Marcestra’s Eve (Mark-est-Ra’s Eve)

Marcestra's Eve refers to the an evening of festivities in order to celebrate and acknowledge folk hero Marcestra De Deir for her service to the kith of Gand.   On the Marcestra's eve the people celebrate the conclusion to the three year skirmish known as the The Kitham-Elven Conflict in which the course of the battle was changed by the actions of Du Deir. The spirit of Marcestra's Eve is one of joy and justice, it is a celebration of the kith spirit.   Marcestra's eve is celebrated the most vibrantly in the city of Rakside despite her death taking place several centuries before the formation of the city. Royal historical records say that before becoming a war general the Marcestra was a sailor but many common people believe that she was really a smuggler, this and her conviction to take action in spite of government and ordinance resonates with a lot of people, her name becoming sysnomous with anti-establishment sentiments. She has become a mythological folk hero in her own accord, with statues and stylised icons of her popping up around town, and images of her appearing in graffiti. As such people of Rakside take both great pride and great joy in making the eve spectacular.  

The Eve

Marcestra's eve has a lively carnival-like atmosphere in which people take leave from work and take to the streets to celebrate. During this time status, money and role in society are set aside for everyone to enjoy, lords dine with their subjects, nobility convorts with pesantry and most workers take leave from their jobs with the expection of those involved in the festivities and soldiers, like those in the The Royal Guard. The festival goes from the mid-afternoon of the 20th of Humillity and rolls into the 1st of Kindness the next day.  

Festivities

Common festival activities include food stalls and games stalls. As well as dice and card games, dramas and show and live music and dancing.  

Games

Its common too see temporary stalls contructed in town from ramshackle wood pieces and dyed lined, these stalls often have bright painted designs on them as well as bells or chimes to attract attention many have even taken to stringing ire game of skill coins onto fringes to hang above the doorway in order to make promised of money.   Common festival games include physical things like throwing darts, tossing rings onto spikes and climbing impossibly unsteady ladders.   Some more delicate games of skill involve fish catching involving a tank of fish and a paper net, selecting a walnut from under the right cup, and guessing how much fowl and various livestock weigh.  

Food and market stalls

As with game stalls around this time to see various food stalls, many home cooks and rural inns set up food stalls in order to gain extra coins. Commonly seen dishes include boiled syrup dumplings, fruit tarts, skewered meats, flat cheese breads and pressed almond confections. Others create large pots of perpetual stews- large pots set over a low flame for people to consume or add to as they see fit. Many also sell hand-made goods and others seek to sell and trade older items they do not need anymore- like old tools clothes and excess food.  

Music and Dancing

At Marcestra's Eve feastivities its common to see live music travelling minstrels take to the street to busk, local bands lead communal dances, some champion communal chants and sing-alongs. One of the most common forms of this is the Braid Dance

Athletic trials

common activities include tests of strength and skill and they range from simple carnival games to elaborate displays. Common traditions include arm wrestling- a classic tavern pastime, as well as climbing a flimsy ladder that twists under weight, archery, and in some areas jousting tournaments although this is more popular with the Major Cities and is not as elaborate as that thrown during the Prosperity Solstice festival.

Backlash and public opinion

The Marcestra's Eve festival is often snubbed by the nobility an scholars of Gand as a frivolous waste of time as many are inconvenienced by halting work and to those who run cities the fairs can often be costly for hosting festivities and damages incurred, this is also a time that sees and uptick in the drunk and disorderly. Brotherhood of Tarn also dislikes this festival as it is heavily separated from the worship of Tarn, although the Marcestra predates the brotherhood of Tarn and is heavily affiliated with Tarn and their miracles, many of the brotherhood have mixed feelings about her status as a hero and feels the holiday should be more observant of the teachings of Tarn.