Ancestry Festival
One of the most important holidays of the Drakai people, the Ancestry Festival is a week long celebration of their history. Celebrated in the first week of the new year, it's a time of paying respect to the past, and celebrating what the future may bring, a time marked by solemn remembrance and joyous revelry. Even now, so many millennia after its inception, the Festival still remains a focal point of Drakai culture.
History
It's believed that the earliest version of the Festival first began shortly after Aldarion, first Emperor of the Drakai, first united the Drakai as a single people. Specifically, Greyax, the third Emperor, was believed to have first started the holiday as a means of paying respect to the old Dragons, and those Drakai who've passed on. Over time, with the growing influence of the clans, it also grew into a celebration of the Drakai that are still alive, and all that they can, and have, accomplished. When the Drakai and Raijin became allies, their use of floating lanterns to venerate their ancestors inspired the use of a similar practice to to close out the Festival.
Execution
The first day of the Festival are marked with general revelry, with food, drink and merry-making. The following days consist of activities tied to the specialities of the clans, including contests of skill, strength, and wit, displays of art ranging from sculptures to engravings, and performances of theatre, music, and dancing. In the final day, the Festival shifts focus to venerating the old Dragons and family ancestors, often with offerings of food or items associated with the individuals. At midnight on the final day, the festival closes off with a lantern floating ceremony (inspired by a similar ceremony practised by their Raijin neighbours), as a final show of respect and remembrance for those who've come before.
Components and tools
Common items seen at the Festival include food, drink, and any items related to the professions of the clans. There are also offerings for both the gods and ancestors, usually consisting of food or some objects associated with them.
Participants
The Festival is overseen the the Heads of each clan, with some of their most exemplary members assisting. Additionally, the Imperial Family is a constant presence during the Festival, from the first day to the last.
Observance
The Ancestry Festival is held in the first week of the new year, as a way of celebrating the transition from the old year to the new one.
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