Vesnali is an annual festival that begins late April and lasts around one week. Subetans gather with friends and family to usher in the new season and celebrate the new life that it brings.

Lore



Centuries ago, in the days when emperors and kings were quicker to ask the spirits for guidance than they were to turn to their advisors (present-day skeptics will attribute this to the relative ignorance of Subetans of centuries past, while present-day believers will insist that the spirits had made more frequent appearances in those days), it became custom to pay tribute to the spirits of nature in the springtime, when their presence was felt once again after a long winter.

Every year, when the days had grown long again and the winter snow had yielded to spring's flowers, the royal and the wealthy would gather beneath the bud-studded boughs of their flowering trees to feast and admire the year's new growth. These monarchs and landlords hoped that, by paying their respects to the spirits that dwelt beneath the bark and within the leaves, they would guarantee the prosperity of their lands for the coming season. Sumptuous gifts were exchanged, in hopes that the recipient's fortune would equal the lavishness of the present. The peasants, too busy sowing the fields now that spring had come, were content to hope that their landlords wishes would be granted while they continued their work.

Eventually, however, the tradition spread outside the ornamented walls of the elite; first to the esteemed commanders and their families, then to the merchants who were still on their way to making a fortune, and finally to the common folk whose labor made these feasts possible in the first place. While some were too poor to indulge in all the festivities, all were at least able to find a minute to share with loved ones, paying respects to the spirits underneath young blossoms and exchanging the flowers that better encapsulated the spirit of Vesnali than lavish gifts ever could.

Today, Vesnali is celebrated by all Subetans. Planting- a peasant's task- had once been beneath Subetans who could afford to lounge around indoors without doing any kind of manual labor. However, it is now common for even the richest Subetans to indulge in a little bit of gardening for the sake of exchanging fresh spring flowers with a friend, a gift made more special by the fact that it was grown by hand and not purchased.

While fewer may trust in the existence of spirits today, it is by no means uncommon for Subetans to present offerings to the spirits of nature, and many continue to do so today in hopes of gaining their blessing.

Customs and Traditions
Vesnali has enjoyed a long history, and as such, is celebrated by Subetans of nearly all races and creeds today. While some place emphasis on sharing and feasting with loved ones, others care more about being in the presence of nature and seeking the good fortune its spirits bring. Others still consider Vesnali a time for self-reflection and cleansing in this time of renewal.

    To Subetans, the egg symbolizes the beginning of a new life and has come to represent Vesnali. Eggs of all sizes, along with the flowers and young animals that call to mind images of new beginnings, therefore appear as motifs on holiday gifts and are often exchanged as gifts themselves.
    Flowers, thought to be gifts of the spirits and fragile representations of life, are considered good fortune. To give a flower to a friend is to wish for his prosperity, and to urge him to reflect on the beauty and fleeting nature of life.
    Friends and family gather beneath trees in parks and forests as a way of giving tribute to nature. Vesnali feasts are often held in these scenic places.
    It has become customary for Subetans to clean their homes and sprinkle water over their bodies as a way of renewing the home and self, during a season when the land is renewing itself.


Vesnali has been viewed 39,798 times.

[Search]