La Carnivale de Cardona
La Carnivale de Cardona is an annual week-long celebration honoring the spirit of creativity (Dregorius) and the power of the sea (Cygna). Masks, music, dance, food, and sea blessings fill the streets, culminating in a city-wide display of unity between land and water, body, and soul.
1. Opening Night: Actors and poets roam the streets, offering poetic interpretations of passersby’s souls. The night culminates with a fireworks display on the harbor while citizens and visitors line the docks and go on their yachts to witness the spectacle. This year, participation is lighter, and some of the usual processions have been replaced by more intimate performances.
2. Day 2: Procession of the Tide: A river of blue-clad dancers, acrobats, and water mages flows from the Tidemother’s Chapel to the harbor, reenacting the city’s founding myth – Cygna guiding Cardona’s ancestors to safety. Blessings from sea clerics are given to children and ships. The night culminates with the Colossus being wreathed in blue silks.
3. Day 3: The Festival of Painted Masks: Mask-makers and spirit artists gather in the Mercado de Bravura to sell and showcase intricate masks inspired by Dregorius’ many moods: Joy, Despair, Inspiration, Silence, and Madness. Each citizens selects a mask that “calls to them,” believed to influence their dreams that night.
4. Day 4(Sunset to Nightfall): The Flame and the Wave: A dramatic open-air performance held on floating stages in the harbor, telling the mythic love story of Dregorius and Cygna. Ends with a concert.
5. Day 5: The Banquet of the Souls: A public feast where rich and poor share tables. Storytellers invite strangers to trade tales and drinks in memory of those who passed away during the previous year. This year there was a roll call honoring the victims of the Night of Emerald Ashes. Families have lit floating lanterns in their names.
6. Day 6: The Moon of Masks Masquerade: A mysterious high-society masquerade hosted in the old noble district. Many believe it’s also used for political negotiations, romantic declarations, and secret confessions – all veiled behind identity and art. This year Lord Raynaud is rumored to have attended, and whispers say agents of foreign powers were spotted mingling.
7. Final morning: The Final Dawn: The Carnivale ends with a city-wide moment of silence as the first light of day strikes the Colossus. Masks are removed and floated out to sea, symbolizing rebirth and truth. This year the silence was longer than in previous years.
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