Jerri
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Is Winterfair held on the Winter Solstice, or just close to it? In any case, on the Solstice in the US, I wish you and all Bujold readers a happy Winterfair and may Father Frost bring you as much joy as the writings of LMB have brought to me. (I just finished a re-listen to Winterfair Gifts!!)
Lois McMaster Bujold
Yep, it's centered around winter solstice on Barrayar. It is also connected with some sort of intercalary week/10 days/Saturnalia that is inserted every year to make the Earth-origin 12-month calendar come out even with the actual revolution of the planet around its sun. (At one point I posited, but never used, the notion that every Barrayaran month is exactly 4 weeks/28 days, leaving some more time to adjust at the end.) The whole fudge-factor period is also dubbed "Winterfair".
Ta, L.
Yep, it's centered around winter solstice on Barrayar. It is also connected with some sort of intercalary week/10 days/Saturnalia that is inserted every year to make the Earth-origin 12-month calendar come out even with the actual revolution of the planet around its sun. (At one point I posited, but never used, the notion that every Barrayaran month is exactly 4 weeks/28 days, leaving some more time to adjust at the end.) The whole fudge-factor period is also dubbed "Winterfair".
Ta, L.
More Answered Questions
Alealea
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
So rereading Penric and the Fox, the first scene kinda of made me think about Memory and Miles ans Simon fishing scene... and it made me wonder about it. Fishing for these two set of characters seemed to be the perfect excuse to drink cold alcoholic beverage under the sun. I've never fished in my life so I have no clue, but I wondered where it comes from ? Personnal experience, inside joke, writer's licence?
Talli Ruksas
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Concepts of gender identity, being non-binary, and the pronouns used for them seem to be changing rapidly even among fairly young children I'm told. I wondered if you were creating Bel today if you would have used something other than "it"? Although apparently it's preferred at about 10%.
Lee
asked
Lois McMaster Bujold:
Hi, I was wondering why "Winterfair Gifts" the novella in IRRESISTIBLE FORCES is never mentioned in any of the timelines for the Vorkosigan series? Is it because it was published by NAL rather than BAEN? That was my introduction to your work and I cherish my inscribed copy.
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