Hyrdus Info

Some people wonder why a 16 month calendar is needed for the relatively large planet known as Hydrus. Unfortunately for everyone, Hydras do not take up a majority of the planet. However, the days are longer( 50 hrs compared to Earth's 24), and Hydrus is farther out from their sun. It takes much longer for it to complete its rotation around the sun, so therefore, a longer calendar is needed.

Several cultures debated on how to name the months, but it was completely unacceptable and hardly creative to just say "Month One" "Month Two", and so on.

In the year of 900, upon otherworldly creatures sharing their views of space and other planets and proving that yes, the planet is actually round rather than flat as a pancake, a consensus eventually came to name their months after the constellations others have claimed to see.

1- Aries
2- Canis
3- Taurus
4- Lyra
5- Gemini
6- Ursa
7- Cancer
8- Corvus
9- Virgo
10- Draco
11- Scorpio
12- Ophiuchus
13- Sagittarius
14- Pegasus
15- Aquarius
16- Lynx

The moon cycle is such that one full cycle takes about 35-36 days to complete. resulting in typically 35 day months.

Seasons are divided into four month sections, although Winters are much colder than those that occur on earth due to their distance from their sun. Summers are also relatively cooler.

Several holidays are scattered throughout the year, including Spring festivals that occur around the 1st of Canis, harvest festivals in mid-Ophiuchus, and several festivals regarding dangerous amounts of liquor in Pegasus. Researchers are unsure as to why, although one particularly drunk one suggested that it happens because there's nothing better to do but sit around and drink away the cold.

Most religious holidays do not appear on the calendars made unless specifically requested. Major holidays celebrated by everyone is the New Year (which involves lots of sweatermaking and showcasing cute adorable lambs), the spring and harvest festivals, and Thanksgiving, which is not equivalent to Earth's thanksgiving, but rather more akin to Christmas, taking place on the 29th of Lynx. There is a Valentine's Day equivalent known as "Lyra Day", which involves going to one you love and spending time together, typically involving harps and possible crooning outside their window.

Since Terrorhate's reign, from 1100 to 1150, there have been days in Scorpio that celebrated his greatness and which everyone paid tribute, lest they be punished one way or another. A day in Aquarius is an equivalent to Memorial Day, in which the lives of those who fought hard against Terrorhate are mourned for, with graves flooded by people wearing black and holding candles, as well as that person's favorite thing.

Etrohus's reign, from 1151 to present (1154), has since banished the celebrations to Terrorhate's reign and no longer requires tribute, although he did make a few unofficial days: International Tea Day, in which several people perform tea ceremonies and educate others about the history of tea and the different kinds; International Ferret Day, in which everybody celebrates their favorite member of the mustelid family; and Blooming Day, a day to celebrate the first blooms of Spring season and enjoy nature in its totality.

There are a number of more religious holidays typically not listed in an official calendar, including Keruzar in Aquarius, a week-long celebration of love and life by worshippers of Zelta, the goddess of hope and good tidings. Festivities mostly involve communities working together to make food and homes for those who lack them, inspiring others to become better, and helping others through hard times. If there is someone in grieving who desires company, you bet the entire community will come in and share stories, play games, and give gifts to make them feel loved and appreciated. The grieving may also have a spirit communicator (or 'necromancers', if you despise anything regarding manipulating the undead) call up the spirit of the deceased for a few more parting words before they part towards the endless seas of souls to be reborn as a new life.

Those who follow gods such as Reguul, the God of Power and War, tend to have holidays in Gemini and Ursa devoted to honing their skills, including gladiator tournaments from Mid-Gemini to Mid-Ursa. These tournaments and holidays involve duels and battles to the death, as well as showing off one's physical prowess in events not unlike those found in the Olympics. It is a time for training and preparing for war, and those who can barely handle the intense events are usually banished from the religion altogether or slain horribly within the tournaments they participate in. These tournaments and battles are merciless, for one cannot expect mercy in a true war or battle against others, however nice it may be. Always expect the worse, and fight.

Researchers have, oddly enough, found a Goddess devoted purely to potatoes, and a day within Ophiuchus that celebrates everything potato. Several other religions are baffled by the necessity to use potatoes in all sorts of ways on that one particular day, nor why any Goddess would devote herself to an object rather than an idea. One potato-goddess worshipper claims that nobody appreciates the humble potato quite as well as they should, so that day is the day they celebrate it to the fullest, in spite of any diets set in place against the starchy root vegetable. What isn't eaten is sold to other lands to make the best use of them.