The
Shairin calendar is a lunisolar calendar used throughout the Summerlands. It is recognized, but not used by the Ikhtal Empire, which maintains its own calendar. The year consists of twelve months of thirty days each.
The Shairin date is written Day, Month, Year, Era (ex. 26 Pars, 1115 SF).
Years
The Shairin calendar is divided into two major eras: the Shairin Empire and the Fallen Empire.
The Shairin Empire (SE)
This calendar era is based on the year of the first Shairin Emperor's ascension to the throne. The Shairin calendar was not established and standardized until well into the fourth emperor's reign. Prior to this, each emperor's reign was considered its own era. While dates can be named according to which emperor was ruling at the time, the standard date uses a single era for the empire as a whole. The final year of Emperor Hesychios's reign (1509 SE) is traditionally counted as a complete year.
The Fallen Empire (SF)
This calendar era is based on the year of the final Shairin Emperor's defeat. While Emperor Hesychios was dethroned in the middle of the year 1509 SE, time is traditionally reckoned from the first day of the following calendar year. There is no year zero, so the year 1 SF immediately follows 1509 SE. Among those who refused to acknowledge the dissolution of the empire, the first few years of this era were still referred to by the old era's numbering (i.e. 3 SF was sometimes called 1512 SE).
Months
The months of the year are named for the rising constellations which appear in the sky during that cycle of the moon. Each month begins with the new moon and ends on the final night of the waning crescent moon.
| Name |
Constellation |
| Koyun |
Ram |
| Vodi |
Bison |
| Keklik |
Partridge |
| Xelona |
Tortoise |
| Pars |
Leopard |
| Glaros |
Seagull |
| Semender |
Salamander |
| Engerek |
Viper |
| Yunus |
Dolphin |
| Kechi |
Goat |
| Cheylan |
Gazelle |
| Tavshan |
Hare |
Weeks
There are eight days in a week, named for
the Court of Eight. Originally, these were named for the gods themselves (i.e.
Kirko's Day, Nehir's Day) but the habitual avoidance of speaking the names of the gods directly led to the days being referred to by representative symbols of the gods instead. Emperor Fikri formalized these names in 514 SE.
The year always begins on Hayvan and ends on Buyume. A month does not neatly divide by eight days, so each month has 3.75 weeks, with the cycle of days continuing into the next month. For example: Koyun begins on Hayvan, and ends on Ishik. The first day of Vodi will be Deyishim.
The months of the year are said to be ruled by certain elements, based upon which day of the week the month starts on.
| Starting Day |
Months |
Element |
| Hayvan |
Koyun, Pars, Yunus |
Air |
| Deyishim |
Vodi, Glaros, Kechi |
Earth |
| Alevler |
Keklik, Semender, Cheylan |
Fire |
| Siklon |
Xelona, Engerek, Tavshan |
Water |
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