New Year

## Description

The New Year Holiday celebrates family continuity, and is intended to motivate the Hive population to have enough children to ensure the Hive's future. Since everyone spends it with their families, the festival can be painful for people cut off from them. It takes place in winter.

### New Year Festival Song

Based on the music of an ancient New Year song

*Here we come a singing so fair to be seen*,

*Through Burgundy, Red, and Orange Zones, to Yellow and to Green*.

*Love and joy come to you*,

*And to friends and neighbours too*.

*And we wish you good fortune in the coming New Year*.

*And we wish you a happy New Year*.

*Here we come a bringing good fortune chocolate*,

*To Turquoise, Blue, and Navy Zones, to Purple and Violet*.

*Love and joy come to you*,

*And to friends and neighbours too*.

*And we wish you good fortune in the coming New Year*.

*And we wish you a happy New Year*.

## Celebrations

Family groups dress in festival outfits, especially on the top levels of the Hive. Children traditionally wear white. Families assemble in their local parks, where free festival food and drink is served to everyone.

On the eve, as midnight approaches they go to the nearest south bound express belt to await the "New Year", an actor dressed all in white with a long white beard, whose passage into their corridor marks the start of the new year. He is followed by Lady Luck, dressed in gold, who throws chocolates to the waiting people. To ensure good luck for the coming year, the chocolates must be eaten while twelve costumed figures ringing bells pass. This is especially important for those who will undergo Lottery in the new year.

## Events

As part of the 3-days of celebrations there are many events that are held for the families to participate in and buffet style meals are brought into the parks for everyone.

### Day 1 Events

#### Circle of Life Service

Run by a Hiveist ministrant that incorporates Hive Duty Song #10 as part of the service.

“*The Hive is our world*.

*It houses and feeds us*.”

“*The Hive is our world*.

*It guards and protects us*.”

“*The Hive is our world*.

*We delight in its service*.”

“*The Hive is our world*.

*Our family and friends*.”

“*The Hive is our world*.

*And we are the Hive*!”

"..*those who walk the step of new life*,” is the first circle for the newly expectant couples and those that have given recent birth. “*The surrogate mother walks the step of new life during the first New Year festival after she becomes pregnant. The parents who’ll be raising the child walk the step of new life in the following New Year festival*.”

The next path-of-life "Childhood step" is for the very young children dancing waving white streamers.

The next circle is for the the rising teens (ages 10-12) then the teens ages 13-18 (before lottery). The teen circle always ends with a minor act of rebellion that changes from year-to-year. After the teens did their ribbon dance for New Years 2533, they pulled out a Halloween mask and put it on, then shouted out ...

“There is no light without darkness, and no darkness without light.”

Next came the New Adult Step where all of those that came out of the 2532 lottery paraded around in a circle and then bowed to the audience.

Then the new relationship step, where all of those that shared the New Year Lovers kiss and are starting a new serious relationship, parade around in a circle then end it with a sedate kiss.

There are more steps that were not described in *Adversary*.

#### Revels

After the opening event, there is an hour of free time for everyone to send out and read New Year messages then there is the
official Teen Party and dancing for the adults.

### Day 2 Events

#### Pageant

Depicts the history of the hive being built starting with Burgundy zone. The pageant starts very early in the morning and is rather long and confusing with sedate boring music. Lucas figures out what is going on in the pageant and the reason why it is early in the morning and boring. He guesses that Joint Hive Treaty requires that everyone is taught the History of their Hive but the Hive itself doesn't want people thinking about any other way of living.

#### Amateur Sports contests

There are various sporting events, such as:

* Rising Teens "Sponge battle"
* Teen and Adult "Running the rails"
* Teen and Adult "one cor dash"
* Skydiver pillar attack and defense
* Long jump

## Decorations

Traditionally the decorations are white lights that include a heavy emphasis toward children. Children under 10, are traditionally dressed in all white.

## Summary

The New Year festival plays an important part in Borderline. Amber's telepath unit will close down for the festival, since it is essential for new telepath units to not lose the vital connection and support of their families.

The start of festival takes place at the end of *Borderline*, but the whole book is full of preparations and discussion of its meaning. The rest of the festival opens *Adversary* along with a host of problems for Amber.

## See also

* Hive England
* Festivals
* Hiveism
* Teen Games

## References

### Citations

1. ↑ Edwards, Janet. Borderline (Hive Mind Book 4) (p. 458). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Edwards, Janet. Adversary (Hive Mind Book 5) (p. 10). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Edwards, Janet. Adversary (Hive Mind Book 5) (p. 163-164). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.
4. ↑ Edwards, Janet. Adversary (Hive Mind Book 5) (p. 174). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.
5. ↑ Edwards, Janet. Borderline (Hive Mind Book 4) (p. 132). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.
6. ↑ Edwards, Janet. Borderline (Hive Mind Book 4) (p. 85). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.

### Bibliography

* Edwards, Janet. *Borderline (Hive Mind 4)* (2019). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition
* Edwards, Janet. *Adversary (Hive Mind 5)* (2023). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition