Rossan Calendar
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The Rossan Calendar is the traditional timekeeping system used on the island of La Rossa. It remained in full use until 40 PC, when Dux Leo Minestrici declared a transfer to the Haracalnde. While the two calendars were used side-by-side for some time, the ease of trade under one standardized system led to the near full adoption of the universal calendar. The Rossan Calendar remains in use among some Montagneri communities, as it was originally devised to track the movement of seasons on the island.
Possibly developed around 4,000 years ago, it is believed to have been created surrounding the advent of agriculture and pottery, though this claim is contentious due to a lack of evidence to place it in the period. While the oldest set of clay artifacts dates to 3700 TT, their refinement suggests a longer history of the craft, possibly going back centuries. Some archeological findings show human and pig skeletons found together as far back as 5,000 years ago, indicating life together in an agricultural context. As the calendar was likely of necessity for far longer, some theories have stated that a form of the calendar may have been imprinted on degradable materials, such as wood, before it moved onto being carved into clay pottery.
System
The traditional year is split into eight seasons or months of 45 days each - Inizaio (Beginning), Aprile (Blossoming), Salitre (Rise), Apice (Summit), Cadebre (Fall), Decadebre (Crumbling), Gelembre (Freezing), and Decesso (Death). The months also have secondary names, based on numbers: Umbre, Dobre, Tribre, Quattobre, Cinbre, Seibre, Settembre and Ottobre.
Each month is split into 5 weeks of 9 days each. Traditionally, the first and the last day of the week were taken as non-working days, however, labor reforms under Patrizio Morelio di Lorma in 54 PC created another non-working day in the middle of the week. The current system follows a 1-3-1-3-1 scheme, whereby the week is split into two blocks of three working days. Discounting holidays, the average year is left with 240 working days.
Due to differing week systems across the archipelago, reform proposals have suggested changing the structure of the week to match other nations La Rossa frequently trades with, in order to allow for quicker availability. These proposals have not materialized, especially due to a lack of reliable communication with the Eastern Attu Archipelago. However, some private companies have moved to operate on Okriti times and Deysachni schedules, if you can call them that. Due to this, certain holidays that fall on non-working days each year have been codified into law as applying to everyone, no matter the business schedule.
Holidays
The following is a list of observed national holidays in the Republic of La Rossa. While the Rossan year has 360 days in total, same as the Haracalnde, the two systems differ in their starting date. As a result, there is an offset between dates in the system. Both have been noted for clarity. To avoid confusion, Rossan dates are written in the Day,Month format.
- 1-1; 9,8 - New Year (Haracalnde). Non-working day for all businesses.
- 15-1; 23,8 - The Rumbling, a traditional holiday mostly celebrated by the Montagneri, though it has received renewed popularity among the urban population. Older men in the community dress as the Porcudiavulu, a pig-faced devilish creature. In the past, it did not occur on a set date, but rather when conditions seemed favorable. According to legend, the Porcudiavulu used to scare the Storm away, and give the island months of quiet. By happenstance, in 9 PC the Storm retreated forever the day after, strengthening the belief in the Porcudiavulu's power. Usually a non-working day for the Montagneri.
- 16-1; 24,8 - The Quiet, a traditional holiday happening one day after the Rumbling, after the Storm began retreating, allowing one day of enjoyment before returning to work. Once a non-working day for the Montagneri, today it is also celebrated by everyone as the day of the Calming.
- 7-2; 1,1 - Duxal Election Day, formerly the New Year. Non-working day for all businesses.
- 12-2; 6,1 - Day of the Republic, commemorating La Denunzia and the ousting of Mario Buonestrotti di Buglio. Non-working day for government workers.
- 7-3; 31,1 - Advisory Election Day, once held on 1,2. Non-working day for all businesses.
- 23-4; 32,2 - Day of Exile, commemorating the Minerian settlers self-imposed exile from Averno. Non-working day for government workers.
- 8-6; 32,3 - Constanzo Miglio Day, celebrating the patriarch of the Miglio Family for his travels around the island of La Rossa. Commemorated by the Great Island Sail Race every year, where sailboats take off from the port in Padeno and sail around the island in a counter-clockwise direction.
- 1-7; 10,4 - Day of the Zenith. A midsummer festivity celebrated by a large feast before the slow roll of winter. While the coast remains more temperate even during colder months, large parts of the mountains receive heavy freezing and snowfall, creating food shortages.
- 6-10; 15,6 - Remembrance, dedicated to deceased friends and relatives now buried at sea. In older times, due to the danger of the Storm, a single family or community member was tasked with going out to sea bearing symbolic items survivors used to remember the dead. These were then thrown out to the bottom of the sea, to be lost with the dead, to allow for the fading of memory. Since the Calming, more people have been participating in the commemoration. Non-working day for all businesses.
- 10-11; 4,7 - Unification Day, commemorating the Unification of La Rossa. In recent decades celebrated with fireworks. Non-working day for government workers.
- 25-12; 3,8 - Festivus, a holiday at the end of the year celebrating togetherness. A symbolic amount of money is brought by every member of the family at the gathering, which is passed around in a circle until it reaches the original person back. Non-working day for all businesses.