Festival of the Blood Moon
The Festival of the Blood Moon is a Hilael-born tradition, celebrated in the kingdom of Kaliq Hala.
Observance
Festival of the Blood Moon happens once every year. It can either happen in November or March. Whichever blood moon comes first of the year declares the month the festival will be celebrated. Therefore the festival could occur either in March or November. The festival takes place all day. With ceremonies and rituals beginning at night when the stars are visible. The festivals take place all throughout the kingdom of Kaliq Hala. The location is not in one exact spot, as the festivities are felt and seen all throughout the kingdom. There is one exception to the Festival of the Blood Moon, it being the Super Blood Moon. This occurs every fifteen years. For this special event, the festival is not dispersed all throughout the kingdom. Instead it is held in one place, causing attendees all over the kingdom to make a trip to one precise location. The location is randomly selected every fifteen years. There are many towns, cities, and villages in Kaliq Hala. So the selection of festival hosts is picked out of a bowl, with previous hosts already eliminated from the pool. The observance of the Super moon starts early in the day. With ceremonies and rituals also starting earlier in the day. The festival thus ends when the dawn arises.History
The origins of the Festival of the Blood Moon happened in 1028, a year after the discovery of blood magic. After blood magic was discovered, there was a blood moon in the November of 1028. Hilael natives of Kaliq Hala took this as a sign and celebration. They conferred with Astorian fabricators and Hilaelian scholars on when the next blood moon would happen. It was predicted to happen in November of next year. The South Province was the first region of Kaliq Hala to present this festival, as it was their idea to create this festival. They relied heavily on the teachings of Deshrat and his values with the dark and the moon. Influenced by blood magic, Hilaelians felt that the blood moon was a gift from Deshrat. A gift interpreted to be a symbol of self healing and freedom. The blood moon thus became an icon to be celebrated annually. The first Festival of the Blood Moon, in November of 1029, was a success. People had fun, felt a moment of peace and relaxation, and got to spend time with loved ones. Due to the big success of the first festival, the Crescent Queen got involved and declared it a national Kaliq Hala festival. The overall message of the festival is centered around the color red. Red is a symbol of courage, love, anger, health, religious fervor, and life. Hilaels believe that when the moon turns red, it is dying and needs love and care. The festival promotes the rebalance of one with itself. The moon is metaphorically a person and the red that overshadows represents a person’s true inhibitions. To heal and get rid of the red, is to heal oneself. The showering of red in the clothes, food, and decor are there as a reminder of your journey on balancing the red.Components and Tools
One main component of this festival is the color red. Cities and towns are decked with red banners and streamers. Women are seen in red dresses and men in red suits. The foods displayed are of the nature red as well as drinks too. Popular foods are pomegranates, cherries, tomato paste, and red meat. Some popular drinks include red wine, pomegranate juice, and cranberry juice. Another component of this festival is art and dancing. The Festival of the Blood Moon is a great atmosphere for artists to showcase their drawings of the blood moon. They can draw large crowds all admiring the art before them. Besides the art, dancing is a big deal too. The main type of dance form is flamenco dancing, however all types of dance are encouraged. Flamenco dancers can be seen performing from street to street. In houses and cathedrals. Dancing and art are a big part of the festival because it inhibits freedom of expression. The Blood Moon is representative of being free and transformative. Any activity that reflects that feeling is represented all over these festivals. The only religious item that appears in this tradition is the crest of Deshrat. The reason for this being the only religious object is that Deshrat has given this gift, but wants people to reflect on themselves rather than on praising a God. Every other day of the year is devoted to the gods and deities of Hilael. The blood moon is a day for the people themselves.Particapants and Key Roles
Anyone can attend the ceremony, the main players that are required to participate are the crescent queen, lunar council, nobility, and soldiers. The following list below outlines the roles of each caste system participant. Crescent Queen: The Crescent Queen spends the whole day traveling all over the kingdom of Kaliq Hala. She starts her tour in the city center, then travels up north, over to the east, down to the south, and lastly up to the west. The travel route geographically creates an imaginary circle. The circle represents the very moon the festival is celebrating. The crescent Queen has no responsibilities other than to stay on the travel route and make a speech at each spot visited. Lunar Council: Members of the Lunar Council are randomly assigned to a city/town mapped out on the Crescent Queen’s travel route. The council members are the ones to lead the ceremonies, blessings, and rituals. They are accompanied by their city/town’s respective nobility class members who help in leading these activities. The Lunar council members overall have the most prestigious role that is taken seriously with honor and care. Nobility: The nobility class is composed of lords and ladies. These people have already been residing in the city/town they rule over. Therefore their job is mapping out where ceremonies and other rituals will take place. They choose who they want to assist in these activities. If a member of the Lunar Council is present to lead, Nobilities assist these members in their role. Soldiers: The duty and responsibilities of a soldier on the day of the festival and the week leading up to the festivities is to stand guard. They are posted all throughout the kingdom. With double the security on the Crescent Queen travel route and the city center. Soldiers cannot leave their post unless reported by higher ups. They are to stay vigilant, report suspicious activity, and keep people safe. Scribes: Scribes are not mandated to attend these festivals. Although due to a scribe's passion for written history, all of them choose to attend. They flock to different areas of towns and regions of Kaliq Hala. Recording different perspectives of the day’s itinerary. Scribes are often accompanied by working class people. These people carry paper, extra ink, and quills. As well as securing documents produced throughout the festival. After the day is done, scribes will then put together what they have written and archive it to the necessary library or government facility. Artisans/Merchants: This festival is a great opportunity and moment for artisans and merchants to show off their skills. Without these people, the festival would have no color or life. They are paid by gratuity given by the audience. The highest paid artisan and merchant of the festival come from being selected to participate in ceremonies and ritual proceedings. Artisans and merchants are the only class that can be invited by nobilities and the Lunar Council for participation in the previous activities. Working Class: The working class are allowed to have the day off. Unless they are assigned for duty. Many employers are able to give these people the day off. It is members that work for the Lunar Council, Nobility class, and soldiers that are essential. Some other roles where the working class will have to work is if they are vending food, assisting a scribe, and running labor for ritual productions. Tourists: Since this is a well known festival heard around Mahka Nata, many tourists come to Kaliq Hala to observe the festival. They have no job or role in the actual ceremonies. They do get to engage with festivities and rituals. Tourists always have a great time and respect the ultimate premise of the blood moon.
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