Post by Lorekeeper on Jan 28, 2008 2:26:05 GMT -8
During most festivals the influence of Banality wanes and the power of Glamour waxes. Festivals are sacred times when all Kithain come together to celebrate the Dreaming.
Imbolc, February 2nd
The balefire is the most important feature of a freehold. It keeps out the cold wind of Banlaity. Imbolc is a festival celebrating the balefire and its replenishment after the long darkness of winter. Imbolc is also known as Bards. Day, because it marks a great courtly competition among bards and other performers. Originally dedicated to the Celtic goddess Bridgid, patroness of fire, smith-craft and poetry, Imbolc has come to be a festival of celebrating the creative spirit.
On Midwinter’s Night, special travelers called, “firebrands” set out from the high king’s palace at Tara-Nar and journey overland in the relay much like the Pony Express of the mortal Old West. These firebrands carry special lanterns that contain fire from the Well of Flame beneath Tara-Nar. The lanterns are used to replenish the balefire of each freehold in special Imbolc ceremonies. It is considered a very bad omen if firebrands fail to appear before Imbolc.
Carnival, February 28th
Carnival has taken on new prominence since the rise of High King David. It is at once a wake for an old age, and a birthday party for a new. It is a celebration of the new unity between nobles and commoners, a night when kings and queens enchant entire cities into a daze of artistic exultation that allows for the plucking of succulent Glamour. Masked by the human celebration of Mardi Gras, Carnival celebrations are among the wildest, most frenzied and energetic that the Kithain hold.
There is an actual ritual to Carnival, taken piecemeal from such diverse sources as English Boxing Day, and the ancient celebration of Lughnasa. Fore the single night of Carnival, a local monarch or lord becomes a jester, while a mortal overwhelmed by drugs or alcohol is plucked from the streets and crowned King or Queen of the Carnival.
The new “monarch’s” word is law for one night. Fortunately, most are too addled by their own substance abuse to issue commands that have any real repercussions. The “jester,” on the other hand, is open to all the abuse normally heaped upon faeries of that position. As most rulers make poor fools, the generally garner more than their fair share of harassment.
There are only three laws of Carnival:
- There can be no retribution for any word spoken or deed done. A monarch cannot exact revenge against harassers.
- Carnival is sacrosanct; all are welcome and safe. Anyone found violating Carnival is summarily subjected to the most heinous punishment that the bleary Carnival King or Queen can imagine.
- Let merriment reign!
Carnival ends at sunrise on the following day. In most cities, the Carnival King or Queen is released from duty and sent home. In certain Unseelie demesnes the person is ritually killed.
The Greening, April 4th
Commonly celebrated in the southern regions of Concordia, the Greening is a loose festival held in honor of the beginning of spring. It is also known as the Festival of Crocuses, as celebrants weave flowers into their hair and clothes. A crown of woven grass is presented to each childling, and morris dancing is held. It does not bode well for the coming year if no grass can be found with which to weave crowns.
Beltaine, May 2nd
Beltaine is a nighttime spring fertility festival and celebration of life. At one time, fae went out into the fields and formed tame chimerical beasts into a line between bonfires that were lit from the local freehold’s balefire (it is from “balefire” that Beltaine gets its name).
Beltaine formerly marked the beginning of the year’s reign by the Seelie Court, after the Unseelie reign from the Samhain until Beltaine. As such, Beltaine is traditionally a night of peace and amity, although a few treacheries have marred it; the Night of Iron Knives was one such incident.
Beltaine is also a time that blossoms new romances, particularly between nobles and commoners; its bonfires serve as festival sites where passions are let loose. Many childlings are conceived during Beltaine festivities; conception is considered special during this celebration of birth and future.
Highsummer Night, July 17th
Staged to coincide with the summer’s heat, Highsummer Night is the epitome of mirth and freedom. It is also an excuse to gather Glamour from the “heat dreams” of mortals. Changelings are free to toy with any mortals with whom they find.
This holiday is especially dear to the pooka (who call it “Pranksgiving”). They hold a semi-official competition to see who can play the most outrageous practical joke on a human. The winner gains tremendous prestige, at least until the following year’s competition. Highsummer pranks have been known to turn malicious, even though jests involving loss of life are regarded as inartistic and crude. Tangled romances, mistaken identities, transformations and thefts of heroic proportions appeal to the pooka.
A great many fae weddings are also performed on Highsummer Night, though nowhere near so many as on Beltaine. Even those who are not married are expected to find a partner on this night.
Pennons, October 4th
Pennons is a martial festival replete with jousts, mock combats, displays of weaponry and the slaying of chimerical beasts. The name of the festival comes from the tradition of bestowing a king’s pennons (flags marked with the royal crests) upon the festival’s champions, who have the right to fly them for one year.
Curiously, devotees of gentler arts flock to Pennons’ tournaments. Some suppose that this is due to the repressed atavistic streaks in the souls of weavers and craftsmen. In truth, they come seeking patronage from lords, who are likely to be generous on this day.
Musicians find Pennons particularly rewarding. Songs composed about the moment’s heroes fly fast and furious, only to be abandoned as the crowds find new darlings Indeed, minstrels and storytellers stage their own competitions, using words and notes rather than weapons. It is a common jest that there is more violence in the Singers’ Circle than on the jousting fields. This is only a slight exaggeration.
Samhain, October 31st
On Samhain Eve, the veil between worlds grows thin. This is a solemn time for Kithain everywhere. It is a night to strain against the Mists, to part them and remember fellows who have fallen. It is a night to remember ancestors who have been lost and mortals who have brought much Glamour.
Many divinations are performed on Samhain Eve. In some courts soothsayers perform auguries to learn where lost friends have gone and where they may be looked for.
In ancient times, Samhain marked the time when the Seelie Court gave way to the Unseelie. Now it has also become a massive celebration for the Shadow Court, a chance for the Unseelie to mock everything about Seelie society. Unseelie fae hold mock tournaments can courts, mimicking the monarchy and its Privy Council. Even Seelie changelings are encouraged to let out their “Unseelie” natures, though not al do.
Childlings often venture abroad in the spirit of this holiday, playing tricks, stealing treats and scaring young and old mortals alike.
White Wolf Game Studios. Changeling the Dreaming: P. 76-77. 1st ed. Clarkson, GA. 1995
Imbolc, February 2nd
The balefire is the most important feature of a freehold. It keeps out the cold wind of Banlaity. Imbolc is a festival celebrating the balefire and its replenishment after the long darkness of winter. Imbolc is also known as Bards. Day, because it marks a great courtly competition among bards and other performers. Originally dedicated to the Celtic goddess Bridgid, patroness of fire, smith-craft and poetry, Imbolc has come to be a festival of celebrating the creative spirit.
On Midwinter’s Night, special travelers called, “firebrands” set out from the high king’s palace at Tara-Nar and journey overland in the relay much like the Pony Express of the mortal Old West. These firebrands carry special lanterns that contain fire from the Well of Flame beneath Tara-Nar. The lanterns are used to replenish the balefire of each freehold in special Imbolc ceremonies. It is considered a very bad omen if firebrands fail to appear before Imbolc.
Carnival, February 28th
Carnival has taken on new prominence since the rise of High King David. It is at once a wake for an old age, and a birthday party for a new. It is a celebration of the new unity between nobles and commoners, a night when kings and queens enchant entire cities into a daze of artistic exultation that allows for the plucking of succulent Glamour. Masked by the human celebration of Mardi Gras, Carnival celebrations are among the wildest, most frenzied and energetic that the Kithain hold.
There is an actual ritual to Carnival, taken piecemeal from such diverse sources as English Boxing Day, and the ancient celebration of Lughnasa. Fore the single night of Carnival, a local monarch or lord becomes a jester, while a mortal overwhelmed by drugs or alcohol is plucked from the streets and crowned King or Queen of the Carnival.
The new “monarch’s” word is law for one night. Fortunately, most are too addled by their own substance abuse to issue commands that have any real repercussions. The “jester,” on the other hand, is open to all the abuse normally heaped upon faeries of that position. As most rulers make poor fools, the generally garner more than their fair share of harassment.
There are only three laws of Carnival:
- There can be no retribution for any word spoken or deed done. A monarch cannot exact revenge against harassers.
- Carnival is sacrosanct; all are welcome and safe. Anyone found violating Carnival is summarily subjected to the most heinous punishment that the bleary Carnival King or Queen can imagine.
- Let merriment reign!
Carnival ends at sunrise on the following day. In most cities, the Carnival King or Queen is released from duty and sent home. In certain Unseelie demesnes the person is ritually killed.
The Greening, April 4th
Commonly celebrated in the southern regions of Concordia, the Greening is a loose festival held in honor of the beginning of spring. It is also known as the Festival of Crocuses, as celebrants weave flowers into their hair and clothes. A crown of woven grass is presented to each childling, and morris dancing is held. It does not bode well for the coming year if no grass can be found with which to weave crowns.
Beltaine, May 2nd
Beltaine is a nighttime spring fertility festival and celebration of life. At one time, fae went out into the fields and formed tame chimerical beasts into a line between bonfires that were lit from the local freehold’s balefire (it is from “balefire” that Beltaine gets its name).
Beltaine formerly marked the beginning of the year’s reign by the Seelie Court, after the Unseelie reign from the Samhain until Beltaine. As such, Beltaine is traditionally a night of peace and amity, although a few treacheries have marred it; the Night of Iron Knives was one such incident.
Beltaine is also a time that blossoms new romances, particularly between nobles and commoners; its bonfires serve as festival sites where passions are let loose. Many childlings are conceived during Beltaine festivities; conception is considered special during this celebration of birth and future.
Highsummer Night, July 17th
Staged to coincide with the summer’s heat, Highsummer Night is the epitome of mirth and freedom. It is also an excuse to gather Glamour from the “heat dreams” of mortals. Changelings are free to toy with any mortals with whom they find.
This holiday is especially dear to the pooka (who call it “Pranksgiving”). They hold a semi-official competition to see who can play the most outrageous practical joke on a human. The winner gains tremendous prestige, at least until the following year’s competition. Highsummer pranks have been known to turn malicious, even though jests involving loss of life are regarded as inartistic and crude. Tangled romances, mistaken identities, transformations and thefts of heroic proportions appeal to the pooka.
A great many fae weddings are also performed on Highsummer Night, though nowhere near so many as on Beltaine. Even those who are not married are expected to find a partner on this night.
Pennons, October 4th
Pennons is a martial festival replete with jousts, mock combats, displays of weaponry and the slaying of chimerical beasts. The name of the festival comes from the tradition of bestowing a king’s pennons (flags marked with the royal crests) upon the festival’s champions, who have the right to fly them for one year.
Curiously, devotees of gentler arts flock to Pennons’ tournaments. Some suppose that this is due to the repressed atavistic streaks in the souls of weavers and craftsmen. In truth, they come seeking patronage from lords, who are likely to be generous on this day.
Musicians find Pennons particularly rewarding. Songs composed about the moment’s heroes fly fast and furious, only to be abandoned as the crowds find new darlings Indeed, minstrels and storytellers stage their own competitions, using words and notes rather than weapons. It is a common jest that there is more violence in the Singers’ Circle than on the jousting fields. This is only a slight exaggeration.
Samhain, October 31st
On Samhain Eve, the veil between worlds grows thin. This is a solemn time for Kithain everywhere. It is a night to strain against the Mists, to part them and remember fellows who have fallen. It is a night to remember ancestors who have been lost and mortals who have brought much Glamour.
Many divinations are performed on Samhain Eve. In some courts soothsayers perform auguries to learn where lost friends have gone and where they may be looked for.
In ancient times, Samhain marked the time when the Seelie Court gave way to the Unseelie. Now it has also become a massive celebration for the Shadow Court, a chance for the Unseelie to mock everything about Seelie society. Unseelie fae hold mock tournaments can courts, mimicking the monarchy and its Privy Council. Even Seelie changelings are encouraged to let out their “Unseelie” natures, though not al do.
Childlings often venture abroad in the spirit of this holiday, playing tricks, stealing treats and scaring young and old mortals alike.
White Wolf Game Studios. Changeling the Dreaming: P. 76-77. 1st ed. Clarkson, GA. 1995