Thalassian Calendar

The Thalassian Calendar is a dating system based beginning with the founding of the Sunwell. It was likely the primary calendar used within Quel'Thalas for much of its Quel'dorei history, and remains in active use by elements of the Noble Houses of Quel'Thalas and other elements of Sin'dorei society.

As interaction with the races beyond their borders increased, use of the King's Calendar grew common for purposes of trade and coordination.

Much of Sin'dorei society however remains insular, and the Thalassian Calendar is the primary dating system employed by some among the Noble Houses of Quel'Thalas, and continues to be used by various elements of Sin'dorei society.

Year
The current year of the Sunwell is 6,830, as determined by the Magisters of the Sunwell.

Abbreviation
The Thalassian Calendar is often abbreviated as Y.S. for "Year of the Sunwell". One might speak of the current year as, "6,830 in the Year of the Sunwell." The stylization "Year of Dath'Remar" has been more prevalent in years past, though occasionally appears on formal documents, such as wedding and birth certificates.

Months
Based on the same lunar cycles as the earlier Azsharan era timekeeping system, the Thalassian Calendar has twelve months in a standard year. The names will be listed below after scholarly review to obtain the most accurate translation of the names of each month, which draw heavily from the High Azsharan the Quel'dorei spoke before the War of the Ancients and contains subtle differences from modern elvish.

Elven historian and linguist Entilzha Firesong is researching this matter and seeks support in the effort to produce a codified list, and welcomes letters or other correspondence regarding the Thalassian Calendar.

Non-Standard Months
The Thalassian calendar contains what is called "non-standard months" to address the limitation of measuring only to the day. Typically every four to nine years, depending of astronomical observations and divination, the Magistry will extend or remove typically one day, but as many as four in succession have been adjusted over the course of history.

This practice suggests a high degree of astronomical precision, and may have its roots in earlier Highborne calendars developed with the aid of astrolabes and other powerful tools. The Thalassian Calendar is considered one of the more accurate systems of measuring time as with the manual and flexible nature of adjustments, over the span of several hundred years the average length of each cycle is accurate to within 1/10,000 of a second, according to

Known Months:
Felo'air (October)

Elune'air (December)

Prominent Holidays
Given the significance of the sun in Thalassian culture, the calendar and position of the Sun is the basis for several holidays and spiritual traditions. Noteworthy calendar-based events are below. This list is nonexclusive, and groups as the Cult of Belore follow a far more extensive system: The year begins on Anth'belore, the first day of winter on which Belore is visible the least in the sky, and begins a period of renewal. The year begins as Belore's presence in the skies gradually increases, a blessing to the Thalassian people.
 * Anth'Belore ("New Sun", Winter Solstice)
 * Lunar Festival (Elunic New Year)
 * Falah'dor ("Eternal Balance, Spring Solstice
 * Quel'belore ("High Sun", Summer Solstice)
 * Elune'alma (Moon's Eye, Fall Solstice)

The spring solstice holiday, Falah'dor, was a day to focus on balance and harmony, celebrating the eternal nature of Quel'Thalas and the balance and harmony between nature and arcane the relationship between the Sunwell and Thas'alah made possible. With the great tree destroyed, modern celebrations of Falah'dor often deviate the most from conventional practices, and stands much as a testament to Sin'dorei resolve and capacity to overcome.

Quel'belore, the first day of summer on which belore graces the sky for the longest day of the year, is a major religious and cultural festival in Quel'Thalas, with the celebration of the Sun's annual high point continuing in modern Quel'Thalas much as before.

The fall solstice holiday of Elune'alma, translated as "Moon's Eye", may relate to the annual harvest moon and its importance to the largely agrarian society of pre-invasion Quel'Thalas. As with the month Elune'air and the recognition (though celebrations are typically limited) of the Elunite New Year, known more widely as the Lunar Festival, may pay homage, as with the name of Silvermoon itself, to the prior veneration of Elune as a deity, or may be simply because the Thalassian Calendar uses Lunar Months based on the Azsharan Calendar its founders knew.

The Thalassian calendar, as with many, uses both solar and lunar elements, though celebrations are widely associated with major solar events, the only notable exception being the fall holiday of Elune'alma, which holds its most enduring popularity among the farmers and fisherfolk of Quel'Thalas whom rely on moonlight in quite a literal fashion.