Time and date in Themiclesia
Time and date in Themiclesia are specified by two distinct systems. The more traditional system, derived from Menghean practice in antiquity, has been little altered, and it remains the standard by which traditional holidays, birthdays, and certain are defined. The Western system is based on the Gregorian Calendar. Legislation requires certain types of documents to specify date and time via the traditional system to be effective, but the Western system is more prevalent in commercial correspondence for ease of communication with foreign states. Newspapers typically specify the date of the current issue with both systems, one in each corner on the top margin.
Traditional system
Date
Date in the traditional system is given in the following format:
Where:
- For dates in any reign, the year that begins after the reigning monarch's ascension is year one; the regnal year co-incides with the administrative year and does not begin in the first month of the calendar year, but the tenth. For deceased monarchs, the regnal year is prefixed with the monarch's posthumous name; for the current monarch, the word "current" is prefixed, though it can be omitted in most contexts.
- The sexagenary date is a combination of the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches, providing 60 combinations used cyclically.
- The lunar month is declared ordinally, i.e. first month, second month, third month, ....
- The lunar date is also declared ordinally
Thus, the date of writing of this article, June 10, 2020, would be given as:
(Current reign third year, day krap-l′jin; intercalary fourth month, nineteenth day)
Time
The Themiclesian day is divided into twelve "signs" whose character also translates the English word "hour", with the first sign beginning at 23:00 Septentrion Mean Time. A new day commences not at the beginning of the first sign, during the midpoint of the first sign, which corresponds exactly with 0:00 in SMT. The twelve signs are named with the twelve Earthly Branches. Each day is divided into 96 "ticks" for practical purposes but 100 ticks in the legal system. The two divide a day of identical length; thus, under 96 ticks, each tick is precisely 15 minutes long; under 100 ticks, each is 14 minutes and 24 seconds long. The latter system is rarely encountered, and due to their proximity not tending to cause any great error when used casually. To note time under the 96 ticks system, the sign is given first, and one tick is added for every 15 minutes passed. Therefore 子時 means 23:00, 子時一刻 23:15, ... 子時三刻 0:00, ... 子時七刻 0:45. 子時八刻 is not used, as it would be 丑時.
Western system
Date
Date in the western format is given in the following format:
- "Western Era" (西元) is overtly declared to specify the Gregorian Calendar.
- Year since the beginning of the Anno Domini or Common Era.
- Month, from January, February, ... December, but noted as first month, second month, ... twelfth month.
- Day, sequentially from first day, second day, ... thirtieth/thirty-first day.
The date of writing of this article is therefore noted as:
Time
The day is divided into twenty-four equal hours, called "dots" (點) in Shinasthana. 1:00 is 一點, 2:00 兩點, ... 12:00 十二點. To specify ante meridiem, the term 上午 can be added, and in like fashion 下午 for post meridiem. Terms like 13:00 十三點 and 0:00 零點 are theoretically possible but rarely used. Additionally, time after 0:00 and before 2:59 are typically considered "before dawn" (昧旦), and from 3:00 to 5:59 "dawn" (平旦). Likewise, after 6:00 PM "at night" (晚上) is far more usual than persisting with post meridiem (下午). Minutes then seconds follow, in cardinal order, the hour.