Midsummer

Midsummer was an annual holiday that customarily occurred between Flamerule 30 and Eleasis 1 on the Calendar of Harptos. Shieldmeet occurred the day after Midsummer on leap years. However, some calendars placed Midsummer on the summer solstice (Kythorn 20) or on a different day between Kythorn 30 and Flamerule 1.In our world, midsummer celebrations are traditionally held around the summer solstice (the longest day of the year), but the Realms's Calendar of Harptos has Midsummer a full month and a half after, owing to its summer solstice being the traditional start of summer. Despite this, many sources have still presumed Midsummer to be on or near the summer solstice, as evidenced by dates, mentions of the solstice, or it being the longest day of the year. Holding the Calendar of Harptos as standard, this wiki assumes these other Midsummers to be local variations. This article will document general Midsummer lore, undated Midsummers, and Midsummers specifically dated to the undated day after Flamerule 30. Other Midsummers will be documented on their respective pages.
==Activities==
Midsummer Night, also called the Long Night, was a festival that saw much feasting, music-making, and frolicking in the forests. It was a time when love blossomed, and often acquaintances became romances and courtships traditionally became betrothals. In some lands, unmarried maidens were released in the woods and their would-be suitors then ceremonially 'hunted' them through the night. More sedate folk just enjoyed the fine weather.
Midsummer festivals of one kind or another were observed in just about every civilized settlement in Faerûn, with some variation. In more conservative cultures, families usually only got together to hold big feasts and drink too much, and couples declared their betrothals. In more liberal cultures like Silverymoon, the day was known as the Feast of Love. All shops closed at highsun and thereafter people had private meals, with displays of public decadence evolving through the day. People wandered about, watched others, and joined in, for open doors were seen as invitations, and they wore risqué dress, told bawdy jokes, or made coarse comments they might never do any other time. Moreover, people had various dalliances while priests provided convenient curative spells for free. Lady Alustriel Silverhand herself led a "Hunt of Maidens", a night-time search for a person wearing a certain mask. In large and wealthy houses, there were parties with naughty games and eating desserts from atop others' bodies. Of course, not everyone indulged, usually staying inside with the windows shut and doors closed. Come morning the next day, all was meant to be forgotten.
Festival acrobats were quite popular and did good business on Midsummer and the other festival days.
==Beliefs==
It was said the deities themselves took a hand to ensure good weather for the occasion. If bad weather such as a storm was experienced on this night, it was considered an extremely bad omen, usually thought to foretell famine or plague, and sometimes as a sign of the gods' disfavor in a romance or marriage. In any case, fortunately, it was quite rare for bad weather to occur.
==On This Day==
* Worshipers of Akadi gather in the Shaar at the ruins of Blaskaltar, the site of the first known Akadi shrine.
* Worshipers of Berronar Truesilver mark this night with chanted prayers, speeches, reports on the workings of the church, and an outdoor festival.
* Worshipers of Beshaba engage in revels of rudeness and destruction.
* Worshipers of the svirfneblin deity Callarduran Smoothhands observe the Festival of the Ruby at twilight, celebrating the gems hidden in the earth by the Master of Stone.
* Priests of the gnomish deity Flandal Steelskin gather to make worked metal offerings, exchange methods, and sell their best works on this day known as the High Forge.
* Guardians of Gorm Gulthyn gather for ritual salutes, martial weapons displays, chanted prayers, and the offering of weapons used in a defensive action.
* The government of Mulhorand takes a day off and priests of Horus-Re sing songs of praise. These are accompanied by performaces of the Divinity Plays.
* Midsummer morning, priests of Lathander perform the Song of Dawn.
* 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 Hammer and celebrate dwarven craftsmanship.
* On Midsummer Night, worshipers of Mielikki observe planting rites, celebrate the sensual aspect of life, and the Wild Ride, when herds of unicorns assemble and allow them to ride bareback through the forest.
* Worshipers of Milil celebrate their Grand Revel with feasting, dancing, and the performing of parodies and wicked satire in song.
* Worshipers of Oghma make or renew agreements and contracts on this holy day.
* On Midsummer Night, 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 Silvanus consider Midsummer Night holy, and often give sacrifice by breaking and burying an object constructed of wood.
* Worshipers of Shiallia invite friendly creatures to join in feasting, dancing, and singing.
* Worshipers of Sune spend Midsummer Night playing flirtatious games in forests and parks.
* Worshipers of Talos call for storms and lightning.
* Worshipers of Tymora engage in a night of daring adventure, wild revels, mischievous pranks, and romantic trysts.
* Worshipers of the orc deity Yurtrus celebrate the Ceremony of Contagion with bloody sacrifices and then quest to spread disease and death.
* The city of Silverymoon celebrates the Feast of Love on Midsummer night.
* Members of the Harpers often meet with relatives and their church allies at this time.
* On the Plain of Horses, people begin the week-long Midsummer Festival, a time of banqueting to celebrate the livestock born in the spring.
*In , a meteor struck the great forest of Arcorar, obliterating a 100 mi by 30 mi (160 km by 48 km) swath of forest and most of the inhabitants of Uvaeren. This began the Twelve Nights of Fire and effectively cut off Rystall Wood from what was eventually called Cormanthor.
* In , elven high mages of Nikerymath conjured a gigantic tsunami to inundate Jhaamdath and wipe out the Twelve Cities of the Sword, while reshaping the land into the Vilhon Reach.
*In , Akkabar el Shoon was appointed Syl-Vizar of Memnon when he married Munaa yr Shunnari el Tarshaj as a gift from his father-in-law, Syl-Pasha Kadar.
* In , the city of Velen in Tethyr was completely engulfed and destroyed by a great tidal wave.
* In 37 DR, great tidal waves once again struck Calimshan and Tethyr.
* In 374 DR, on Midsummer Night, the Emerald Enclave, was founded on the island of Ilighôn.
* In 713 DR, a brief, tense peace ended and the Weeping War resumed between the Army of Darkness and Cormanthyr.
* In 681 DR, carelessly tended fires destroyed swathes of Calimport, Manshaka, and Schamedar.
*In 911 DR, forces led by the half-elf wizard warrior Vizar Bollus el Kahdan, doused the undercity of Calimport with oil and set it ablaze. Thinking the Dark Calimport power brokers and criminal organizations neutralized, he declared himself Syl-Pasha.
* In 920 DR, Ahghairon was born on Midsummer's Night, with Mystra's holy symbol said to be sighted in the night sky, but Ahghairon's Day was not celebrated until Eleasis 1.
* In 1358 DR, during the Time of Troubles, Mystra's avatar attempted to climb the Celestial Staircase and was destroyed by Helm.
* In 1370 DR, a Magefair near Qheldin's Mask descended into anarchy as three clones of Manshoon battle each other and the assembled spellcasters. No less than twenty three wizards, including one of the clones, are killed.
* In 1374 DR, the Risen Sun heresy gained widespread popularity when Daelegoth Orndeir, leader of the Brotherhood of the Glorious Sun faction within the church of Lathander, cast Amaunator's eternal sun into the skies above Elversult on the Dragon Coast, replacing the sun with a new, stationary one, and making it permanently high noon across the entire region.
* In 1374 DR, stingers (centaurlike scorpion-men) erupted from the Underdark and attacked Murann and settlements along the Trade Way from the Cloud Peaks to the Forest of Tethir. They demanded recompense for all treasure looted from Maztica.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===See also===
* Feast of the Moon
* Greengrass
* Highharvestide
* Midwinter
* Shieldmeet
* Spring Equinox
* Autumn Equinox
* Summer Solstice
* Winter Solstice
===Appearances===
:;Novels
::The Glass Prison
:;Video Games
::
===References===
Category:Chronology