebrated by young adults experimenting with mind altering substances (alchohol, various herbs or mushrooms). Most other people simply treat it as another workday, where they perhaps try a new kind of food.
Eldarday - The Forebears
Eldarday comes many times during the year. It is considered a holy day, but a workday nonetheless. The tradition is to spend the evening and the night stargazing and telling the stories, myths and sagas of the Eldars and the Vansir.
Arnday - Bralm
Arnday comes many times during the year. It is considered a holy day, and only minimal work should be done. It is a day of fasting and sparsity, and people should not eat until the sun has come up on the next day.
Pentaday - The Five Lords
Pentaday comes once a year, during mid spring. It is a relatively new holiday, only around 200 years old according to scholars. It is a day that celebrates the significance of the number five, which is considered a holy and lucky number. It is mainly a day for celebrating children, and involves a lot of games and sweet treats.
- Children at the age of five are called Seed Children, and they are given generous (and often practical) gifts from kin and neighbours.
- Children at the age of ten are called Harvest Children. They dress up (often as scarecrows) and go around collecting treats.
- Children at the age of 15 will perform rites of passage when evening falls. After these rites are complete, they are considered adults with all the rights and responsibilities that entail.
Darkday - The Dark Three
Darkday comes at least twice a year, some years as much as five times. On Darkday a solar eclipse occurs, blotting out the sun for a varying period of time. The day is a somber one, considered a bad omen. Superstitions are high around Darkday, and there are wild rumours about supernatural events happening on this day. Only minimal work should be done on a Darkday, as most of the day should be spent doing preventative rituals and rites, praying to the gods for protection.
Uncommon days - Traditional
These uncommon days range from major to minor holidays, and are rooted in tradition, community and superstition, rather than religion.
Heartbeat
A major holiday where blood relatives gather to feast, make merry and exchange news and gifts. This holiday follows blood ties not marriage ties, so husbands and wives usually go to their separate families. Deciding which feast the children should go to and other such details (of which there are many), vary from family to family. This can often be a source of family drama.
Hocktide
Hocktide comes twice a year, on the first uncommon day in Goldbright. It is the day for paying taxes, tolls and rents, as well as collecting any debts for the current cycle.
Hightide and Lowtide
Days of hightide and lowtide comes once a month each in most regions of Eidoran. They are not part of the shared calendar, simply because it varies from place to place when and how the tides hit. In many places, hightide hits a few days after Moonday. Lowtide then usually comes two weeks after hightide. There are exceptions to this however, most notably there are shorelines where hightide and lowtide both hits once, or even twice every day. These areas rather have a couple of days every year of Stilltide, where the waterline remains constant.
Sylvanis
Sylvanis comes once a year, usually late spring. It is the celebration of elves, and the mourning of their passing. Children dress up, and often elven songs are sung while people dance and tell tales of the lost elven kingdoms.
Seedwash
Seedwash comes once a year during spring. The day starts with a thorough cleaning of the house and homestead. Later in the day people gather at local lakes or coastlines for a festival of bathing and watergames.
Trollswap
Trollswap comes once a year, it begins at the start of Redflame of Seeds, and wraps up at the month's end. Two families will swap a family member with each other, usually a young daughter or son. They will learn of each others crafts and traditions until they return home. This is based on the legends of the fae folk stealing children and leaving one of their own behind.
Plentyfeast
Plentyfeast comes once a year during the first big harvest (usually in the middle of Brownsoil of Harvests). To celebrate and sell their harvests, people attend grand market faires. Oftentimes a local noble will give out prizes in several different categories (the fattest livestock, the largest vegetables and the richest fruits).
Months
There are five months in the Eidoran calendar, each month being represented twice in a year, once for each cycle.
Redflame of Seeds
This is the first month of the year, and the last month of winter. The red represents the heat of the fireplace burning merrily.
Brownsoil of Seeds
This is the first month of spring. The brown represents the melting snow, and the soil hopefully being workable.
Whiterest of Seeds
This is the second and middle month of spring. The first and hardiest seeds should already be in the ground, giving people more time for religious worship. Many pious rest-days usually fall to this month. The white represents a clean soul.
Bluewash of Seeds
The last month of spring, once again a busy and industrious time. The blue represents the plentiful rains everyone hopes for.
Goldbright of Seeds
The first month of summer. The end of this month always ends with the major holiday of Sunday, which marks summer solstice and the start of the cycle of harvests. The gold represents the summer sun.
Redflame of Harvests
The last month of summer, and usually the hottest month of the year. The red represents the scorching heat of the sun.
Brownsoil of Harvests
The first month of fall. Harvesting truly begins in this month, and it is a month of intense labour. The brown represents the upturned soil.
Whiterest of Harvests
This is the middle month of fall. While there is still work to be done, it is between the two great harvest months. This means there's more time for religious worship. Many pious rest-days usually fall to this month. The white represents a clean soul.
Bluewash of Harvests
The last month of fall. The first part of this month is usually spent working hard and long days to get the last harvest out of the ground before the weather turns cold and sour, while the second part of the month is spent working the harvest into storable and sellable product. The blue represents the many rainy days of this month.
Goldbright of Harvests
The last month of the year, and the first month of winter. The end of this month always ends with the major holiday of Sunday, which marks winter solstice, the end of the year and the start of the cycle of seeds. The gold represents the turning of the sun, and that the days from now on will grow longer.
Example Year
Here is a full example of a year from beginning to end, detailing each month, week and day.
