Zhodani calendar

The Zhodani calendar measures the passage of time based upon their homeworld.
The basic unit for the Zhodani calendar is the zhdanstial (day): The time it takes for Zhdant to rotate once on its axis. It is equivalent to 1.12587 standard days or 27.02 standard hours.

 

Year

The Zhodnai Chten (year) is 244.44 zhdanstial or 275.2 standard days in length.

 

Olympiads

Three chten constitute one Thequzdij (olympiad) which is 733 zhdanstial in length, every third olympiad is 734 zhdanstial long.

 

Seasons

The chten is also divided into six Shidr (seasons) which are each 40 zhdanstial long. Four Zhdanzhdanstial (holidays) separate the shidr without being part of any specific shidr. The weather which characterized the seasons is typical of the mid latitude climate of Dleqiats. The terms are now used more in the sense of months than of seasons, although certain weather characterizations remain attached to the words. The six seasons are:

• Atrint (Raining): the season of spring rains and the planting of crops.
• Vrienstial (Heat): The (often stangant) hot summer season.
• Atchafser (Waning): A period when the hot summer weather breaks and tempers.
• Ataniebl (Harvest): The season to harvest mature crops.
• Atshtiavl (Chill): The freezing winter season.
• Atpaipr (Thaw): The meling of winter ice and thawing of frozen ground.

 

Holidays

The inter-seaons holidays have their origins in early Zhodani festivals and farming holidays. They are:

• Dranshrin (Sunbright): The vernal equinox. Dranshrin is also the new year's day and takes place between Atpaipr and Atrint.
• Viepchaklstial (Moon day): Oringally a religious holiday associated with worship of Veipchakl, veipchaklstial is now a festival of wild abandon held between Atrint and Vrienstial.
• Dranzhrinatch (Sunflight): The autumnal equinox. Dranzhrinatch is a melancholy time for the commemoration of the dead. Dranzhrinatch takes place between Vrienstial and Atchafser.
• Kazdievlstial (Thanksgiving): A traditional harvest festival held between Ataniebl and Atshtiavl.
• Thequzastial (Olympiad Day): A special holiday inserted between Atshtiavl and Atpaipr every third year. Elections of consuls are announced on Thequzastial, as are winners of the Psionic Games. Every thrid olympiad Atlthequziastial (Double olympiad day) is added immediately after Thequzastial; its function is a leap year day to keep the calendar in synchronization, but its extends the Olympiad celebration as well.

 

Expressing Dates

Days within a season are individually named, but, for convenience, are also numbered from one to forty. A Zhodani date is expressed as Olympiad.Year Season/Day; (a holiday name replaces season/day if necessary).