Difference between revisions of "Festival of the Dead"
(Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 20px;" |+'''Festival of the Dead''' |- |'''Date''' |Darshali 14-20 |- |'''Type''' |Festival |- |'''Region''' |Sirdabi Caliphate, Sub-Hazari Idiri |} The '''Festival of the Dead''' is the chief occasion in the Sirdabi Caliphate for the remembering and honoring those who have departed to the Otherland, including departed family and friends as well as ancestors. It takes place just before t...") |
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Latest revision as of 02:22, 22 November 2025
| Date | Darshali 14-20 |
| Type | Festival |
| Region | Sirdabi Caliphate, Sub-Hazari Idiri |
The Festival of the Dead is the chief occasion in the Sirdabi Caliphate for the remembering and honoring those who have departed to the Otherland, including departed family and friends as well as ancestors. It takes place just before the start of the Dead Days that lie in between the winter solstice and the first day of Alkhila, a time when the boundaries between the mortal realm and the Slumberland are believed to be especially weak, and spirits may slip easily between the two. In addition to honoring and celebrating the departed, then, the Festival of the Dead is also meant to appease them in advance of these days when their souls are at their most restless. Nevertheless, the festival puts greater emphasis on the recollection of individuals as they were in life and on the reaffirmation of ancestral and familial ties, rather than on ghosts or spirits.
Although there are some moments of solemnity during this time, overall it is a merry week, filled with glad reunions of family and friends who come together to remember loved ones and honor ancestors -- for after all, it is during the Festival of the Dead that an entire family or clan may be truly reunited, living and departed alike. Many people will bring an armful of palm fronds to the local burying ground to distribute around the graves, or will create thatched palm frond awnings to drape before doorways or tent flaps. It is also common to carve small trinkets from palm wood to give to the dead, either by placing them on a grave, or casting them on a fire during the subsequent Fire Festival. Besides giving gifts to them, the deceased are remembered in other ways as well, such as through the recitation of family genealogies, the telling of heroic or amusing tales featuring the deeds of an ancestor or dead loved one, or composing and performing poetry or songs in their honor.
The Festival of the Dead segues into the Fire Festival from Darshali 20-22 and the Feast of the Flame on Darshali 21.