Game news:Holidays

Atharia has several holidays. These holidays generally last several days with a few key events during it. It is never surprising when a noble house hosts an event during the Holidays. Though, no one is bothered by a noble house not hosting one, as there is always many things going on during the Holidays. Each Holiday the royal families do something charitable for their Kingdom, save for the Holiday of Unity. What they do for each holiday varies from holiday to holiday, year to year.

Holiday Name	Holiday Details
The Festival of Devotion	The Feast of Devotion honors Larthin and is usually held around the middle of fall. This holiday is a bit more of a religious feel. During it the priesthood usually holds a variety of events, often with honoring the Gods. Though Larthin is favored during this event all the Gods are honored. The Festival of Devotion is also when a lot of people tend to make some sort of commitment (marriage, taking a consort, swearing fealty, becoming part of the military, joining the religious orders, etc). It is also when all Acolytes are elevated to a priest. It is rare for someone to be made a priest outside of this festival.
The Days of Giving	The Days of Giving honors Mataya and it usually happens during the first weeks of spring. This festival is all about gifts and getting together with loved ones. Many noble houses gift their vassals, commoner and noble alike, with something that shows their appreciation for their loyalty and service. Balls, dinners, parties, any sort of social gathering is held during The Days of Giving where all people are invited, no one excluded.
The Feast of Hope	The Feast of Hope Honors Arion and it happens during the middle of summer. For this holiday the people often gather around a table to give thanks to the Gods, especially Arion, for the ability to continue their lives, even if it keeps repeating. Arion is especially thanked because it is his blessing that opened the doors to them breaking the Curse set upon them by Larthin. The feasts offered at the gatherings people arrange usually showcase what the host favors the most, sometimes what they specialize in making.
The Festival of Release	The Festival of Release honors Attia and it usually happens during late winter. Because she takes in the bad things, especially that of Mataya, of others and holds it inside of herself. During this festival many people do what they can to let go of sorrow, pain, heartbreak, or anything that causes them bad feels. It doesn't mean the forget them. At the end of the festival small wooden boats (think toy sized) are lit ablaze after a paper filled with grievances are put in them. The boats are then set in some body of water to float away until they have completely burned.
Holiday of Unity	This honors all the kingdoms. It is held four times a year, generally whenever a kingdom feels like holding it. It honors the founding of each Kingdom and their royal families. The people of the kingdoms gift to the royal families and do events honoring 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.

Staff is always open to people submitting ideas for holidays to be added. We will try to keep holidays, when specific to kingdom equal. You can use the current Holidays as examples of what is expected. To suggestion one:

Holiday Name:
When/What Season:
Holiday Details:
What Kingdom (Optional):