The UE (Universal Empyrean) encompasses a wide variety of cultures, each possessing its own unique customs, traditions, and festivals. These rituals and ceremonies provide an expansive tapestry that shapes the UE’s ever-evolving landscape and are integral to cultural learning and development. From the Feast of Incessancy in the Naught Isles to the Dragon Dance of the Arid Isles, festivals are a vital aspect of life for many UE citizens, serving as a celestial reminder of the importance of community and camaraderie.
The Nature of UE Festivals and Celebrations
Festivals are incredibly varied across the UE, each one offering an opportunity to experience ancient culture up close and indulge in local customs. Generally speaking, festivals usually signify the changing of the seasons, important religious occasions, or celebrate a particular harvest or annual event. However, they can also honour the achievements of specific communities or commemorate special eras in history.
UE festivals tend to be highly immersive and can take the form of impromptu street parades, prayer meetings, cooking competitions, processions, riverside pageants, displays of culture and lore, and folk performances. Some events, such as the Harvest Festival of the Twisted Isles, may revolve primarily around feasting and drinking, while others, such as the Festival of the Void in Barbados, do not involve food or drink at all.
Common Themes and Practices
Attendees of any UE festival can expect to find common threads such as music, dancing, parades, decorations, costumes, story-telling and celebratory foods. Many festivals combine eating, drinking and dancing with religious observances, often involving prayers for good luck and remembrance for revered ancestors. Many festivals also tend to focus on nature and the kinship of human and animal life, often with a custom of dressing in handmade animal costumes.
Furthermore, festivals often involve the crafting of special objects such as masks, decorations, religious icons and jewelry to serve as talismans of luck and protection. These items are typically gifted to family members, friends or local businesses. UE festivals are typically also celebrated with plant life, usually in the form of flowers or plants as gifts or sacrifices, in recognition of the cycles of life and the relationship between mother nature and its inhabitants.
Regional Celebrations
Below is a brief overview of some of the most iconic and celebrated UE festivals and celebrations.
The Feast of Incessancy – Naught Isles
This 200-year-old festival is one of the oldest in the UE and attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees every year. Hail from all across the UE come together to celebrate a long-held tradition of peace-loving and unity, as well as the celebration of individual accomplishments. Taking place in the Naught Isles, the festival commences with a grand opening gala and includes dedicated festivities spread over the course of several days.
Events include theatrical performances, music, art shows, carnival rides, feasts and an impressive fireworks show. There are also sporting competitions, including the athletic Battle of the Naught Isles, the marksmanship of the Golden Battle and a number of religious ceremonies. The Feast of Incessancy concludes with a collective prayer dedicated to the gods, asking for continued blessings and protection.
The Parade of Light – White Forest
The Parade of Light is a grand celebration of culture and unity, held annually in the White Forest on the eve of the summer solstice. Taking place at the Goddess Altar, the event is dedicated to the appreciation of all things magical. Locals dress up in handmade costumes made of cloth and straw, accompanied by dramatic make-up and lively music, in an ode to the exquisite beauty of their homeland.
The parade usually takes four days and includes a procession, walking around the sacred Goddess Altar to ponder the laws of nature and, as a testament to renewal, cleanse all accumulated darkness. The parade culminates in a long arcade fire and lantern lighting ceremony, which is said to bring luck and fortune to all those who witness it.
The Arid Isles Dragon Dance
This wild and memorable harvest ritual is held every year to commemorate the rise of the new harvest moon. The Arid Isles Dragon Dance is not just a celebration of nature and the abundance of crops, it’s about the relationship and deep appreciation of ancient dragons for all that they have done to protect and provide.
Many local villages incorporate dragon effigies into the parade, which usually takes place before the harvest moon and involves many warriors, artisans and animal handlers who bring an earnestness and solemnity to the festivities. A great dance of hundreds of masks and costumes, this event will astound you as you witness the mythical costumes up close and observe the formidable part that dragons play in the culture of the Arid Isles.
The Water Festival – Argyll
The Water Festival honours the crucial element of water and serves as a reminder of how vital it is for the survival of many cultures. Held in the city of Argyll, locals gather to enjoy a series of festivities around the water, including music, art and creative performances.
The festival typically begins with a prayer service dedicated to honouring life’s universal energy and continues with an array of activities that emphasise the harmonious and vital relationship between humanity and the environment. Items crafted in the form of fish, turtles and other marine creatures are gifted to the gods, as symbols of prayer and reverence.
UE festivals and celebrations reflect the diverse array of cultures that encompass the Universal Empyrean and serve as evidence of the area’s rich history and vibrancy. From the Parade of Light, a grand celebration of culture and unity, to the 200-year-old Feast of Incessancy, UE festivals offer a unique insight into vibrant and ancient cultures, providing a captivating and informative experience for UE citizens and visitors alike.
