Stone & Sunder

Holiday Celebrations

There are many regional holidays throughout the Empire, but the typical Thelean holidays that are broadly observed are as follows:

The First Rehan of Bailiea’s Dawn	“New Year’s Day,” a celebration of the new year that ushers in good fortune in the name of Thrennum.
First Moon Day of Bailiea’s Dawn	“Bailiea’s Blessing,” a celebration of the first full moon of the year. People celebrate by greeting their neighbors with food and drink, sitting outside when the skies are clear.
Fourth Rehan of Bailiea’s Dawn	“Fourth Night,” the first, “fourth Rehan” of the year: An evening celebration of singing, dancing, and good food; people with birthdays on this day wear a special wreath to the celebrations.
First Estahan of Star of the Morning	“Dordirian” or “Regent’s Day.” This is a day honoring the Regent and the Empire. People usually wear their fine clothes and visit to make an offering to Thrennum at their local or regional temple, or make a fire offering to one of the gods.
Second Estahan of Seed’s Rise	“Planter’s Day,” which is the day to rest after the first two weeks’ planting during the month; typically, this day sees many gatherings and discussions of what plants will be harvested in the weeks to come, and communities will gather and share fruit and drink and discuss vegetables.
First Estahan through the second week of Dance of Etia	“Etia’s Bloom” or the “Shower of Petals.” This festival is a week of singing, dancing, and pairing games, with plenty of drink; people often marry in the eyes of the gods during this celebratory time.
First Estahan of Water’s Rise	“Chapan Day” or “Crusts Day,” which is a celebration of chapan and of generosity. People typically bake, hang wreaths, and exchange a multitude of breads, or give bread to those in need.
Third Middhan of Water’s Rise	“Kalmor’s Day” or “Cold Winds Day.” This day is celebrated in honor of Kalmor and the cooling nights around the capital. This is typically a gathering day where communities share stories and various fictions, and ceremonially exchange gifts of value.
First Thelehan of Vostiar’s Renewal	“Merchant’s Day” or “Commerce Day,” A truly Thelean celebration of civilization where merchants typically have huge sales and people gather together in public markets to shop and trade openly.
First Estahan of Vostiar’s Renewal	“Laborer’s Day,” a day to celebrate labors, particularly those of farmers and herders. Most laborers take this day to rest, share food and drink, and play games.
First Moon Day of Vostiar’s Renewal	“Harvest Moon” or “Bailiean Harvest.” This variable day marks the week of harvest, though sometimes people harvest their crops before or after this day and sometimes the celebrations last a full week; typically, the days are full of labor and the nights are full of food and drink exchanged communally with song and dance.
First Middhan of The Warming Night	“Vallicast’s Night,” which begins at dusk. This holiday marks the longest night of the year, and in many places, this is celebrated with a large fire in which bones are burned in addition to wood (hence, a bonfire) among gatherings at the center of settlements across Thelea.
Second Middhan of Kalmor’s Bright Mist	“Nalvaram’s Fantasy” or “Nalvaram’s Fancy.” It is a day of reversals, where people wear each others’ clothes or dress as beasts and monsters, and close to nightfall many celebrants will dance around public areas sharing jests and laughter, as well as copious amounts of drink.
Fourth Estahan of Kalmor’s Bright Mist	“Day of Mists” or the “Day of Thankfulness.” This is a day spent in community cooperation, where the morning is spent at one’s temple, followed by a gathering of friends and family to share a feast and fellowship. Celebrants honor civilization by thanking their neighbors for safety and community and offering thoughtful gifts to show appreciation.
Third Thelehan of Song of Ithera	“Winds of Ithera,” or “Sailor’s Day.” It is a day celebrating ships and sea travel; children play with toy boats and take a day’s break from gathering water, while sailors make elaborate displays in harbors demonstrating their seaworthiness and the congruence of fleets. Ship builders and sailors alike are given tributes by locals to show their appreciation for what is thought of as an honorable profession.
Second Middhan to the Third Middhan of Water’s Fall	The week-long celebration known as “Swuskwah’s Path,” celebrating the way of Swuskwah and the trial of the hunt. Many communities will see locals going on extended hunts, gathering food for huge feasts to commemorate family and the oversight of the gods.
Fifth Middhan to the Fifth Lehan of Water’s Fall	“Rite of Ressek,” a two-day spring festival of planting and water from dawn to second dusk. This marks the second planting within the many rains of the central Empire; people often bathe publicly on the second day, or visit community pools and exchange vegetable or rose flavored waters.
First Rehan of the Star of the Evening	“Day of Maros,” the day of the dead. It is a day to celebrate the power of death and the journey of souls who have left our world and have been welcomed into Maros’s grasp. The Day of Maros is accompanied by macabre imagery, vibrant costumes, and communal bonfires deep into the night. The decorations are often seen hanging for weeks afterward.
Last Estahan of Thrennum’s Journey	“Year’s End Celebration,” the last day of the year that begins local food, music, drink, song, and sharing. The celebration that begins on Year’s End usually lasts well throughout Dawn’s Edge.

“Dawn’s Edge” or the “Dawn’s Edge celebration” marks the power of the Thelean Empire and the anticipation for the year to come. Most people do not labor during this time, and the week is full of celebrations and libations that will be discussed for months to come. When Moon Day falls somewhere in Dawn’s Edge, it seems that people celebrate as if it will be the last celebration of the Empire. Finally, “Thrennum’s Chase” is a Leap Day that happens every 4 years, and is marked with a dawn to dawn celebration full of food and dance, often dramas and extensive public displays; people with birthdays on this day wear a special costume, and joke that their age is a fraction of those who seem to be their peers.

With these holidays in mind, any traveler should note that every Middhan, at Midday, is a celebration of its own—though not quite a holiday. Each Middhan’s Midday is known as “Temple hour,” where veneration and worship of gods and scions takes place. Most Theleans who observe the pantheon observe this time for Temple hour, and many exchange two hours of meal and conversation together. Some focus this time on a singular deity, while others thank the gods for ongoing life.