= Festivals =

== Winter Solstice ==

The winter solstice falls on the first day of the year (1st of Bara), this is the shortest day.  Different churches of Arthea interpret the day differently.  Generally the day is a celebration of the end of one year and the beginning of the next - it gives the marker date - traditionally 100 days before the planting season starts in the lands of the former Empire, although this is a week or two too early for [[Ticetia]] and [[Caldonacia]].  For some religions there is little to celebrate, giving rise to the 'new year' festival as something of a secular calendar event.  For others this is the time of rebirth, with the death of one year and the arrival of a new one, for others it marks the middle of the dark time, with short days and long nights.  Some even tie this time to the underworld and to necromantic arts.  As with all natural festivals, this seems to be celebrated greatest among the Druids, who's festivities (particularly in the north) include dancing naked in the snow.

== Summer Solstice ==

This falls on 'Midsummer's Day', the 1st of Semot.  This is the biggest festival day of the year, in which all the major religions take part, and it has long been recognised as the day of 'fertility rite'.  The world is at the height of its growth; the crops are in the fields, young animals abound, even female elves go into season around this time of year.  It is no coincidence that many human children are born at the end of Juem or the beginning of Siphus.

The druids make a big deal of this festival, spending several days in the woodland, where their festivities involve naked dancing and tree decoration.  [[Pendaroch]] hold a fertility rite, they tie a virgin to a pole and lots of young men dance round her waving handkerchiefs and ringing small bells (in ages past this used to end with a sacrifice of the virgin, but that was scrapped years ago).  [[Suldurn]] have a big 'sacrifice day' where they slay several large beasts (usually cattle or deer) in a sacrificial manner, then cook them on a spit and eat them, a bit like a big outdoor barbecue.  [[Danethrae]]'s approach is (unusually) pragmatic - they hold a day of fasting and denial the day before, then join in everyone else's celebrations on the festival day (they used to do this on Midsummer's day, but this was changed when Suldurn's barbecues became popular).  [[Anbartae]] hold a day of 'weapon prowess' where those with weapons can join in a tournament and compete for a small prize - the event usually centres on two activities, a form of jousting and a bludgeoning weapon free-for-all, in which hardly anyone dies, but broken bones are quite common (it is not unknown for the odd score to be settled between rivals too).

== Spring and Autumn Equinox ==

These fall on the first day of Siphus and the first day of Escuada respectively.  On these days, the sun rises true east and sets at true west.  The different religions celebrate these days in manners of their own.

== Harvest Festival ==

In a society so closely linked with the natural order, the time when the harvest comes in is an important part of the year.  While ostensibly a secular festival, many religions take this as an opportunity to give thanks (and sometimes sacrifice) for the yield of the land.  The festival is extremely well celebrated in [[Ticetia]] and [[Caldonacia]], who suffered for centuries with poor harvests, and many region variations of celebration are used.  The festival normally takes place over two weeks - the last week of Escuada and the first week of Vinuada, but the main celebrations usually consume the entire weekend in between.