Rock Wettening

Kalora new year tradition

For the beginning of the new year, which for the people of Kalora is in the middle of their harsh winters, they engage in a tradition of writing on rocks, a communal wall, or collection of large beach rocks with their intentions for the following year.

History

New year traditions have a long history in Kalora. The time is accompanied with many ceremonies and tradition, usually unique to a specific family or group.
Rock wettening began as an individual event. A family, name lost to time, had a special tradition of writing their goals on small rocks in chalk. These goals were small, achievable ones, such as an intent to listen to new music or make new friends. After everyone had written on their own rock, they would swap them with another family member who would vow to help them achieve their goal, dip the rock in water to erase the chalk, and keep the rock as a reminder of their dedication to help their family member.
What started as a unique family tradition soon spread to the community at large when the family began to invite other people in their community to join them: neighbors, teachers, colleagues, service workers. Along the way, the idea to create communal goal arose and, instead of writing on a stone that could be held in the hand, people began to write their goals on a large wall of a house in the community and hoses were used to wipe down the goals. Later, for larger groups, goals were written on beach rocks and the tide swept away their goals as a symbol that the sea, a source of life, would help them.

Execution

The first step is to select an appropriate surface for the goal to be written on. An individual's rock should be smooth enough that the chalk words are legible but not so smooth that the chalk has nothing to grab onto. Some people select their rocks earlier in the year and save them for later and others choose a rock on the day of. It must be large enough to fit the entire goal. Some goals are a single word, such as "marriage" or "child," and only require small rocks, but others are more detailed and require larger ones. It is still expected that an individual rock can be held by a single person, preferably in one hand.
For communal goals, community buildings or the houses of special members of the community are chosen to be Writers. This could be the local medical magician's home or a popular restaurant, depending on the agreed intentions of the group. The goal for the group is ascertained by discussion on the eve of the new year, although it is usually planned earlier than the day of. The people who own or live in the building that the community has chosen are the ones to inscribe the goal.
Entire towns along the coast use the beach rocks to write goals. The goals are often complex and can be written across several stones, but they must be written quickly before the ocean waves can wipe them away before the ceremony is complete. The leader of the town or members of the largest family are often the Writers.
After the goals are written, they are traded over to the people who will wash away the chalk, Wetters. Specific individuals to trade with can be planned in advance, but it is encouraged to be someone outside of someone's immediate circle in order to foster a growing sense of community. The larger communal goals hand off the task to a secondary group picked well in advance based on community polling.
Using hoses, or by the tide, each goal is erased with water while the Wetter makes their vow to help the fellow in their community. Once the surface is completely clean, people often celebrate with a feast and share their goals with others.

Participants

Writers and Wetters for communal goals are often split along gendered lines. Writers perform as a "dry" gender, one that's associated with stability and individuality. This includes wearing capes with pins affixed to the back with meaningful symbols or beloved items. People will also pin feathers or shells or other items acquired over the previous year. They may paint their face with colored paints, especially in warm earth colors like yellow and brown.
Wetters perform as a "wet" gender, associated with dynamism and community. Wetters often don't wear much clothing except for large necklaces with drapes that cover a significant part of the chest. They may also paint their skin, specifically their hands, in colors like purple and red, as long as the paint also washes off with water.
Everyone who wants to participate in having an intention collectively supported appears as an audience member for the communal celebrations. It is not required to go, and people who have not had remarkable years will often forego the ceremony if they don't have any specific exceptional goals for the new year, but if one does agree not to partake in the communal goal it is considered rude to write an individual one. Some people get around this by only doing the ceremony with their long-term partner, so no one is aware of the social transgression.

Observance

The celebration is observed on the day before the new year. It is during the winter when it is exceptionally cold, and the celebration is usually done outside for community goals. The refusal to wear clothes can be devastating for certain populations, so Wetters are often Sela members of the community, whose thick blubber keeps them from being too cold.

Primary Related Location

Tiyo

Related Ethnicities

• Kalora