Calendar

About Calendars and Measuring Time


Artifacts from the Paleolithic suggest that ancient people used the moon to measure time with lunar calendars, which consisted of 12 or 13 lunar months (354 or 384 days).


The seasons quickly drift in a calendar based solely on twelve lunar months without adding extra days or months. To compensate for the discrepancy between a full year (now known to be approximately 365.24 days) and a year of twelve lunar months, some years in lunisolar calendars have a thirteenth month added to them.


The numbers twelve and thirteen have been significant in many cultures due to their relationship with the months and years. Another calendar type was developed in Mesoamerica, particularly in the ancient Mayan civilization. These calendars were based on religion and astronomy, with a year consisting of 18 months and each month consisting of 20 days. Additionally, there were five epagomenal days at the end of the year.


In 45 BC, Julius Caesar introduced reforms that changed the Roman world's calendar to a solar one. However, the Julian calendar had a flaw, as its intercalation still allowed the astronomical solstices and equinoxes to progress against it by approximately 11 minutes every year.


Pope Gregory XIII introduced a correction to fix this issue in 1582. Although different nations took centuries to adopt the Gregorian calendar, it is now the most commonly used calendar worldwide.


The Kingdom of Unixploria uses the Gregorian calendar but keeps an older Norse calendar to honor our Viking ancestors. Like the Calendar for Diversity and Inclusion, our Norse Calendar offers another perspective: a culturally homogenous calendar where nature sets the tone for festivities and seasons. In modern times, we need both the global and the local, and we need both a multinational, tolerant outlook and a culturally homogenous heritage to keep our feet on the ground. 

  • N.B. Red days (bold text) are mandatory flag days.
  • (*) = This holiday or observation falls on a different date each year.

Calendar for Holidays and Observances in Unixploria

Calendar
Unixplorian Holidays and Observances

January

1 – New Year's Day

1 – International Pizza Day

3 – J.R.R. Tolkien Day

5 – Sausage Day

6 – Epiphany

10 – Tintin Day

24 – National Bible Day (*)

27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day


February

5 – Carl Spitzweg Day

7 – Unixplorian Disc Pool Championships (*)

14 – St. Valentine's Day

17 – Unixplorian Semla Day (*)

18 – Ash Wednesday (Lent begins)*

18 – Wine Day

20 – International Pipe Smoking Day

21 – The Queen's Birthday

27 – International Cigar Day


March

1 – Hug A Librarian Day

8 – International Women's Day

12 – St. Gregory Day

14 – International PI Day

20 – Award for Collector of the Year

21 – Unixplorian Collector's Day (*)

21 – Collector of the Year Award (*)

23 – Nordic Day

31 – Unixplorian Snus Day


April

2 – Lent ends

2 – Autism Awareness Day

3 – Good Friday (*)

4 – Holy Saturday (*)

5 – Resurrection Sunday (*)

6 – Easter Monday (*)

5 – First Contact Day

11 – Unixplorian History Day (*)

22 – World Earth Day

23 – World Book Day

30 – Walpurgis


May

1 – Floral Festival

3 – Universal Press Freedom Day

4 – Star Wars Day

14 – Ascension Day(*)

15 – International Day of Families

20 – The Unixplorian Flag Day

21 – International Tea Day

22 – Sherlock Holmes Day

23 – Linnaeus Day

24 – Pentecost (*)

25 – Geek Pride Day

28 – Burger Day

31 – Mother's Day (*)


June

1 – World Milk Day

6 – Swedish Cultural Heritage Day

10 – Royal Day of Love and Matrimony 

14 – International Steampunk Day

19 – Midsummer's Eve (*)

20 – Midsummer's Day (*)

22 – The King's Birthday

24 – Nativity of St John the Baptist (*)

July

2 – World UFO Day

4 – American Cultural Heritage Day

6 – International Kissing Day

7 – World Chocolate Day

10 – Pith Helmet Day 

11 – Unixplorian Art Day (*)

20 – International Chess Day

29 – Lasagna Day


August

3 – Watermelon Day

5 – Crayfish Premiere (*)

7 – International Beer Day

9 – Independence Day

9 – Moomin's Day

23 – Meatball Day

24 – Knife Day

26 – International Dog Day

28 – Bow Tie Day

30 – International Missy Barrett Day


September

5 – International Bacon Day

8 – Unixplorian Environmental Prize

12 – Mixed-Media Painting Contest (*)

18 – Prince Johan's birthday

26 – Prince Arvid's birthday

29 – International Coffee Day

30 – St. Jerome's Day


October

1 – The Day of Might

4 – Cinnamon Bun Day

5 – Global James Bond Day

10 – Unixplorian Quiz Championships (*)

16 – International Dictionary Day

16 – World Food Day

17 – Oktoberfest (*)

23 – Ussher's Creation Day

27 – International School Library Day

31 – All Saints' Day (*)

31 – Halloween

31 – Sir Douglas' Birthday


November

7 – Unixplorian Movie Awards (*)

14 – World Diabetes Day

14 – Unixplorian Writing Day (*)

17 – World Philosophy Day

17 – The Greyest Day of the Year

21 – Day of Valor and Remembrance

21 – Unixplorian Ludo Championships (*)

28 – Unixplorian Chess Championships (*)


December

6 – Finnish Cultural Heritage Day

10 – Order of Saint Paul

13 – St Lucy's Day

23 – Award for Micronational Creativity

24 – Christmas Eve

25 – Christmas Day

26 – St. Stephen's Day

31 – New Year's Eve

31 – Unixplorian Table Hockey Championships

The Rhythm of the Year: A Journey Through the Month

Time, as we know it, is divided into twelve distinct chapters—each month offering its own mood, traditions, and natural wonders. From the frosty hush of January to the festive sparkle of December, the calendar unfolds like a storybook, with each month painting the world in different colors.


Some months whisper of renewal, like April with its blooming flowers and fresh rains. Others blaze with energy, like July, when summer stretches long and golden. September brings a crispness to the air and a sense of turning inward, while November wraps us in gratitude and quiet reflection.


Whether you're tracking seasons, celebrating holidays, or simply watching the world change outside your window, the months are more than just markers of time—they're invitations to live differently, to notice, to feel, and to grow.

So let's take a stroll through the year, one month at a time, and discover what makes each one uniquely special.

Norse Calendar

Norse Calendar

The Vikings' description of days and months reveals their beliefs and the challenges and opportunities each season brings.


The Norse year reflected the changes in seasons, such as the height of the sun in the sky, availability of food, and fertility. The year was divided into two halves, namely summer and winter. People's ages were counted by the winters they had lived through. It is believed that the "New Year" started on April 14, also the first day of summer.

In ancient times, the year was divided into moon phases, from new moon to new moon or full moon to full moon. However, counting days was not always accurate in Scandinavia because the nights were quite bright, making it challenging to observe the moon.


We invite you to learn more about our Viking heritage and their observed holidays. Learn more about our past to find out what Unixploria is today.