how much time has elapsed in equestria since season 1?

[Chronamut 355]

I mean to us it's been 5 years - but how much time has ACTUALLY elapsed in equestria? 

 

Also will the ponies actually age? Will the cutie mark crusaders grow up? Or will this be a series where everyone stays the same age forever in the series?

 

 

[chirox the pony 1,336]

Well between the premier and season 3 finale a year had gone by. So I'm guessing it's been nearly two years since the series started. And no I doubt we will see the characters age. 

[Chronamut 355]

so the question begs to be asked - how old are the characters?

[Xeltor23 704]

Don't know, I think it's at least 3 years, I'm really interested in this subject, I mean, I know the episodes are not in chronological order, but I like to think that the time that passed in Equestria is the same as ours To not complicate myself

 

 

so the question begs to be asked - how old are the characters?

 

Uh, I think they're around the same age (all of them were young during the first Sonic Rainboom), so around 24/25

Edited November 4, 2015 by Xeltor

[cybershocker455 324]

I say a year since we've seen Nightmare Night and Hearth's Warming Eve twice in the show.

[4april 374]

I say a year since we've seen Nightmare Night and Hearth's Warming Eve twice in the show.

Come on! Are you telling me that in 1 year:

The mane 6 defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord,Tirek,King Sombre,Queen Chrysalis and Starlight Glimmer (not to mention Sunset and the Dasslings)

 

Twilight became the worst friend in Equestrian to the princess of friendship and an alicorn

 

etc.

[Chronamut 355]

Come on! Are you telling me that in 1 year:

The mane 6 defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord,Tirek,King Sombre,Queen Chrysalis and Starlight Glimmer (not to mention Sunset and the Dasslings)

 

Twilight became the worst friend in Equestrian to the princess of friendship and an alicorn

 

etc.

 

why not?

 

Why do these things have to take a ridiculously long time? 

[Castle Bleck 19,319]

A minimum of 1 year, given we've seen 2 of each holiday so far.

Edited November 4, 2015 by A.V.

[4april 374]

why not?

 

Why do these things have to take a ridiculously long time?

Definitely possible. But does not seem very realistic

[Chronamut 355]

Definitely possible. But does not seem very realistic

 

dragonball z extended the frieza battle scene of a planet blowing up over 10 mins to like 30 episodes...

 

realistic doesn't translate very well into cartoons.

[SquipyCheetah 449]

Judging off of what was said in the very beginning of the season 4 premiere, I would say a close to two years or less.

[Daring_Do 552]

so the question begs to be asked - how old are the characters?

Word of Faust says they're 12-17 maturity-wise (and that she kind of used horses aging differently to justify them having adult independence, because she didn't want to tell stories about parents and school).

 

 

Come on! Are you telling me that in 1 year:

The mane 6 defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord,Tirek,King Sombre,Queen Chrysalis and Starlight Glimmer (not to mention Sunset and the Dasslings)

 

Twilight became the worst friend in Equestrian to the princess of friendship and an alicorn

 

etc.

 

And nah, all that happened in *2* years.

 

On topic, S4 premiere (plus the repeating of annual events from the earlier seasons) makes me think they've decided as of S4 that it'd only been a year (but in the time since the S4 premiere, it's getting closer to 2 years). Going off certain things in the earlier seasons, though, that might be a retcon...

Edited November 4, 2015 by Daring_Do

[cmarston1 5,959]

From Friendship is Magic parts 1 and 2 to Princess Twilight Sparkle (season 1 opener to season 4 opener) one year has passed.

So I have to say that maybe a year and a half has occurred.

[Chronamut 355]

From Friendship is Magic parts 1 and 2 to Princess Twilight Sparkle (season 1 opener to season 4 opener) one year has passed.

So I have to say that maybe a year and a half has occurred.

 

I'd have to agree with this myself.

[PoisonClaw 8,164]

During "Princess Twilight", Celestia remarks that that that was the first Summer Sun Celebration since Luna's returned and "Tanks For All the Memories" was Dash and Tank's "first winter together", indicating that roughly a year, to a year and a half has supposedly passed. Course, I'll disagree with that until the end of time for various reasons and argue that at the very least 2-3 years has to have passed, but that's just me. 

[sweetolebob18 728]

I've got a thread trying to put the episodes in chronological order (although I haven't posted anything since June, so it is kind of buried)

The pilot (Friendship is Magic) takes place over June 20-22 (counting cleanup the next morning) in year 1.  Hasbro says the 1st 3 seasons took place over 1 year (IMO, this is physically possible -but VERY tight timing).

 

Princes Twilight (S4 E1 & E2) takes place June 19-22 (? Discord messes w time, so it's hard to say) of year 2 (according to Hasbro & me).  The 1st EQ Girls movie probably takes place within a day or 2 of that (T is still in Celestia's castle)

 

Scaremaster is Oct 31, year 2.  Allowing for Cutie Map episodes, Castle Sweet Castle, & the events of Twilight's Kingdom (S4 E25 & E26)  Season 4 takes place between the last week of June, year 2 & the 1st or 2nd week of October, year 2.

 

The latest Season 5 episodes are Tank's For The Memories (mostly December 21, year 2) & Hearthbreakers (sometime in winter, year 2).  So, Season 5 is mid October, year 2 & winter year 2 (so far.  Some of the last episodes might be later)

 

So, the whole series has covered about 1&1/2 years so far

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

The Summer Sun Celebration is reportedly an annual event.

The first Summer Sun Celebration spans S1E1 Friendship is Magic, part 1 and S1E2 " part 2.

The second Summer Sun Celebration spans S4E25 Princess Twilight Sparkle, part 1 and S4E26 " part 2. This is underscored by being explicitly stated to be the first Summer Sun Celebration Princess Luna has partaken since she returned from the moon, confirming that exactly two Summer Sun Celebrations have occurred since the beginning of Friendship is Magic. Thus, somewhere in the neighborhood of two Equestrian years have passed since the beginning of G4.

 

Further confirmation of this is the fact that the show has shown exactly two Nightmare Nights (S2E4 Luna Eclipsed; S5E21 Scare Master), two Grand Galloping Galas (S1E26 The Best Night Ever; S5E7 Make New Friends But Keep Discord) and two Apple Family Reunions (S1E1 Friendship is Magic, part 1; S3E8 Apple Family Reunion)

 

The major desyncronizations with this theory are the fact that the annual date for the Summer Sun Celebration does not seem clear, and that the Apple Family Reunion date changes. The Reunion would make sense to have it take place in or before autumn, as it appears in Season 1, but in Season 3 we see it happening implicitly before Twilight becomes a princess. However these could be explained by those events being based upon celestial movements (like Easter - the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox) rather than strictly calendar dates (like Christmas - December 25th every year), so their calendar dates could move around.

Edited November 5, 2015 by Blue

[Princess Book Horse 352]

Here's my guess.

"Friendship is magic" - "Princess Twilight Sparkle" - 1 year

"Best night ever" - "Make New Friends but Keep Discord" - 1 year

"Luna Eclipsed" - "Scare Master" - 1 year

"Sisterhooves Social" - "Made in Manehattin" and "Brotherhooves Social" - 1 year

"Hearths's Warming Eve" - "Hearthbreakers" - 1 year

 

I'm guessing that it's been about a year and a half since the start of the show.

Edited November 5, 2015 by Princess Book Horse

[LHfunk 422]

Judging from what I've seen and what people have said, it's probably taken anywhere from 1-2 years. I'm guessing that it's coming up on 2 years, but there is one thing we haven't said yet: What if they have a different calendar system then us? For them, it could have taken 5 of our years for these events to occur, but only been 1 or 2 of their years.

Edited November 5, 2015 by LHfunk

[RarityFan01 2,444]

so the question begs to be asked - how old are the characters?

 

If we go by the comics, Fluttershy is the oldest. If we don't, it's still safe to assume that she's the oldest. She was taller than the others. So either she had an early growth spurt, or she was the tallest. Rarity and Applejack were late getting their cutie marks, so I think that means they are on the older side. Rainbow Dash was the first in her class to get her cutie mark, so that means she was younger. I'd say she was the youngest. Pinkie is on the younger side, and she's a year younger than Fluttershy. So Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity are around the same age. I think Twilight and Pinkie Pie are the same age as well, and Rainbow is a year younger than them. 

 

In Pinkie Pride, the cake said Rainbow is 21. Assuming that's true, their ages (As of Pinkie Pride) would be as followed: 

 

Fluttershy: 23

Applejack: 23 

Rarity: 23 

Pinkie Pie: 22 

Twilight Sparkle: 22 

Rainbow Dash: 21 

 

The maturity of the pony does not determine their age. I was going based on the show for the most part. Applejack and Rarity were both late getting their cutie marks, so that would put them at around the same age as Fluttershy with only months apart. Twilight and Pinkie Pie may have gotten theirs at the right time since there was no indication that they were late or early (that I can remember) so I think they are both around the same age. Rainbow was early, so that would put her as being the youngest. Fluttershy never said she was late, but I think she's the oldest. She is the oldest in the comics, at least. So Fluttershy was also late getting her cutie mark. 

 

Remember, this is assuming that the candles represented Rainbow's age. This is a headcanon. 

 

---

 

How much time has passed? 

 

From season 1 to season 4, it has been precisely a year. From Season 4 to now, it's more complicated. If the show is going in chronological order, then it has been at least a year since winter came twice. Maybe from season 4 to the end of season 5, it would have been another year and a half? So if it's Chronological order, I think there have been 2.5 years. Since I doubt it's in chronological order, it's hard to tell. It has been at least one year, that's for sure. 

[cider float 2,537]

I would say 1 year because there was a second Galloping Gala and they did say it happens once a year and there was a second Hearth's Warming Eve not too long ago all at the same season.

 

EDIT: Oh yeah and Nightmare Night as well.

Edited November 6, 2015 by cider float

[Daring_Do 552]

If we go by the comics, Fluttershy is the oldest. If we don't, it's still safe to assume that she's the oldest. She was taller than the others. So either she had an early growth spurt, or she was the tallest. Rarity and Applejack were late getting their cutie marks, so I think that means they are on the older side. Rainbow Dash was the first in her class to get her cutie mark, so that means she was younger. I'd say she was the youngest. Pinkie is on the younger side, and she's a year younger than Fluttershy. So Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity are around the same age. I think Twilight and Pinkie Pie are the same age as well, and Rainbow is a year younger than them. 

 

In Pinkie Pride, the cake said Rainbow is 21. Assuming that's true, their ages (As of Pinkie Pride) would be as followed: 

 

Fluttershy: 23

Applejack: 23 

Rarity: 23 

Pinkie Pie: 22 

Twilight Sparkle: 22 

Rainbow Dash: 21 

 

The maturity of the pony does not determine their age. I was going based on the show for the most part. Applejack and Rarity were both late getting their cutie marks, so that would put them at around the same age as Fluttershy with only months apart. Twilight and Pinkie Pie may have gotten theirs at the right time since there was no indication that they were late or early (that I can remember) so I think they are both around the same age. Rainbow was early, so that would put her as being the youngest. Fluttershy never said she was late, but I think she's the oldest. She is the oldest in the comics, at least. So Fluttershy was also late getting her cutie mark. 

 

Remember, this is assuming that the candles represented Rainbow's age. This is a headcanon. 

 

---

 

How much time has passed? 

 

From season 1 to season 4, it has been precisely a year. From Season 4 to now, it's more complicated. If the show is going in chronological order, then it has been at least a year since winter came twice. Maybe from season 4 to the end of season 5, it would have been another year and a half? So if it's Chronological order, I think there have been 2.5 years. Since I doubt it's in chronological order, it's hard to tell. It has been at least one year, that's for sure. 

 

I used to think the cake meant she was 21, and told people that. Then one day someone told me about Word of God saying that the number of candles on the cake didn't actually mean anything.

[RarityFan01 2,444]

I used to think the cake meant she was 21, and told people that. Then one day someone told me about Word of God saying that the number of candles on the cake didn't actually mean anything.

That's true. If the show follows American laws, the ponies are at least 21. If they follow Canadian laws, they are at least 18. That's all I know. If they have their own laws, there's no saying what their age is. 

[Daring_Do 552]

That's true. If the show follows American laws, the ponies are at least 21. If they follow Canadian laws, they are at least 18. That's all I know. If they have their own laws, there's no saying what their age is. 

Uh, apple cider in the show isn't *really* hard cider (even though bronies treat it that way). Was whipped up on the spot in the Cider Season episode through pressing apples. No fermenting, no yeast. They have done alcohol jokes with donuts and salt, though (Best Night Ever and Over a Barrel).

[RarityFan01 2,444]

Uh, apple cider in the show isn't *really* hard cider (even though bronies treat it that way). Was whipped up on the spot in the Cider Season episode through pressing apples. No fermenting, no yeast. They have done alcohol jokes with donuts and salt, though (Best Night Ever and Over a Barrel).

I thought alcoholic cider foamed, not nonaocoholic.