Aperonian Holidays

The following is a list of some of the major holidays and events in the Aperonian Calendar.

Earthwalker's Day
A holiday celebrated around midsummer and reserved for lovers, married couples, or unrequited love. It's held in honor of the Earthwalker and his long quest to reunite with his true love, the star Alethia. Common celebrations include festivals, games, exchange of sweets, and fireworks. In the Downlands, these are often followed up with a solemn prayer at the nearest chapel dedicated to the Earthwalker.

Star's Day
A sister holiday to Earthwalker's day, this is held in the dead of winter, not long before Nai Alban. A decidedly more somber occasion, Star's Day is meant to be a day of reflection and a reminder to cherish one's loved ones. In the Downlands, the day is usually marked by a special, extended service at Earthwalker's chapels. Between the two events, Star's Day is more common in the Downlands, as Uplanders tend not to observe the religious connotations for Earthwalker's Day and Star's Day beyond the most shallow reminders. In the uncommon event that Star's Day is observed in the Uplands, services tend to be held at temples dedicated to Nosbalada.

Harvest Festival
In Aperion, the Harvest Festival is a holiday primarily celebrated by Downlanders. It is a day when families gather together, some traversing many, many miles to be with their relatives, to celebrate the end of the gathering season. It is considered to be the last large holiday of the year for many Downlanders; they celebrate the holiday with large groups, even entire townships, as a way of celebrating good food and good company before many farmers go into a sort of “hibernation” during the winter, when long journeys are rarely made and families keep to their homesteads. There is, of course, a feast, as well as rituals to give thanks to the gods. There is even a large trading aspect; those who have had poor crops that year are given some of the surplus of their neighbors in a gesture of goodwill and community. These gifts are considered loans, as the unfortunate farmer is expected to return the favor should misfortune fall upon any of his other neighbors.

Though the community event is a large reason for the holiday, one other important aspect is a celebration of the Earthwalker. Many Downlander rituals and holidays focus on the deity, but none so much as the Harvest Festival. The feasts are traditionally open to any who wander by. This rule was established early on, not only as a polite guideline but as a way to offer a hearty meal to the shifting Wanderer they worship, should he stop by. According to legend, winter is the time of the year where the Earthwalker’s mood is most dour. He, like the land, usually goes into a deep sleep. The Festival is a way of communicating to him that hope is not lost, that his trek has given the people life and sustenance once more.

Nai Alban
As opposed to the Harvest Festival, the Winter Solstice (known by Downlanders and Uplanders alike as Nai Alban) is a small celebration for Downlanders. Most winters are spent at home, so with the exception of a few people, Nai Alban is spent primarily with the immediate family of the household. The Harvest Festival, then, is often the last chance to see many people until the spring.

All-Harbor's Weekend
A weekend during which Rovers gather from across Aperion in large fesitvals. It's largely known as a time for those who call the skies their home, whether they are merchants, privateers, Silverwings, or even simple wanderers, to trade stories and experiences. Many rovers will make long voyages to return to the same gathering location every year; others make it a point to visit a new place every time.

The gathering spots are as varied as their attendees. They can be held in the midde of a valley or on the outskirts of the city, though most major cities have long ago made ordinances establishing how many miles out from town Homecomings are premitted to occur. One of the largest is held outside the City of Shipwrights, Eurydice's Peak, though it competes in popularity with one held on the shores of Bala's Tear Lake. It seems the only rule among rovers is that the Homecoming must be held above the Lower Bank.

Unification Day
A holiday that celebrates the day Blood King Gabriel Flynn declared Aperion a complete nation. Despite this patriotism, many people throw parties celebrating the history of the provinces they live in, romanticizing the Indomitus Wars and dressing up in costumes resembling the people who held the former territories before Blood 1.