Holidays
Due to Firefly Valley being the most moderate and enjoyable climate-wise, most of the holidays and festivals are held in the centermost portions of the region, mainly Aurelia. Listed below are a small portion of the event celebrated in Etharia.
Lotus Festival
The Lotus Festival is one of the more well-known and highly waited-for festivals in the region, bringing people from far and wide to participate. When the lotus flowers are set to begin blooming during the summer months, travelers from far and wide find themselves traveling to Bloomwood and Woodhurst, two villages settled along the banks of Bloomwood Lake, where the Lotus flourishes. Both towns see much financial success during this week-long celebration, gaining most of their revenue from the traction.
The last few days of the festival are designated for those who have been lost, friends and families writing letters to the deceased and folding them into origami lotus flowers. These letters are then sent down the rivers in Firefly Valley, in hopes that when they reach the end, they will be received by their dearly departed.
Sakura Festival
Dearly known by another name, the "Festival of Love", The Sakura Festival is the grand beginning of the festival year, as it is normally held in the springtime. Cherry blossom season in Etharia is one of the many times where the continent gets the most travelers flooding in, most making their way to the village of Aurelia for the main events. Merchants find this time of year to be quite successful, specifically crafters, who provide most of the cherry blossom pins and crowns that are a staple of the event.
During this celebration, it is commonplace for couples to propose to their lovers or profess their love to another during this time period, offering myriads of sweets and other gifts to seal the deal. Though, those who remain, eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, deck themselves out to the nines in cherry blossom attire to make their eligibility known to potential suitors. These celebrations last until the early hours of the next morning most nights, the music and scent of the blossoms too joyous and exciting to fall asleep to.
Firefly Festival
The Firefly Festival is the most known and the most popular Festival held in Firefly Valley. It is no secret that the valley lives up to its name- the population of fireflies seems to outnumber any other population recorded and is enjoyed year after year when the warm season comes to the valley. The festival serves to honor the key part of what makes the valley what it is, therefore, a large amount of preparation is done, even during the months leading up to the event. The day leading up to the festival is one that seems to drag on, as everyone is waiting for night to fall over the valley. Once night falls, the fairy lights that were placed in the trees and set up on the houses and village buildings are turned on, softly lit of course, so it doesn't disturb the fireflies.
When the fireflies appear, couples and friends alike love to take a stroll through the forest and take in the romantic and peaceful atmosphere. After the fireflies leave to rest for the remainder of the night, the villages and towns begin the true festivities, playing music and dancing the night away with those they love.
Tricky Treats Festival
The Tricky Treats festival, most popular among the youth, occurs during the later autumn months. During this season, the world is alight in the vibrant tones of reds, yellows, and oranges, and many make visits to the valley in order to take in the sights. Wagon rides from one village to the next are quite popular during this time, bringing fun and financial assistance to those willing to transport people back and forth from one stop to the next.
Aurelia, of course, holds most of the fun and games associated with this time of the year, offering costume contests, haunted house tours, and even a month-long game of zombie tag for those willing to participate. Candymakers relish in the festivities, making much capital off the younger crowd with a sweet tooth, and those who are a bit older enjoy the more frightening aspects of this week-long festival, taking joy is scaring the living daylights out of anyone they can get their hands on.
