Tirni Farmer's Festival
"The festival amongst the farmers is one of the few glimpses the outside world has into the machinations of Brillé. Perhaps this is intentional, providing outsiders with a false view of their 'utopia.' Though, I suppose it is possible that the celebrations are just that: celebrations."
Tirni Farmer's Festival
This annual festival is enjoyed by all farmers that live beyond the outer wall of Brillé known as "Tirni." Batches of 5-10 farms and all the residents that reside in them each join their own celebration, which goes long into the night. Whether its due to singing, art, socializing, or eating, any invited guest is certain to enjoy their time. Celebrated during the hottest months in Renad, its bi-annual recurrence in the Augury calendar has allowed outsiders to decipher that Brillé follows a 5 month calendar.
Recreation
The Tirni Farmer's Festival celebrates the surplus of food that farmers all along the outer wall of Brillé have been rewarded with throughout the year. As such, this is often a leisurely event in all regards aside from preparation. Folk who join aren't expected to do much more than eat, talk, and accept new local farmers into their fold. For children, there are often several options for low-skill games, as only the youngest amongst the J'barri people are expected to partake in such things.
Contests
The festival is a time for the people of Tirni to express their skills and brush off their competitive side, with various activities such as painting, clay modeling, cooking, wrestling, dancing, and hunting. Above all of these, however, is their annual queen bee competition. In this event, the size, colors, and patterns of the next year's hive queen are compared by each farmer.
Rewards for these competitions have shifted in recent years, particularly as a result of the nation's abandonment of coinage. While medals were delved out in the past, these were considered too similar to tokens and taken out of the event. These rules have been inconsistent all throughout the nation, as medals have been given to other exceptional individuals, as well as statuettes.
Utility
The festival is useful for a variety of reasons, such as local morale and ensuring the community stays closely knit. The most important part of the festival (and the reason for its occurrence at all) is the bonding of queen bees in their Emergent Apiaries. Each farmer's bees must be acquainted with the flowers of their neighbor, ensuring both widespread pollination from multiple sources, and that the insects can still be used for their original intent of signaling neighbors of possible threats. Perhaps this is only done out of superstition, as its utility is questionable, but the farmers believe the bonding to do the nation a great service nonetheless.
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