Calendar

The year is divided into 6 seasons, one for each of the six Aspects. Each season is divided into two 28 day months, named “Rising” and “Falling.” At the end of each season is a holiday feast for each of the Aspects, although Lilii Borea’s feast is not celebrated in Estavelle.

Season NameReal-world seasonCharacteristics
NusacrisEarly SpringBirth, love, hope
AvioberLate SpringStorms, destruction, renewal
CarolisSummerHeat, hard work, pilgrimage
SpirunEarly FallHarvest, gatherings, preparation
SheliaberLate FallDeath, darkness, the unknown
BoreusWinterRespite, novelty, storytelling

The Dimestore Novel year is only 336 days long, with no leap years or leap seconds. This is due to ancient Genesistrine? artificers using incredible amounts of Artifice to artiphysically align the Earth’s rotation and the moon’s orbit with the earth’s orbit around the sun. As a result each month has two full moons that fall exactly on Rising 14 and Falling 14. The Dimestore Novel day is also about 8% longer than days in our world, but are still divided into 24 slightly longer hours made up of 60 slightly longer minutes and seconds.

Earth TimeDimestore Novel Time
31,556,936 seconds per year29,030,400 seconds per year

Due to these changes the moon was pushed out of tidal lock and rotates slowly relative to the earth, taking slightly longer than 1 year per lunar day. This was never corrected by the ancient Genesistrine because they either didn’t care or were unable to effect this change before the collapse of their civilization.

The days of the week are Nusaday, Aviday, Caroday, Spiday, Shelday, Boraday, and Sunday. Most people get Sunday off as tradition, and either the god they personally follow or the god the business owner follows, depending on the job. Office and construction jobs usually follow the owner’s preference, and service and retail jobs follow personal preference. In Estavelle Cor Caroli is by far the most worshiped god, so a majority of people get Caroday and Sunday off.

Each holiday feast is held over the final week of the season. It’s rare for folks to get the entire week off, but they usually get more days than usual. The day of the week that that aligns to the subject of the feast is always THE day of the feast, so for instance Nusaday is the main day people celebrate the Feast of Nusakan, but it’s not unusual to celebrate the feast on other days of that week, with Sunday the next most common day since most people get it off. The focus of every holiday is always a meal, but other common themes are gift giving and gatherings.

Feast of Nusakan - A bit like Easter and other pagan spring festivals, and also Valentine’s Day. Much focus on celebrating new life, and performing activities that create new life. Feast meals are usually taken with closest loved ones, but tend to be more intimate at-home meals rather than public ones like Valentine’s Day. This is also the closest equivalent to “prom” and “prom night” in high schools, with carefully-monitored group dances and many young relationships becoming official. Also a big night for babysitters.

Feast of Avior - Similar to Holi and “spring cleaning” rites. People are encouraged to take stock and remove things from their lives that they don’t need, while bringing closer and reaffirming the things they do. Feast meals are usually taken with friends and “found family” rather than blood relatives. Storms are considered auspicious during the feast. This is also the time of year most closely associated with fireworks, and bonfires are common in rural areas. Municipalities often schedule major demolitions during this festival; destruction derbies and other public acts of destruction are common. This is also the time of year for people to make resolutions.

Feast of Cor Caroli - Celebrated by going on journeys, the busiest travel time of the year. In Estavelle, this is the one time of year tourists are allowed to visit. Distance travelled is considered the most important part of the feast, over any specific destinations. It’s encouraged to never spend more than one night in the same place. The especially privileged often take the entire season off, and time their triumphant return for the festival week. Less privileged folks may take a multi-day hike, or an overnight car trip. Those who can’t travel somewhere else to celebrate the feast usually at least eat a meal at a restaurant, never at home.

Feast of Spica - Similar to Thanksgiving, but with more of an “early harvest” feel, like Labor Day. Lots of grilling and big family gatherings. Family reunions with lots of distant relatives are common this time of year. People participate in outdoor activities and “local tourism.” This is also the time of year when most organizations and municipalities schedule outdoor fairs and carnivals. Parades and celebrations of community are a common theme of this holiday. ''' Feast of Sheliak''' - Definitely analogous to Halloween W/R/T spookiness, but also with a lot of Dia de los Muertos. People are encouraged to contemplate fear and death, but also to remember those who have passed into the unknown. Many folks eat a meal at the grave of a lost loved one, alone or with others who share the pain of that loss. Ever seen a food truck at a cemetery? Pretty common during this week. Others may eat a quiet meal at home with pictures and mementos.

There’s a literary form associated with this holiday, a poem that’s something like a koan. The ideal form is a riddle that obviously has an answer, but cannot be answered. The author is forbidden from revealing the answer, but examples where the answer is widely considered to be known are disfavored. The pinnacles of the form often have an obvious surface meaning, and a hidden secret meaning that is only hinted at.

Feast of Lilii Borea - Not celebrated in Estavelle, but in other countries celebrated like Yule, with lots of singing, festive lights, and evergreen-themed decorations. Storytelling contests and events encouraging art and creativity are also common during this season.

Feast of Artifice - This is what people in Estavelle celebrate instead of the feast of Lilii Borea.