What Every Gaian Should Know About Winterfest
Winterfest is the Gaian celebration of the Winter Solstice. It is considered one of the biggest holidays of the year, a time for friends and family. The holiday is a week long in duration, starting on December 18th and ending on the 24th. The biggest day of the holiday falls in the middle when the actual Solstice takes place on the 21st with extra special traditions that take place and grand parties thrown well into the night, for the night itself is the longest of the year.
All through the week, friends and families go visiting, spreading good will and cheer to those they know. Each house traditionally has a warm brew of spiced wine or mulled cider waiting for impromptu guests. A hallmark of the holiday is the increase in generosity, giving to those less fortunate, opening homes to strangers and looking to perform small acts of kindness. The giving of gifts is also customary. Traditionally, these gifts were of a practical nature: candles to stave off the dark, stacks of wood to combat the cold of winters, a new cloak to brace against the chilly winds, a rich cake made of dried fruits and nuts to keep hunger at bay. In more recent times, people have begun giving gifts of all sorts, not merely the traditional ones. As the giving has grown and spread, children have gotten increasingly fascinated with the holiday as it's moved away from giving to getting. Some particularly excited little ones even begin writing lists of what they want, the most eager as early as the end of November.
Feasting occurs all week as well, with the richest and best dishes possible being made. Roasted fowl make a grand showing on each table, usually accompanied by roasted root vegetables, dried fruits, nuts and the finest cheeses the family can procure. Among the traditional fare is a rich jelled dessert called Black Pudding, so called for its resemblance to those suspicious and squishy Flans that lurk in the Mist. Superstition has it that the dark creatures frolic and mate on the Long Night, and by eating Black Pudding, it scares them away from the home. There's a decadent chocolate cake simply dubbed the Yule Log, so named because it looks like a felled log with little meringue mushrooms. A favorite among the children are Snow Cakes, which are tiny hand-held cakes covered in whipped cream and topped with preserved cherries in the center. The aesthetic behind such an offering is that it takes on the appearance of a fire melting away the snow. Another favored treat with the little ones is the famous Candy Ring. These started centuries ago as simple cooked sugar formed into a ring to be given to children. Over the years, candymakers have attempted to showcase their talents, making said rings look more and more realistic whenever possible and becoming more grandiose (and sometimes ridiculous) with their attempts. This has resulted in women making pleas for their own rings- of the real variety.
Following the dinner of the night of the Solstice, families progress outside and hang bits of food on the trees for the animals so that they too may survive the coming winter. In Lindblum, being such an urban area, most families don't bother with the outdoor revelry and choose instead to have a tree cut and brought into the home, and choose to decorate it there. Other Gaians consider this both pointless and wasteful. However, out of necessity, at the end of the holidays, the family tree is chopped up and used for firewood.
Other decorations include the hanging of evergreen boughs inside the home, usually bunched and tied with ribbons. It's said that the prickly points of the branches will keep malicious spirits away from the house and hearth for the longest night of the year. These are done on the first night of the week and has come to be called Hanging of the Greens. Candles also make a prominent display in homes, as their light is meant to keep away the darkness of the Solstice. It's considered unlucky and ill-favored for a candle or fire to go out during the week, so both are carefully watched and guarded by the elderly and very superstitious.
Of the most anticipated and lively traditions to the holiday week is the forgiving of debts and role reversal. At the start of the week, outstanding debtors are to be forgiven what is owed, and minor criminals released from jail. Servants become masters in the houses they serve and children rule the home. Pranks and childish antics are overlooked by all but the most staid and straightlaced souls.
All through the week, friends and families go visiting, spreading good will and cheer to those they know. Each house traditionally has a warm brew of spiced wine or mulled cider waiting for impromptu guests. A hallmark of the holiday is the increase in generosity, giving to those less fortunate, opening homes to strangers and looking to perform small acts of kindness. The giving of gifts is also customary. Traditionally, these gifts were of a practical nature: candles to stave off the dark, stacks of wood to combat the cold of winters, a new cloak to brace against the chilly winds, a rich cake made of dried fruits and nuts to keep hunger at bay. In more recent times, people have begun giving gifts of all sorts, not merely the traditional ones. As the giving has grown and spread, children have gotten increasingly fascinated with the holiday as it's moved away from giving to getting. Some particularly excited little ones even begin writing lists of what they want, the most eager as early as the end of November.
Feasting occurs all week as well, with the richest and best dishes possible being made. Roasted fowl make a grand showing on each table, usually accompanied by roasted root vegetables, dried fruits, nuts and the finest cheeses the family can procure. Among the traditional fare is a rich jelled dessert called Black Pudding, so called for its resemblance to those suspicious and squishy Flans that lurk in the Mist. Superstition has it that the dark creatures frolic and mate on the Long Night, and by eating Black Pudding, it scares them away from the home. There's a decadent chocolate cake simply dubbed the Yule Log, so named because it looks like a felled log with little meringue mushrooms. A favorite among the children are Snow Cakes, which are tiny hand-held cakes covered in whipped cream and topped with preserved cherries in the center. The aesthetic behind such an offering is that it takes on the appearance of a fire melting away the snow. Another favored treat with the little ones is the famous Candy Ring. These started centuries ago as simple cooked sugar formed into a ring to be given to children. Over the years, candymakers have attempted to showcase their talents, making said rings look more and more realistic whenever possible and becoming more grandiose (and sometimes ridiculous) with their attempts. This has resulted in women making pleas for their own rings- of the real variety.
Following the dinner of the night of the Solstice, families progress outside and hang bits of food on the trees for the animals so that they too may survive the coming winter. In Lindblum, being such an urban area, most families don't bother with the outdoor revelry and choose instead to have a tree cut and brought into the home, and choose to decorate it there. Other Gaians consider this both pointless and wasteful. However, out of necessity, at the end of the holidays, the family tree is chopped up and used for firewood.
Other decorations include the hanging of evergreen boughs inside the home, usually bunched and tied with ribbons. It's said that the prickly points of the branches will keep malicious spirits away from the house and hearth for the longest night of the year. These are done on the first night of the week and has come to be called Hanging of the Greens. Candles also make a prominent display in homes, as their light is meant to keep away the darkness of the Solstice. It's considered unlucky and ill-favored for a candle or fire to go out during the week, so both are carefully watched and guarded by the elderly and very superstitious.
Of the most anticipated and lively traditions to the holiday week is the forgiving of debts and role reversal. At the start of the week, outstanding debtors are to be forgiven what is owed, and minor criminals released from jail. Servants become masters in the houses they serve and children rule the home. Pranks and childish antics are overlooked by all but the most staid and straightlaced souls.