An Najaf/Fall Festival 23.09.08/EventProgram

An Najaf Fall Festival

23 September, 1008

As tradition in An Najaf, every change of season is celebrated by all the folk. This year, the festival held two special honours, that of commemorating the Hero Duchess Amelia Bernstein, and hosting the wedding of Lady Katalynfae Dragul and Sir Jon Paul Ogren.

It is also An Najaf custom to hold various creative competitions for each festival. The Fall Festival is the time of the music competition. As such, this year's theme will be dedicated to Duchess Amelia.

Program of Events:

Morning

• Morning Procession: Gathering on the Plains of Aealys, near the Monument of the Fontan Civil War, the procession will travel from this centre to the ocean shore. Here the opening ceremony will be given by Count Armstrong Ironsides, Hero of the Democracy, and the Lighting of the Praise of Fire will occur.

Afternoon

• Parade of the 'Great Sage Pafizi': All communities will parade; women wearing the traditional clothing of An Najaf, males dressing as monkeys, the animal representation of the Great Sage.
• Collection of Material: All the children will go door to door collecting wood, leaves, skins and any other disposables to be used for the evening fire. The adults go door to door exchanging homemade wines for use in the Wine Parade in the evening.

• Wedding Ceremony

Evening

• Music Competition: The talents gathered in An Najaf will take stage and present their songs of/to Duchess Amelia. The major feast occurs during this event. The bards sing in turn while the spectators feast.
• Evening of a Thousand Torches: All of the collected material will be burned in the community centres. The many fires will light up the night for the next event.
• Wine Parade: All the people will celebrate the day by sharing the wines exchanged earlier. It is not so much a parade as no one really marches around, it is more of a big community drinking fest. Always the highlight of the festival.
• Evening Procession: If anyone is still awake or sober, the procession travels to the tree line north of An Najaf to douse out the Praise Fire. There is no official closing ceremony, everyone usually stammers back to their homes drunk or overly tired.

Record of the Merriment:

Morning Procession and Ceremony

Afternoon Celebration

Stories of the Fall Festival, Scroll One

Stories of the Fall Festival, Scroll Two

The Wedding Ceremony, Scroll One

The Wedding Ceremony, Scroll Two

Music Competition

Evening Celebration and Closing Ceremony