Winter Solstice Festival

The Winter Solstice is a traditional festival in Elbaf.
==Overview==
According to the beliefs of Elbaf, every year, a Winter Solstice Festival is held to celebrate "the death and rebirth of the sun". It is said that afterwards, the sun's warmth will return to end the winter season.
Before the festival, it is custom to fast for twelve days. However, before fasting, the citizens eat semla for nutrition during that time. It is believed that the more one has trouble with the fasting, the more he or she will appreciate the return of the sun.
==Known Participants==
*Elbaf's Giants
**Jarul
**Jorul
**Oimo
**Kashii
**Gerd
**Hajrudin
**Raideen
**Stansen
**Road (anime only)
**Goldberg (anime only)
*Sheep's House residents
**Carmel
**Charlotte Linlin
==History==
===Before the Fasting===
Sixty-three to sixty-two years ago, Charlotte Linlin learned about this tradition from her friend Gerd during her stay on Elbaf. Although skeptical about the lack of food for twelve days, Linlin was excited for the traditional semla the giants had before the fast, to the point of eating more than anyone and nearly deprived everybody else of it, and had to be restrained. At the beginning of the semla consumption, the villagers gave a toast to celebrate the births of Prince Loki, Goldberg, and Road as well as for the growth of all the children.
===The Evil Spirit Called Linlin and Carmel's Miracle===
Linlin had experienced difficulties during the first half of the fasting, but on the seventh day, Linlin started one of her rampages on Elbaf and demanded semla. Gerd called Mother Carmel to the scene. However, by the time Carmel arrived to the village, Linlin had already destroyed most of it, leaving several adult giants lying on the ground, while others carrying their fallen comrades away from the flames. Jorul confronted Linlin, calling her an "evil spirit" unworthy to pay thanks to the sun and ignored Carmel's plea for forgiveness as he swung his sword towards Linlin. The rampaging Linlin retaliated, shattering the sword and fatally injured Jorul before the giants calmed her by giving her semla. Carmel used her powers to suppress the flames into a sentient mini-sun but claimed that the sun god calmed the fires. Jorul used his last breath to call the other giants to bring judgement onto Linlin, so Jarul attempted to kill the child, only to reluctantly spare her when Carmel pleaded for mercy. Regardless, Jorul died from his injuries and this incident, known throughout Elbaf as the and , was what earned Linlin the hatred of the giants, even those beyond Elbaf.
==Trivia==
*The festival is for a phenomenon called "the " which is the name given for the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year.
*The fasting might be a reference to , with the feast before the fasting resembling .
** was also traditionally eaten on , the last day of eating before Lent.
**Another word for Semla is fastelavnsbolle which translates to fast-evening bun, hence is the reason why people fast after eating Semla.
**The duration of twelve days might imply that it starts on December 21st (Winter Solstice day) and ends on January 1st of the next year. Alternatively, it may also be based on the Twelve Days of Christmas.
*As the giants recount the legends of the Sun God Nika, the winter solstice celebration of the "rebirth of the sun" might be a reference to Nika's eventual return to the world.
==References==
==Site Navigation==
ca:Festival del Solstici d'Hivern
es:Festival del Solsticio de Invierno
ru:Фестиваль Зимнего Солнцестояния
fr:Festival du Solstice d'Hiver
pl:Święto przesilenia zimowego
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