Papal Calendar
The Papal Calendar, named for the Papacy which officiates it, is a variant of the Fastis Imperium, the calendar used by the Gnomans. It removes some of the nuances of the Fastis, dispensing with the solar aspect of its lunisolar parent. Instead, the Papal Calendar intended to measure the lunar cycles of Lunaris, with each year being fourteen cycles which roughly corresponds to months. Additionally each month has been regularised to have exactly five weeks, with each week being five days. In practice, the meddling with the Fastis has lead to the lunar cycles very quickly desynchronising, so every third year is a leap year which has an extra month. Many nations put special religious significance on this, using it for celebrations and ceremonies.
Despite the name, the Papal Calendar is hardly confined to Cathirian nations. Practicality dictates that virtually all Western states rely upon it at some level, although to what extent can vary. After all, knowing the seasons is far more important to most people than knowing precisely which day of which month it is.
The months pass in the following order:
· Primensis
The first month of the year, taken directly from the Fastis Imperium. In the Gnoman calendar it is the first month of spring, but due to the lunar exclusivity of the Papal Calendar, this distinction is no longer valid.
· Octasis
Named after Pope Octavian, (658 MH - 714MH), a pioneer of the Papal calendar. In adapting the Fastis Imperium it was decided that certain months should be added to attempt some coherency with the seasons, an occurrence ironically caused by meddling with the Gnoman calendar in the first place.
· Possensis
The second month on the Fastis Imperium, Possensis was pushed back by Pope Octavian when the newer months where added.
· Luxemen
The first summer month, Luxemen also appeared on the Fastis Imperium, however it had many more days there, one of a pair of months along with Solimensis that straddled three lunar cycles.
· Solimensis
Still paired with Luxemen, Solimensis too has been radically shortened, making way for an additional two summer months.
· Dilumensis
The first of the modern summer months.
· Vilumen
The final of the summer months, named for Lord Bishop Wolfgang Wilusch who presided over the construction of the original Bremmelfurt Cathedral in 582 MH, one of the oldest to exist. While the Cathedral today has been modified and expanded, the original structure can still be seen in the Altkirchenschiff.
· Rotmonat
A controversial name derived from Altereden, the mother tongue of the Kaispeils. While the other months derive from Laurum, the language of faith, Altereden is, (or at least was), the language of the people who made the Church. Rotmonant signifies the end of summer. While not an autumnal month, it is not a summer month either instead acting as a second spring.
· Rubrus
Rubrus is the first month of autumn on both the Papal Calendar and the Fastis Imperium.
· Trajamensis
Called Fuscensis on the Fastis Imperium, the second autumnal month was renamed in the honour Pope Trajan III in 1006, a decade after his death, for his work integrating the Priesthood of Geltia into the faith.
· Caligo Praemensis
Rather ominously named as ‘The Month that Heralds Darkness’, Caligo Praemensis is the last month of autumn.
· Eloesis
Another month added by the Papal Calendar. The first month of winter.
· Leviomensis
The second month of winter, at the end of which the days once again start to get brighter.
· Tandemensis
The last month the standard annual Papal Calendar.
· Fluxemen
While technically appearing on the calendar annually, Fluxemen typically has only one day, signifying the end of the year. Every three years however, a leap year of sorts occurs and Fluxemen is given 24 extra days, enough to bring it up to a full month.
The Papal Calendar has the following five day week:
Predice - Sedice - Meddice - Podice - Tandice