Hearthtime

Hearthtime is one of the two daily observances made by those who worship the Morivian Household Gods . So deeply ingrained is it into the customs of the Morivian peoples that even those who profess other faiths (such as the communities of the Truthful in Durranmouth and Morton ).
Hearthtime sees the household assemble at the hearth at the start of the day. It is a re-iteration of the membership of the household during which food and drink will be consumed. This may be the first meal of the day, or a symbolic meal of a few crumbs and a sip, depending on the circumstances and the traditions of the household. The members of the household entreat the god for it's support in their activities for the day and remember those members of the household unable to attend because of business elsewhere.
Many workplaces will carry out the rite of hearthtime at the beginning of the working day to honour the workplace god and seek it's support. It may thus be that one person may partake in hearthtime two, three or more times a day in respect of the groups that they are a part of. In itself this causes no problems unless the objectives of the groups are in conflict.

History

Hearthtime and Evens seem to be the two oldest rituals associated with the household gods, but as with most of these rituals there is little hard and fast evidence to this other than their simplicity in practice and similarity across all the Morivian sub-cultures and the tribes of southern Marivar as well as being recognisable in the the Monkin .

Execution

The ritual is lead by the senior member of the household (or workplace) with this being dependent not on age or rank but how long they have been a part of the household. In the Murgh the ritual consumption and request for assistance are generally carried out in order of increasing seniority whilst the Mor begin with the most senior and work towards the most junior. The Torren and Tamb usually have no set order and may even vary which member of the group leads the ritual.

Components and tools

In some cases a special cup and plate are used for the ritual which reside, when not in use in the Shrine of a Household God . This is particularly common with groups that move regularly or have a higher rate of member change, but rarely is it the case when hearthtime is a true meal rather than a symbolic gathering.