Sleep well, little one.
Tomorrow is another run.
Close your eyes and remember well,
All that you've seen till now.— traditional lullaby sung at the eve of a child's birthday
The Oameni suffered greatly during the
Volshkan Crusade and were displaced from their homelands. In the interim they have suffered greatly, having been disenfranchised from most places they attempted to settle, and taken to a nomadic lifestyle. This difficult life has led them to value every birthday, honouring the passing of the years and celebrating the opportunity to carry on. Life might be difficult, but difficulty means one is still alive.
Children's Birthdays
Oameni communities are usually very small and it is common for the entire community to celebrate a child's birthday. Gifts usually involve food for the celebration, handmade item including clothing and traditional crafts. Scented woods carved in the shapes of animals, folk characters, or even community members are particularly favoured and considered charms of protection.
Children are taught on the eve of their birthday to spend time reflecting on the previous year, and later their lives in general. Child mortality is high amongs the Oameni, and a moment will be spent remembering there friends who did not survive from their last birthday. This is to both honour the passing of loved ones and remember life is a gift.
Maturation
A person's 16th birthday is their coming of age ceremony. This will be attended by Oameni communities from surrounding areas as a way to introduce youths to each other, renew familial alliances, and engage in trade. Gifts will include songs relating the subjects charms and attributes, and family highlights, as introduction to the gatherd; items that will help in their future trade or homemaking; and spirits.
Adult
Adult birthdays remain important affairs, especially for elders. The Oameni are not long lived. Most elders will be in their 40s and reaching a 50th birthday is a cause for a major celebration. Such long lived elders will be known throughout surrounding Oameni communities. Their lives will become the stories of the people, retold in celebration.
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