Festivals

See also: Nidus Calendar
New Dawn Festival (Corner 1)
The first day of the new year gives way to a new path. Sanctum Hollow celebrates New Dawn with all the clans gathering in the sacred lake in the valley's center for a grand feast at dusk to eat and watch the sunset. After sunset, there is a short play celebrating the changes witnessed in the past year. The feast continues through the night as celebrants discuss their hopes for the new year until the sun rises.

Lantern Festival (Corner 15)

In this festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns. The lanterns are said to symbolize people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones, which they will let go next year. Later, while sitting around bonfires, fireworks are lit and glutinous rice balls are eaten to symbolize family harmony, happiness, and luck in the new year. The true origin of the festival has been lost to time, though one of more popular believes that in ancient times people angered a god by killing their favorite crane. He planned to destroy their city but the god's daughter warned them. Then a wise man decided to trick the god by hanging red lanterns, setting up bonfires, and lighting fireworks to give the appearance of a city on fire. When the god's army came to burn the city, they saw it was already ablaze and reported it was done, which satisfied the god.

Peach Festival (Peach 3)

On the auspicious third day of the third month, the people of the valley bathe in the river with herbs to cleanse their body and soul, preventing disease and bad luck. The day is also known as the Double Third Festival.
Hundreds of years ago, before calendars were changed, this day used to happen in warmer weather where an outing followed the ritual bathing. Here people would pick peaches and have picnics by the water.
In the spirit of this, people tend to have meals with family and friends where they drink peach wine, and dishes such as "flower cakes", pan-fried rice cakes made with honey and edible flowers.

Founders' Blessing Festival (Peach 15)
During the Festival of Founders' Blessing, the inhabitants of Sanctum Hollow gather by The Founders' Vault by the Drake Mount for this festival of peace, setting aside differences to commemorate their saviors. As it was exactly 1,000 years ago, this will be a special celebration.

Dragon Boat Festival (Pomegranate 5)

In the morning on the auspicious fifth day of the fifth month, this festival commences wherein to ward off evil spirits that bring misfortune such as natural disasters and illness, people place five different herbs and flowers (pomegranate flowers, garlic, mugwort, ixora, and calamus) above their doors with a paper seal with runic script. Later, parents braid silk threads of five colors and put them on their children's wrists, believing that this will help keep bad spirits and diseases away. Lunch is had with food made from five different ingredients, such as porridge made from five different beans
Finally, young boys race dragon-headed row boats down the river with the winning team expected to gain good luck in the coming year.

7th Moon Festival (Orchid 8 and 9)
This day is broken into two parts, the Festival and Tournament. During the festival, people celebrate the romantic story of the weaver goddess and her lover, the cowherd boy. People pray for wisdom and dexterity in needlework, burning paper offerings following a meditation. Wishes are also made for a good spouse. There are competitions amongst those who attempted to be the best in threading needles under low-light conditions. There are also refreshments of fried cakes, crunchy candy, and fruits.
Later, people gather together and build a four meter long bridge with big incense sticks and decorate them with colorful flowers. They burn the bridge at sunset and wish to bring happiness in life.
The following day is the tournament. All of the clans and the four schools are in attendance. Competitors are separated into four group according to their advancement levels and specialty, then distributed into brackets. Eventually there is one winner for each group, then a semi-final and final match.

Ghost Festival (Orchid 15)
It is believed that on this day ghosts and spirits, including ancestral spirits, come out from the lower realm. Where on other festival days it is the living that visit the dead, here it is the other way around. This is a festival of venerating the dead, performing rituals with incense and paper burning and, and leaving food at an empty seat for their ancestor to visit and consume the meal's spiritual essence. At the end of the night, people gather to send lotus-shaped paper boats and lanterns down river to guide the spirits back to the spirit world.

Mooncake Festival (Osmanthus 8)
On this night, it is believed that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time. People gather to look at the moon, dance, recite poems, enact plays, and sing songs. People give thanks for friends, family, food, and good luck. Lanterns of all size and shapes, are carried and displayed – symbolic beacons that light people's path to prosperity and good fortune. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean, egg yolk, meat or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during this festival, though it is considered bad luck to eat your own; you must eat own given to you by someone else. These cakes are often taken with green tea and/or osmanthus wine.

Twice Yang Festival (Chrysanthemum 9)
On this very auspicious day, there is an abundance on natural aura and essence. To take advantage of this, it is customary to climb a high mountain, while both drinking chrysanthemum liquor and wearing a necklace woven from cornelian cherry plants to purify your essence. Afterward, you are expected to visit your the graves of your ancestors to pay respects with the woven necklace and the remaining wine.
Other activities on this day include flying kites, drinking chrysanthemum tea, mountain climbing races, drinking spicy radish soup for luck, wrestling, and gazing at chrysanthemum blossoms with romantic partners.

Eighth Treasure Festival (Ice 8)
On this day it is customary to eat a hot rice porridge made of pickled garlic, lamb, cream, beans, and whitethorn jelly. This hot, sour, and spicy dish is meant to provide strength and good health throughout the winter. The remaining liquid from the pickled garlic is used in dumplings in a subsequent celebration of the new year.

Kitchen God Festival (Ice 24)
It is believed there is a minor god that protects the household and family. Offerings of food and incense are made on his birthday, where he returns to the heavens to feast with the other gods. Firecrackers are often lit as well, to speed him on his way to heaven. In order to establish a fresh beginning in the New Year, families must be organized both within their family unit, in their home, and around their yard. This custom of a thorough house cleaning and yard cleaning is another popular custom during this pre-new-year time.