Mariëls Festival
Spring Events
It’s not quite clear, based on remaining physical writings, whether or not this festival originated prior to Postinen’s creation. Regardless, it is an incredibly popular holiday today that celebrates love and new life! The festival’s namesake, Mariël, was one of the land’s first settlers, a religious leader who took great pride in matchmaking between corceïs by the Vitae Ritual.
The official rituals performed would ideally help mates pairs be graced by Zoïta and blessed with fertility. They were said to have officiated more than 300 pairs back when the population was small and bloomed into the large nation it is today. Other tales spoke of their ability to declare fated mates with a single glance. After their passing, the Mariëls festival was created to continue their legacy.
Many mated Corseis still travel to various temples to be granted legal certification and to be seen as together under the gaze of Zoïta.
Celebrations
The festival lasts throughout the spring season, celebrating all of the blossoming plants and pleasant warming weather. All sorts of flowers and petals cover all of the shops and buildings, but the color red is the most traditional in most decor, including pink lights and heart shaped paper crafts.
Gifts are incredibly important in the season of courtship. These might include whatever might make a corseis extremely happy! Although most staples include chocolates and other candies, large bouquets of fresh flowers, and potentially handmade embroidery! Even though the holiday places a big emphasis on romantic attraction, gifts can be exchanged with anyone, family, friends, and crushes alike!
It’s not uncommon for a Corseis to wait for the Mariëls Festival to roll around before making a big move to start courting their romantic interests.
During this period, many parades also happen, especially on Callasta! Those parades are known for their extravagant outfits, with all sorts of fabrics and materials, groups from all kinds of dance schools get the chance to reunite to parade across avenues, performing with instruments and dances alongside beautiful floats, the most known being Ungula Melo! What we would describe as tap dance, it is also common for contests to happen between the schools, such contest happens every year during spring on Callasta, and most of the time, the schools will get the chance to choose a theme to perform for.