The Year Cheese

On the first day of each year, families across Galactus work together to make a special wheel of cheese. At the end of that year, the cheese is brought out and eaten in a ceremony dedicated to remembering the year past.

The Making of the Cheese

On the Feast of Vitalis, families gather together to celebrate the new year. One crucial part of this celebration is the creation of the Year Cheese. Ingredients vary from place to place, with regional ingredients playing a large role. The cheese is made of goat, cow, or sheep's milk, dependent on which livestock are available. In more arid regions, some cultures use camel milk to create cheese, a more difficult process than other milks. The curds produced are then mixed with herbs, nuts, spices, and fruits. Each family has a special combination varying in both amount and type of ingredient, and the recipe is passed through generations with slight modifications. The mixture is then wrapped in cheesecloth and placed in a special cheese mold, then removed and placed in a brine bath for several days before the family removes it and places it in storage to age until the end of the year.

The Eating of the Cheese

On the Feast of Ydos, the cheese is removed from storage. It is sliced and the pieces are shared amongst family members. Typically, these are the same folk who helped in the cheese's creation, but births and deaths during the year change the group slightly. If a family member has been married during the year, they still remain with whom they made the Year Cheese. As the cheese is eaten, family members share their memories of the year, significant events that occurred, and celebrate the past year. The entire cheese is eaten by the time the clocks strike midnight and the old year dies as the new year is born.