Civil year of Great Nortend

The civil year of Great Nortend begins on the 1st of April, which is celebrated as New Year's Day. It is marked by the four term days, being Lady Day (25th of March), St John's Day (24th of June), St Michael's Day (29th of September), and St Stephen's Day (26th of December). The terms which run between these term days form the basis of the civil, academic and legal calendars.

Since assent to the Determination of Years and Terms Act 2 Edm. VI p. 34, terms begin on the closest numerically first day of the month after the traditional term day, viz. the 1st of April, the 1st of July, the 1st of October and the 1st of January. The time periods between Lady Day and the 1st of April, St John's Day and the 1st of July, St Michael's Day and the 1st of October, and St Stephen's Day and the 1st of January, are known as the inter-term days and are considered to be attached to the term they precede, although not forming part of it.

Terms

The four terms of the civil year are, beginning from Lady Day, Whitsun term, Marymas term, Michaelmas term, and Epiphany term. These are named for the feasts of Whitsun, the Annunciation, St Michael and Epiphany. Epiphany term is also known as Hilary term, after St Hilary, especially in legal and academic use, as the legal and academic Epiphany term begins on or near St Hilary's Day.

Roughly one third of the way through a term, there is a quarter day. These are Roodmas (3rd of May), Petermas (1st of August), All Hallows' Day (1st of November) and Candlemas (2nd of February). These mark the official boundaries between the seasons.

Regnal year

Since 1780, the regnal year has been synchronised with the civil year. The first regnal year is cut short by the 1st of April. Thus the year 1 Alex. II, the first regnal year of the current Sovereign, Alexander II, began at 5·32 a.m. on the 30th of April 2003 when the late Catherine II passed. It finished on the 31st of March 2004, and on the 1st of April 2004, the year 2 Alex. II began. A regnal year also is cut short by the passing of the monarch.

Regnal years prior to 1780 are not synchronised with the civil year, but rather are dated according to the accession to the throne.

The shortest regnal year was that of John of Hall, who acceded to the throne on the 27th of March 1783. The year 2 Johan. began only four days later, on the 1st of April 1784.

Legal, parliamentary and academic year

The legal year begins in the third term, Michaelmas term, normally overlapping two civil years, ending in Marymas term. Legal cases are generally, however, cited according to which civil year wherein judgment was delivered. Thus, the case of Nanby v. Oldman, Whit. 7 Alex. II, vol. 713 Mod. Term Rpts p. 563 was decided in the Whitsun term of the 7th year of the reign of Alexander II, or in the Gregorian calendar, on a day between the 1st of April and the 24th of June in 2009.

The parliamentary year also begins in Michaelmas, the ceremony of Exordium Parlamenti normally being held in early November. It lasts until Marymas term.

The academic year also begins in Michaelmas term, and lasts until the end of Whitsun term. Marymas term is known as Marymas vacation, wherein no classes are held, owing to the historical exigencies of harvest time.

Fiscal year

The fiscal year corresponds to the civil year, starting in Whitsun term and ending in Hilary term.