Time: South Torbia

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Time Overview

South Torbians follow a cyclic approach to time, believing that all opportunities, like the sun, will set and then rise again later on. However, this is not taken as an invitation to slowness or laziness, as their concept of harmony requires a degree of respect that extends to strict observation of timetables. South Torbians see time as a set of imbedded cycles: day, season, year, life. The result is a national culture that promotes a deliberate, time-conscious lifestyle focused on politeness to others. Scheduled events are expected to begin on time. Both National and Religious Holidays play an important role in South Torbia, and most businesses shuts down on these days. While day to day life for most South Torbians follows the same Gregorian calendar that is used by the United States, traditions associated with the lunar calendar maintain a degree of cultural significance. Several minority populations use the lunar calendar to determine the observation of religious holidays. South Torbia sits within the South Torbia Time Zone (STTZ), which is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)/Coordinated Universal Time (UTC); it does not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST).

Weekly

The standard workweek in South Torbia is 0900 hours to 1800 hours with a one-hour lunch period. On average, South Torbians work approximately 2000 hours a year for over 38 hours per week.  This is one of the higher figures in the region. Since the standard workweek is Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the normal off days for those outside the service industry.            

Monthly

There are no specific monthly holidays for the majority of South Torbians. Those that practice the Buddhist faith, however, follow the lunar calendar and conduct religious holidays on the new moon, quarter moon, half-moon, three-quarters moon, and full moon. South Torbia’s minority Muslim population uses Saudi Arabia’s Umm al-Qura calendar to determine the official beginning of each month and for religious holidays.

Key Dates, Time Periods, or Events

The Torbian War: 1950-1953

See Political Variable for more details

Student Uprisings: 1962

See Political Variable for more details

Second Republic formed: 1963

See Political Variable for more details

Third Republic formed: 1965

See Political Variable for more details

Fourth Republic formed: 1981

See Political Variable for more details

Economic Growth and Modernization: Mid-1990s through the Mid-2000s  

See Political and Economic Variables for more details

Routine, Cyclical Key Dates & Time Periods

Holidays & Culturally Specific Observations

South Torbia celebrates 13 government holidays each year, nine of which have fixed dates while four are considered floating holidays. Two of these holidays, the Torbian New Year and the Harvest Festival, last for three days and most non-service businesses and the government are closed even if the three days fall all on weekdays. Even though the dominant religion in South Torbia is Christian, there are minority populations that practice a variety of faiths. South Torbia’s constitution provides protections for religious freedom, therefore under normal conditions the government will make every effort to respect the holidays of all faiths.

South Torbians follow a cyclic approach to time, believing that all opportunities, like the sun, will set and then rise again later on. However, this is not taken as an invitation to slowness or laziness, as their concept of harmony requires an ultra-politeness that extends to strict observation of timetables. South Torbians see time as a set of imbedded cycles: day, season, year, life. The result is a deliberate, time-conscious lifestyle focused on politeness to others. All scheduled events begin on time, and the views of all participants are considered. Holidays play an important role in South Torbia, and most businesses shuts down on these days. US personnel that focus on promptness, courtesy, and ritual over speed will see the most success when dealing with South Torbian military members and the general populace. South Torbia sits within the South Torbia Time Zone (STTZ), which is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)/Coordinated Universal Time (UTC); it does not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST).

Holiday Chart

Date	Holiday	Type	Remark
1 January	New Year’s Day	Government
15 March	Children’s Day	Government
1 May	Labor Day	Government
15 June	Armed Forces Day	Government
15 July	Constitution Day	Government
20 August	Liberation Day	Government
15 October	Torbia Day	Government
15 November	Torbian Language Day	Government
25 December	Christmas Day	Government/ Religious
January/ February	Torbian New Year	Government/ Religious	Starts on the first full moon of the new year; usually in January & lasts 3 days
April	Election Day	Government	Always the second Tuesday of April
April/May	Buddha’s Birthday	Government/ Religious	Occurs on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar
September/ August	Harvest Festival	Government	Starts on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month & lasts 3 days

New Year’s Day

Occurs on 1 January each year. All government workers and most business workers outside of the service industry do not work. If 1 January falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the closest day (Friday or Monday) is designated the federal holiday.

Children’s Day

Occurs on 15 March each year. Government workers and business workers do not work and often take their children on picnics or to local amusement parks if the weather cooperates. The children have the day off from school, if it is a normal school day, and spend it with their parents doing what children like to do as long as the family is in the middle class or better. If the holiday falls on the weekend, the government holiday is either the Friday or the Monday, whichever is closest to the 15th.

Labor Day

Occurs on 1 May each year. Begun in 1955, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of South Torbian workers in the development of the country economically and socially. Many South Torbian families, especially blue collar workers, take a picnic lunch to a local park to hear local politicians rave about the relationship between government and industry. If the holiday is on the weekend, the holiday is either the Friday before or the Monday after 1 May, whichever day is closer to the actual date.                    

Armed Forces Day

Occurs on 15 June each year. On this day that government and business employees are off, a major military parade is held in the capital city. In other parts of the country, the local military units including the reserve units put on a static display or small parade. Families of military members, if they can afford it, often use it as a chance to visit their children in military service. The holiday is either the day before or the day after 15 June if that date falls on the weekend.

Constitution Day

Occurs on 15 July each year. Even though the government employees are off work along with the business workers, politicians use the day to make political speeches in the local community celebrating South Torbia’s political system. Many families still watch the speeches, but there has been a steady downward trend in attendance. Many South Torbian families now consider the holiday as additional time to spend with their family. Like most other official government holidays, it is celebrated on the Friday before or the Monday afterwards if the actual holiday falls on a weekend.                      

Liberation Day

Occurs on 20 August each year. This is one of the most widely celebrated holidays of the year as the South Torbian people celebrate their freedom from their oppressors during World War II. This day is celebrated with parades, parties, and picnics with their extended families in parks or just large extended family gatherings. The celebration is always conducted on 20 August, but if that day falls on the weekend government workers and most businesses are closed either the Friday before or the Monday afterwards.                    

Torbia Day

Occurs on 15 October each year. This holiday celebrates the traditional founding of greater Torbia that dates back over 4000 years. The Torbian people dress in traditional clothing, play traditional Torbian musical instruments, participate in traditional Torbian dancing, and conduct traditional Torbian theater. This is a cultural day where the Torbian children are taught their history. The celebration always occurs on 15 October, but the official government holiday may fall on a Friday or Monday if the 15^th is during the weekend.                   

Torbian Language Day

Occurs on 15 November each year. This holiday celebrates the creation of the Torbian alphabet in 1400. Schools hold contests among the students to write the poems and short stories. Parents go to their children’s school to hear the winners recite their poems and read the short stories. Refreshments are served. If the holiday falls on the weekend, the visit to the school for the celebration will occur on the Friday before or the Monday after the actual holiday.           

Christmas Day

Occurs on 25 December each year. Now that Christianity has become the dominant religion in South Torbia, Christmas is both a government and religious holiday. Christmas is not a major holiday for South Torbians, however, so this is not usually a gathering of the extended family. Most Christian families attend church, eat a nice meal, and exchange personal gifts with each other. Most of these gifts are either handmade or if purchased, not expensive. Non-Christians just usually celebrate having the day off. Government and most major businesses give their employees the Friday before or the Monday after if the holiday falls on the weekend.

Torbian New Year

This is a 3-day holiday that begins on the first day of the lunar calendar in the New Year. This date is either late in January or early in February depending on when the last month of the previous year ends. If the 3-day period encompasses either one or two days of the weekend, employees do not receive additional workdays off. South Torbians wear traditional clothing, eat special rice cakes, and play games with their family.                    

National Election Day

This holiday occurs the second Tuesday of every April. This is the day when people vote for their elected leaders. South Torbian citizens vote for their president every three years, but any other elections are held on this same day in the off years. Due to the designated holiday and the South Torbian enjoyment of the vote, turnout is always quite high.

Buddha’s Birthday

This holiday occurs on the 8th day of the 4th month of the lunar calendar so it always falls in late April or early May. If the day falls on the weekend, businesses and the government do not compensate their workers with an extra day off during the workweek unless that is part of the collective bargaining agreement between labor and the company. While only a small minority of South Torbians still adhere to Buddhism, when the religion first arrived to the region during the 13^th Century is played a significant role in shaping Torbian culture (Islam was also introduced during the 13^th Century, however its influence was limited to the extreme southern areas). This holiday is primarily recognized by the Buddhist minority, though a large portion of the Christian majority celebrate its significance for the national culture and local traditions. It is common for Buddhist Temples to hold lantern festivals and give visitors free tea and a small, but special meal. In areas with a larger Buddhist population, the community will often hold a procession or parade through their local streets. While South Torbia’s Muslim population has historically been respectful of the holiday, there are some voices among ultra-conservative communities that actively reject the holiday as a form of idolatry.

Harvest Festival

This holiday occurs on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar and then lasts three days. Usually this holiday occurs in September, but could fall in early October. While the holiday could fall on the autumn equinox, it is not a holiday celebrating that event. If the holiday falls during the workweek, many workers will receive three days off. If the holiday encompasses part or all of the weekend, the workers will only receive the days off in the designated three-day period. South Torbian people celebrate the holiday by preparing special food and then taking a picnic lunch to the gravesite of a revered ancestor. South Torbian people will often travel far distances to see extended families and to honor their deceased ancestors. Those traveling great distances will travel on day one and three of the holiday and conduct their celebration activities on the second day. Given the agricultural heritage of this holiday, its significance is generally recognized by people of all religious faiths. That said, the recent injection of politicized Islam has resulted in small, but largely ignored, protests by ultra-conservatives.

Wedding Season (culturally specific observation)

South Torbians usually plan their wedding dates based on two factors: weather and proximity to major holidays. Most couples prefer to get married in the cooler months of the year (November–February), but the presence of multiple holidays during this time period limits their options. As a result, the main wedding season occurs from late January through February. While planting and harvest times have historically played a role, this is no longer true, as few modern-day South Torbians are involved in agricultural activities.

Harvest Cycles

Agricultural cycles in South Torbia are primarily determined by regional climate and the crop in question. Some crops, such as pineapple, are grown and harvested year-round; others—e.g., rice, corn, and sugarcane—follow distinct cycles. There are usually two crops per year for rice and corn: one grown during the wet season, and the other during the dry season. If a region’s wet season is long enough, farmers may be able to plant and harvest two successive crops during this season instead of just one. Sugarcane is harvested only once per year during the cooler part of the dry season. 

Natural Disaster Cycles

The one natural disaster that occurs on an annual cycle in South Torbia is the typhoon. Typhoon season occurs from early summer to late fall, and is often at its peak during August and September.  Due to its location, approximately 10-15 typhoons hit South Torbia each year. Many of these cause only minor damage, but there are sometimes major typhoons that cause extensive problems. In addition to the storm itself, Typhoons have the potential to cause extensive flooding. While South Torbia’s infrastructure has been designed to accommodate flooding, storms occurring in rapid succession can quickly overwhelm the infrastructure, particularly in overpopulated and rural areas.

Election Cycles

National elections in South Torbia are held every three years: with the President and half of the National Assembly (NA) being selected in a single election, and the other have of the NA being elected during the mid-term election. Local elections typically occur on the same day as national elections. Officials elected to national offices hold terms that are six years in length, while local officials are elected for three years. All other elections and referendums are held annually on the national election-day, which is the second Tuesday of April each year. 

Cultural Perception of Time

While most South Torbians are no longer Buddhist, and the cultural significance of the religion continues to be reflected in their perception of time. Instead of a line, South Torbians view time as a circle: the sun rises and sets, then rises again; the rainy season comes, then it goes, then it comes again; a person is born, dies, then is born into the next life. All events in life are seen as following this pattern. As a result, there is no such thing as a “missed chance,” as the same opportunity will appear again at a later point in time. This viewpoint is seen in the common South Torbian expressions, “the same rain that fell yesterday will fall again tomorrow,” and “the circle of the sun is eternal.”

This mindset dovetails with the South Torbian concept of balance and affects how the day is ordered. While Westerners will typically follow a routine out of habit, South Torbians give considerable thought to when specific daily events should occur. Meetings are usually held in the morning; the more prestigious the attendants, the earlier the meeting time. Time is spent with friends after work, and family time is in the evening. Even the local diet follows a cycle: coffee, known for its stimulating effect, is consumed in the early to mid-morning, whereas tea is seen as relaxing—as reflected in the length and elaborateness of the associated ceremony—and is reserved for the evening hours.

Balance also plays out in the promptness and courtesy of South Torbians. They consider tardiness a disruption to balance—the opposite of harmony—and view it with disdain. Planned activities have a start and an ending time, and both are strictly adhered to; a South Torbian meeting simply does not “run late,” and any insistence on extending meetings has the potential to cross social mores. Ritual is also important, and must be adhered to with very few exceptions. This is especially true for South Torbia’s business community, who, in spite of global influences have made adherence to rituals and traditions a matter of pride.

Tactical Perception of Time

South Torbian Perception of Time

The South Torbian perspective on time leads to an interesting dichotomy: while promptness is of the utmost importance, courses of action are rarely determined after a single discussion. Instead, decisions are made through a series of meetings that gradually bring the attendants closer to each other both personally and professionally. Once an initial decision is made, future courses of action are decided in a similar fashion. Emphasis during decision making is often placed upon long-term outcomes rather than immediate solutions.

For the South Torbian military, their long-term orientation and cyclic perception of time places an emphasis on understanding patterns and is reflected in the popular adage, “Where the enemy once was, there he will be again.” Military members understand that the cultural adherence to routine likely means that when an enemy patrol (typically North Torbian) is discovered at a specific location means, they will eventually reappear at the same place. As such, South Torbians rarely view an opportunity to achieve their military objective or to gain a tactical advantage as having passed; if they are unable to initially exploit a situation to their advantage they believe that the opportunity has merely been delayed until the next turning of the cycle.

U.S. Perception of Time

The time perception of South Torbians will initially appear incongruous to US military members. While the idea that all events follow a repeated cycle may be foreign, keying on promptness, courtesy, and ritual can help in smoothly interacting with South Torbians. US personnel should expect multiple meetings at regular intervals that will increase the participants’ familiarity with each other while simultaneously drawing the group closer to a decision. During this process, it is essential that the same person(s) continue to attend the meeting; any change will be viewed as a disruption to the pattern that may make it necessary for them to begin the process all over again. For the most part, Americans can expect the South Torbians to adhere to their established pattern of life and keep to an agreed upon schedule; that said, their prioritization on time may create challenges if they are unable to complete tasks within a set timeframe.   

Decision-making

The cyclic perception of time, long-term orientation, and a desire to have everything organized and coordinate may hinder the decision-making process of South Torbian political and military leaders. Their aversion to situational ambiguity can lead to them prioritizing gathering more information over the ability to act quickly and decisively. Adversaries could exploit the South Torbian preference for gathering information and considering alternatives by presenting challenges in rapid succession, accelerating their own decision making process, and enabling them to outpace any South Torbian response.