Celebrating Birthdays in Gentrov

Gentrov has a few long-held traditions for celebrations. Most birthdays are celebrated by lighting a large candle and keeping it lit all day long to represent the fire of life inside of the person who's birthday it is. For those that can afford it, they purchase the person's favorite beverage (usually something alcoholic) and honeycakes for after supper. For the wealthy and nobility, they receive gifts of all kinds. Toys for children, and typically jewelry or gold for adults. At the end of the day, the person blows out the candle and gives thanks to the God-King for watching over them.

The grandest birthday celebration is that of the current King or Queen. A country-wide celebration lasts the whole day, and many folks allow servants and workers the day off to take part in the merriment of drinking, feasting, dancing, and singing. Nobility comes from all over Gentrov to feast with the King or Queen themselves and tell great stories and give great gifts to the monarch. This celebration is known as Day of the Crown. His majesty, King Berengar Gentrovich's birthday falls upon the 8th of Kirn. Some revelers have claimed that the King's parties are the grandest in the land, for he allows even the common folk to celebrate on castle grounds, but not without great supervision of the Bulwark, of course.

History

The tradition for lighting a candle for the length of someone's birthday comes from the Haffjiir clan, who would celebrate coming of age by lighting a great bonfire and dancing about it when celebrating the birthday of their chieftain. It slowly mutated into something more practical and safe that ended up being spun into a tradition almost every Gentrovian practices.

Execution

The lighting of a candle. They let it burn all day long to represent the fires of life before the person who is being celebrated blows the candle out with a word of thanks to the God-King.

Components and tools

A candle, honeycake, alcoholic beverages, gifts, etc.

Participants

Family and friends.

Observance

On the day of one's birth.