The Threshers' Feast

As the cold of winter begins to thaw into the cool days of spring and the long grass that gives the Green Sea its name begins to poke through the snow, the villages of the Harvest Lords rejoice. The warming weather means the lean days of winter are coming to their end, and that also means the times of plenty are just around the corner. That calls for a festival, the Threshers' Feast, which is one of the biggest celebrations of the Harvestmen's year.

Food A-Plenty

The Threshers' Feast occurs just after the harvesting of winter grain, meaning that the first harvest of the calendar year has just happened and food is no longer scarce. That means that they don't need to ration any more; they have the freedom to eat much more than they had the past few months. This is, of course, something to celebrate. As the hardy winter grain gets cut, threshed, milled into flour and baked into bread, the peoples of the Green Sea begin to prepare for their greatest feast.

Merrymaking A-Plenty

The day of the Threshers' Feast begins just before dawn as the peoples of the town gathering to work on the harvest together. The mayor or local lord is symbolically the first to cut the grain, and everyone begins to work immediately thereafter. People of all ages and races work together to bring in as much of the harvest in one day as they can, bringing it all to the town's local mill. There, it is milled into flour and made into bread and sweets as soon as possible for the day's festivities.

As the sweets are being baked, the townsfolk hold a dance. This is particularly important for the young adults in the town who are looking to get married soon, as this is the most important social gathering of the year. Many a relationship has been kindled on the night of the Threshers' Feast, and many a negotiation between businesspeople as well.

Once the fresh bread of the day's grain has been baked and is beginning to be served, the real festivities begin. Cooks and other townsfolk begin to cook large amounts of meat, roll out wheels of cheese and bring out their dried fruit and pickled vegetables for the Feast itself. A quick prayer from a local priest blesses the meal, and the townsfolk dig into their first big meal in many months.

At the end of the night, the lord symbolically hands every family a candle that is lit from a central bonfire in the town, and each family makes their way home to place the candle in a windowsill or doorway. Many often meet for more informal gatherings late into the night, drinking and playing games to their hearts' content.

Primary Related Location

The Green Sea

Related Ethnicities

• Harvestmen

Origins

The Threshers' Feast takes place at the end of the summer harvest season for a reason. Like many of the Harvestmen's major festivals, the timing of the festival helps punctuate the growing/harvesting seasons of the year. This particular festival also has a particularly sad history, as the candle-lighting at the end of the night was to help remember those who did not survive the winter, although many are no longer aware of this.