This ritual is first conducted upon the maturation of a child on Ciellia into adulthood, which typically happens around the same age as a human. The Ahboria Lake Planting Ritual is a tradition that is commonly held in the settlements surrounding Ahboria Lake, though other similar rituals are conducted in many other places across the planet.
On the day in which adulthood is held the new adult is gifted a seed from their family, this is typically done amongst close family - the ritual itself is usually not a large crowded affair in general and is a tradition usually shared only amongst close family and friends. Once the seed is gifted, the individual is expected to then plant the seed, typically in a familial plot amongst other plants planted by previous family members, though other more secluded locations have been chosen in rare circumstances.
The expectation is that the recipient of this seed will plant this seed, typically a tree or hardier long-lived plant, and then water it with water from Abhoria Lake. After this is done it is expected that they will then care for this plant for the rest of their lives, watering it with water from Abhoria Lake at least once a year for good luck.
It is commonly believed that the health of the plant over its lifetime should reflect the prosperity of the planter and vice versa. If the plant dies it is considered a great shame and poor luck to the individual and to their family. Even mishaps that are outside of the individual's control like storms, fires, etc. are considered bad luck and ill omens and are often tied to the perceived behaviour of the caretaker. Though more modern families tend not to blame or shun their family members for random occurrences such as these.
The seed used in the ritual is often a family heirloom and is commonly derived from a past generation creating large gardens or even small forests depending on the family size and longevity. Because hardier more long-lived plants like trees are preferred for these rituals it is rare to see any sort of vegetable or crop-like plant being used for this ritual. Though some offshoots of this ritual in other regions do use crop-like plants it is expected that the participants replant the crop each season using seeds from the prior crop thus preserving the same family line in the garden.
In the Ahboria Lake version of this tradition, it is common for family members to continue taking care of the plants in the case of the death of their initial caretakers. This is done as a sign of respect and in the hopes that the spirit of the deceased will continue to have good luck in the afterlife as long as their plant is healthy in life. However, there are offshoots of this tradition found in other regions where once the original caretaker has passed the plant is harvested, whether for its wood, fruit, etc. and is interred with their passed caretaker. Often if it is wood being harvested it will be carved into an item that well represents the person's interests in life.
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