Flower Day
Every year on the first Saturday of June the school age youngsters in the village of Henhaven sneak quietly out of their houses to surprise their neighbors with gifts of flowers while they sleep: either crafted, fresh, or dried depending upon the age of the gifter. The kinder and first year students often make or grow their gifts as class projects with things like growing bean plants or making paper baskets.
Between First light and the third hour the school age children go from house to house placing small gifts on each door stoop they choose while the adults inside pretend to be asleep. While it may have been a solemn ritual in times past it has evolved into a townful of happy children pulling wagons or carrying baskets full of gifts. While the older children also leave small tokens on neighbors door stoops they are expected to watch out for and help the youngers ones as needed.
At the third hour the town bell is rung signaling the youngsters to hurry and finish placing their offerings.
After morning chores are done the families gather in the town square (or the town hall if it is rainy) and have a pot luck picknick with lots of games and other things to do while the Militia Captain and the Cleric tour the town and decide who to award the prizes to. There is a prize for the house with the most gifts and a prize for the least trampled yard among others. The townsfolk believe that if every house has at least 1 gift this year's harvest will have perfect weather.
Between First light and the third hour the school age children go from house to house placing small gifts on each door stoop they choose while the adults inside pretend to be asleep. While it may have been a solemn ritual in times past it has evolved into a townful of happy children pulling wagons or carrying baskets full of gifts. While the older children also leave small tokens on neighbors door stoops they are expected to watch out for and help the youngers ones as needed.
At the third hour the town bell is rung signaling the youngsters to hurry and finish placing their offerings.
After morning chores are done the families gather in the town square (or the town hall if it is rainy) and have a pot luck picknick with lots of games and other things to do while the Militia Captain and the Cleric tour the town and decide who to award the prizes to. There is a prize for the house with the most gifts and a prize for the least trampled yard among others. The townsfolk believe that if every house has at least 1 gift this year's harvest will have perfect weather.
History
It is said that this silly, happy day started 150 years ago during the reign of Frillas Encan, the Marked. His emissaries were going from town to village and taking all of the children that had latent magical talent and there were 3 children in the town that the local hedge witch said would be taken, and so instead of handing the children over to authorities the townsfolk of the time hid them and smuggled their families out of town, hopefully to the border where they would be safe.
The families left before first light but on their way out of town they left small braided flower wreaths on the doors of each house that they passed as a thank you.
Over time the holiday evolved from families giving each other flowers and small gifts of food to what it is today where the children make or grow simple flower related items and gift them to the sleeping adults.
The families left before first light but on their way out of town they left small braided flower wreaths on the doors of each house that they passed as a thank you.
Over time the holiday evolved from families giving each other flowers and small gifts of food to what it is today where the children make or grow simple flower related items and gift them to the sleeping adults.
