LOTR

Originally, I was going to make a 7 tips list for designing holidays in fantasy worlds.  Then, I realized I never really used them in my stories.  Part of the reason is that I always forget to keep track of Windemere’s calendar beyond the seasons.  I may have mentioned a few months here and there, but it slips my mind.  Shame since I spent a weekend in college coming up with this thing.  Yeah, I’m a hack.  Then again, I don’t hear months get mentioned much in real life unless it deals with deadlines.  Adventurers are going to be more concerned with seasons.  Anyway, here’s what I created and may use in the future or add to.  After all, I made this before I added Calicos, Chaos Elves, and Fireskins to the primary race list.  Barbarians too.

Windemere Calendar

Month                                     Days                            Season

Aberdon                                  34                                Tavon’s Touch

Dandor                                   30                                Tavon’s Touch

Morgrid                                  32                                Canst’s Blood

Kruma                                     31                                Canst’s Blood

Hanjur                                     31                                Canst’s Blood/Vir’s Curse

Jeldon                                     42                                Vir’s Curse

Flaxen                                     25                                Vir’s Curse/Ult’s Breathe

Juniper                                    32                                Ult’s Breathe

Xoren                                      30                                Ult’s Breathe

Leryna                                     29                                Ult’s Breathe/Tavon’s Touch

Holidays (With Some Notes)

Human:

• New Year- Aberdon 1^st
• Feast of Canst (Harvest Time)- Xoren 28^th 
  • Not sure this works since I made different harvest times around Windemere.
• Birth of Humanity (Day they believe they were made)- Jeldon 37^th
• Alliance of the Three (Dwarf/Elf/Human pact made)- Hanjur 13^th
  • This one no longer makes sense since Elves have no central kingdom.
• Trade Pact Celebration (Halfling/Gnome/Human pact made)- Leryna 9^th
• Winter Solstice- Leryna 28^th
  • This one seems so normal compared to the other holidays.

Elves:

• New Year- Morgrid 15^th
• Reckoning Fast (fasting days of apology for violence)- Aberdon 12^th-14^th
• Summer Solstice- Hanjur 19^th
• Noble Games (choosing of royal members)- varies
  • But . . . why?
• Dragon Tribute (celebrate spring and dragons)- Morgrid 32^nd
  • This one really should be a Fireskin one.
• Birthday of Jora Dasti (savior of the elves)- Jeldon 35^th
  • This one is news to me.
• Feast of the Bow (archery tribute)- Kruma 10^th

Dwarves:

• New Year- Flaxen 1^st
• Thanksday (time of ale maturation)- Dandor 17^th
• Day of the Stone (origin celebration)- Flaxen 15^th
• Smith’s Day- Leryna 20^th
  • Definitely not being original here
• Aphrodite’s Night- Morgrid 14^th
  • First, why is Aphrodite here since that’s not a Windemere deity?  Second, why did I put the orgy holiday with the dwarves?
    Third, I had to have been drinking at this point.

Halflings:

• New Year- Aberdon 1^st
• Neberith’s Birth (origin of their favored god)- Kruma 11^th
• Ocean Tribute-Xoren 23^rd
• Feast of Home- Morgrid 1^st
  • The first list that makes sense!

Gnomes:

• New Year- Leryna 29^th
• Feast of Knowledge- every 15^th of the month
• Invention Convention- Hanjur 16^th
  • Must have sobered up at this point.

Orc:

• Revival Day– Dandor 3rd
• The Dragon Feast–  Flaxen 23^rd
  • Again with the dragons?
• Death March (yearly marathon)- Jeldon 21^st
  • I so need to add this to a book!

Shared Holidays:

• Day of Darkness- all moons cover sun for 24 hours; does not fall under any months
  • The only holiday I every remember because it has its own zodiac sign.
• Merging of the Deities (all pantheons joined)- Aberdon 13^th