Crepus Holidays

## Day of Rebirth

The last day of Viridilune is dedicated to a day of thanks to Vita for the rebirth of another year. While technically the last day of a year, the people of Crepus are celebrating the coming of the new year. The traditions of holiday are mostly solemn ones, meant to promote prayer, thankfulness, and reflection on the cycle of life and death, but as the following week is one of festivities , even the solemn occasion has become a lively and cheerful.

## Festival of the Dragons (New Years)

The New Year starts on the first day of Summer. While the previous day is the celebration of rebirth, New Years Day itself begins the Festival of the Dragons which is a rotating five year festival. Each of the five years is dedicated to a celestial direction, North, East, South, West, or Center, and the Dragon's who have dominion over it. This festival fills an entire week with the highest forms of celebration taking place on Half-day and High-day.

### The North Festival

The first year of the five year cycle is dedicate to Canus, the Giver of Knowledge, and his wife Livena, the Mother of Mysteries. Silver and Blue are the festival colors, and it is a time to honor the old and wise among the people. Merchants often stock up on magical charms, foreign curiosities and evenings are filled with games of chance, riddle contests, and guessing games.

### The East Festival

While the God of Storms is not often worshipped outside of the sailors craft, the festival dedicated to Crocus is not just celebrated out of necessity. The watcher dedication to protecting the world and the heavens is celebrated with the people renewing their vows and dedication. The God of the Journey sparks people to travel outside of their isolated lives and see some part of the world around them. The festival of Crepus is a time to be reminded of the great quests and journeys that have been untaken by men and women in all walks of life.

The East Festival has several traditions regarding gems of all colors. The gems are believed to be the representation of the lightning Crocus and his priests are known to wield, and craftsmen across the known world often compete to build contraptions and ways of reflecting light through the precious stones. Even among the peasants, colored glass prisms, quartz and other crystals, and even colorfull rocks are use in decorations.

### The South Festival

Though few worship Crocus directly, even fewer worship Aurum the Gold. Much of the festivities is dedicated to Aurum's daughter Recena the Maiden, the Goddess of Nature. Living, picked, and crafted flowers adorn nearly every free surface, and it is almost considered sacrilegious to hold a major part of the South Festival indoors. The vast majority of engagements take place in these years, while bizarres and circuses that specialize in animal performances are always especially popular.

Aurum is not ignored however. During the South Festival it is considered taboo to turn away a stranger without some sort of aide if it is asked.

### The West Festival

By far one of the most loved festivals, the celebration of Aes and Sorrell is filled with mirth and merry. As it celebrates the Great Trickster, masquerades are especially popular. Fortune tellers claiming blessing from the Blind Lady can be seen on nearly every corner. Children dress up and run through the streets on Half-day calling for candies and treats to save the citizens from pranks. Common men are reminded by continuous stories from bards of the love of a god who chose to leave the heavens to help mankind, and his devoted loving wife who was raised from being a mere blind human girl to the heavens. Their love is also celebrated by numerous weddings, with some peasants living in "causal" marriages so their formal wedding can be done during the festival.

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