Birthday Drink

Birthday Drink always brings life (and a little bit of liquid courage) to Sylleran birthday parties.

Intro to Adulthood

Birthday Drink is given as an annual gift toward Syllerans on their birthdays. Sylleran families typically give their children Birthday Drink starting on their 16th birthdays, and for most of them, it's their first (albeit minor) introduction to alcohol. The recipes for Birthday Drink tend to vary from family to family, but most iterations incorporate traditional Sylleran pine liquor. As the recipient ages, and their tastes become more defined, Birthday Drink changes to become more tailored to them. This typically involves more alcohol, of course, while also welcoming other slight variations. Syllerans are only expected to drink Birthday Drink on their birthdays, so even when they celebrate with others, only one person at the party gets Birthday Drink.

Gifting Tradition

Birthday Drink is also seen as a token of love. The drink is first given to the recipient by their mother as a symbol of caring and parental responsibility. Later, Birthday Drink is used as a courting ritual, where lovers will gift Birthday Drink to each other in order to win them over. Once the relationship becomes serious, Birthday Drink is used to express admiration and represent loyalty. This expression of love is why the taste of Birthday Drink is so variable. People will cater their Birthday Drinks toward the recipients' tastes in order to show their love.

First Sip

Syllerans are a silent people. They live lives of near total silence to pay respects to their past and their Goddess Timid. Despite that, on the first sip of every birthday, the attendees of the party will clap. This applause invites the drinker to try and drink as much as possible in one go. Similar to how we would "chug," Syllerans try to "whoosh" as much of their drink as they can before stopping to reorient themselves. This drinking tradition has separated many Birthday Drinks into two cups, one for whooshing and one for savoring.

Syllerans value silence above all else, meaning the speak exclusively in sign language. Due to this, Sylleran names and naming customs are often words already based in language, hence the simplistic name "Birthday Drink," or first names like "Horizon," "Mountain," or "Chase."