Greengrass

Greengrass was a festival to mark the official first day of spring in the Calendar of Harptos. It occurred annually on a special day between Tarsakh 30 and Mirtul 1. Traditionally, the wealthier people brought out flowers to give to the less wealthy, who either wore them or spread them on the ground to encourage the deities to usher in the summer.While Greengrass is said to be the official start of spring, depictions of the Calendar of Harptos since the 3-edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting p. 77 illustrate spring as starting on the Spring Equinox, Ches 19, a full month and a half earlier. In fact, Greengrass occurs in the middle of spring. This is likely due to standard Earth seasons being assumed for the depiction of the calendar, but the earlier established dates for Midsummer, Midwinter, Greengrass, and Highharvestide not fitting the quarters of the year marked by the solstices and equinoxes. It should be noted that Greengrass is the "official" start of spring, not necessarily an actual start of spring. It is possible that the pictorial representations should not be taken literally, that the seasons have slipped from the calendar with climate change, that the Calender of Harptos is geographically specific to Harptos's home of Kaalinth in Tethyr, or the Torilian seasons are understood differently from the four conventional Earth seasons.
==On This Day==
*Worshipers of Anhur celebrate the Sharpening of the Sword and name the next Chosen of Anhur, ending the month-long tournament.
*Worshipers of Chauntea celebrate a hedonistic fertility festival.
*Worshipers of the dwarven deity Dugmaren Brightmantle spend the morning in thoughtful meditation and the rest of the day at a scholarly symposium.
*Worshipers of Eldath celebrate the Greening by gathering and having a festival.
*Guardians of Gorm Gulthyn gather for ritual salutes, martial weapons displays, chanted prayers, and the offering of weapons used in a defensive action.
*Worshipers of the dwarven deity Haela Brightaxe observe the Time of the Spawning and prepare for the next outpouring of orcs and other creatures that threaten their race.
*Clerics of the orc deity Ilneval observe this day by gathering hordes of orcs to rampage across civilized lands.
*Worshipers of Isis give thanks for her role in the planting of crops.
*Worshipers of Lliira open a holy festival with the Swords Cast Down ritual in which weapons are thrown on the ground with chanting and covered with fresh flowers.
*Worshipers of Loviatar celebrate the Rite of Pain and Purity by dancing in a circle upon broken glass or other sharp objects.
*Followers of Marthammor Duin call this day the Wind and celebrate new discoveries.
*Worshipers of Mielikki observe planting rites and the Wild Ride, when herds of unicorns assemble and allow them to ride bareback through the forest.
*Followers of Milil sing the Call to the Flowers.
*Worshipers of the dwarven deity Sharindlar gather around a natural underground pool to dance and perform secret rituals to the Lady of Life.
*Worshipers of Shiallia celebrate birth on this day, inviting friendly creatures to join in feasting, dancing, and singing.
*Worshipers of Silvanus consider Greengrass holy and often give sacrifice by breaking and burying an object constructed of wood.
*Worshipers of Sune frolic outdoors.
*Worshipers of Talos call for storms and lightning.
*Worshipers of the dwarven deity Vergadain hold a Coin Festival, preceded by a sale of wares in order to maximize their wealth.
*In –2 DR, the Shoon Empire began its transition into the Shoon Imperium when King Amahl Shoon II of Tethyr swore fealty to the Syl-Pasha of Calimshan, Akkabar Shoon the Elder, after nearly eliminating rival Clan Ithal in an 18 month war.
*In 681 DR, in Myth Drannor during the seasonal festival, student of the Seven Wizards Achveult Tattercloak and his consort Tlanchass stood in the Sixstar intersection near Windsong Tower and revealed in dramatic fashion that she was in fact a gold dragon. The couple then departed to the southeast.
* In 713 DR, a brief, tense peace began in the Weeping War, allowing many to flee Myth Drannor.
* In 1370 DR, a tower of Piergeiron's Palace is destroyed when Kyriani Agrivar and Laeral Silverhand kill one (or possibly two) of Manshoon's clones who were battling near Piergeiron the Paladinson's bedchamber.
* In 1370 DR, a young Zhentilar officer named Scyllua Darkhope puts down an insurrection among her peers.
* In 1370 DR, the emperor of As'arem, Eadar Ri'ola'con, is poisoned after 125 years on the throne, precipitating a period of political infighting among the shalarin kingdoms.
* In 1373 DR, New Tilverton was founded by Cormyrean citizens a few miles away from the shadowy crater left behind by the destruction of old Tilverton.
* In 1488 DR, the spring equinox occurs on this day as a result of the seasons and heavens being thrown out of synch as the Second Sundering ends.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===See Also===
* Feast of the Moon
* Highharvestide
* Midwinter
* Midsummer
* Shieldmeet
* Spring Equinox
* Autumn Equinox
* Summer Solstice
* Winter Solstice
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Chronology
Category:Festivals
Category:Holidays