Kiyokan Birthday Celebrations

Fireworks filled the sky, traditional music filled the courtyard of the Diamyo's city estate. Large tables were laid out with a multitude of bread, cheese, meat, fruit, wine, and beer. Children cheered and ran around trailing streamers of multiple colors, running into party-goers wrapping them playfully in the streamers. Bards strum their tunes, while beautiful dancers dazzle the audience from the stage. It was Diamyo's fiftieth birthday and he had spared no expense inviting all the other lords to his grand event. He will be remembered for offering this great honor to his rivals.

- Diamyo Tojiro Sakimoto
Bardic telling of his 50th birthday

History

Birthday celebrations have gone on for the Kiyokan people for as long as they can remember. The traditions have evolved since they became a more civilized and cultured race, but some of the older traditions are still represented in modern-day celebrations. Young Kiyokans earns their name at their coming of age birthday which usually happen around the 13-14 year. The upper classes tend to celebrate their birthday on their actual day of birth, however, the lower classes do not see the importance of their actual birthday and will merely count the first day of the year as their next birthday.

Execution

Most birthdays are normal celebrations handled in the fashion that each class chooses. (see Observance) Those of the upper class are not given their rightful name until their coming-of-age birthday. Each class handles this ritual in different ways. Once a young one has reached the year of their coming-of-age they will be given their name upon completing whatever task their class requires of them. The Emperor and Shogun give their offspring their coming-of-age names once they have completed their schooling, but this is only done for the one who will inherit the throne, any younger siblings are given a number for a name until they either perform a task worthy of a naming or their elder sibling(s) pass away. For the Nobles, the coming-of-age is when a young one has completed their basic education and start of their path to learning their noble trade as a warrior as they are usually the sons and daughters of Diamyos. Those of the Samurai class do not earn their coming-of-age name until they defeat someone in battle one-on-one, until that time they are referred to by their animal type and last name. The common classes, Farmers, Artisans, Merchants, and Dregs, do not have any tradition fulfillment for their children's coming-of-age, the child usually inherit their grandparents or great-grandparents names.

Observance

Each caste celebrates birthdays in a different way:

• Shogun: They will celebrate on his actual birthday. Giving out mochi (rice cakes) and sake to all of his followers at his castle, this is also given out to all visitors who arrive at the castle that day.
• Emperor: Celebrates their birthday more subdue and quietly, but also on his actual birthday. He spends it quietly with family.
• Court Nobility: The most lavish of them all. They also celebrate on their actual day of birth, however, they throw parties and festivals of magnificent scale for their family and friends.
• Samurai: Celebrate their birthday on their actual day of birth. They tend to hold small festivals in their lord or diamyo provided home, inviting other samurai in the lords/diamyo's service as well as close friends and family.
• Farmers/Artisans/Merchants/Dregs: They don't find their birthdays of any significance, but will consider themselves older at the start of a new year. They do acknowledge the birth dates of their children and grandchildren until they reach their coming-of-age.