Learn Hardcore Russian: Хоть день и был длинным, мне стало спокойнее, когда мы спокойно обсудили всё друг с другом. - Although the day was long, I felt calmer when we discussed everything calmly with each other.

Breakdown of Хоть день и был длинным, мне стало спокойнее, когда мы спокойно обсудили всё друг с другом.

What does хоть ... и mean here, and why is и included?

Хоть ... и is a very common concessive pattern, meaning although / even though.

So:

The и does not mean a simple and here. In this pattern, it helps mark the concessive idea more clearly. You will often see:

Both are common, and both mean although / even though.

Compare:

Both are natural.

Why is it длинным and not длинный after был?