Zergonian calendar

The **Zergonian calendar** is the traditional calendar of Bigton. It has been synchronised with the Gregorian calendar so nearly every month begins on the last day of each Gregorian month.

Zergonian and Bigtonian customs derived from these festivals are marked with a (Z), and traditional festivals still observed in Bigton are marked with a (ze). Festivals that are public holidays in Bigton are marked with a (B).

## Cergulia (October)

"Cergulia" means "Pumpkin". Other names for October in Zergonian include Karko (Orange), Ollin (Ghosts), and Shuros (Monsters).

* 1 (Sept 30) (B) - Xawlcîz Den - Day of No-Death, Eternity Day
	+ According to Zergonian mythology, this was the day the universe was created, and this will be the day when the universe will be destroyed.
	+ (Z) - A black bear that awakens on that day from a month of slumber, a wall of eyes, contemplation and worship to the Araxara God.
* 16 (Oct 15) - Cergulix - Day of the Pumpkins
* 16 (Oct 15) - Noldbinca - Hunter's Moon
	+ This is the day when young men (and women in some countries) in the east go and hunt beasts and monsters.
* 19 (Oct 18) - Cergollia - Day of the Pumpkin Men
	+ Believed to be the day the cergols were created.
	+ (ze) - Pumpkin lanterns.
* 27 (Oct 26) - Zragonax - Day of the Wolves
	+ In the western kingdoms, people hunt wolves. In the eastern kingdoms, people instead honour their werewolf allies with cooked meat.

## Riggis (November)

"Riggis" means "Frigid Cold".

* 1 (Oct 31) - Damkaroc - Black-Orange Day
	+ One of two days that resemble Halloween.
	+ In some countries, it is Tanzenden, the Day of the League, when human and cergol states formed an alliance.
	+ (ze) Floats resembling monsters are carried around on that night, and then burned in the next morning as offerings to the Araxara.

* 2 (Nov 1) - Founding of Turma, Wizards' Day
	+ A day for all magic-users (not just Turmans, but from any race, nation, and species) to be proud of themselves and their superpowers. This is nonetheless the national day of the wizard nation of Turma, when its people praise the gods for granting them their powers to improve the world.

* 9 (Nov 8) - Feast of the Eagle
* 12 (Nov 11) - Fincarix - Day of Ancestors
	+ All over the land, people pray to their ancestors for their blessings.
	+ (ze) Zergonians pray to their ancestors.
* 15 (Nov 14) - Rigbinca - Full Moon of Cold
	+ White sheets of paper hung along the windows to usher in winter.
* 29 (Nov 28) - Rooster Festival

## Srexar (December)

"Srexar" means "Snowstorm".

* 12 (Dec 11) - Feast of the Hound
* 15 (Dec 14) - Srexabinca - Full Moon of Snow
* 22 (Dec 21) - Joncix - Day of Gifts
	+ People give gifts to help each other survive the winter.
	+ (ze)
* 22 (Dec 21) - Tirien Joncix - Day of Elven Gifts
	+ People trade with the tir elves: they give the elves some delicious food and beautiful wooden handicrafts, and in turn the tir elves give them rare gifts and weapons of magical metal.
* 22 (Dec 21) - Hrowisoxez; Handóstûn Hrowix; Handûstrówix - Winter Solstice
	+ Celebrated with wooden antlers and snowflake-like paper buntings.
* 24 (Dec 23) - Ornolda Bincor, Ornolda - Night of the Great Hunt
	+ This was the night when the forest god Othilmas rides his chariot of eight-legged stags across the night sky. Some kingdoms consider it a night of great fear, whereas the kingdoms of Elthund, Mårsonc, and Vilenxar (who worship Othilmas) join their patron god to hunt and kill monsters.

## Starix (January)

"Starix" means "Constellations". Another name is "Wirsia", which is an old name for "Moon".

* 1 (Dec 31) - Glixam, Gilxamix - Gate of Stars
	+ This was the date when offerings were burned towards each nation's patron constellation.
	+ (ze) In Bigton's case, people burn effigies of ideological enemies to Cepheus and Ursa Major.
* 5 (Jan 4) - Feast of the Bear
* 17 (Jan 16) - Wirsianix - Feast of the Moon
	+ Considered the greatest of full moon days. An opportune time for mages to harness lunar magic.
* 19 (Jan 18) - Wirs-Galen, Wirsalen - Moon Chariot
	+ Celebrates the life and duality of Princess Skrindia, who ascended into a lunar goddess. While Bigtonians have made it into a beauty contest, in the original setting Wirsalen was observed to appease her so Skrindia will not attack humanity out of jealousy against the sun.
	+ Wirsalen is observed mostly by staying up late and drawing pictures of the full Moon, and of the winged unicorn mares that served as her pets and steeds. Effigies of winged horses are burned as offerings to Skrindia.
	+ (ze) In Bigton, people used winged holograms and paper effigies as offerings to Skrindia.
* 25 (Jan 24) - War of the Monsters
	+ Celebrates the formation of the Geryon Mountains.
* 29 (Jan 28) - Horse Festival/Stallion Festival

## Fulxurs (February)

"Fulxurs" means "Blizzard".

* 14 (Feb 13) - Taldagon - Day of Collapse
	+ Seirenii day of mourning. The only full moon when seirenii do not show themselves
* 15 (Feb 14) - Dånagiêz - First Rains
	+ When the first rains of spring fall. Celebrated with a dance to the rain god Thelumbrix
* 20 (Feb 19) - Tramontanix - Day of the Tramontanian Star
	+ When this rainbow-glow star shines across the sky, it is a sign that winter is coming to an end.
	+ (ze) Bigtonians hang star-like banners outside their doors.
* 24 (Feb 23) - Feast of the Wolf
* 26 (Feb 25) - Winter Jousting

## Lumbiria (March)

"Lumbiria" means "Blossoms". Other names for this month include "Grasna" (a flower monster or demon), "Alpurnos" (Outbreak), and Drina (ancient word for Pink)

* 1 (Feb 28 or 29) - Grasna Purnoz - Outbreak of the Flower-beasts
	+ In Zergonian folklore, this was when the plains of Ryandia split open, unleashing grasnae (flower demons) from hell to invade the world.
* 15
* 20 (Mar 19) - Mare Festival (Western)
* 24 (Mar 23) - Érilxa - Spring Equinox
	+ Zergonians celebrate this with rainbow-coloured curtains, representing the magical aurorae that danced across the sky that accelerated plants' growth.
* 28 (Mar 27) - Treefolk Day

## Parnevia (April)

"Parnevia" means "Meadow".

* 5 (Apr 4) - Megalserix - Day of Megalensa
	+ Zergonians celebrate this day by parading on a white stallion.
* 9 (Apr 8) - Sheep Festival
* 15
* 19 (Apr 18) - Firestorm Mourning
* 23 (Apr 22) - Mare Festival (Eastern)
* 26 (Apr 25) - Western Jousting

## Sullin (May)

"Sullin" means "Lantern".

* 1
* 13-14 (May 12-13) - Sulinbad - Day of the Lanterns
	+ A day when colourful lanterns were put up to honour the heroes of old.

* 15 (May 14) - Golden Moon

## Shaarne (June)

"Shaarne" is an old name that means "Sun".

* 1 (May 31) - East Gate of the Sun
* 8 (June 7) - Feast of the Lion
* 15 (June 14) - Day of the Sun
	+ Moon not visible, angered lunar deities.
	+ Tir elves hide
* 24 (June 23) - Handûshaanix, Summer Solstice
* 30 (June 29) - West Gate of the Sun

## Ulbix (July)

"Ulbix" means "Fruit".

* 5 (July 4) - Summer Star Night
* 8 (July 7) - Cow Festival
* 15
* 19 (July 18) - Horse Festival/Stallion Festival
* 26 (July 25) - Eastern Jousting
* 28 (July 27) - Bull Festival

## Girrix (August)

"Girrix" means "Rain Showers".

* 6 (Aug 5) - Day of the Forge
* 10 (Aug 9) - Feast of the Griffon
* 15
* 19 (Aug 18) - Horse Festival/Mare Festival
* 21-23 (Aug 20-22) - War Against the Monsters

## Skernpla (September)

"Skernpla" or "Skembla" means "Harvest". Another name for this month is "Loskon" ("Shadow").

* 1 (Aug 31) - Darkening Sky
	+ In some regions, volcanic eruptions plunge their skies into darkness.
* 4 (Sept 3) - Feast of the Unicorn
* 15 (Sept 14) - Moon of Darkness/Moonless Night
* 17 (Sept 16) - Speragna Jousting
* 24 (Sept 23) - Autumn Equinox
* 30 (Sept 29) - Ûlk - Reckoning Day
	+ The darkest day of the year, and the other Halloween of the setting. Believed to be the day when Cronos the Tyrant began his reign of terror.

## Non-Zergonian festivals and their Zergonian names

### Riggis/November

* 1 (Oct 30) - Vetornetri Den, Fincarix Norsia - Vetrnætr Blot, Norse Ancestors' Day
* 2 (Oct 31) - Ollollin Mîr - Night of the Ghosts, Halloween
* 3 (Nov 1) - Fanorêza, Fandorix - All Saints' Day

### Srexar/December

* 1 (Nov 30) - Precarix Croneza, Croneza - Prayer for the World, Memorial Day
* 2 (Dec 1) - Skarazix Norsia - Norse Day of Science, Odin's Day
* 20 (Dec 21) - Yoltid, Fan Othinix - Yule, Day of Holy Odin
* 23 (Dec 24) - Fantarmîr - Night of Holy Birth, Christmas Eve
* 24 (Dec 25) - Fantarix - Day of Holy Birth, Christmas Day

## Notes

* binca - full moon
* rix - daytime, (archaic) day of
* mîr - night
* den - day of

## See also

* Norse calendar
* Rinnarit calendar
* Zergonian glossary