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Nimmireth is often marked by the seeing the first morels sprout from the island. As such they are a commonly used decor for the holiday. As this marks new life most commonly Nimmireth celebrates youth. Many sweets are made to hand to kids, and often this day is a very playful one with adults feeling like a kid again themselves. The blessing of children, as well as the celebration of aging into adulthood, are key aspects of this holiday.

Coming of age ceremonies can vary greatly from culture to culture, but all of them host a key aspect that in order to be considered for adulthood at this ceremony those around you granting passage must be able to speak of ways in which you help your community and the land without being asked. In turn the youth will reply with gratitude and humility at the recognition, and present for themselves how they intend to care for the land as a now adult member of the community. This is done in all kinds of unique ways that reflect their own families, cultures, and personal interests. The community  will then either accept the new adult with a "We welcome you" and adorn them with a crown of mushrooms, or reject the claim and the child will try again the following year (this pretty much doesn't happen, but many chide their teen children with the threat to get them to behave).  

Those with mushroom crowns are often given gifts by their families and even just strangers in the community celebrating the day with fond memories of their own coming of age. Smaller children often color on paper mushroom crowns, with the toddlers arguing with adults that this means they are all grown now and deserve extra special treats just like their older sibling. Those with babies will decorate their bassinets extra special for this holiday, considering them spring blessings from the land itself, using flowers and mushrooms indicative of the mushroom crown they will "one day grow into".

Holiday Colors and Plants

Pastel tones

Morels

light green fresh twigs

columbines

foxglove

new jersey tea

spring beauty

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For those who live nomadically on the island Arda marks the start of the great trade meets. Dancing, music, and feasts with huge crowds of people begin, often lasting for days at a time. Because of how many participate in these trades Arda became associated with trading itself. Many on the islands cherish tea and herbal blends, and so in many ways Arda is one giant tea festival. Tea leaves are carved into decor throughout, and many give custom tea blends as personal presents to friends and family featuring berries, flowers, and all kinds of things they may have found that season as they traveled. This also invites people to share stories with one another of how their year went, and bond as a community.

Because the trade meet always ended with cleaning up camp together even those celebrating in the city end their Arda holiday by gathering up any "trash" (all natural of course) made from the holiday, building an offering circle, and burning it in a bonfire. These burn scars often spore many delicious mushrooms the following year and it is seen as the blessing of the land.

Holiday Colors and Plants

Bright colors

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The opposite to Nimmireth, Faelivrin celebrates the elderly and the past ancestors of the community. This is the time when the mushrooms are most abundant, essential to everyone's way of life. The growth of the mushrooms is attributed in part to the wisdom and guidance of those who came before you. Because fall also marks the rainy season it comes with a return of the natural fog and cloud cover that covers the island. The protective Mysts allow the mushrooms to once again sprout from the earth in abundance. This is attributed to peoples ancestors who have safely passed the journey through the Isles (the guardian of the afterlife), protected by the Mysts to become mushrooms themselves.

Most celebrate fall with large offerings of plentiful food and mushrooms adorned with photos of lost loved ones. It is traditional to gather for stories from the elderly in the community, and often people celebrate the day before the stories at nightfall by helping the elderly in the community with any chores that would now be difficult at their age such as packing their cloth home for traveling or processing their foraged harvest. This serves the dual purpose of helping elderly community members who may be too stubborn to accept help be able to embrace the assistance without shame or feeling as though they can no longer contribute.

Decor is much like any autumn festival and is filled with fall leaves and bright squash.

Holiday Colors and Plants

Oranges, reds, yellows

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Lumeanar is named in part because the holiday surrounds aspects of the White Plateau to the North. The Land that is said to be as bright as the moon itself and stuck in a permanent winter where nothing can grow. Every year when the land falls into the longest night it is said that the spirit of the frostfire forest visits covering the land in darkness. This was rather terrifying sounding for young ones, so quickly as part of the tradition creatures began to integrate bioluminescent mushrooms for colorful lights, saying that no matter how barren the land gets you can always find life on the island if you look for the lights which are harvested in the north.

To "combat" the spirit of the frostfire forest it is believed you must recreate the Arda spirit and bring around the longest day. Many choose to travel for the holidays to see close loved ones, exchange teas and gifts, and burn fires to stay warm and serve as mini Arda bonfires. Gifts are usually wrapped, to represent the covering of the night which is said to blind you to any gifts that come from the land (and since everything comes from the land, it all gets wrapped!). Lots of people decorate nearby trees, their dwellings, or their flower pots with strings of bright red winter berries to reflect the abundance of berries during Arda.

Despite its dark sounding origins due to the colorful lights and warm memories together for many it is their favorite holiday, and it is particularly fun to adorn things in bright Arda colors during the grey of Lumeaner, so many create great colorful decorations, and maybe take it a little too far with the gifts on occasion.

Holiday Colors and Plants

red, green, blue

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