Barovian Calendar

The Barovian Calendar was a system of datekeeping peculiar to the county of Barovia. The lunisolar calendar consisted of twelve lunar months of twenty-eight days, each month corresponding to a complete lunar cycle, with an intercalary month inserted every seven years to correct the orientation of the months to the seasons of the 340-day tropical year.

The first day of the Barovian calendar was reckoned from the new moon nearest the winter solstice. The months were as follows:

The Lunar Months

1. Sečen, "the burning moon" (referencing the ritual fires lit during this period)
2. Lyiuten, "the lengthening moon" (in reference to the lengthening of days after the solstice)
3. Břežen, "the birthing moon" (as Barovian deer, rabbits and other creatures often gave birth during this period, and metaphorically the new spring was being born)
4. Treven, "the treacherous moon" (a time of spring storms and unpredictable weather)
5. Květen, "the flowering moon" (when fruit trees began to bloom)
6. Červen, "the fruiting moon" (the typical orchard harvest period)
7. Lyipek, "the linden-blossom moon" (referring to the blooming of the linden tree, an important honey plant)
8. Žovten, "the golden moon" (for the ripening wheat and turnning of deciduous leaves)
9. Sierpen, "the sickle moon" (the time of harvesting and threshing wheat)
10. Groznik, "the new-wine moon" (the grape harvest and wine-pressing season)
11. Listopek, "the offering moon" (during which the perishable fruits of the harvest season were consumed or sacrificed)
12. Čežnik, "the corpse moon" (referencing the infertility of the earth and the death of many plants and animals at the onset of winter)

The Intercalary Month

Every seven years, it was necessary to include an intercalary month between Čežnik and Sečen, that the latter's bonfire festivals might correctly herald the lengthening of the days. This was:

13. Prožhinek, "the wailing moon" (a period of extended mourning and lamentation during which Barovians sought forgiveness for their sins from Mother Night and made offerings to the Lord of Light to ward off the winter)

The Astral Signs

The Barovian sidereal year was divided into twenty zodiacal constellations, or signs, of 17 days. These were further subdivided into four houses, which represented the seasons: the House of Dawn, the House of Day, the House of Twilight, and the House of Night.

The House of Dawn (Spring)

1. The Lamp
2. The Trout
3. The Youth (Spring Equinox)
4. The Plow
5. The Jester

The House of Day (Summer)

6. The Lovers
7. The Chariot
8. The Crown (Summer Solstice)
9. The Throne
10. The Yeoman

The House of Twilight (Autumn)

11. The Raven
12. The Scythe
13. The Maid (Autumn Equinox)
14. The Archer
15. The Magician

The House of Night (Winter)

16. The Devil
17. The Prisoner
18. The Hanged Man (Winter Equinox)
19. The Scales
20. The Midwife

The Barovian Week

A Barovian week consisted of seven days, each week corresponding to one phase of the moon, with each quarter-moon falling on the first day of the new week (Luna).

Days of the Barovian Week

1. Luna, "moon-day"
2. Tornik, "second-day"
3. Streda, "third-day"
4. Čvertek "fourth-day"
5. Pátek, "fifth-day"
6. Subota, "market-day"
7. Vaskrisenie, "silent-day"

Barovian Dates

Barovians typically related the date in terms of the number of times the day of the week had elapsed during the month, thus the 128th day after the winter solstice in a given year might plausibly be rendered "3 Tornik, Červen, 745," i.e., the second day of the third phase of the seventh moon cycle since the winter solstice, of the year 745 (indexing event of the year 1 unknown).