Xaltoria Calendar

These are the only remembered traditions prior to the Rending. They are still celebrated on both sides having been preserved by the Humans of Karatta. It is unclear which traditions were brought about by which race, but the High Elves claim only the Day of Passing, the Dwarves Claim New Years except for the crazy part of forgiving debts, and Humans claim the Feat of Xaltion. Holidays/Festivals Celebrated by all but Chaos Legions. Some of the Legions participate in the holidays if they choose to as they have been brought to the Swamps by the Goblins.

• First Snow – Weather based, Usually sometime in October or November – A long tradition passed down for centuries upon centuries where in humans celebrated the first time it ever snowed in their history. They felt that the pureness of the snow cleaned the world and covered all of the evil, killing all that was bad so that the new may rise and be stronger. To celebrate the First Snow, a winter get together was held around a bonfire on the night of the first snow of winter. Over the years, this evolved into a gift giving time of merriment. Everyone would come, festivals were held, gifts were traded and everyone gave thanks to Xaltion for cleaning their world.

Everyone goes out and cuts down the finest tree they can find (and that will fit in their home) and they bring it to their homes to ‘save it’ from dying in the winter. A tradition arose to decorate the tree, which evolved from women hanging socks on it to dry. This also turned into goodies being placed in the socks on the eve of the first snow for the children. This then evolved into hanging stockings near the fireplace as the tree was now decorated. (Kind of like Christmas with a twist.)

• Feast of Xaltion – Season Based usually in April on the 11th day - The first day of Spring, the human population rejoices as the world is now fully clean of all the vileness that there was before. Everything would now begin to grow new and fresh. It is tradition that many weddings take place on this date, and any young children born during the winter were not named till this day. This celebration often involves another festival where food is brought in abundance as most people ration it out during the winter months unsure of how long the hardship will last. This celebration has changed in that they no longer wait to name children till this date. Special bread is made at this time that is considered sacred.

• Fools Day – April 1st - It was on this day that King Brenatire asked Queen Andalonian to marry him. It was exactly 10 days before the feast of Xaltion where in the human tradition, the King and Queen were married. It had become a rather new custom for men to ask women to marry them on this day, and thus the term ‘fool in love’ gently applies.

• New Years – The first day of January is new years day. A huge celebration with great drunkenness and joyful expression of a chance to start life anew. As a tradition, most people forgive all grudges and debts, though that is a personal decision.

• Lovers Mark – February 14th - It is on this day that men interested in a woman would draw hearts on their hands with their names in it. Women would then walk around looking at men’s hands to see who was interested in them. It grew into a time where men became more bold by giving marks in the form of red roses to women they were interested in. It further evolved into more elaborate schemes between lovers and lovers to be.

• Simera’s Date – March 15th - The first time in noted history that a woman asked a man to marry her. It is customary on this date and the only day in the year that women are permitted to ask men to marry them. It grew into a more intricate tradition where married women give their husbands gifts and forbid them from going to work in the fields that day. Instead, the women go do the work and the men stay home and enjoy their gifts, which generally consisted of food and drink, although some women decided to stay home to and present the gift of their company. Unmarried women will send notes to men they are interested in without fear of being thought too forthcoming.

• Festival of the Sun – July 10th - July being traditionally the hottest month of the year would often become so temperate that people would strip to their underclothes and jump into lakes, rivers, or any other body of water they could find to get cool. This usually happened on the hottest day of July, which was between the 8th and the 14th. It turned into a tradition that was celebrated every July 10th where everyone got together, had a feast and swam and played in water all the day. This resulted in sly merchants and tailors attempting to capitalize on the day of glee by opening up stalls around the lake or river. Tailors made clothes they called Bathing Clothes that were especially for water play. They would sell their wares and merchants would sell theirs. Bakers joined the fray and it has since turned into a very wet and fun festival.

• Day of Passing – September first – The first day of fall when the leaves have all turned brown, it was tradition for the wind to be surprisingly strong. It would pull the dead leaves from the trees until all the forests were nothing but skeletons of bare branches. This was known as the day of passing and people traditionally mourn their dead. It is a private affair where families get together and mourn the passing of loved ones that year.