Days of False Famine

We must remember the days that came before, or the plenty we have now will trouble us when it ends.

— local woman

The inhabitants of Yksinka know well enough that their existence is a tenuous one. Hunting, farming, gathering: living by the land means only living by what the land can provide any given year, and there have been years where crops have failed. Famine ever lurks at their doorstep.
It is not something they wish to forget, and so they wage their quiet war against famine with each year that passes. A week of starvation awaits them at a random time, with the only food and drink allowed being that they find themselves. Many neighbouring nations think the Yksinkans quite insane for willingly subjecting themselves to this, but the Yksinkans are more than happy: it is practice, and the practice keeps them strong.
After all, their lore reminds them of the consequence of failure.

History

Bark can be eaten, if you're careful, and you can turn nettle with saltbush into a morose sort of soup. Keep an eye out for spiders, they make a good snack. Just stick 'em and roast 'em!

— cheerful Yksinkan boy

No new nation is without struggles, and despite the support Yksinka had from its neighbours, it soon found itself alone after establishing its independence and theocratic beliefs. Though the young nation faced many struggles, famine was perhaps the most insidious.
The extinction of a small group of villages during one such famine thanks to their lack of preparation and refusal to listen to the few elders that had weathered similar events prompted the Yksinkan Aspect of Land to establish records on methods of survival. Unfortunately, her work failed through no fault of her own - the people who read them simply did not have the skills to properly store or manage their supplies, and hunger tainted their minds. She quickly realised that to avoid disaster, the people of Yksinka needed to both have records of their knowledge and regularly practice with these skills in order to survive. In an average year, though, it soon became an arduous task to convince the youngfolk of each village that they had to master unnecessary skills; even the motivation Erastil's clerics provided was not enough.
Frustrated, the Aspect sought help from her fellows. With their help, the theocracy established a week in which the food supplies of every village would be sealed, as if a famine had beset the nation. Each family was forced to rely more heavily on their own skills, cooperating with friends and enemies alike to secure enough food to make it through the week. To increase the stakes, the Aspect of the Hunt made two changes to his fellow Aspect's week: it would take place at a random time each year, and the towns that made best use of their skills would receive a small bounty of hunted meats as a reward.
The Days have evolved since then. Children are taught from birth how to survive famine and seek food in the most unlikely of places. The Days are more of a ceremonial reminder in the modern era, and their end is celebrated with a village-wide feast in every corner of the nation.

Observance

Unscheduled; the Days begin when the Aspect of Land proclaims them to have done so. The news is spread via a series of smoke signals that spread across the nation, followed by divine light in the skies to confirm the event. To prevent genuine risk to health, the Days are limited to a single 7-day week.

Soup by Rhyshuw1

A common style of soup made in Yksinka

Length of festival

7 days and no longer

Related country

Yksinka