Special Days and Festivals

There are a number of Special Days and Festivals that take place throughout the year, many having their own dedicated day that sits outside the normal tenday.

The Special Days

Special Days are those typically marked with some form of small regional or personal celebrations but not usually sitting outside the weekday. They are:

The Spring Equinox-

Usually falling in the middle of Ches and often marked with prayers and rituals to honour Diancecht, Silvanus and Belenus especially.

The Summer Solstice-

Usually in the middle of Kythorn, the Summer Solstice is typically a celebration of light and learning. Goibniu and Oghma typically get a large share of the rituals at this time of year, although Diancecht, Belenus, Math Mathonwy and Dunatis also claim their spaces in these celebrations.

The Autumn Equinox-

Typically falling towards the end of Fading, it is often filled with prayers and rituals to honour the gods most likely to see you through the winter months. The Morrigan, Nuada and Manannan Mac Lir are the gods most usually called on during the falling midpoint between Light and Dark.

The Winter Solstice-

This usually falls on the middle Araday in Nightal, and is the anchor point the rest of the calendar falls around. The biggest ritual that typically takes place here is the symbolic burning of bad-will, where each household typically makes a bonfire and feeds it tokens of any feuds, follies or foes that are bothering them. The day marks the start of the week-long Drawing Down, and it is considered efficient to get old problems resolved early so you can spend the rest of the week celebrating with friends.

The Festivals-

The Festivals are days that are usually considered holidays by all Dalians, typically with public celebrations or rituals taking place in towns and villages across the country.

The Drawing Down-

the tenday of celebrations following the Winter Solstice. Although people continue working this week, each night tends to be taken up with celebrations with friends and foes alike, as the arguments of the past year are resolved and forgiven, and friendships celebrated and rewarded. It is often a period of some licentiousness, as the First Day which ends the week is considered a 'wiping clean' in many respects.

Midwinter-

sitting between the months of Deepwinter and Alturiak, Midwinter sits outside the normal tenday and provides another chance for glee and goodwill during the coldest Months of the Year. Typically this is a full day festival with drinking, singing, plenty of bonfires, and an endless pot of free hearty soup or stew in the centre of the village or neighbourhood that all are expected to contribute to, however small.

[b

]Greengrass-

falls between Tarsakh and Melting. The Greengrass holiday welcomes spring to the land. It is a time of final clearing out of the old and welcoming the new, and it is not unusual for villages to hold naming days and the like during Greengrass. In almost all but the largest towns, Greengrass is used as a day of rest, to make plans for the summer months, prepare homes, gardens and fields for the coming season, and take stock of their blessings.

Midsummer-

falls between Summertide and Highsun. The midsummer celebrations are typically the biggest of the year. In every town, village and city you will find a huge festival, when everyone gets together to show off their particular skills- whether that is singing, dancing, woodcarving, cooking or more. Every contribution is welcomed, and enormous feasts with rousing entertainment are the norm.

Harvestide and High Harvestide-

comprise the last week of Fading, with High Harvestide sitting between the months of Fading and Leaffall. Harvesttide itself typically encompasses the whole last tenday of Fading, with everyone pitching in to make sure the harvest is in, preserves are made, hogs are slaughtered and salted, and preparations are made for winter (even if in the north, those preparations are simply to put the thicker sheets on the beds...). The tenday culminates in High Harvestide, a well earned day of rest for everyone, with competitions for the largest or tastiest crops, the best bred animal, the tastiest pies, cakes and preserves and more. Children especially love the candied apples which tend to make an appearance at this time of year, although the honey nut cakes are not far behind.

The Feast of the Moon-

falls between Uktar and Nightal, and is the first of the true winter festivals. By the end of Uktar (The Rotting)- the trees are usually bare, the winter is taking a grip, and spirits are waning. The Feast of the Moon is an unusual ceremony in that it takes place throughout the night on the last Araday of Uktar, starting at nightfall. The whole night is spent in singing, dancing, good cheer and copious amounts of food and drink (and, frequently, plenty of potion-based stimulants in larger settlements), and it is rare that anyone retires before dawn. The Feast of the Moon day is typically much quieter, with most sleeping off the revels, although the communal re-feast at mid-afternoon is a common sight in most places, with everyone getting together to bring and share leftover food and drink, and remind each other of the events of the previous night.