Origin
When The Promenade first adopted whaling as a practice, the city was much smaller, and the Seaside did not yet exist. At this stage in the city's evolution, the neighborhood of First Point was the main launching-point for whaling expeditions. The Pike, the leader of the whaling armada in ancient times, would throw the ceremonial first harpoon to inaugurate the start of the spring whaling season. As the city began to formalize their whaling industry, and move away from cobbled-together neighborhood fleets, the start of the season became more of a festival day than a key event.
Traditions
The original holders of the title of Pike developed into
House Pike, a key family in the whaling industry and owners of
Pike & Sons Co. This landed minor house dominates the neighborhood of Pikes' Place, in the Landside, where the festival begins.
Forming outside of
The Harbor, the family estate of the Pikes in the south of the city, a procession of middle class citizens make their way through the Sieve to First Point. Here, the city generally gathers to hold festivals, but ever since the growth of the Seaside, it is mostly used by the wealthy. With the poorer residents of the city excluded from First Point, the festival has lost a lot of its original meaning, and the procession from The Harbor to First Point is entirely upper-class.
When the procession arrives in First Point, and the Patriarch of House Pike throws the ceremonial harpoon into the Sieve, the people of Seaside are gathering in The Portion and Dogshead for general revelry and drinking. Featuring all sorts of food, excepting whale products as traditionally this is only the start of the season, the poor of the city spend their three days drinking, eating, and dancing to competing bands from different ships. The Landside portion of the Sprayspot Festival is much more dignified, but on the third and final day it features bawdy music from the Seaside's victorious band.
Comments