The Harvest Festival

originally a series of three holidays, the Harvest Festival has evolved into a weeklong celebration of summer before the days turn cold. set in the last week of the tenth month, the Harvest Festival contains many celebrations for the people of the village.
The Festival is divided into seven days, each one named after a particular custom:
On the first day, known as the day of harvests, the last of the grain if harvested before winter comes, and several contests, including "who can roll the largest bale of hay" and "who can make the most realistic scarecrow" take place. Prizes include small bags of rare grain, worn around the neck to signify health and good cheer.
The second day is the day of plenty. On the second day, people set up stalls and share what goods they make, whether exotic or mundane. Several typical festival games are also included in the festivities.
The day of memories falls on the the third day, and is a time of relaxation while families remember the previous years, both the good and bad times. a special feast with laxtral and unhur is prepared, and incense is lit.
The fourth day, the day of ghosts, bears much similarity to Halloween in the modern world. people gather in groups and dress in costumes, typically evil spirits or supernatural sprites, to scare away the real deal. while feasting, or even food, is not a large part of the tradition, pranks and practical jokes are a large part of the festivities.
The fifth day is the day of children, a time where children are honored and celebrated. For the day, children are free to do what they want, so long as they do not stray from the village without escort.
The day of hope, the sixth day, is a time where people feast with the village, celebrating life and all that comes with it. allir, marpin, and thendal are the foods of choice, though laxtral and unhur are also common.
The final day of the festival, the day of turnings, is when the villagers count their grain stores, stack their firewood, and batten down hatches, ready for the long months of winter ahead.

History

The Harvest Festival began as two days: the day of harvests and the day of ghosts. over time, more days, including the day of remembrance and the day of children migrated from other time sin the year to spots within the fourth week of the Tenth month, leading to, after around a thousand years, the Harvest Festival in its current form.

Components and tools

Physical tools:

Balance:

used on the Day of Turning, the Balance symbolically weighs the grain people have.

Rapar:

a ceremonial knife used on both the Day of Memories and the Day of Hope to slice laxtral and allir

incense:

used during the Day of Memories to finalize the passing of the previous year with the burning of the incense.

costumes:

worn on the Day of Ghosts to scare away the evil spirits that are said to walk the earth.

Foods:

laxtral:

a specialized form of roasted duck, typically smoked before roasting and slathered in a sauce of honey, wild mustard, and garlic.

unhur:

baked tubers ground into a fine paste. the paste is then steamed and served with frozen berries.

allir:

typically beef or sheep, allir is a slow baked whole roasted animal stuffed with fruits and spices before cooking.

marpin:

a unique type of bread, baked with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg mixed into the batter. typically served with fruit slices.

thendal:

Thendal is a spiced drink, typically milk mixed with cinnamon or ginger. adults add white wine or small amounts of liquor to their thendal.

Observance

The Hervest Festival takes place during the last week of the tenth month.

Primary Related Location

The VIllage