Pledge Day

History

Began in the early days of Anhara, Pledge Day is a tradition prevalent among lower and middle class citizens of rural parts of the nation. Here, noble houses are more familial, and the Patriarch of the house is seen as a father to his people. To show one's appreciation for all the local lord does, once per year, on the anniversary of the day of one's birth, pledges to the noble house are renewed. However, this is not the case in the capital, where no noble house is dominant, nor in most urban centers. To the cosmopolitan citizens of Anhara, this tradition is seen as a way to keep the far-flung rural territories compliant. To rural residents, on the other hand, it is largely seen as an indicator of their superiority over urban Anharans, and a mark of the closeness they have to their liege lords.

Traditions

On the yearly anniversary of the day of one's birth, citizens go before their local authority and recite a pledge of fealty to the lord of the noble house who's lands they reside in. This is one of the few instances where vassal lords receive the same honors as the lords of noble houses, as if a citizen resides in the land of a noble who in turn pays fealty to a major house, the pledge is still made to that lesser lord. The vassal lord, of course, gives all due honor to his liege, but that is outside the scope of this tradition.

"A lovelier sight has n'er been seen, than a line of humble citizens flocking to their lord to pay him homage, as children to their father returning from the day's labor. Such pride these communities feel for their noble family, unlike the scheming of the cities." - Idyllic Living 

Following the renewing of one's pledge, it is common to return home with the family if in a smaller town, to feast and make merry, and celebrate another year of protection and patronage under the local nobility. However, if in one of the larger towns or cities of Anhara's more rural territories, often the citizens who share the same pledge day, along with their families, form a parade to visit their liege, and pay him homage in person. The local noble, if in town, will always make time for one of these events, adding to the sense of familiarity between rural citizens and their lords, a mark of pride over their urban counterparts.