The
Aurian people of southern
Eren follow the Aurian Imperial calendar, a holdover from the former Aurian Empire -what is now the
Heraðsríki. Because of their
beliefs and mythology, they celebrate a number of seasonal holidays, festivals, and rituals throughout the year.
Calendar
Months
Aurian months are marked by the "watching" (or "full") phase of the larger moon, Kune, and as such are suffixed with "-moon"; the words "month" and "moon" are interchangeable in
Skreitung. Each month is named according to a significant seasonal change that occurs within that lunar cycle, such as the last frosts of Thawmoon or the heavy summer storms of Floodmoon. Once per month, both moons are "dreaming" (or "new"), allowing the people to observe the heavens in full glory; a sacred event called a "Dreamshade Eve."
Ghostmoon
The Aurian year turns over in the deep of the northern winter, ushered in by the Ghost Moon. This month brings the shortest days and longest nights, and is seen by the spiritual as the time of year when the worlds of life and death are closest together. Ghostmoon is seen as the time to confront one's "ghosts" -regrets, mistakes, misdeeds, and fruitless longings- and come to terms with them, so as to move forward into the new year. This is largely accomplished through an ancient holiday called the Dreamhaunt.
Prayer to Valir
At the beginning of the new year, the people pray to Valir, the Lady Luck, to thank her for the previous year's good fortune and ask for her blessings of triumph and prosperity in the year that lies ahead.
Dreamhaunt
On the night of Draugrday the 14th, the month’s Dreamshade Eve, the folk of the Héraðsríki gather to create large bonfires, called ghostfires. They then write down their regrets, mistakes, and unfulfilled wishes and cast these into the towering flames to cleanse themselves of their "ghosts," in order to move on with their life.
In addition to being devoid of moonlight, the Dreamshade of Ghostmoon is the longest and coldest night of the year. For these reasons, it is viewed by many as the night where the worlds of life and death overlap. Because of this, many also see the ghostfires as a way of making peace with the departure of loved ones. For this, they pray to the fire god Aldur to draw their loved ones’ souls back into the flame of the celestial forge.
Snowmoon
The rise of the Snow Moon warns the Aurians that midwinter approaches. Though the days are getting slightly longer again, it is bitter cold in most of the federation. The start of Snowmoon usually heralds the heaviest snows for the northern regions, so the people keep warm and dry with a three-night festival dedicated to the elder spirit of fire, Aldur.
Festival of Fire
The Festival of Fire is a three-night celebration of the oldest and most powerful tool of all: fire. The festival involves lots of different forms of fire and fire usage, particularly big bonfires and pyrotechnics. This festival is specifically meant to honor Aldur, the god of fire and energy, and thank them for sustaining the people through the winter once more.
Wolfmoon
The third full-Kune of the year is the Wolf Moon because it marks the start of wolf mating season, which means winter is nearing its end. However, it is a dangerous time to hunt; the wolves are exceptionally territorial at this time. Because of this, the Aurians celebrate a holiday called Wolfnight to honor the great beasts.
Wolfnight
On Wolfnight, when both moons are full, the people leave offerings for the wolves in exchange for protection from harm. It's also important to Haesja in her aspect as the goddess of family; Wolfnight is a night to check in with family, resolve grievances, and appreciate those you hold closest.
Thawmoon
The fourth full-Kune of the year is the Thaw Moon, heralding the start of northern spring and the last snows of the season. This is the time when the earth is bare and ready to be painted anew with life. The equinox on the 14th is the first day of planting the summer crops so that they will be ready when the rains of Thundermoon come.
Prayer to the Earth
The Prayer to the Earth is less of a celebratory holiday and more of a ritual one. Spiritual leaders of the community take the first day of the month, under the new Thaw Moon, to ask Tera, elder spirit of the Earth, to provide a verdant spring growing season.
Thundermoon
The rising Thunder Moon is often obscured by the towering thunderheads of mid-spring. The month of Thundermoon brings the heaviest spring storms, watering the summer crops and letting the wilderness come into full bloom. It is a time of destruction, but also a time of new growth.
Stormcalling
The first day of Thundermoon is the date of a deeply ancestral celebration: the Stormcalling. The festival is centered around a spiritual summoning ritual best translated as “Invocation of the Rains,” in which a large torch is staked in the middle of a freshly-sown field and lit with magic bolts of electricity by those who seeded the grounds. This practice is both an invitation for the life-giving rain and a beacon of protection against the fury of the vernal storms.
Greenmoon
The Green Moon is not actually green, but it signifies the explosion of life that bursts forth from the earth in late spring. New greenery is in full bloom this month; it is the time for harvesting the few winter crops and tending the summer orchards. The Aurian people celebrate this time of verdancy with a three-day festival dedicated to the elder spirit of the earth, Tera.
Festival of the Garden
The Festival of the Garden is a three-day celebration of the earth's springtime bounty. It is held once the summer crops are done being planted and the wild vegetation is in full bloom, and involves lots of flower arrangements, plant magic, and delicious food made from the winter crops. It is specifically meant to honor Tera, thank them for a good planting season, and pray for a good harvest later in the year.
Sunhigh
The seventh full-Kune of the year heralds the start of summer and the longest days of the year, hence the name of Sunhigh -the solstice on the 14th is when the sun is the highest in the northern sky. According to legend, this, the lightest month of the year, is the time when the world of the living is closest to the gods, and the people celebrate with a solstice festival called the Dreamlight.
Dreamlight
The 14th of Sunhigh is the longest and hottest day of the year, as well as a Dreamshade. This combination of auspicious celestial events has led the sun-reverent Aurian culture to celebrate a one-day solstice festival called the Dreamlight. The central ritual of the Dreamlight takes place at dusk. This practice involves writing one's hopes, desires, and aspirations on a paper lantern and letting the hot air from the lantern's candle lift it into the sky, symbolically carrying the light of one's soul to the sun.
Eaglemoon
The Eagle Moon brings with it midsummer, and some of the hottest days of the year. This is the month when young eagles are fledging and leaving the nest; a good omen for the Aurian people, who celebrate the great birds with a festival. Eaglemoon is also the best time for fishing, as most of the migratory fish have arrived in coastal waters. The fair weather of Eaglemoon is celebrated by the Aurian people with a three-day festival dedicated to the elder spirit of the sky, Alha.
Eagleflight
The Eagleflight is a holiday celebrating the fledging of the year's young eagles -sacred birds of Aurin- and it is full of dancing, magic, and fun costumes.
Festival of the Sky
The Festival of the Sky is a three-day celebration of the warm summer winds and clear skies of Eaglemoon. There is a lot of music, particularly singing, and of course that comes with dancing too! It is meant to honor Alha, the elder spirit of the sky, to thank them for blessing the people with air to breathe, wind to fill the sails of ships, and rain to water the crops, and to ask them to send gentle weather in the coming months.
Floodmoon
The rising Flood Moon warns the Aurian people of the looming late summer storms. The days are hot and humid, and the sea throws up violent storms that can last for days and often cause flooding in the southern regions. To appease the fickle sea, the Aurians celebrate a three-day festival dedicated to the elder spirit of the waters, Teþ.
Prayer to Sea and Sky
The Prayer to the Sea and Sky is another ritual day, mostly observed in the southern regions. On the first day of the Flood Moon, the spiritual leaders of the community ask Alha and Teþ (goddess of the sky and god of the sea respectively) to be merciful during the stormiest month.
Festival of the Sea
The Festival of the Sea is a three-day celebration of the bounty of the summer sea (and, in non-coastal regions, the rivers). There is plenty of music, dancing, storytelling, and seafood. It is meant to honor Teþ, the elder spirit of the ocean, to thank them for providing a good catch during the summer fishing season, and to ask them to protect seafarers during the stormy winter.
Harvestmoon
The Harvest Moon rising in the east is the harbinger of autumn, letting the Aurian people know that it is time to harvest the summer crops before the equinox on the 14th. The first week of Harvestmoon is dedicated to the much-anticipated Harvest Festival, celebrating a productive growing season and enjoying the last warm days of the year.
Wardfrost
The rise of the Harvest Moon is the date of another ancient ritual holiday much like the Stormcaling: the Wardfrost, an invocation against early freezing that would ruin the crops. Rather than just one torch, each field is lined with torches that are kept burning steady through any weather with magic, in order to stave off the frost.
Harvest Festival
The Wardfrost is the first day of the Harvest Festival, one of the biggest festivals of the year, which spans a whole week (five days). During the mornings, the crops are gathered and processed for cooking or winter storage, and in the evening the wild celebration begins! Delicious food and drink, rousing song and dance, amazing magic and pyrotechnics, and plenty of veneration for all the spirits who made a good harvest possible. The last day is dedicated to sowing the few winter crops, and finished off with prayers to the spirits for a good winter season.
Hearthmoon
The Hearth Moon brings a change in the winds, and a chill settles over the land, prompting the people to once more warm their hearths. Plants begin to wither, leaves begin to fall, and creatures begin to fatten up for the winter. This is the best month for hunting in preparation for the coming cold. On the third week of the month, the Aurian people celebrate a five-day festival dedicated to the goddess of hearth and home, Haesja.
Prayer to Haesja
The first day of the Hearth Moon is the Prayer to Haesja, where the spiritual leaders ask the goddess of the hearth for a safe, easy passage through the winter.
Festival of the Hearth
This is followed on the week of the 11th by the other biggest celebration of the year: the week-long Festival of the Hearth! Five whole days are devoted to sharing the bounty of the year with everyone, telling stories, singing songs, and making sure the community is prepared for winter. Instead of making sacrifices to the goddess of home and family, people venerate her by giving gifts and letting each other know how loved they are.
Frostmoon
The Frost Moon is the last full-Kune of the year, bringing with it the late autumn frosts. As the month goes on, the wilderness grows still and quiet, and the people must rely on each other for support in the cold and dark. To this end, the Aurian people celebrate a festival centered around the arts of music and storytelling.
Prayer to the Flame
The first day of the Frost Moon is the Prayer to the Flame, a ritual day where the spiritual leaders of the community ask Aldur, the elder spirit of fire and energy, to keep them warm and dry through the cold winter and to guide the souls of the departed to the light of the celestial forge.
Festival of Story and Song
The last holiday of the year (aside from the Prayer to Karsymir) is the Festival of Story and Song, a one-night celebration of storytelling. The whole community gathers together to sing songs, share the old myths, and tell stories from more recent memory. This night is a reminder of how important it is to seek refuge in stories and community during the dark, quiet winter months.
Prayer to Karsymir
At the end of the year, the people pray to Karsymir the Sufferer to thank her for blessing them to endure the year's hardships, and ask for her protection from suffering in the coming year.
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