Siangwaanian calendar

The **Siangwaanian traditional calendar** is a local calendar derived from a variant of the Daizhouvian calendar.

## Months

(S) - solar term

(P) - public holiday

### Yànyütʟ/Yanyut (寅月, Jan-Feb)

* 1 - (S) Siu Hon - lesser cold
* 1 - (P) Nong Lai, Siangwaanian New Year
	+ Also known as Yüen Chung, the day of the red lanterns.
* 7 - Yan Dan, creation of humans
* 15 - (S) Dai Hon - greater cold
* 15 - (P) Yun Siao, lantern festival

### Máoyütʟ/Maoyut (卯月, Feb-Mar)

* 1 - (S) Laap Cheun - start of spring, the first solar term
	+ Celebrated with feasts and offerings to the ancestors and gods. People also wear red and pink clothes to celebrate.
	+ If eggs stand upright on their own, good fortune will follow. It is also a good time to deposit money or get married.
	+ In every Sān (eighth) year, the corresponding Laap Chun is declared void, due to colder winds causing spring to begin later. This makes its year a "sad" year, so people instead wear black to "mourn" the lost spring.
* 15 - (S) Yü Sheui - rain water
	+ Celebrated with buckets.
* 29 - (P) Gwon Yam Dan - Gwon Yam's birthday

### Shaanʟyütʟ/Shaanyut (辰月, Mar-Apr)

* 1 - (S) Ging Zaat, insects wake up from thunder
	+ Celebrated with butterflies and fireflies.
* 15 - (S) Cheng Ming, clear and bright.
	+ Celebrated with visits to ancestral graves, cleaning the graves, and leaving offerings and prayers.

### Ziʟyütʟ/Ziyut (巳月, Apr-May)

* 1 - (S) Cheun Paan - spring equinox
	+ This was the older date for Cheng Ming, now instead for Cheun Paan.
	+ As it is the day when the Sun is at the celestial longitude of 0 degrees, that means that the Sun's position has observed one "rotation" around the sky. Therefore, it was also known as Tai Yeung Dan, or the Birthday of the Sun.
	+ It is celebrated with prayers to the solar gods and wearing yellow.
	+ Some people celebrate with their Heronoi friends because of the latter's blonde hair, and a few even dress them up as kings and queens!
* 3 - (P) Hwong Dei Zit - coronation of Emperor Hwong Dei (founder of the Hia Dynasty of ancient Daizhou)
	+ It is celebrated with a drum performance and a meat sacrifice facing west.

* 15 - (S) Guk Yü - grain rain

### Ngóyütʟ/Ngoyut (午月, May-Jun)

* 1 - (S) Laap Hia - start of summer
* 5 - Deun Ong Zit - start of the horse time
	+ Celebrated with boat races, rice dumplings, and spices placed over doors to repel evil spirits on this unlucky day. It is also a day to worship Ao Gwang, the dragon god of the eastern sea and the Dunomin Ocean.
* 8 - (P) Phot-da Dan - The Buddha's Birthday
	+ It is celebrated with lighting incense and lamps (to celebrate the Buddha's enlightenment), bathing statues of the Buddha, and offering food to monks and nuns.

* 15 - (S) Siu Mun - lesser fullness

### Meiʟyütʟ/Meiyut (未月, Jun-Jul)

Siangwaanians regard this month as the unluckiest month in the whole year. Even though the ancestors visit the living at this month, it is also a time when evil spirits and ghosts wander the earth to attack the living.

* 1 - (S) Mong Zung - ripe ears of grain.
	+ A time to reap wheat and plant rice.
* 1 - Opening of the Ghosts
	+ Colourful flags are raised at temples all over the country to prevent ghosts from attacking houses.
	+ Various taboos are suggested to avoid being targeted by ghosts.
* 15 - (S) Hia Zi - greatness of summer, summer solstice
* 30 - (P) Closing of the First Ghosts
	+ This, along with Hia Zi, are one of several days for the glyrindar parades.

### Shāanyütʟ/Shaanyut (申月, Jul-Aug)

* 1 - (S) Siu Sü - lesser heat
* 15 - (S) Dai Sü - greater heat
* 30 - Closing of All Ghosts
	+ The colourful flags at temples are burned.

### Yáauyütʟ/Yaauyut (酉月, Aug-Sept)

* 1 - (S) Laap Chau - start of autumn
* 15 - (S) Chü Sü - end of heat
* 15 - (S) Yülan Zit - prayers for the ghosts
	+ Monks prepare a feast for the ghosts and pray for them to be purified and granted access to paradise.

### Sēutyütʟ/Seutyut (戌月, Sept-Oct)

* 1 - (S) Bak Lou - white dew
* 1 - (P) Dang Chung Zit - lantern festival
	+ This is the autumn harvest of Daizhou, when people honoured the harvests and the moon. It was also believed to be the other possible date of the Moon's creation, the other being Laap Chau.
	+ Traditions include round cakes, lanterns, and prayers to the Moon.
* 9 - (P) Chong Yeung Zit - day of great fire
	+ Believed to be a dangerous day of unusual heat.
	+ Traditions include climbing mountains and drinking chrysanthemum tea.
* 15 - (S) Chau Paan - autumn equinox
* 25 - Hong Zi Zit - Hong Zi's birthday
	+ In ancient times, this is "celebrated" by cursing Hong Zi, who was blamed for the backwardsness of Daizhou and all the failures of their ancestral homeland. Customs include burning portraits of tyrannical emperors and smashing porcelain grotesque statues of Hong Zi.
	+ One greeting used in that festival is "Daa Dou Hong Zi, Sat Wong Zi Bo!", which means "Down with Confucius, the Father of Lies!". "Daa Dou" is sometimes replaced with "Sei Wong", which means "Death To ... ".
	+ Conversely, the eleventh day of Ziyut is celebrated as a nationalistic holiday. Not only was that day the day Hong Zi dies, but it was also when a Daizhouvian fleet sent to annex Siangwaan was defeated. It is variously known as "Victory Day", "Independence Day", or "Teachers' Day", when teachers and soldiers were given gifts and more statues of Hong Zi were smashed to pieces.
	+ In modern times, the practice of smashing statues of Hong Zi declined, as more followers of Hong Zi in Siangwaan were revealed to be supporters of reforms and loyalists to the republic. The Siangwaanians also found out that the followers of Hong Zi were also among the warriors who resisted the Daizhouvian invasion.

### Hoiʟyütʟ/Hoiyut (亥月 Oct-Nov)

* 1 - (S) Hon Lou - cold dew
* 15 - (S) Sheung Giong - frost descends

### Zíyütʟ/Ziyut (子月 Nov-Dec)

* 1 - (S) Laap Dong - start of winter
* 15 - (S) Siu Süt - lesser snows

### Cháauyütʟ/Chaauyut (丑月 Dec-Jan)

* 1 - (S) Dai Süt - greater snows
* 15 - (S) Dong Zi - winter solstice
	+ End of harvest, colourful rice balls in soup with family.

* 22-29 - Gik Zaau - the final week
	+ This festival is held in honour of Sheung Hei, the goddess of the year, and her sons the Twelve Moons. In honour of her, white disks are being hung on buntings, and food is offered to her idol.
	+ It is also when Siangwaanians burn papers representing their wishes for the year ahead.
	+ This festival is also held in 25-31 March, before the International New Year.

### Yeunʟyütʟ/Yeunyut (閏月 Dec-Jan)

In some years, an extra month is added so the traditional calendar follows the seasons, which has little to no festivals aside from those celebrating the end of the year (which are postponed from Chaauyut). People born during the extra month are believed to overcome their difficulties.

## Years and zodiac

The Siangwaanian zodiac, known as the Shap Ye Sheng Siao, is a variation of the Daizhouvian zodiac. It consists of twelve animals.

### Zodiac names

In traditional ceremonies, these are known as the Deiʟ Zī, or Ground Branches, which represent each individual year. Anyone who is born under a certain year of this twelve-year cycle is then associated with that year's animal.

The end of this cycle is known as the Wàn Zī. The Great Wàn Zī is a bigger new year's celebration where people use gold alongside red. The Lesser Wàn Zī is either a child's thirteenth birthday (Zēng Wàn Zī, when they burn their spirit doll and begin their journey to adulthood); or simply any other birthday that happens every twelve years (Lǘn Wàn Zī, when friends gift the person reminders of their happier moments).

Some children are given a doll on their first birthday to protect their souls from evil spirits, and at every consequent birthday a different song is played and the doll is given new clothes to wear. The thirteenth birthday (or in every twelve years) is the biggest celebration: to mark the end of childhood, it involves burning the spirit-doll as a sacrifice to the child's ancestors. This twelve-year doll tradition might be influenced by the neighbouring Heronoi in the north.

* Zí (gryphon, formerly rat; north)
* Cháau (ox; northeast)
* Yàn (tiger)
* Máo (hare; east)
* Shaanʟ (dragon; southeast)
* Ziʟ (snake)
* Ngó (horse; south)
* Meiʟ (sheep; southwest)
* Shāan (monkey)
* Yáau (rooster; west)
* Sēut (dog; northwest)
* Hoiʟ (pig; sometimes keilin, deer, or cat)

### Ten-year cycle

The cycle of twelve animals is also used with another cycle, the Tiēn Gōn, or Sky Stems, which create various combinations in a great cycle of sixty years. The names of these years' positions are also used for lists (like Place A, Person B, and Event C).

At the end of sixty years, people celebrate the two Wàn Giaps. The Great Wàn Giap is a bigger New Year's celebration where everyone uses and wears gold instead of red, and where people celebrate customs from sixty years ago to bid the past goodbye. The Lesser Wàn Giap (known as a Hwà Giap) is a person's sixty-second birthday, meant to be the biggest birthday celebration of their life; that is when they receive gifts celebrating the best moments of their life, and to laugh and make fun of their coming death.

* Giap (shell, one)
* Yütʟ (fish, two)
* Bíng (fish tail, three)
* Dīng (nail, four)
* Mouʟ (lance, five)
* Géi (threads, six)
* Gāang (planet Jazgathral or fire, seven)
* Sān (rage, eight)
	+ This is the year when every Laap Chun becomes unlucky.
* Yàam (burden, nine)
* Gwaai (stubble, ten)

At the start of the cycle, its beginning Zí year is assigned as a "Giap" (one), but after the Yáau-Gwaai year (ten), the following Sēut year is a "Giap" (one), and the next Zí year is a Bíng (three).

## Weeks and days

Every month is divided into three parts made of ten days, known as "cheunʟ-yā" (旬). This was derived from ancient Daizhouvian weeks, which consisted of ten days.

The modern Siangwaanian week consists of seven days, like the international calendar.

Giap, Yütʟ, Bíng, Dīng, Mouʟ, Géi, Gāang, (Sān), (Yàam), (Gwaai)

Taken from classical Daizhouvian names: 甲, 乙, 丙, 丁, 戊, 己, 庚, (辛), (壬), (癸). The ten-day system is only used in traditional ceremonies. In the modern calendar, only the first to the seventh names are used.

## Examples

* The year 1986 AT is Bíng-Yàn, a Tiger Year.
* Chang Gao was born at 1946 AT, so he is assigned under the Tiger. His son, Chang Shong, was born at 1969 AT, so he is assigned under the Dog.

## Terminology

* cheunʟ - archaic week of 10 days, a third of a month
* yütʟ - a month
* Nong Lai - the Siangwaanian New Year
* Wàn Zī - end of a 12 year cycle
	+ Named after the name of the first year in the cycle.
* Wàn Giap - end of a 60 year cycle, made of five Wàn Zīs
	+ Named after the first element in the Tiēn Gōn (Sky Stems) cycle.
* biá - a period of 10,000 years

## Trivia

* According to folklore, each of the twelve months of the year is governed by a god or goddess, each being a child of the time goddess Sheung Hei. Some artists consider Sheung Hei to be an aspect of another time goddess, Kali, and the strongest of her sons (the god of September) to be an aspect of Murugan.
* A popular Siangwaanian novel, known as Yam Gaai (陰界), depicts a parallel world inhabited by walking corpses lit only by a glowing moon that they worship as their insane and sadistic god and creator. These undead corpses are "born" by emerging from carefully-assembled graves as youths or adults, and after several decades, they decay. Some corpses age normally, while others (with less gray skin and hair) get younger after reaching a certain age. Most corpses "die" by vanishing in a flash of light, while the most evil of their kind burn to ashes: those who get killed or destroyed crumble into dust. The corpses of Yam Gaai celebrate death (more like "unlife") instead of life, so their festivals are an inversion of those on Jerde.
	+ For example, Yamgaaivians wear black and white on New Year's Day, and they drink blood instead of tea. Zi Hong's (their equivalent of Hong Zi) birthday is celebrated with self-torture.
	+ Their thirteenth birthdays instead mourn the start of the loss of their comforts, and their sixty-second birthdays celebrate them not vanishing into light by wearing silver and green and eating salt made from their own fingernails.
	+ Their birthdays are known as "death days", when a corpse magically emerges from a grave. Conversely, the dates of their deaths are instead known and feared as "birthdays", when a corpse disappears into light: according to their religion, such unfortunate souls are reborn as children of living flesh out of a womb, to live a life of more suffering. If a corpse is killed, its remains crumble into dust, and it might reappear in the nearest grave.
	+ Every corpse is born with the knowledge of how many years until their estimated birth, so death day has a shrinking amount of candles. Once a death day has three candles left, the corpse becomes more afraid and aware of their coming doom.
	+ Corpses mourn life and birth by wearing colourful clothes. In Ngaaungat (anti-Siangwaan), the local corpses wear red and gold as a person gets closer to birth.

## See also

* Unicorn Farmhand timeline
* Siangwaanian glossary
* Siangwaanian mythology
* Josolchir calendar
* Heronoi calendar
* Sarmelonid calendar