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====== Seasonal Feasts: Winter Solstice ======

So it's the Winter solstice. Seeing as how this is supposed to be one of the high holy days in The Bright Way, I should probably flesh it out a bit.



The Seasonal Feasts are meant to be considered together, as though they are in fact a single discontiguous celebration. They are preceded by a week (12-day period) of fasting and prayer.



The themes present in the celebration include the passage of time, the nature of the universe as a a work wrought by the Creator, and the yinrih's place within that creation, infinitessimal in scale but infinitely beloved. Light, is of course a huge part of the Bright Way generally, but it is given special focus on the seasonal feasts. Winter is a time both for mourning its absence and looking forward to its return.



Each feast also focuses on a different stage of the yinrih's life cycle, with winter devoted to death, naturally enough. This is the time when the bones decorating the facade and interior of the lighthouse are cleaned and a meticulous inventory taken. Every bone is associated with its owner, and care is taken to avoid desecration of the remains, intentional or accidental.



There is a tradition of giving gifts on this feast, although the gifts are meant to be experiential rather than material--things like food, perfumes, or even the performance of a piece of music or telling of a story. The transient nature of these experiences is meant to serve as a momento mori.



The appropriate seasonal greeting is "Take heart, for the days grow longer."



{{tag>religion}}