Saint Dorma's Day
Every year after the canonization of Saint Helena Dorma a festival is held in her honor around the known world. During this festival, a young girl marked to play St. Dorma blesses the region to ward away evil and bad luck. Charms and trinkets with the same blessings are sold. All proceeds go to the upkeep of the church.
History
When St. Dorma was canonized, her remaining followers celebrated with a public festival. At this festival, the priests and crusaders sold carved or braided charms blessed to ward off evil beings and bring good luck. Each year, they held the festival again and again, slowly catching on with other churches and spreading across the continent.
The festival evolved from a small celebration to a full on party with a focus on protection and feeding the poor.
Execution
The days before the festivals, booths are constructed and set up. Prizes and charms are made through out the year by the churches involved in putting the festivities on, entrusted to younger members as means of punishment or focuses for prayers. In recent years, temporary stages have been erected to re-enact the life and death of St. Dorma.
Participants
Key participants include all members of the church, who perform a majority of the tasks involved. Decorations are all made by hand by the priests and children in their care, reused year after year as long as they are in good condition. Prizes and food are also made by the priests and their charges. Games have been added by individual vendors with strict oversight from the church to ensure they are not cheating patrons out of their money, though it is not an uncommon rumor in some areas of the world that the priests and monks collaborate with the vendors to scam patrons. The play is put on by the children in the care of the church, lead and taught by the priestesses who preside over the orphanages.
Observance
The festival is observed on a set date each year, but may be a few days late if the weather is bad. It is considered bad luck to hold the festival on a day where it is raining or overcast, as if the shadow of Amynd is casting over St. Dorma.
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