Aquilegia/Festivals
Secular Festivals
Seasonal Flower Festivals
The peninsula on which Flowrestown and Flow are located is home to a stunning variety of flowering plants. In folk legends, it is said that a certain traveling botanist, searching for ways to make the Divide Mountains more aesthetically pleasing, traveled across eastern Dwilight, collecting, growing, and breeding several hundred-thousands of flowering plant species. The result in contemporary times is a land that is home to many species of annuals and perennials that bloom in regular cycles every season. Due to the ever-present flowering fields, even in winter, the local tradition always held a flower festival during the second week of each season, to display the colors of their land. Such a tradition was preserved during the establishment of Aquilegia.
The seasonal festivals are each given a unique name along with the season in which it occurs and the dominant flower color.
Golden Spring Festival to the Reborn Spirit: While the dominant flower color is more of a rich yellow, the traditional name has been "gold". This fair usually coincides with the spring thaw, but occasionally the last snowfall might occur during these festivals. During the two-day festival, people generally enjoy singing and dancing in the city square of Flowrestown where the largest fairs are held, and in the town squares of Flow. The original practice of this festival was a celebration to the goddess of life Ezili, and the fate-goddess of the future Sumri. However, such ancient beliefs are not seriously observed in contemporary Aquilegia, and are more akin to fantasy stories.
Violet Summer Festival to the Contented Spirit: As evident in the name, common colors of summer are shades of purple. Often the summertime is when people would take more leisure, to go outside to fish for fun rather than for subsistence or work, and to surf beneath the sun. Although occasionally rain might dampen the festival, almost always there is at least one day of bright sunshine during the four-day festival. The ancient tradition celebrated the goddess of light Oracii, and the fate-goddess of the present Asoar.
Crimson Autumn Festival to the Diligent Spirit: Red flowers complement and blend into the ambient red leaves of the autumn trees. Deep red and large blooms stand contrasted with the full fields ready for harvest. This is very clearly observed in Flow, where fields of green are juxtaposed with fields of red. In Turbul, this is less contrasting, as more land is dedicated to crops, and most of the fields take on the golden hue of wheat. The autumn festival is the shortest among the seasonal flower fairs. Only one day is given to formal celebration, but this is characterized by much drinking of beverages both alcoholic and not, and much lively entertainment in song and dance, and other sorts of entertainment. However for most farming communities the harvest season requires almost constant work in the fields, so in some parts of Flow and Turbul only half a day is given to festivities. In Flowrestown, where there is much less demand for agricultural work, inhabitants sometimes extend the festival to two days. During this time, weather generally varies. Some years it is very warm, almost summer-like. Other years, there is a lot of wind, and some years there is even the first snowfall during the autumn festival. The ancient tradition celebrated, not surprisingly, the goddess of the harvest Hesera, and the fate-goddess of the past Mrystra.
Azure Winter Festival to the Enduring Spirit: Even in winter, thanks largely to the efforts of Myrrhi, who brought over eight hundred species of flowers to the peninsula, there are flowering evergreens. Most of the blooms have white petals, but the festival takes its name from the rare blue flowers that grow seemingly at random. Legend says that these flowers, known as Myrrhi’s Footsteps, only grow along the path that the botanist traveled in her trek to the far north of Hvergelmir, in order to attain such a precious specimen. The festival officially lasts three days, because there is relatively little else to do during the winter if the autumn harvest was fruitful. Even in times of greater demand, the coastal fisheries are often enough to sustain even Flowrestown over the winter. During the festival period, snow cover is almost certain, and children can often be found having mock snowball fights. Instead of public partying as in the other seasonal fairs, during the winter festival, there are relatively few people outside, and most of those outdoors are flower merchants and well-wishers. Most people take the time to visit family, as rural folk often take rides with the ox carts into Flowrestown, or city folk take the outgoing carriages to the towns or villages of Flow and Turbul. The ancient tradition celebrated the goddess of snow Ferumone and the fate-goddess of eternity Descutora.
