Birth and Death

Birth

A new birth is usually celebrated by all, and both parents involved will traditionally isolate themselves from society for a 7 day period in order to bond as a family unit. At this time, the local community of family and friends will usually leave food, supplies, and gifts by the front door ready to be accepted at the first light of dawn of each day.

A new born child usually receives their name as part of the festivities that occur on the 8th day, when the family returns to normalcy, with one parent returning to work, and the other assuming the role of primary childcare.

It is unclear where this tradition started, however historians believe it began in ancient Gridal, possibly even during the Tetan Empire.

Death

Death is seen as a time to celebrate the life of an individual, to commemorate and memorialize their life and achievements, whilst (depending on the religion in question) celebrating that their Aether is going to continue to provide life force to the world and/or return to the Crystal Mother. The custom of celebration originated in True Crysteria in the ancient past, and was gradually adopted by the entire world over time.

A funeral is also seen as a time of reflection, in which those present think upon their lives and find thankfulness for their existence, and all the positive moments in their lives.

Funeral clothing is usually white in color, to help those in grievance remember all the light that the deceased brought to their world.

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Crystal Animism

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Believers of Crystal Animism believe that the Aether that escapes from one's body at the time of death returns to the Crystal Mother.

A traditional Crystal Animism funeral usually involves the burning of the deceased's body in a funeral pyre whilst a priest reads from religious scriptures. Where possible, the fire is started by magic, or Magitek. This is to represent the energy from the crystals helping to return the deceased to Aether. The symbolism is that their death will continue to provide Aether to the world, the same Aether used to fuel the very fire of their pyre. The gentle blue fire reminds those present that all things are made up of the same crystalline energies and death is as necessary as life.

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Church of the One

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Believers from the Church of the One have a similar ritual to Crystal Animists, although with different scriptures being read during the proceedings. Their scriptures focus more on their belief in the one true god, Kureta. Traditionally, Church of the One followers will have their funerals first thing in the morning, even earlier than their morning prayers, which will follow immediately afterwards and bear the deceased in mind.

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Equilibrians

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Equilibrians however, prefer a simple burial, returning the body of the deceased to the planet, bodies are simply bound in tight linens before being buried in an upright position, in a 10 foot deep hole. They are lowered in to the ground by ropes during the ceremony. This tends to use larger graves than the other major religions, as it is not simply a memorial, but the physical resting place of the deceased.

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Atheists

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Atheists tend to have a varied set of beliefs when it comes to funeral rites and death. Socialization leads most of them to follow one of the above rites, the most common being that of Crystal Animists. Although, there are some fringe beliefs that feel a body should simply be buried in the woods, or have some other kind of uncommon burial rite, these are few and far between.