Shadowcatching Festivals

"But what happens if I can't catch it?"
"Well... The Hedge-knights of the Feywild will come and take you away, of course. They'll cover you in toad slime, then bury you in a ring of toadstools until your pretty skin turns green. You'll become one of their little goblins, and live in the thorn and bramble of their wild mazes, eating bugs and drinking nectar from the moonflowers at night."
"No! No! I don't want to be a goblin!"
"Hezren! Don't tell her awful stories like that, you're frightening her! It's alright dear, there's nothing to be afraid of. Stop crying now. You'll catch your shadow. Just be careful, and don't go too far into the woods. Now, off you go..."

Shadowcatching festivals are held in the Marigold Realm at the end of Greenspring, in celebration of the spring solstice, and the return of longer days in the world of Orr. They began as a tradition of the Gnomes, but the practice quickly spread, and was adopted by other communities living in the region known as the meadow surrounding the city of Tantallion.
The festivals are opportunities for farmers, and other commeners to share what stores they have with those less fortunate, and the Shadowcatching game is played by young children while their families feast, and reconnect following the long winter seasons. The festivals are also chances for young adults to meet one another, and perhaps begin a courtship.

Festivities

One the most enjoyed festivities of the Shadowcatching Festival are the traditional dances that are performed, such as the Shadowskip, the Veilstomp, and the Mistystep. Young and old alike practice these dances throughout the year in anticipatation of the event, which are accompanied by musical performances, or if the community has the coin to spare, perhaps by the rare talents of a traveling bard from the city. These dances are ancient artforms that have been passed down for thousands of years, and shared between a myraid of races. They are performed beneath trees lit by arcane candles, and often include 'duels' between paired couples.
The feasts of the Shadowcatching Festivals are prepared by the community as a whole, often taking place in town squares, or in the fields of a nearby estate. Each family provides as much of what they can spare following the long winter, and the meal is prepared by the best cooks of the community in a shared kitchen. Skilled hunters may set out on the days before the festival to hunt boars, and rabbits, but the prize of the feast is always the spiced wine of the River Giants who are happy to trade their wares for simple repairs to their nets and barges.
On rare occasions the festival may be concluded by a small arcane fireworks show, which light of the spring night with fiery flowers of glowing energy.

Shadowcatching

The festival's namesake comes from a Gnomish art of trickery where a magician 'looses' your shadow, and sends it fleeing away from you until the morning light. This game is incredibly popular with children of these rural communities, and it helps keep them occupied while the adults and older members of their family entertain one another, and prepare the feast. The shadow will always flee at your attempts to pursue and catch it, but remain within relative sight.
The spell is harmless and wears off come the morning, but should a child succeed in catching their shadow (by standing on it) the spell ends with one final trick, as a moonflower sprouts from the child's head. These flowers have brilliant white petals, and in the center of their bulb is a brilliantly lit puff of glowing pappus. The moonflowers make it much harder to catch your shadow a second time, and at the end of the festival the child who collects the most flowers on their head is awarded a special sweet-cake for their tremendous effort.

A Darker History...

While the Shadowcatching Festival has become a popular, and beloved tradition in the meadow of the Freelands, its origins are much darker than they appear on the surface.
The lands of the meadow were once the site of a Faerie kingdom in the times of Tyrannis called Oolicoon. Like many other regions of the world during this time, mortals were enslaved here, and used cruely by their Fey masters. The Shadowcatching art was a horrific game that the Elladrin used to punish unruly subjects. Any child who could not catch their shadow would indeed be taken from the arms of their parents, and transformed into grotesque creatures, such as Goblins, and Redcaps.
The stories of that torture were passed down through the ages, and perhaps so that none would ever forget the spite, and malice of the Fey, the tradition has been kept, though few remember its full origin.

"Shadow run, and shadow skip
Shadow fly, and escape thy grip
Into the night the children run
Hoping to catch it before the morning sun
Moonflowers sprout on those who snare
And spare their mother's tears
For If they fail
They'll live a goblin's tale
And be monsters for all their years

— Shadowcatching Rhyme