Longnight
At its most basic, Longnight is the tradition of keeping the fires burning during the longest night of the year until the sun returns. (As such, it's also called the Festival of Sun Return.)
Observance
Longnight is, as the name implies, the longest night of the year. Since Mother Earth and her lover Tiansen, the moon, are in such perfect synchrony, it happens every year on the same day, the first day of the Ice Moon. For the secular (Midlands) calendar, this is the tenth moon of the year, but the druids celebrate this as their New Year, making it the first day of the first month.History
Longnight has been a mark of the turning of the seasons for thousands of years. Prehistoric civilizations worshipped nature (a combination of shamanism and nature worship) that evolved into the precursor of the Druidic Faith.The Druidic High Holy Day: Utmu (UHT-moo)
One of the four high holy days of the year, Utmu is the festival of the sun's cycle (or "sun return"). Each day leading up to it the sun recedes, believed to be traveling away. Fires are lit to beseech the sun to return once more, not to abandon Mother Earth in darkness. This is the druidic New Year, as then life begins, thrives, and ends in a new sun cycle.Execution
Huge bonfires are lit in both public and private spaces. (As the druids do not control the countries they live in, their fires are at local sacred gathering places, including standing stones, druid circles, and elders' gardens. Even if secular leaders make bonfires, these are not visited in religious observance except by those druids unable to get to a sacred locale.) Heavy logs or other fuels are burned overnight by all after they make sacrifices at a ritual ceremony, typically burnt offerings thrown into the bonfire while prayers are offered to the sun and blessings said for the family's coming year. Traditionally, specific foods are prepared at lavish feasts for large gatherings, the type of recipes that might encourage a traveler to return home; the grander the display, the more savory the dish, the better, though the variations vary as widely as those celebrating the holiday.Components & Tools
The Utmu brazier or Utmu fodder (whatever wood or peat fuel the fires) are burned by all from sunset until sunrise, and typically decorated to show the family's respect. Candles are often lit as well, but it is the fires that must last all night even without anyone awake to tend them. Offerings vary by region, but the foci are all related to entreating the sun's return or bestowing protection on the person and their family. Good-smelling herbs and evergreen boughs are usually involved, making the bonfires smell radiant as each offering burns. (Evergreen boughs with decorative versions of the same offerings are often used to decorate the outside of the home, and often brightly colored ribbons or yarn are involved.) Food is often gifted to others even before sharing feasts. Children are encouraged to make small straw or rag dollies, Utmizzen, that represent what they would like to be or do in the next year, often going so far as to make small sackcloth clothes, wooden weapons, and some kind of smiling, happy face, and then to cast them into the ritual fires. There is a children's rhyme about the different herbs used in adult offerings, adding sprigs of each to the dolly as well before it burns.Participants & Key Roles
All druids have their roles in the holiday, even if only to visit a bonfire with their extended family, say a prayer, and then feast on all the delicious foods at a feast—usually these are family groups, but often friends are included, and there are regions where it is considered an honor and to convey the sun's favor to provide a feast for as many people as possible. (This is likely the source of the secular banquets often thrown at similar times.) Druid priests and elders typically oversee the major bonfires and offer prayers and blessings with each family, but this is not a holiday that requires any particular sacred oversight.Polytheistic Syncretism: Shannesina (shan-eh-SEE-nah)
In this theology, the sun god Shannash rides forth to drive back demons attempting to claim the world every year, and it is up to the faithful to light fires, candles, torches, and otherwise cry their support to the heavens and aid him in his battle. This battle typically lasts for the week prior to the night itself, as well as the week afterward, as by the seventh day (the beginning of the following day), the sun has visibly gained strength once more, and the festival grows and recedes over the same period.Participants & Key Roles
Shannashi priests hold grand ceremonies during the two-week holiday, all centered around gathering strength to aid the sun god. Sometimes these include ceremonies calling on local saints or demigods to will them to join forces with the sun god against the demons. Typically on Longnight, the ceremony is focused on each individual believer and their own connection to Shannash. It's not uncommon for faithful to donate money to the church, food to the community, and otherwise give as much as they can offer. The druids' feasting was taken up quickly as another way to celebrate the god, and now everyone moves from place to place reveling in feasts and elaborate stage productions of music, dance, or story dedicated to the battle for the duration of the holiday.The Secular Holiday: Longnight
While the religious hold their ceremonies and rituals, those not following the druidic faith or the god Shannash are more interested in taking part in fun activities rather than solemn rites. Fires (of varying sizes) are very common, but it's the middle of winter, so fires would be present regardless. Certainly most fires are not treated with any sort of respect, not as those at key druidic locations are. Given the length of Shannesina, it's very easy to find performances to attend for Longnight, though those less religious often throw their own parties that range more toward hedonistic orgies. The original secular holiday was only the one night, but with the growth of Shannesina, now it is extremely common to not be required to work for the day before or after either. This has led to a common belief that the holiday is three days long, known colloquially as Sunfall, Longnight, and Sunswell, as though the solstice were a twenty-four-hour-plus period, rather than a moment in time.Participants & Key Roles
Leaders of secular communities typically throw banquets with feasting and performances for large groups, regardless of social status. On Longnight, no one is more important than the next, and all share in the revelry of the turning point of winter. (It's not uncommon for kings to host all of their noblemen as well as those serving in the castle in any role.)1st of Ice Moon
10th month by River Reckoning,1st month by Druid Reckoning
Celebrants by Faith:
The Druidic Faith
Polytheism
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Shannash
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