Calendar

The calendar of Choursa is a fifteen month calendar, with each month containing 22-23 days each. Most months have a few key holidays associated with them, with the exception of Deep Slumber.

## Reaping (22 Days)

Reaping is the first month of the year, and is characterized by the harvest of the first grain. This month is full of long, hot days, with its fair share of feasts. Fishing is also a favored pastime of Reaping, which lends to many grain-and-fish dishes being served at this time of year.

Festivals in this month include:

#### **Ploughmans' Day**

Ploughmans' Day takes place on the 7th of Reaping, and is a celebration of farmers everywhere. This feast is characterized by blue-ribbon contests involving tasks such as milling, tilling, fence-building, herding and shearing.

#### **Fishers' Day**

Taking place on the 8th of Reaping, Fishers' Day is all about who is the best angler in fast-running water and hot afternoons. The most noteworthy aspect of this celebration is the Great Exchange, where salt anglers and freshwater anglers meet and exchange catches, taking the new fish home to cook into magnificent and artful dishes.

#### **Forage**

The month of Reaping makes room for all to get involved, which is why Forage was created. Waking the other two holidays on the 9th, forage invites all to take to the hillsides, forests and coastlines to gather all of natures bounty and contribute to the feast. It is traditional for families to hide small gifts and treasures around the household for the children to find, incentivizing them to search diligently for nature's (and your parents') gifts.

## Kindling (23 Days)

Settling in between Reaping and Final Harvest, Kindling serves as a kind of buffer-month, ideal for preparing for the final harvest, as well as the oncoming winter. As the name would suggest, Kindling is all about gathering wood for the coming winter, and has richly blossomed into a celebration of the woods, woodcutters and woodshapers.

Festivals in this month include:

#### **Sawyers' and Fellers' Day**

Kindling 5th marks Sawyers' and Fellers' Day. It is popular to purchase or carve a statuette. The religious prefer depictions of gods and saints, the politically minded of local rulers, and kids of monsters and fae and the like. This festival also features competitions in woodworking of all kinds.

#### **Harvest's Wake**

Taking place on the 23rd and final day of the month, Harvest's Wake is eagerly awaited by children, storytellers and the athletically minded. Tales, songs, sports, and all manner of pastimes are engaged in as all await the beginning of the harvest at first light on the following morning. This all-nighter is largely considered a test of constitution, as lack of sleep can take its toll even upon the strongest.

## Final Harvest (23 Days)

Final Harvest is true to its name--the final fruits of the year are gathered up and sold or stored. Fruits, grains and vegetables are heavily featured in this, the busiest and most profitable month.

Only one holiday marks this month:

#### **Bakers' Jam**

Pies and preserves, pickles and jam! This feast showcases the best pastry chefs and canners in the region, and frequently erupts into good-natured pie fights. It also serves as an occasion to preserve food for the winter, including the curing of meat and fish. This holiday takes place on the 19th day of Final Harvest

## Brewing (23 Days)

True to its name, Brewing is all about brewing ales, lagers, wines, ciders, meads and even distilling liquors. This month serves as a much-needed rest after the chaos of Final Harvest, and is full of friendly visits to neighbors and the playing of music.

Brewing has two holidays:

#### **New Vintage**

Every year during new vintage, a single barrel of uniquely spiced wine is set to cellar for exactly 1 year, to be tapped on the first day of Brewing. This "new wine" is sharp, sweet and aromatic, and serves as a reminder that a patient task well done is worthy of celebration.

#### **Children's Day**

Kids call the shots on the 16th of Brewing. This is, of course, within reason. Parents take the time to throw off their burdens and play, sing and relax, engaging in childlike sport and hobbies. A new "Court of Elders" is elected for the day from the local children, and mock cases are brought before them. The new elders judge each case to the best of their abilities and mete out silly judgements and penalties to the offending parties.

## First Frost (23 Days)

First Frost is the herald of difficult days to come. The days are still warm, but the night take on a biting edge that leaves the grass a pale blue at sunrise. This month serves as the final days of preparation before the coming winter.

First Frost boasts of only one holiday:

#### **Kiss of the Sky**

On the eve of the 15th of First Frost, hardy young adults venture forth from their cottages to sleep in the fields, in hopes that they will awake fully rested, with frosted eyelashes. If one has slept soundly and yet wakes frosted, legend says they have received the blessing of the winter sprite, and no misfortune will befall their family in the coming winter.

## Saints' Vigil (23 Days)

The monotony of winter often serves as a time of contemplation, and Saints' Vigil is a month dedicated to the contemplation of the past year, and the addressing of past misdeeds.

It has three holy days, in which remembrance, reflection and repentance are focused upon:

## Spirit's Rest (22 Days)

In contrast to Saints' Vigil, Spirit's Rest is a month of enjoying the previous months' delights and being true to oneself. It boasts of the final large feast before Stirring. The four holidays used to be held in succession, but this was changed to allow merrymakers to rest and rehydrate in between the great feasts.

#### **The Feast of Grief**

The Feast of Grief takes place on the 10th. Candles are lit for loved ones lost throughout the previous year. It is also traditional to make up to three attempts to heal a broken relationship with someone. If these three attempts are unsuccessful, one can make their peace and leave that struggle behind, if they please.

#### **The Feast of Ferocity**

This feast takes place on the 12th, and encourages physical sport and competition, whether friendly or hostile. Intentional damage or injury is harshly frowned upon.

#### **The Feast of Illumination**

The Feast of Illumination is a time of hope, and takes place on the 14th. Lovers propose, friendships are strengthened, and hopes for the year are written down a pinned to a gilded totem placed in the middle of each village. Each village's totem is unique.

#### **Living Breath's Eve**

On the 16th, each person walks past the totem and sees if the wind, rain or snow has blown their wish away. It is widely believed that if your wish remains attached, your wish will come true.

## Frozen River (23 Days)

Frozen River is a month for ice fishing, weaving of tales, and the weaving of tapestries. Replacement clothes are made, wool is spun into yarn, and writers do their best work.

Two holidays take place in Frozen River:

#### **The Ice Festival**

Taking place on the 20th, the Ice Festival is a chance for anglers to show their endurance and skill as they cut holes in the lake/river ice and reel in as many fish as they can. Coldwater Swimmers also engage in their crazy antics. After all activities have ceased, ice wine is broken out and the fish fry commences.

#### **Spinner's Eve**

Spinner's eve is a celebration of the spun wool and the spun story alike, as the garments made this month are gifted to their intended recipients and the weavers and seamsters spin tales for their enraptured audiences.

## Deep Slumber (23 Days)

The most sombre of all months. Deep Slumber is the sleep of all things. No holidays mark this month, only endurance and hope.

## Stasis (23 Days)

Stasis is a month of persistence, of clinging to the hopes of the summer an autumn. It features two holidays of desperation, though the festivities remain all the same.

#### **Day of the Hunt**

The Day of the Hunt is when the hungry, destitute, and sporting leave their frozen homes to hunt game on the 12th day of the month. All game is legal, and sharing is encouraged.

#### **Day of the Quarry**

The Day of the Quarry is a day of gratitude and admiration for the quarry killed to sustain the hunter. Antlers are mounted, hides are tanned, and shrines are made. This holiday takes place on the 19th of Stasis.

## Stirring (23 Days)

Relief comes at last! Stirring represents the return of game and the first blooms and fruits of the spring. Hope is rekindled as hope is renewed.

Stirring boasts of one holiday:

#### **Night of the Trapper**

The 11th of Stirring is the Night of the Trapper, where the crafty set traps for small animals and dust off their rabbit stew recipes. The equally crafty yet less subtle engage in harmless pranks and tomfoolery.

## Broken Earth (23 Days)

Broken Earth is a month symbolized by the initiation of growth and spring itself. The ground cracks with icy wounds and the earliest flowers begin to bloom.

The holidays of Broken Earth include:

#### **Riftweary**

Occuring on the 4th of Broken Earth, Riftweary is a mercy on the game. Thanksgiving is made for the game that has sustained for the winter, and first fruits, roots and blooms are foraged and consumed.

#### **New Life Festival**

The 20th of Broken Earth is the start of the New Life Festival. Snowdrops, Crocuses and other early blooming flowers are fashioned into crowns, and young love is kindled. The rest of the jerky and aged wine are consumed, and the future looks bright.

## Tilling (23 Days)

Tilling is nobody's favorite month, but everyone recognizes its significance. This is a month of tilling, planting and fertilizing. A considerable amount of work with delayed gratification.

Two holidays mark this month:

#### **First Seed**

First seeds is a primarily familial celebration, featuring the planting of seeds, the eating of meager meals, and dancing. It takes place on the 1st of Tilling.

#### **Tilling's Rest**

Taking place on the 23rd of Tilling, Tilling's Rest is a day of rest and satisfaction, eating hearty meals and quiet satisfaction.

## Hope (23 Days)

Being a month of speculation and uncertainty, Hope attracts the speculators and the gamblers. Hope is a month dedicated to the anticipation brought by longer days and warmer weather. For the hope of harvest to come.

Hope boasts of two holidays:

#### **Golem's Requiem**

Golem's Requiem is a remembrance of the Golems' Uprising event, when golems sought to supplant sentientkind, but one golem protected sentientkind against all odds. Children build golems out of whatever inanimate material they can find. Pranksters like to dress up in materials to scare others by impersonating golems. This holiday takes place on the 14th.

#### **Brightstar Festival**

This festival is a celebration of the sun and the joys it brings. At sunup on the 21st, sun teas are set out to brew, and a sun bake competition is held. Many competitors attempt baking by using clever magnification lenses, but others simply use the lenses to ignite their ovens and bake using more conventional methods.

## Joyspring/Lament (23 Days)

The name of the month changes depending on the size of the harvest to come and the availability of game and forage. If things are well, it is named Joyspring. If things are not well, it is named Lament.

This month has two holidays, with the latter depending on the former:

#### **The Deciding**

An assigned magistrate wanders the land and takes polls from farmers, hunters and anglers regarding the bounty of the year, and makes the decision: Joyspring or Lament?

#### **Feast of Fancy**

The Feast of Fancy occurs if the month is a Joyspring. This is a celebration filled with games, songs, and general merriment. This takes place on the 13th.

#### **Fast of Appeasement**

The 13th is a Fast of Appeasement if the month is a Lament. Everyone enters their homes, turns out all lights and extinguishes all fires, and fasts for the entire day. This is a symbol of winter, and is intended to reawaken the spring and bring bounty back to the land.