Howdy. Noob here. I'm trying to figure out calendars and dates in Star Wars. So far what I've discovered is more confusing than helpful. There are apparently several different calendars in use, with the Coruscant being the most common. It is divided into different epochs, the ones that concern the original trilogy being BBY and ABY. There are apparently 24 hr days, 5 days to a week, 7 weeks in a month. 10 months, 3 festival weeks and 3 holidays make up 368 days in a year. So far so good. But how would I fix a date for the destruction of Alderaan? For instance, we say Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. Is there a way to date Alderaan in the same fashion? I'm guessing that the change in epochs from before Yavin to after Yavin didn't reset the whole calendar, correct? Apparently there is an extra-canonical book that says it was late spring, but that doesn't help me much. Is this sort of date even possible?
Longstreet wrote I'm trying to figure out calendars and dates in Star Wars Fascinating project but I do wonder whether that's possible. Considering the amount of stellar events happening in the week before the Death Star's destruction indicating days prior to that is the easiest approach. I should also add that I never liked this "BBY" (Before Battle (of) Yavin) or ABY nomenclature, IMHO it wasn't really a battle that should have determined the calendar but the accumulation of events: First victory of the Alliance over the Empire Dissolution of the Imperial Senate (the last democratic remnant of the Old Republic) Destruction of Alderaan Destruction of the (first) Death Star and the Alliance's second major victory IMHO it should not have been a battle determining the calendar but the destruction of Alderaan, a stellar event that affected millions of lives within a second. Admittedly DOA sounds somewhat strange, but technically speaking Alderaan was dead (up)on (the Death star's) arrival.
If you look at the sidebar of the attached link, it gives an exact date. Scroll over the date to get an explanation on how to interpret it. (also check out footnote 4) http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Destruction_of_Alderaan
I agree. It's like defining the timeline of the second world war, or even the whole of 20th century war, by the date of the sinking of the Bismarck.
...or the Yamato, or the Battle of Midway, or the Battle of Stalingrad and so on. Our calendar is based on the alleged year of birth of Jesus Christ, somebody who affected millions of people (but unlike Alderaan not instantly).
Not every calendar. The Jewish Calendar is in year 5777 and the Islamic year is 1438. The need for a galactic standard calendar is important, which is why what you see in the Wookielinks URL is the only common way to measure relative dates in the SW Universe.
Yeah. It's useful for fans since Yavin is the climax of the first Star Was movie because that's when the fan experience started. Without question. But its suitability as the de facto calendar in universe is what's being challenged. It makes little sense that way. I'm not even sure if it is recognized as year zero in the context of the Galactic civil war.
I thought the method of determine date in the SW Universe had changed in recent years. That's what may be causing the confusion. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good lord. I read that page several times trying to figure this out before I came here to ask. Never noticed the date right there in the sidebar. Smh. Thank you very much!
Good luck man! I get head spins just trying to work out things like "How long was Luke on Dagobah?" etc
Agreed about the in universe calendar. Setting the start of Year Zero at Alderaan's destruction or the fall of the Empire would seem more sensible. ...or the birth of the Chosen One
I just know it as 0 ABY, sorry. I've never heard anything else. But perhaps is that "long time ago" thing where you don't really think in days
