First Day

From time immemorial, on the first day of the year (usually known as Yatyat in the Sudkou language) Humans have celebrated the festival called First Day (Yatdyah Tohar or more often just Yatyat).
During the First Day Festival, families gather to feast, reflect on the past year, and make plans and resolutions for the new year, as well as to catch up on family news, play games, chat, and relax. Traditionally, the First Day Festival lasts for three days.

History

First Day has been celebrated by Humans for as long as records exist. The Grand Imperial Historians of the Great Sacred Empire say that references to a holiday celebrations being held on the first day of the year in the earliest volumes of the Book of History of the Great Sacred Empire. The early references to First Day celebrations are all associated with the legends of the Fall from the Stars.
As the decades and centuries passed, the First Day celebrations were less tied to the Fall from the Stars and became celebrations of the beginning of a new year, signifying an opportunity for a fresh start on life, leaving regrets and failures behind, and looking forward to a brighter future.

Execution

Traditionally, families and close friends gather for a feast on the day before First Day. The kind of food prepared varies widely depending on the country and region, but it is usually the best and most expensive meal of the year. The second day of the celebration, on the actual first day of the new year, is traditionally a quiet day of reflection and remembrance. People light candles in remembrance of loved ones that have passed, and they reflect on the past year, taking time to assess their own failures and successes and to develop resolutions and plans for the coming year. On the second day of the new year, the last day of the First Day celebrations, families and friends get together again, usually in the evening, to have a meal together and share their memories, plans, and resolutions for the new year. During the day, family members and friends play games, chat, relax, and prepare for the evening meal.
Some families and friends take these traditions of reflection, remembrance, and resolution very seriously, and elders will check with younger people throughout the year to remind them to follow through on their plans and resolutions; for others, the First Day celebration is basically a three-day party, with little time spent on reflection or making resolutions. Over the years in most places, the First Day holiday has become more and more a party and less a time of remembrance and reflection. Some traditional households, especially among royal and noble families, still celebrate First Day in what most people now consider old-fashioned ways.

Observance

The First Day holiday is observed every year on the last day of the year and the first and second days of the new year. The celebrations are usually held in family homes. People without a close family or those that live far from their families gather with friends. In some cities and towns, the local Vestry of Valamarashe will have a First Day feast for those without friends or family with whom they can celebrate the holiday.