monthshas

Monthshas are a unit of time used in certain calendar systems to divide the year into recurring periods roughly analogous to months. The term is frequently used in worldbuilding and proposed calendar reforms to describe a modular subdivision of the year rather than a fixed set of days.

A monthsha typically contains 28 to 31 days. Many systems aim to approximate the solar year by arranging 12 monthshas in a common year and inserting an extra monthsha in leap years so that the average length approaches 365 days. Some variants use fixed monthshas of 30 or 31 days with a small ancillary period to adjust year length.

Names of monthshas vary by culture within a system, often reflecting seasons, agricultural cycles, deities, or celestial observations. In some models, monthshas are linked to lunar phases, producing months that alternate in length to stay aligned with the Moon. Festivals and rites commonly occur at monthsha boundaries or during particular monthshas.

Origins and use: The monthsha concept appears in fictional settings, speculative proposals, and historical reform discussions as a way to describe a calendar that is easier to calculate or more closely tuned to natural cycles. In practice, there is no single universal monthsha rule, and communities may adopt different lengths, names, and intercalation schemes.

Related topics include calendars, timekeeping, and lunar calendars.