Fódlan's Calendar is a gameplay feature that indicates the passing of a year in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Divided into twelve months, the calendar progresses day-by-day with the narrative, and certain events and activities take place on specific calendar days. Special events such as holidays are also observed on the calendar, as are the birthdays of students and staff at Garreg Mach Monastery. Additionally, the player-character Byleth's birthdate is chosen by the player at the start of the game and will be recognized as such during the course of play.
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While once the the calendar operated similarly to the Gregorian Calendar, by edict of emperor Wilhelm I, Fódlan's Calendar uses "Imperial Year" as its era name, and the epoch or origin event of the era is the founding of the Adrestian Empire. The events of Fire Emblem: Three Houses initially start in Great Tree Moon of Imperial Year 1180, and then resume in 1185.
The reason why the Emperor chose to abandon the original calendar in favor of the Imperial calendar is unknown, although historians have identified several possible reasons for such a dramatic measure. The most probable is that basing the new calendar on the teachings of Seiros was Emperor Wilhelm's attempt to spread those beliefs in a much wider scale and help legitimize the church, as the names of the Imperial calendar's moons, and the associated lore behind them, are intimately related to the tenets and saint of the Church of Seiros. Additionaly, it has been posited that the wish for change in the calendar came from Seiros, meaning that Wilhelm simply implemented the change rather than originating it.
The calendar divides a year into twelve months that correspond with the twelve months of the Gregorian Calendar. Each Fódlan month shares the same number of days with its Gregorian counterpart. However, a new year begins with the fourth month of the calendar, Great Tree Moon, and ends with the third month, Lone Moon, corresponding with the Gregorian's April and March respectively:
| Fódlan Month | Gregorian Month | Meaning and Traditions | Holidays and Birthdays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Tree Moon 大樹の節 |
April | Beginning of the new year and spring; people pray to realize their potential | Adrestian Empire Founding Day (1st) |
| Harpstring Moon 竪琴の節 |
May | Spring planting begins; saints are honored through joyful music-making | Saint Macuil Day (21st) |
| Garland Moon 花冠の節 |
June | Rainy season begins; women weave white rose garlands as gifts for friends or lovers | Sylvain (5th) |
| Blue Sea Moon 青海の節 |
July | The Blue Sea Star returns; the Goddess's rebirth is celebrated | Saint Cethleann Day (12th) |
| Verdant Rain Moon 翠雨の節 |
August | Frequent rains punctuated by rainbows; a reminder of nature's wildness | Manuela (3rd) |
| Horsebow Moon 角弓の節 |
September | Fall harvest begins; men hunt for game with horsebows | Leicester Alliance Founding Day (8th) |
| Wyvern Moon 飛竜の節 |
October | Wyverns flock south for the winter; children gather firewood and catch fish | Ashe (17th) Cyril (25th) |
| Red Wolf Moon 赤狼の節 |
November | Winter begins; hunters guard against prowling wolf packs at dusk | Holy Kingdom of Faerghus Founding Day (21st) |
| Ethereal Moon 星辰の節 |
December | The Blue Sea Star departs; from the heavens, the Goddess prays for peace | Garreg Mach Establishment Day (25th) Saint Cichol Day (27th) |
| Guardian Moon 守護の節 |
January | Strong winds blow; the guardian Seiros first appeared during this moon | Saint Seiros Day (11th) |
| Pegasus Moon 天馬の節 |
February | Cold winds and heavy snows; winter's beauty hides treacherous conditions | Hilda (3rd) |
| Lone Moon 孤月の節 |
March | End of the year and winter; time to reflect on partings and acquaintances | Saint Indech Day (2nd) |