The Khezvaran Calendar

The imperial calendar has been used in Khezvaros since long before The Eternal Empire annexed The City of Ten Thousand Daggers. The old Tarsan calendar had variable month lengths and irregularly-occurring "leap days" and many other peculiarities that were only fully understood by a handful of astronomers. This led to considerable confusion where dates were concerned, so the Empire's much more predictable calendar was quickly adopted--more or less. While the imperial calendar's structure was adopted, the Tarsaks kept their old names for the months and days, and many of the old holidays are still tied to the movements of heavenly bodies rather than a calendar date.

The Week

The Khezvaran week is seven days long. The days of the imperial calendar are named after their numeric order (First Day, Second Day, etc.), but the Khezvarans prefer the old day names, which are based on the activities that people traditionally engage in on those days.

Modern Name	Khezvaran Name	Imperial Name	Notes
Monday	Duhuld	Ilkun	"Day of Work" - This is the first day of the work week for most Khezvarans, and many spend the first half of the day running errands and taking care of other business to prepare for the work week. Since foreign vendors are not permitted to set up in the bazaar until Rashuld, this is a good day for business owners and craftspeople to purchase locally-produced supplies and equipment needed for the coming week.
Tuesday	Rashuld	Ilinjikun	"Market Day" - Vendors from out of town are allowed to set up in the bazaar beginning on this day, so many people visit the marketplace to buy food produced outside of the city and foreign goods from more exotic locales.
Wednesday	Bozhuld	Ujunkun	"Day of Debate" - Meetings are traditionally held on this day. Ward Council assemblies are held on the 2nd Bozhuld of each month and most guilds meet on the 3rd Bozhuld. Business meetings and meetings of private organizations are often held on the remaining Bozhulds.
Thursday	Turefehlt	Dorttekun	"Mid-Week" - As evidenced from its unevocative name, this is just a regular work day.
Friday	Nuonhuld	Bezinjekun	"Day of Settling Debts" - This is payday for those who aren't paid by the day or by the job. It's also the day when rents and other debts are due. Imperial Magistrates deliver verdicts on this day as well.
Saturday	Frulvihuld	Altinjikun	"Day of Sport" - Most people end work early on this day, and some (including most imperial offices) don't work at all. This is the day when the Grand Arena hosts its most anticipated and bloody entertainments and even many vendors in the bazaar either close up early or transport wares to the Arena Ward on this day. Foreign vendors are required to evacuate the bazaar before the first chariot race begins shortly after mid-day.
Sunday	Varhuld	Yedinjikun	"Home Day" - This is a day for domestic pursuits: family gatherings, relgious observances, household chores, etc. This is also a popular day for visiting the baths, going out to taverns or restaurants to eat, and attending plays, musical performances, and other entertainments. The bazaar opens late on this day and some stalls don't open at all.

The Year

The imperial year begins shortly after the summer solstice with a 5-day festival celebrating The Eternal Empress's arrival to the imperial city of Tanrilar. Although this reckoning of years fits better with the winter growing season for most crops in both southern Tarsa and the imperial homelands, the old Tarsan calendar originated farther north and began the new year after the Winter Solstice. Therefore, even though the year changes in the summer, many Tarsan expressions and practices harken back to times when the new year began in the depths of winter.
There are 12 imperial months, each 30 days long and named after and sacred to one--or in one case, two--of the major imperial gods. An additional day is added to the calendar every 4th year on the day after the month of the winter solstice. As with days, Khezvarans generally prefer the month names from their own calendar, which were named after constellations named for various animals.

Modern Aprox	Khezvaran Name	Constellation	Imperial Name	Imperial God	Notes
Jun 30 - Jul 4	Turfrung	Lion	Kyratoren	Kyra	During this time of year, the Lion and the Dragon are both prominent in the night sky. In the old calendar, Turfrung was a regular month and Drakunfroj was a festival centered around Kirlyok's arrival to collect his annual tribute. Since the lion is sacred to the Empress and Kelik is most famous for banishing the dragons, the month and festival were switched for the imperial calendar. The Kyratoren festival is a celebration of the Empress and the Empire. It prominently features military parades and other gratuitious displays of imperial power.
Jul 5 - Aug 3	Vehldfrung	Dog	Savakoy	Savak	This is the beginning of the dryest and hottest part of the summer. With the wheat harvest completed and plenty of daylight, this had traditionally been a time for warfare.
Aug 4 - Sep 2	Puefrung	Scorpion	Sulezamon	Sule	Puefrung is the second month of high summer, when the only rain comes in brief, heavy storms once or twice a month. Towards the end of the month, the days begin to grow noticebly shorter, but this does little to make the heat more manageable.
Sep 3 - Oct 2	Jaurdfrung	Spider	Yurinay	Yurin	Jaurdfrung marks the ripening of the vines and the end to the worst of the summer heat. For those who work the land, the end of the grape harvest marks the time to begin plowing for the next growing season. The first signs of the rainy season can sometimes be seen toward the end of the month.
Oct 3 - Nov 1	Ehfrung	Lynx	Mergynoy	Mergyn	Ehfrung marks the beginning of the wet season, with regular and increasingly abundant rainfall, mild temperatures, and ever-shortening days. This is the time for planting wheat and other winter crops.
Nov 2 - Dec 1	Bugak	Raven	Mazharay	Mazhar	The month of the raven is marked by heavy rain and sometimes uncomfortably cool temperatures. While farmers use every moment of daylight tending to their crops, the people in the city spend more time indoors where it's warm and try.
Dec 2 - Dec 31	Gabrak	Rat	Ylanazamon	Ylana	Known as "The Muddy Month," Gabrak is cold, wet, and miserable. The days are at their shortest during this month and even when the sun's up it's often obscured by dark rain clouds.
*	Zaughak	Serpent	Kargazay	Kiyamet	Occuring once every 4 years at the end of Ylaznazamon, the imperials refer to this day, when they believe Kiyamet is at her most powerful and unhinged, as "The Time of Chaos." In the old Tarsan calendar, the irregularly-occurring "month of the serpent," sacred to Ordog the Deceiver, took place between Gabrak and Aik, and those associations have carried over to the leap year day.
Jan 1 - Jan 30	Aik	Wolf	Ayazoy	Ayaz	The Wolf's Moon is the coldest month of the year, but usually stays well above the freezing point. Frost and snow are not unheard of in the City of Ten Thousand daggers, but most people only experience it once in a lifetime, if at all.
Jan 31 - Mar 1	Jifrung	Hedgehog	Hulyazamon	Hulya	The amount of rain begins to slighly decrease during this month, but it's still cold and wet despite the days beginning to lengthen again.
Mar 2 - Mar 31	Roltoj	Bear	Javzoy	Ozan & Okan	They say that the bears begin to wake up during Roltoj, and toward the end of the month there are signs of hope that it won't stay cold and wet forever.
Apr 1 - Apr 30	Ninak	Horse	Deryazomon	Derya	Ninak marks the return of some warmth and a significant decrease in rainfall. While it still rains regularly, there aren't as many heavy and violent storms, allowing for sea travel to resume without the frequent and overlong stays in port that have been necessary to avoid dangerous weather during the rainy season.
May 1 - May 30	Guenak	Bull	Lalezomon	Lale	The short spring of southern Tarsa happens during the month of the bull. Temperatures are mild, rainfall is light and increasingly infrequent, and the days are long.
May 31 - Jun 29	Drakunfroj	Dragon	Kelikoy	Kelik	Drkunfroj is the beginning of summer, with increasingly hot weather and only an occasional smattering of rainfall. For farmers, the last of the winter wheat is harvested during this month.