The Harvest Coloring

Popular among the savannas of northern Aplor, The Harvest Coloring is celebrated once per year, after farmers plant their first crops around early Bloom.¹ It is a both a celebration of the agriculture that sustains their civilizations, and an offering to the Kriun twin Gods of Gyteus and Usoi for a bountiful harvest.²

Execution

Each year, those attending the Harvest Coloring are expected to wear all white clothing and bring a bucket of powdered dye to contribute towards the festival.³ During the festival, these dyes are mixed with holy water to make a water-based paint.²

Communal Prayer

On the last day of the festival, as the sun sets, a local Kriun leader, usually a minister or pastor, leads a communal prayer. Men pray to the Goddess of Life and Earth Usoi, while women pray to the God of Agriculture and Harvest Gyteus. Gender neutral or non-conforming individuals are invited to pray to whichever deity they wish to deeper their connection to.²

Celebration of Color

After the prayer, attendees proceed to fill a small bowl with a paint of their choice, and throw it onto a random stranger, dousing their white clothes with a bright color. They are allowed to fill their bowl precisely three times.³ When all participants have exhausted their permitted bowls, the festival becomes a "free-for-all", with participants filling their bowls and throwing the paint at as many people as they can, prioritizing those with the least amount of paint on their clothes.⁴

Disrespect & Diplomacy

In predominantly Ka Lon regions, such as most of southern and central Chardovil East, wearing any color other than white to the Harvest Coloring is considered a severe insult, if not outright blasphemy. However, it is not a crime outside of Aplor and Celishi, who are diplomatic allies.⁵

It is not uncommon for the leadership of enemies, such as Altraxia and Erdus, to wear black during the Harvest Coloring, provided they are aware of the observation dates that year, as an open sign of disrespect and to intimidate any Kriun devotees out of celebrating.⁶