Festival of Oleani
The Festival of Oleani celebrates the goddess of fertility, love and spring taking place annually on the 20th of Ivastaen (May).
Honoring the passing of winter and heralding the arrival of Spring, the Festival of Oleani centers upon weddings, the blessing of fields, new love, and new births. While not all cultures celebrate the day specifically as a way of honoring Oleani, there are many celebrations that take place centering upon this day and season.
Regional Variations
Chastonia Lifting
A curious yearly custom known as "lifting" is followed by the peasantry of this region, wherein a person sitting on a chair or stool is lifted from the ground three times in succession. In the morning of the Festival of Oleani the men lift the women, and in the evening the women lift the men. The person being lifted is expected to give a few silvers to all those who exalt him in the name of good luck.
Festival of Feathers
After the annual migration to their summer homes, the T'Kirem Bear Clan, Grishknel Wolf Clan, Araime Sun Clan, and Maeramil Wind Runner Clans gather for the Festival of Feathers. This multiday celebration marks the onset of spring and serves as a unique courting ritual. Over several days, giantkin, especially young lovers, roam the mountainsides in search of tertiary and primary feathers shed by the migrating birds. These feathers symbolize the promise of love and the renewal of life. It's a tradition deeply ingrained in the giantkin culture that feathers are never taken but only found, respecting nature's gifts. During the festival, these feathers are presented to potential mates as tokens of affection and commitment. If accepted, the feathers are carefully woven into the recipient's hair or beard, symbolizing their mutual dedication to the budding relationship. However, this festival is not just for potential mates but also to honor those that have been paired for a long time. Older lovers, having weathered the seasons together, often exchange smaller feathers, recognizing that it's the small gestures and moments in life that strengthen their bond over time. These smaller feathers represent the enduring love built upon shared experiences and the passage of time. Much as the halflings have their wedding boxes that house their handfasting cords, giantkin have sacred clothes fashioned of supple pieces of suede. These cloths carefully wrap the feathers a couple has shared through their lifetime. When a giantkin passes, the feathers go with them into the flame. This festival is not only about finding mates, since it is rare to have so many clans gathered together, there are often apprenticeship exchanges that take place.
Additional Notes
- Atan Irith: In general, erithi and Inyexat do not celebrate this holiday, but many traveling to Elanith partake in local festivities.
- The Great Piratical Flotilla: With their love for revelry, a fertility celebration is a cause for a raucous meeting aboard the flotilla by many. They focus less on love and Spring and more on the other components. This is not, however, a particularly specific or special flotilla celebration.
- Elven Nations: While there is no particular celebration practiced within the Nations, elves often host dinner parties and other social occasions in the gardens to better showcase the flora and foliage that bloom with the Spring season.