Changeling Festivals

The Kithain celebrate a number of holidays and festivals during the year that reinforce their connection to the Dreaming.

Overview
Holidays and Festivals occupy a prominent place in a changeling's life. These times of celebration not only serve as times when mortals move a little closer to the Dreaming, they also serve as a time for the Kithain to remember the traditions these holidays honor and this brings them back in touch with their lost past.

Importance of Holidays
The fae use holidays as an excuse to use Glamour, thereby putting it back into a world leeched of its vivifying energies. Also, they are occasions when changeling and humans may interact without fear of attracting too much Banality because during these special times Banality and disbelief are at an ebb-flow as most celebrations are innately supernatural in aspect as they defy reason. Children believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny and adults get to act as if they do too for a short time, or at least in the symbols of gifts and replenishment, and live brief periods of rekindling the fires of the imagination. Some changelings believe that if everyday was a holiday than mortals could finally loose all care and rationalizations and dream free once more.

The changeling calendar holds many holidays because, as it medieval times, it is a way to keep track of the pacing year. Before the Shattering festivals marled the cycle of Seelie and Unseelie rule. Since the Resurgence, many of the old traditions have fallen aside but the forms remain constant as the seasons progress. New holidays have arisen to take the place of old ones but the procession of festival continues.

The Festivals
During certain times of the year, those of these major festivals, all Kithain gather to celebrate the Dreaming. The following festivals are held in common by both Courts and are the major holidays of Changeling life.
 * Imbolc, February 2nd, is a celebration of the Balefire
 * Carnival, February 28th, celebrates the unity between the Nobles and Commoners
 * The Greening, April 4th, informally celebrates the beginning of Spring
 * Beltaine, May 2nd, traditionally marked the beginning of the Seelie half of the year
 * Highsummer Night, July 17th, celebrates freedom
 * Pennons, October 4th, celebrates the arts of war
 * Samhain, October 31st, traditonaly celebrates the beginning of the Unseelie half of the year.