Midsummer

The Festival of Midsummer

Midsummer is a celebration of the height of the Season of Summer, acknowledging the coming of the Longest Day. It is a festival seen as a symbol of vitality and strength, as well as a time to pay homage to both Haul, the A'arden Sun God, who also celebrates His Holy Festival (Feast of the Chariot) on this day, and Orino, the A'arden Goddess of Summer.
Midsummer is celebrated as a Secular Event, and while Haul and Orino are often acknowledged, worship of them is not required to take part in the festivities. Midsummer is considered one of the major public events of the year, and settlements across the globe will go all-out to provide a bright and engaging experience by decorating the streets (these decorations are then left up until the end of the Midyear Festival) and providing large bonfires for the celebration.
Midsummer is also a popular time for infant dedications or naming ceremonies, as well as marriages and engagement ceremonies. It is thought that blessings received during this time will last longer and strengthen the vows made due to Haul's influence over Order and Time.

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History

Midsummer, or the Height of Summer, has been celebrated in some manner since the Age of Renewal, and is said to be the first true yearly celebration within A'arde. While the execution has changed over the years, the inclusion of brightly coloured decorations and glass chimes can be officially dated back to the Age of Dragons, when Ajukna-Tirana, the Dragonic Mother-Goddess, requested her clergy create a beautiful set of giant chimes for Haul's temple, the Temple of the Holy Sun, as a thanks for allowing the Dragons to live upon A'arde. These chimes existed right up until the Temple of the Holy Sun was destroyed during the Fall of the Floating Cities, though shards of the original chimes can still be seen within sculptures in Haul's rebuilt Temple of the Holy Sun.
The tradition of a Midsummer Picnic was introduced late in the Age of Darkness, around ten years before the announcement of the Age of Redemption, as a symbol of hope and light returning from the darkness. The first Sunbiscuit and Suncake are attributed to a Navian named Morale, who was looking for something simple and fun to add to her picnic that could be easily replicated with her children, as she wanted to include them in the creation of the picnic. The date of this is somewhere between Y6A 7-12 and Morale went on to become a famous baker and confectioner.

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Execution

Decorations and the bonfire sites for Midsummer are usually set up in the late afternoon of the day before the celebration. These decorations are placed out in public areas, such as streets and parks, as well as within private homes. Places of business, including governments or authorities, may also decorate their buildings. Glass chimes, painted suns, yellow ribbons and summer flowers are common within homes and businesses, while out in the streets you will see streamers of yellow and gold, as well as bright, reflective hanging decorations in bright blue, yellow, green, pink and purple.
During the day, picnics are often held with family and friends in public places, which have been specially laid out for the occasion. A staple of the Midsummer Picnic is the Sunbiscuit, though the picnic can contain any other picnic foods to the liking of the individuals attending. Some families like to keep a special picnic blanket specifically for Midsummer.
In the evening, parties are had where revellers wear brightly coloured outfits and share a meal of fine food and drink before heading out to dance around the bonfires. The meals often include a traditional sweet-bread called a Suncake, which resembles a type of tear-and-share dinner roll platter in the shape of a sun, sometimes sprinkled with a light or mild cheese.

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Components and tools

Glass Chimes

Specially made glass chimes can be bought from artisans, but some people like to craft their own from smashed bottles and coloured twine.

Painted Suns

These are usually made from wood or clay and painted in bright colours.

Ribbons

Yellow ribbons are most popular, though light orange and gold can also be used.

Flowers

Summer flowers include sunflowers, solidaster, marigold, yellow germini and orange or yellow chrysanthemums. These can be laid out in baskets or vases as displays, though some weave them into garlands.

Sunbiscuit

The staple of the Midsummer picnic is the Sunbiscuit; everything else is optional and varied. Sunbiscuits are sun-shaped biscuits made from flour, sugar, egg and butter, flavoured with vanilla or lemon, and then iced with a mixture of sugar, egg, rosewater and finely grated dried fruit (usually lemon or raspberry).

Suncake

Suncakes are made from yeasted doughs that have been enriched with fat (usually butter, though oil is sometimes used), eggs, sugar, and milk. The dough is formed into small buns which are then placed close together onto a circular baking tray in the shape of a sun. When baked, these buns form a single, bobbly bread display from which the individual buns can be torn as required. Some families like to make a second Suncake, upon which shredded cheese is scattered and melted.

Bonfire

Bonfires at Midsummer are a symbol of light, power and strength, as well as cleansing. Some churches prepare Purification Salts (magnesium sulfate) in wax blocks for use in the bonfires, which turns the flame white.

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Participants

Midsummer is predominantly a public festival, with much of the street decoration and the majority of the bonfires being provided by the leaders of the settlement. It is generally attended by families and groups of friends. Some people will hold private gatherings, and in some countries the higher ranked Nobles take it in turns to host large Midsummer parties at their estates. Invitations to these events are considered extremely valuable, especially if the Noble has high prestige, such as the Noble Houses in the West.
The Clergy of Haul and Orino assist in the preparations by providing or making decorations, as well as blessing the logs for the bonfires.

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Observance

Midsummer takes place on the 16th of Firemoot in the Northern Hemisphere, and the 18th of Firemoot in the Southern, on a yearly basis. Due to the offset seasonal nature of the calendars of A'arde, it is possible to attend both observances by travelling from Northern Hemisphere to Southern, or vice versa.

Contents

Observance

16th/18th Firemoot

Observance Frequency

Twice a Year

Seasonal Offset?

Yes

Observation Type

Secular

Observation Demographic

Worldwide

Observance Day of the Year

Northern Hemisphere: 169
Southern Hemisphere: 352

Observance Month Number

Northern Hemisphere: 6
Southern Hemisphere: 12