New Year

The New Year celebration takes place over the final day of the final month of one year and the first day of the first month of the next. Over the Courses, the first month and day will shift to reflect the first day of the current Course, with the current date being Serpi SH. The New Year always comes after the period of rest that is the three Forbidden Days, regardless of when in the year it occurs.

Various species, regions, and cultures across Deus celebrate the New Year in different ways. A selection of the most prominent have been listed below, alphabetised by practitioner.

Agri

In Agri, many people in rural areas will weave wreaths out of wild grasses and flowers in the days leading up to the New Year, then hang them on their doors. It is said that these wreaths ward off the possibility of a poor harvest in the coming year. The power of the wreaths is believed to be greatest if they are crafted over the Forbidden Days, so if the New Year falls outside the season where wild plants are plentiful, they will often be saved from the summer for use at the end of the year.

The tradition persists even in cities, with cityfolk crafting or purchasing wreaths as the end of the year approaches to stave off bad luck. There's usually a large sales spike in wildflowers leading up to the Forbidden Days.

Astra

During the Third Course, when the New Year began in midwinter on Strixa Q, outdoor celebrations across most of Deus required considerable heat sources, especially in Astra, whose climate is chilly during nearly the entire year.

This did not stop the Astrals, however, who created massive bonfires to keep themselves warm, and would dance around them for hours, the goal being to have a full circle dancing from sunset to sunrise (though individuals were allowed to leave and arrive at any time). In addition, many celebrations saw the sacrifice of items representing the old year to the bonfire, in the hopes of having a reversal of bad fortune in the new. This tradition persists even today, when the New Year falls in summer and such fires are no longer necessary for safety.

Aqua

The Aquan celebration involves a trade of alcoholic beverages. At New Year get-togethers, each guest is expected to bring some sort of alcohol, which can be purchased or homemade, high-quality or rubbish. The alcohol will then be anonymously swapped between guests and drunk at midnight, and the product one receives is said to be indicative of their fortunes for the year. While this ritual started between Swamp Lacertians, it quickly and unsurprisingly spread to the other peoples of Aqua.

Eagen

The New Year, as a time where fate is more generous than others, is seen as the safest time for Eagen to give out their prophecies. Prophets by trade or particularly zealous individuals will offer up predictions in public spaces, wearing hooded robes and demonic masks to keep Time from recognizing them, in exchange for coins or an invitation to a New Year meal.

Even those who do not wish to make such grand gestures in the face of Time have their own celebrations. Predictions of others' fates in the coming year are often written down and exchanged silently, though even these are usually cryptic or vague to avoid backlash. Between Eagen, there is an unspoken policy of reciprocating any received fortunes, but those not blessed with foresight are under no such obligation.

House Pluma

The most extravagant New Year party in Deus is the one held by House Pluma. The celebration spans all three Forbidden Days, with House members from all across the continent gathering in the grand ballrooms and feast halls of the House's headquarters. Many cultural traditions are observed over the course of the party, but the most prominent features are, of course, the expensive food and alcohol, the dances through midnight in outfits that set the trends for the year, and the overall displays of wealth typical of House Pluma.

Human

A tradition that started among the Castorans, but quickly spread across many human cultures and even other species, is the gifting of three coins to three friends or family members. The three coins represent the three Forbidden Days, and their giving is meant to stave off bad luck during those days. The coins may be of any value and must be gifted in secret as the protection is negated if the recipient knows who gave the coins.

The more coins and the greater the value received, the more luck the recipient is considered to have during the next year. Again, if one reveals how many coins they have received or begs to be given more coins, the luck is negated, and many say it is in fact reversed.

Velsen

While most cultures across Deus partake in a feast to celebrate the New Year, one particular method of doing so originated in Sun Velsen culture and is now observed by most Velsen. The meal consists of a food representing the animals which each month is named for—rabbit meat for Lapis, songbird for Oscen, fish for Pices, and so on.

Due to the difficulty of procuring meat from some of the particular animals, not to mention dietary restrictions or lifestyles such as vegetarianism, symbolism is permissible in this tradition. For instance, the month of Strixa is often symbolised by an egg rather than actual owl meat, and instead of hunting a bear, braided bread can represent the month of Ursus.

Volatil

The inventor of fireworks was a Volatil, so it comes as little surprise that they're one of the most enthusiastic species when it comes to pyrotechnic displays. Many New Year gatherings cluster around the large, carefully crafted fireworks shows put on by Volatil across the continent.

History

The New Year has been celebrated since before the current calendar was invented. Even with the outdated Second Course calendar, the day was set to be the same as the first of the Course, which carried on to the modern calendar and the Third and Fourth Courses.

Kiaruth, goddess of the calendar, declares the start of a new Course. The day she chooses is set as the first day of the new year, with the old year ending abruptly and often much shorter than the others in its Course. Months will shift around to ensure that they begin on the proper day, though always sticking close to their proper seasons, and the Forbidden Days are moved to the end of the year.