The Feast of St. Aethelstan
The Feast of St. Aethelstan is an annual celebration held across The Calradian Empire to celebrate the ascension of the first Calradian Saint of Pantheon of the God of Order, the destruction of Naggarond, raising of Nazzareth, and the beginning of the end of the reign of the Pantheon of the Demon Prince.
Due to the importance of this historical event in the founding mythos of the Empire, both religiously and politically, this is the largest and most extravagant of the celebrations of the year. Many Imperial Citizens look forward to this celebration all year long. The Feast of St. Aethelstan in Nazzareth in particular is a once in a lifetime event for many, with people who are able travelling to the capital to experience it.
History
"The Feast" as it is colloquially called, has been observed for as long as anyone can remember. The first recorded instance of the event was actually reportedly on the first anniversary of the fall of Naggarond. Many history books claim that the first feast was held by Saint Aethelstan himself, who invited all of the other Saints, as well as all of the soldiers following him on holy crusade to a grand feast. Legend says that St. Aethelstan had them all sit around a single massively long table where they all sat as equals, leaving one head seat of the table open in case Godric wished to attend, and the other head seat empty with a single rose upon it in memory of all of their fallen comrades who had perished in the wars against the Daemons. Some histories even state that St. Aethelstan himself simply raised a hand and populated the entire table with heaping amounts of food from thin air!
It is unknown how many times this tradition was conducted by the Saints themselves, but those mortals who attended took on the tradition themselves, and it eventually became an annual celebration observed by the whole Empire. It was even tradition that the Emperor themselves would attend such a feast on that day, and cities across the Empire would send invitations to the capital every year to invite them to the city's own feast.
The Feast is not just a celebration, but is also viewed as a statement and re-assertion of the will of all civilized people to remain free from the influence of The Shadowfell, as they all celebrate their freedom while showing each other the best of what civilization under the Saints has to offer.
Execution
The Feast itself is normally preceded by 8 days of celebrations, with each day representing one of the eight primary Saints of Order. Many a lover has confessed their admiration during the Feast celebration of Saint Brigit, or a former friend sought to make amends during the Feast Celebration of Saint Syntrofius. Traditions vary widely from place to place for the precursor 8 days, so much so that some people even travel to other cities or towns to experience a specifically unique version of the celebrations. For example, the town of Segestica holds a party for the Feast of Saint Syntrofius that is legendary, with "bottomless kegs" that are rumored in some places to be enchanted to never run dry. Meanwhile, in Caprera there is held a competition of the minds during the Feast of Saint Ecclesius so well renowned that academics from across the continent attend to pit their knowledge against each other in different categories for huge prizes. Despite being called "feasts" one can easily deduce that not all are actually feasts, but are simply celebrations.
On the 9th day, "The Feast" itself is held, and communities drag all of their tables out of their homes and put them together in a long line, reminiscent of the first long table of legend. The empty seats at either end are placed, and it is tradition that each family contributes to the Feast for all to eat and drink until they can eat and drink no more. It is also custom that the local ruler provide the drinks and desserts, on behalf of the state to the citizens.
Of course, the nature of this celebration means that different individual events will vary widely in their opulence. Feasts held near wealthy areas are more likely to have the best of everything, whereas small hamlets may have much less to offer. Because of this, many priests take donations from the wealthy and powerful throughout the year, and these are used to help purchase better food and drink for those less fortunate (in exchange for prayers on their behalf by The Holy Church of the Saints of Order of course).
Components and tools
For the Ninth day, a long table is required, though in many cases communities will simply combine many existing tables for this purpose.
No specific foods are needed, and in many cases the feast of the ninth day will be a showcase of the best that can be produced by any given place. In addition, many will save up to purchase exotic spices or foodstuffs from across the continent specifically for the event.
Finally, though no specific icons are used, it is not uncommon for new places of worship, statues, or public works to be unveiled or officially opened during The Feast of St. Aethelstan.
Observance
The Feast of St. Aethelstan is held annually from Redfall the 42nd to Redfall the 50th. Seasons.
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