Autumn Wreath
All during Autumn, followers of the Bloody Dozen put up a wreath from a fir tree on their door. This started towards the founding of the religion, when the superstition around the day of Bleeding was still fresh, as a way to ward off the bad luck brought by the Autumn mists. On the day of the Bleeding, when each member of the household pricks their thumb on a rose bush in sympathy to the Order of the Red Haze, they each wipe their thumb on the wreath and so mark it as theirs.
History
The fir tree's evergreen branches were always believed to be good luck for trying times, imparting their neverending life on the ill or injured to hasten healing and prevent further problems. Originally, wreaths were made by the elderly seamstresses of villages and given to their grandchildren, but nowadays wreaths are created by the children of the family, because the power of the charm is believed to be enhanced. Since then the placement of the wreath has also shifted, from an elderly's bedside to the kitchen and then to the front door to block the fog at the threshold.
Besides in the Autumn season, some families hold the tradition while their elderly members are ill or on their death bed. In these cases, when the ailing does pass nonetheless all the mourners prick their thumbs on a rose bush and wipe it on the wreath just as they do on the day of Bleeding.
Outside of the Maple Forest, children of the Red Haze still follow this tradition, and in fact some neighbours end up following it as well. This is very common in Bloom, where even though no mists occur during autumn the tradition is observed, though in Bloom specifically they do not cut down fir trees to create the wreaths, they simply request the druids create them magically. Non-followers do not prick their thumb and bleed on it.
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