Game news:Holidays

Atharia’s holidays all last several days and often have something important about them relating to a God. Each God has a holiday set up for them that involves something about the God being honoured. Events during these holidays are held by various people, sometimes at the same time, throughout Atharia. On an OOC level, holidays are held for several days IC so that players can, should they wish it, hold events during them. The actual days are not listed for the same reason. Only that they are held during a certain season.

• The Festival of Devotion: The Festival of Devotion is a holiday that was created to honour the First God, Larthin. It is to show one’s devotion to someone, the Gods, or something. Overall, it is a cheery event that involves a lot of gift giving to each other and especially the Gods. Things done during this festival for it are often elaborate and over the top, as one would expect for a holiday devoted to the self-absorbed and petty God. This is also when major commitments are usually done (marriages, taking on a Consort, joining the clergy, getting promotions, swearing fealty, etc.), showing their devotion. The Festival of Devotion is held during the fall.
• River of Time Days: River of Time Days holiday was set up to honour Mataya. During this holiday everyone renews their vows, and if pregnant they do the Ritual of Birth to have their Child because they believe, and it is likely true, Mataya blesses them. This is also the time frame Debutantes favor being promoted to a Courtesan. Everything done during this holiday is about ‘starting over’ or going through a ‘rebirth’. Basically, it is for people to start something anew. On the last day of the festival the people set a little paper boat in the water with their goals for the next year of their life written on them, as a part of their ‘rebirth’ for the year. This holiday is held in the spring.
• Wild Heart Days: Wild Heart Days is a holiday that is devoted to Ossian and his animals and creatures. During this holiday hides, bones, meat, and other bi-products of animals and creatures hunted or killed during the year are collected and brought to the forests where they are buried deep under ground to give the killed animals and creatures peace. These ‘burials’ are often accompanied by picnics and games that involve animals in some way. During Wild Heart Days no flesh of any sort of animal or creature is consumed nor are they truly hunted, just playfully hunted in a way that the animals know it is not for harm but fun. This holiday is held during the fall.
• The Days of Release: The Days of Release, which honours Attia, is more of a sacred holiday as it is when people get together to share their sorrows and pain so that they might let it go. The get-togethers might be sombre but there is much ado about them when they are hosted. Food and entertainment, if a bit mournful, are always provided. All the bad feelings people have accumulated over the year are let go of as much as a person can so that Attia or her Child, Followers, and Clergy can try and take them in ease the burdens of the people letting go. Floral bouquets are always placed on the doorsteps of people known to have an especially bad experience over the year (lost a loved one, failed to achieve their dream, are seeking revenge, etc.) The Days of Release are held in spring.
• Fiesta of Valour: The Fiesta of Valour is a holiday devoted to Hilal and is typically held at the same time as the Integrity Celebration, as the Twin Gods are very close. Everything about this holiday involves something related to honour. It could be tales around a campfire about an honourable deed someone did, or it could be duels done in an honourable way. Anything people feel falls under the umbrella of ‘honour’ are done during this holiday. Despite the seriousness honour is taken with this is usually a fun filled holiday. It is held during the summer.
• Integrity Celebration: The Integrity Celebration is a holiday to honour Soleil and is typically held at the same time as the Fiesta of Valour, as the Twin Gods are very close. This holiday is about celebrating those who have acted in ways that are considered to be full of integrity. Often it is when people are given awards for their deeds (years of loyal service to someone, acts of kindness, etc.). It often involves fire in some form, as that is part of the God who seems to have come from the sun. It is held during the summer.
• Season of Giving Masquerade: The Season of Giving holiday is done in the name of Masquerade and involves a lot of gifts. Masquerade is all about helping each person and guiding them to the place they should be at. The mortals who were guided by Masquerade to the ‘right path’ were often grateful to it. They knew Masquerade was not the type to want for things so to show their gratitude they started gifting others something in its name. These gifts are often given at parties that have grand feasts and have open invites to anyone who wish to join. Thew gifts are always brightly wrapped and can be anything, but they are, usually, designed to the person the gift is intended for. Often these gifts are signed with ‘Masquerade’s Shadow’ rather than the name of the person gifting. This holiday is held during the winter.
• Twisted Fates Carinival: The Twisted Fates Carnival is a holiday devoted to Echo. The carnival has shows, displays, rides, and games of varying nature. Sometimes they are fun, sometimes they are scary, sometimes, romantic. The holiday is never the same, save for it being a Carnival. Those who host events on the carnival grounds usually do something that causes the biggest and most chaotic stir it can. What a person feels during this carnival really depends on what the focus of it is during that year. Echo has set up fair grounds that people can teleport to and from for the holiday. It is held in the winter.
• Holiday of Unity: This holiday honours all the kingdoms. It is held four times a year, generally whenever a kingdom feels like holding it. It honours the founding of each Kingdom and their royal families. The people of the kingdoms gift to the royal families and do events honouring their kingdoms and royalty. While all other Holidays the royalty gifts their kingdom, this one gifts them. During the Holiday of Unity is also when people of opposing Kingdoms try to form alliances and set up contracts for marriages across kingdoms, with the belief that will hold stronger because it was done during this time.

OOC: The Holidays are purposefully set up to be several days so that if players would like to host events it can be done during the holiday. At the moment staff will not be allowing new holidays to be added, as there are a lot. This could change in the future.