Holidays:

Every day is a day of celebration for elves; their love of music, poetry, and song imbues their lives with a festive air. However, there are particular days that elves traditionally commemorate. These celebrations, despite their rituals (or perhaps because of them), are the most anticipated days of the year.

Naturally, these days have a special significance attached to them, for they mark events in the hearts of elves. The following is a list of the major festivals elves celebrate each year, although it is by no means complete. Each gathering of elves will have other celebrations in addition to those below, each with its own unique observance. The holy days are presented in chronological order.

Self Seeking: Solitara or Solityne
Hammer "Deepwinter" (Start of January)
The seeking of self, or time of looking within, is a time of extreme introspection, evaluation and self-criticism, a day during which a person is supposed to see who and what they are, where they have been in the last year, and where they are going in the future. Most elves who observe this ritual will go into a self-imposed trance usually lasting 25 or so hours. Many have come out of such trances, new perspectives on life.

Day of Hearts: Re en’ Cormea
Alturiak "The Claw of Winter" (Mid February)
This day is taken for elves to honour those they love or hold dear to their hearts. By doing so they also honour Hanali Celanil by sharing the love she gave to all elves.


Springrite: Tuile`Eostra or Sheelala
Ches "The Claw of Sunsets" (Late March)
Melina Taralen represents Sheelala with her skill of musicianship. Although winter is seen as the turning point of the year, the vernal equinox (spring) represents a time of fertility among the elves, who spend this season engaged in the pursuits of romance and song. Elves spend the week around the equinox dancing and singing, involved in nothing but merriment. All important decisions and actions are postponed until the week is over. This is the time of year when most couples bond in marriage or announce that they are promised.


Faerieluck: Senek`Tama or Edhelie‘Marth
Tarsakh, "The Claw of the Storms" (Start of April)
This is a day in early spring when elves celebrate with their cousins—the pixies, leprechauns, and so forth as well as in honour of Everan Ilesere, the god of mischief and the goddess Aphrael. Too often elves forget their kinship with these other races, and this festival reminds them all of their relationship. Elves play jokes and tricks on one another throughout the day, and participants try to demonstrate their cleverness at the expense of another, while being careful not to damage anyone’s pride. The elves’ laughter lasts all year ‘round from the fun they have on this day.


Festival of the Four Winds: Wyndervere
Mirtul "The Melting" (Mid May)
This holiday is a celebration of the the elements and in particular the element of air. It is called the night of the 4 winds because legends claim that on this night the winds blow from all directions at once and the winds of limbo blow. In truth, strange happenings always mark this night.

Agelong: Sar`Maren or Faradome
Kythorn "The Time of Flowers" (Mid June)
Agelong is the celebration of the elven creation, the observance of the legendary battle between Corellon Larethian and Gruumsh One-Eye. This holy day serves to remind the elves of the presence of their enemies. In the footsteps of the Creator, Corellon Larethian, elves hunt their lifelong enemy orcs through the night. Keeping the warrior’s dream of completely dominating them alive. As god of the forest, Rillifane Rallathil also takes pleasure in seeing the elves take to the wood to destroy their enemy. On the night of the hunt, elves nick themselves with obsidian daggers and let their blood flow into the earth, simulating the bloodletting that made their existence possible. They then swoop down from their homes and kill as many orcs as they can find during this night.

Fallrite/Harvestfest: Lanta`Eostra
Eleint "The Fading" (Mid September)
As Springrite is to birth, so is Fallrite to death. Held during the autumnal equinox, Fallrite is a week long period when elves contemplate the spirits of their ancestors, the passage to Arvanaith, and the immediacy of death even in a nearly immortal lifetime. Unlike some races, elves do not hide behind merriment to avoid facing death, because they feel that death is merely a passing on to a different stage of life. The most important duties of the year and the most difficult decisions are reached during Fallrite. The elf kings and queens traditionally sit in judgment at this time of year to hear any capital cases.

Spirits Raising: Jaliss`Ishtel or Yavieba
Marpenoth "Leafall" (Late October)
Especially important to those who have died, Yavieba honors them and Sehanine by taking to the caves and graveyards and seeking out and destroying the undead. Retrieval of lost lore and knowledge is also looked highly upon during this day. Usually some sort of quest is granted by Sehanine, involving a particular creature to be slain or artifact to be found.

Festival of Fire: Kalenis
Uktar "The Rotting" (Mid November)
This is a holiday of rememberance of the many wars fought by the elves. It is a tradition that candles be lit, and carried from temple to temple throughout the night.

Yeartide: Tath`Neleutha or Yenearsira
Nightal "The drawing down" Winter Solstice (Late December)
Yeartide takes place during the winter solstice, marking the end of the death that autumn brings, and first day of Winterfest. On this day, the elves believe the earth is purified while she lies underneath her blanket of snow. Even in those regions where the sun doesn't rise and the snow lies eternally across the land, the winter solstice is seen as the changing of the old year into the new.

Elves honouring this holy day spend the day in the company of each other or alone in quiet meditation. They discuss quietly the past and share their thoughts on the future. They regard the human practice of ushering in the new year with feasting and drinking senselessly barbaric—the mark of people unable to truly understand the passing of time. Yenearsira honours Labelas Enorath’s effort in bringing longevity to all elves, as he is truly “father time”.

Other Important Celebrations

Wedding/Lifebond: Leutha`tala
Coming of age (25th birthday): Kentonmen
The Greying (900th birthday): Kaltahtha

_________________
-Ryoko
I’ve been playing at a new fun sever!

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