The Month of Mortian

The month of Mortian is a global holiday in the middle of the year in which the dead are remembered and honoured. Started after the Dragon Wars, it was originally meant to be a period of mourning and celebration for all those lost in the fighting, but quickly came to encompass the remembering of all those who had passed. The "month" consists of five days, each of which is dedicated to a particular group of the dead.
The first day is the Day of Ancient Elders, in which great ancestors and heroes are celebrated, usually those lost in the Dragon Wars, but many races, such as the Dwarves, celebrate other ancestors during this time. The main event is a sermon held in the relevant churches, cathedrals or meeting halls, recounting the acts of local heroes and legends that last from sunrise to sunset.
The second day is the Day of Recent Elders, during which the elderly who have passed in the last ten years are remembered and honoured. The main event is the act of visiting the graves of recently deceased family members and leaving special offerings of flowers, food and money to help ease the journey of their souls in the afterlife.
The third day is the Day of Lost Souls, a day dedicated to those who have died without anyone else to mourn them. This day is celebrated most commonly by Adventurers, as they remember lost friends and companions. The main event is a wake held to commemorate the lost who have no graves or people to mourn them, with attendees each lighting a special candle and placing it at an altar.
The fourth day is the Day of Youth, where those that passed at a young age are remembered and honoured. In addition to this, the living youth are also celebrated, with most under the age of sixteen recieving some sort of gift, usually candy or sweets, though some also gift money.
The fifth, and final, day is the Day of Life, a day in which all celebrate the living and pray to the gods that they may have long and healthy lives. The main event is a massive festival that can encompass the entirety of a town or city, where games are played, food is given out to to the needy, and people from all walks of life mingle and interact.

History

The month of Mortian started in 1588, or the first year of the Age of Magic, after the Dragon Wars and the Age of Dragons finally came to an end. Originally a period of time meant to honour and remember those that had died during the Dragon Wars, it was quickly adapted to encompass the celebration and mourning of all who had died, both recently and in the distant past.
The first mentions of the different days was in 1597, when the Dwarves began celebrating their long lost ancestors alongside those that had passed in the Dragon Wars, with the period quickly being separated into individual days for each of the categories of the dead.
After around a hundred years, people began to not only mourn, but also celebrate, the dead and their achievements, transforming the somber holiday into one of joy and rememberance. This practice quickly spread, and now the month of Mortian is as much a period of joy and celebration of life as it is one of mourning and rememberance.

Execution

Each day of the five day month is dedicated to a different group and has its own ceremonies and rituals:
The first day is dedicated to the long dead, usually heroes of the Dragon Wars, and is celebrated by sermons and stories told from dawn until dusk.
The second day is dedicateed to the recently deceased, be it by age or illness, and is celebrated by placing special offerings of coin, food and flowers on the graves of the dead.
The third day is dedicated to those who have lost their lives but have no one or no place to mourn them, be it because they had no family to remember then, or they died out in the wilderness and so were not properly buried.
The fourth day is dedicated to the youth, both those that have passed and those that still live, with special celebratory candies and sweets being gifted to any and all children in a city or town.
The fifth day is dedicated to the living, and is marked by a massive festival that can encompass entire cities and towns. This festival can involve any and everything, from fire eaters and acrobats, cheap food, and drinking and dancing that goes on late into the night.

Observance

The month of Mortian is an official period of time, fives days to be specific, in the middle of the year of the Theridian Calendar. It is observed during this period every year since the beginning of the Age of Magic, and is still celebrated at the same time each year.