Eldritch Rites, Observances, and Holidays

Basic Customs

• “We don’t put all the gifts together this way,” Araelis said. “They stay with the person who gives them, and the giver hand them out one at a time, to be opened.” She glanced at the bag before setting it in front of Bryer. “And all our gifts are wrapped in the same color. One color per person.”

Weddings

(Unless marked otherwise, sources are Laisrathera's Epilogue and Healer's Wedding chapter 20.)

Ceremony

It is customary for the bride and groom to be parted until the ceremony.

The priest and priestess stand behind the altar, and the groom waits in front of it, with his attendants at his side. (Jahir had Lisinthir, Vasiht'h, and Jeasa; Hirianthial presumably had at least Val, because otherwise why was Urise officiating?)

The bride processes in last, and alone, as a statement of agency and power, and stands next to the groom in front of the altar.

Reese remembers Liolesa and Urise speaking words "about love and duty, posterity, joy", and Sediryl remembers being "yoked by blood and honey, breath and mouth, hand and hand."

Bride and groom sip honey from a shallow bowl and exchange a brief kiss, then the priest binds their joined hands together with the binding cloth. (They do not traditionally touch before this step; Hirianthial removed his glove for it.) Then the priest and priestess pronounce them joined, and the groom walks around the bride so they can turn, still bound, to face their audience; this is symbolic of the groom's vow to put himself between the bride and danger.

Then they get to kiss again and go greet their guests briefly before leaving to consummate their bond.

Gifts

The bride gives the groom wedding gifts at some point during the ceremony. Reese gave Hirianthial a Laisrathera ring and a dagger to replace all the ones she kept losing. Sediryl skipped the material gifts, because being both disinherited and about to become royal heir, she could not give Jahir anything. (Her gift came before the ceremony, in the form of Vasiht'h bringing Healer KindlesFlame to Escutcheon.)

As his wedding gift, the groom traditionally pledges his life to his bride.

Troth gift (less politely, stud gift): "During the wedding is traditional for the bride to bestow gifts because she is invariably the one with the wealth. But if a man is pleased with the match he will bring his own offering to the marriage bed." Hirianthial gives Reese a eucalyptus seed, resurrected from the bead that she made from the tree back home on Mars (which was cut down after she left). Jahir gives Sediryl a memory of a kiss (selected and approved by Lisinthir).

Clothing and other colors

The binding cloth is "a long embroidered strip typically displaying the two House colors of the wedded couple." Reese and Hirianthial had apricot and gold for Laisrathera, bronze and burgundy for Jisiensire, and meeting in the center the unicorn that spoke of Hirianthial's royal blood. Jahir and Sediryl had blue fading to white at the center; on one side, an embroidered cluster of grape vines and rose blossoms, for Sediryl, and on the other, stars and a caduceus, for Jahir, and in the pale center, a fireburst for them both, flowered mind-mages.

Among the tenants, brides are wed in bleached gowns, symbolizing their devotion.

It is traditional for seal-bearers to marry in their House colors, so Reese wore apricot silk, embroidered in white and honey-gold. The tradition of marrying in House colors is not limited to the seal-bearer alone; both Jahir and Sediryl would ordinarily have worn Galare's blue and silver, except Sediryl did not want to wear colors that some might debate she deserved, and which would emphasize their consanguinity. Sediryl's dress was therefore cream and white and watered gold, and she wore gardenias in her hair. She also carried a lily.

Hirianthial wore wine-red velvet. Jahir wore lined shantung silk embroidered in pearls, in blue and white.

Feast

The feast at a noble's wedding lasts three days. It is not intended for the couple; it is instead a promise to the people that their nobles will provide for them, and that the marriage will bring greater prosperity and wealth. Whole roasted animals are traditional.

The happy couple is expected to make an appearance at the feast, but it is not at all untoward for them to leave it until the last day. It is considered a triumph if they do, hinting at many forthcoming years of marital bliss.

Births

Notes here about baptism/christening/godparents

Notes here about ceremonies for presentations of heirs, and the things Sediryl's mother mentioned doing when she named Sediryl her heir and then disinherited her

Come-Outs

Notes here about presentations of debutantes (and young lords), probably stuff about this in Girl on Fire

End of Year Celebrations

The Solstice Vigil

Shortest day of the year, also known as "Longest Night". A carryover from landing, the darkest night of the year proved to be the most dangerous, as they were frequently hunted by the predators of the planet. Men would stay outside to guard the homes (male guards and servants as well, for larger homes). Over time, as the creatures were hunted and buildings became more secure, the Solstice Vigil became more symbolic of protection and sacrifice.

Current tradition includes men gathering in the local chapels to keep the Vigil together until midnight, mulling "gentleman's punch", a strong drink typically not consumed by women. Different families have their particular recipes for this punch (the Seni recipe is notable for its extreme sweetness; the Nase punch smells of cardamom and oranges). The men then return to their houses to wait for the dawn with their families and partake of food and warm beverages. Once the men return home, gifts are exchanged among the family.

Women remain in the houses, in the past they would wait in the houses with candles, and often sing if there were several women waiting together. Several traditional songs exist, but usually need at least ten participants to sound right. Currently, women pass the time playing board games and consume mulled cider and pastries.

There is also the tradition of The Stranger - if someone unexpected arrives, they are welcomed into the home and offered the first of the food and drink (but usually do not receive gifts, as they were unexpected).

A candle is lit daily, from the Vigil to the New Year's Feast.

Lady's Day

Occurring a week after the Solstice Vigil, Lady's Day is when the lady of the House visits the largest town in her province in a carriage, carrying gifts for her people. Generally, these gifts are more symbolic, especially in larger towns where providing a gift for every person would be more challenging. Some traditional gifts include:

• Candy thrown from the carriage for children
• Money for the keeping of the town
• Logs, to promise providing warmth for the people
• Fruit to symbolize keeping her people fed
• Seeds to symbolize fertility
• Jisiensire provides horseshoes to symbolize wealth

After the gift-giving, the lady celebrates mass in the town's church (called Ladymass), in which the lady gives thanks for the gifts from the Goddess.

New Year's

A fest hosted at the castle, celebrating the past year and coming successes. All people of the province are invited, and often bring symbolic gifts to the Lady. There is much celebration, including dancing (more like line or square dancing, this "country" dancing involves someone standing on a pedestal calling out the dancing pattern of the moment). The main fire is allowed to go out this day.