Shahaun

The Shahaun is a major festival of the Khelish peoples, though placed on slightly different dates depending on where in Khely one lives. Traditionally led by Tailtean druids, Shahaun is performed in the days before the main harvest, thanking the Lifegiver for the bounty the Khelish are about to reap, and praying that it shall be a good one. Though observed by most Khelish, the festival has been reduced to a single celebratory dinner in some of the more urbanized regions, rather than the sometimes multi-day event that it is in the countryside.

Execution

Shahaun traditionally starts with a mass prayer led by a druid of Tailte, and the burning sacrifice of flowers, most typically carnations. Following this is a dance ceremony (which is also used to introduce marrying-age young men and women to eachother), after which is a feast is held. The character of this feast depends on local conditions, but farmers tend to spare "something nice" for this event.
In some places, Shahaun has expanded over multiple days, and can encompass other games and diversions as well. In such cases, the Tailtean aspect has receded somewhat, though the morning prayer and flower sacrifice is observed throughout.

Observance

Shahaun falls at varying times in the late summer or fall. It is traditionally timed so that when Shahaun ends, the farmers get to work harvesting that year's crops. As a result, the festival depends not only on where in the vast lands of Khely one is looking from, but also on what the locals grow.
Shahaun celebrations are attended by the entire community, and members of the four other druidic orders also take part as participants. The aristocracy also takes part in Shahaun, though how seriously they take the festival tends to reflect how close they are to the peasantry on their lands. Some lord hold private celebrations in their halls, while others join their people and lead the dances.

Related Ethnicities

• Khelish