On-Year's Commencement

On-Year's Commencement is a celebration that takes place at the beginning of each On-Year; it's a bi-yearly occasion.
Please note: I will admit that Nhaie's calendar is as of yet incomplete, and articles such as this may be slightly confusing. Do not fret! An article (or a couple) all about time, the calendar, and Yona's astronomy is coming soon! :)

Observance

On-Year's Commencement is celebrated by a three-day festival, each day assigned its own activities. Here's a breakdown:

Day One - On-Year's Eve (The last day of the previous year)

What follows is a breakdown of the most common observations on On-Year's Eve.

Markets

The first day of the festival marks the beginning of Great Markets. Each hemisphere, the The E.H. and the The W.H., has its own Great Market, with unique goods and activities. The idea of the market, though, is to prepare for the year to come, and to celebrate it. This means most goods and activities are associated with the idea of the On-Year. Some common booths are as follows:
Goods:

• Rugs & fabrics made from Great Wolf Fur (the Great Wolf is known for the glow of its fur in the moonlight) (see Great Wolves)
• Wish Bracelets (article coming soon) (the duration of the magic on a wish bracelet is a lunar cycle)
• Lunar Trackers (article coming soon) (used to track lunar cycles and count days based on the phases)
• Juna-themed jewelry, mugs, and other goods
• Telescopes
• Sparklers in various colors

Activities:

• Fortune-telling based on the lunar cycle
• DIY lunar charts
• Juna Roll (article coming soon) (a dice game based on Juna's cycles)

Great Markets typically last the duration of the three-day festival.

Meals

Meals on On-Year's Eve reflect the goods of the ending off-year. This means crops (and other such foods) only available during the off-year are eaten in abundance on this day. (Please note that these are only the basic staples for the celebration - meals often include much more. Also - not every meal is included here. Not every meal has a set tradition!)
Breakfast:

• Vanilla yogurt, made from the Dark Vanilla plant, which only flowers during off-years
• Some sort of hard bread - SilverSalt Loaf, perhaps?

Lunch:

• SANDWICHES!!! (Sandwiches can be made during an on-year or an off-year, of course, but for some reason it's a tradition to have sandwiches for lunch on On-Year's Eve) (fillings vary)

Awaiting Juna's Arrival

The time Juna is passed to Nhaie is not exactly the same every year, so astronomers on Nhaie are sure to track the placement of the three bodies involved in the passing of the moon, and announce the rough time of the event the morning of On-Year's Eve. The passing can happen any time from sunrise on the first day of the festival to noon on the second day of the festival. No matter what time the event is taking place on a given year, citizens all over Nhaie travel to the place on the planet that will have the best visibility for the event, and set up chairs, tables, and even portable shelters and tents, waiting for the passing to take place.
As fireworks have been banned through all of the The W.H., and since most of the The E.H. is forest, sparklers are used instead of the brighter, bigger alternative. The moment Juna is caught by Nhaie's gravity (and possibly its magic, too), citizens all over the planet turn out all sources of light and light sparklers (even if it's day at their location). The spectacle, when seen from a spaceship or jet, is incredible.

Day Two - On-Year's Commencement (the first day of the new year)

What follows is a breakdown of the most common observations on On-Year's Commencement day.

Dancing and Performances

On-Year's Commencement is known for the extravagant dances and performances held all across the planet. Poetry recitation, singing, dancing, and acrobatics are the most common forms of performances during the festival. Performers wear flowing silver outfits with dark blue and black accents. Water, often in the form of a fountain or mock waterfall, is commonly used in performances; as is the throwing of silver powder into the air. Everything is themed around the moon, as would be expected.

The Junapole

Another common occurrence during On-Year's Commencement is Junapole dancing. The Junapole is basically a Maypole, but all ribbons are dark blue (rather than multicolored) and outfits are silver (rather than white). The crowd blows silver powder onto the dancers as a part of the tradition (similar to the incorporation of the same powder in other musical performances).

Children's Games

Many games are played on the second day of the festival, mostly by young children. Some common games are listed here.

Juna Roll (link needed)

Moonscotch - basically a modified Hopscotch

Juna Ribbon - a sort of cross between tetherball and smaller, competitive Junapole dancing (article coming soon)

Meals

Meals on the day of On-Year's Commencement reflect the goods of the now-beginning year. This means the foods eaten on this day are exclusively found/harvested during the on-year. (Please note that these are only the basic staples for the celebration - meals often include much more. Also - not every meal is included here. Not every meal has a set tradition!)
Breakfast:

• Eggs of the Cloud Eagle, which only are only laid during on-years
• Moontato Hash, hash browns from the Moontato, which only grows during on-years
• Fried Mirrorshrooms; the Mirrorshroom only releases spores during on-years
• Junatree Syrup - similar to maple syrup; made from the sap of the Junatree, which only flowers during on-years

Dinner:

• Candied Junatree nuts (because there's always a need for sweets, right?)
• Cooked Shimmerfish (method of cooking differs based on region) with a sweet sauce

Day Three - On-Year's Continuation (the second day of the new year)

What follows is a breakdown of the most common observations on On-Year's Continuation.

Crafts

The third day of the festival is more laid-back, with citizens not doing much of anything special (aside from the fact that most get the day off from work). There is, however, a tendency to incorporate craft time into the day's schedule. Some popular crafts are:

• Banners
• Confetti cannons
• Weaving and sewing with materials made from Great Wolf fur (add link).
• Hand-bound booklets that diagram Juna's phases

The End of the Festivities

The end of the three-day festival is marked with a midnight dance, during which citizens far and wide, wearing outfits swirled with silver and dark blue, gather in town squares to hold ball-like dances. The dances conclude with more sparklers.

Meals

Meals on the day of On-Year's Continuation reflect the goods that are present during both types of year. This means the food eaten on this day is made form only the crops (and other such foods) that are not specifically associated with either type of year. (Please note that these are only the basic staples for the celebration - meals often include much more. Also - not every meal is included here. Not every meal has a set tradition!)
Lunch:

• Salad from the Forever Fern (WITH CROUTONS MWAHAHA)

Dinner:

• Grilled Dark Pepper
• Book Clam with a sprinkling of herbs

Primary Related Location

Nhaie