Nornish Calendar

As with most places in the world, Aldernon keeps to the traditional year structure of 13 months of 4 weeks, each of 7 days. Twelve of the months are divided amongst four seasons, with the thirteenth month being dedicated to ‘Fimbulwinter’, the ‘Mighty Winter’ when the weather is at its coldest and frost touches even the Golden Coast.

## Months

 Fimbulwinter (fimble winter)
 Geimhreadh (gev rue)
 Earrach (are ock)
 Samhradh (sow rue)
 Fómhar (four)

## Days

The days of the month are named per the day of the week, plus which week of the month it falls on. So, the third day (Céadaoin) of the second week of Márta would be referred to as Céadaoin dhá Márta.

The days are as follows:

1. Luain (loon)
2. Máirt (mor-ch)
3. Céadaoin (kay don)
4. Déardaoin (jer don)
5. hAoine (ah nn ch)
6. Sathairn (sat ran)
7. Domhnaigh (doo nig)

The week indicators are:

1. amháin (ah wan)
2. dhá (doh)
3. trí (tree)
4. ceithre (kerra)

## Festivals and Holidays

There are several principle holidays celebrated by the majority of Nornish citizens, with countless more celebrated by particular faiths and groups.

### Lá na Torthúlachta

A festival of fertility and nature,this day is holiday is considered particularly fortuitous for couples trying to conceive. Marking the start of spring and the return of life after the cold winter, it’s tradition to give blankets to young couples for them to ‘picnic’ upon out in the blossoming meadows.

### Lá Gréine

Falling on Luain dhá Meitheamhthe, longest and usually hottest day of the year, this holiday is often dedicated to a day of singing and dancing, celebrating the last of the long days before Fómhar begins to set in. It’s often tradition to set off fireworks as the sun dips below the horizon to mourn the decline of Samhradh. It’s considered very bad luck to be awake between midnight and sunrise on Máirt dhá Meitheamhthe, the following day and first day of Fómhar.

### Bailiú Deiridh

Bailiú Deiridh, or ‘Final Gathering’ is considered to be the last day of the harvest, falling on Domhnaigh ceithre Deireadh Fómhair. Once the last of the crops have been gathered, the last vegetables pickled and the last cattle slaughtered and their meat smoked, families gather for a quiet meal together and pray for a merciful winter.

### Aifreann Gheimhridh

Known as Wintereenmas in the common tongue, this three-month celebration begins on the night of the last day of Samhain. It is said that on this night, the walls between this world and the afterlife are at their thinnest. It is this that allows Kernun, Winter King of the Leshen, to chaperone the souls of the dead back into the land of the living so they may see their loved ones for one night. At the end of the night, Kernun returns the souls to the afterlife, but will accept small tokens and trinkets to the living as gifts from the dead. He delivers these gifts on Luain dhá Mhífuar as he travels the land gathering up lost souls. Finally, marking the end of the old year and the birth of the new, on the night of Domhnaigh ceithre Eanáir he collects the soul of the year itself and takes it to the afterlife

### Feathered Mound Fiesta

One of the biggest celebrations in the Trade Lands, the Feathered Mound Fiesta celebrates a unique phenomenon in the region. Starting on the last day of Feabhra, the sun sets behind the White Plume Mountain in such a way that the sunlight catches the steam rising from the mountain that beautiful rainbows light up the evening sky. This spectacle lasts several weeks, welcoming in the spring proper and the receding snow. It is traditional to celebrate this spectacle with a time with a series of parties, performances and fun. The Battle of the Bards is a particularly famous event that is often the centrepiece of the festivities.