Empire Day

History

The oldest celebration in Aesalian history, Empire Day celebrates the formation of the Falaran Empire a precursor to the modern day empire. The day is often paired with celebrations of the Imperial House of Rodorian making it a particularly important day amongst monarchists. 
Though largely stopped in most communities during the 6th Age due to scarcity of resources and in some communities means of tracking time, the celebration has been celebrated for nearly seven hundred years. Significant aniversaries ocasionally yield special celebrations often marked by intervals of one hundred, fifty or similar multiples of time having passed since the last expansion of the empire.

Execution

The day tends to include an offering of food, drink and games by the state. All of which are provided free of charge and, where possible, in abundance. Foods tend to be of traditional Aesalian style with Falaran dishes being most prominent in high society. The largest feast of the day occurs at 11:24 when the first Empire was forged by treaty according to common custom.
At 3:00 the official celebratorial games begin though festiviites are often planned throughout the day in official. By custom these open with gladiatorial combat then divert to a series of other sporting, intellectual and skill based challenges until they conclude in a major gladiatorial battle often of the greatest fighters of the age in an arena designed especially to celebrate the day. 
Before the final game the Emperor of the Aesalian Empire  gives a speech acting as an address on both the state of the empire and its objectives for the next year. This speech is widely viewed and often a central event in galactic politics and society. Under certain rulers the Grand Cleric has also given a speech or other notable dignataries. The speech is also often used to highlight prospective heirs to the throne towards the end of reign.

Observance

Since the Empire Day Massacre it has been noted that some Voi'yar communities refuse to take part in the traditional festivities instead engaging in their own customs. One of these is the departure from their station, or planet, of residence to their ship in the void where they can celebrate unobserved. Others include alternative sporting games such as orbital racing, low-g unlicensned sporting championships and high-g endurance trials. Alongside the speech by the Emperor of the Aesalian Empire the Voi'yar oftne tune into a speech spread along forums and back channels to detractors of the empire.

Important Locations

• Aesalia

Related Organizations

• Imperial House of Rodorian

Related Ethnicities

• Aesalian