The start of the day

[Svrtnsse]

It was just brought to my attention that within some cultures/religions the day counts as beginning in the evening - rather than at midnight, or at dawn.

This may very well be old news to a lot of you, but it's the first time I encountered this little fact. I figured this could be an interesting little tweak to add when creating a new culture for a setting. I'm not sure how exactly I'd implement the change, but I have a hunch it's something that could be put to good use if I just thought about it a little.

Did any of you people use this in any of your stories/worlds, and how?

 

[CupofJoe]

I haven't used evening as the start of day but it is an interesting idea.
I have a story I'm working where New Year is technically the first new moon rises after the Autumn equinox. I know this means it leaps around like Easter does. So far there is no reason in the story that requires this complexity. It is just that I really liked the feeling of it.

 

[WooHooMan]

I've very rarely needed to decide on an official start of the day, much less one that significantly differed from my own.

I did have one setting where Orcs began their day sometime between noon and sunset. They believed the day began when the sun set. This is because they were nocturnal and their religion was based around moon-worship - as opposed to the sun-worshiping humans who believed the day began when the sun rises.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Aye, I don't think it's the kind of thing you pay attention to unless you somehow decide to make it an essential plot element, like if a specific ritual has to start as the day begins - at sunset.

It's something that could be added on as a minor curiosity though, to add a little bit of depth to the setting, but without connecting it to something of major importance. Or you could tie it up to something philosophical, like how everything begins in the dark and then blooms in the light, or something.

From what I understand the idea comes from Genesis 1:5 where it says "And the evening and the morning were the first day."
I also found indications the belief was present in old nordic/scandinavian cultures too, which would pre-date the spread of Christianity in that region, so there may be other reasons to view the day like that too.

 

[skip.knox]

Another point where it might matter is any sort of time-based sentence (curse, legal penalty, whatever). The old "year and a day" thing. When a day begins might very well matter in such a case. And having one party misunderstand the local definition could be a plot element, serious or comic.

 

[skip.knox]

Not to take this too far off topic, but the history of time is pretty interesting, from seconds, minutes and hours to calendars to feast days. Carlo Cipolla wrote the classic (Clocks and Culture, 1300-1700), and G.J. Whitrow's Time in History is the wider and more complete. Both are very readable.

One of my favorite stories comes from the great medievalist Marc Bloch. He tells of a duel to be fought between two men at a certain hour. One fellow showed and the other didn't, so first guy left. Second guy showed up. Nobody there, so he waits then leaves. Both men then claimed the other forfeited because they did not show at the "appointed hour". They had to resort to monks at a nearby monastery to determine the true hour.

Does anybody really know what time it is? -- Robert Lamm