InsaneJournal

RP: Lighting Ceremony
Who: Stephen, Pansy, any and all wizards and witches. (add your tags)
Where: Nott Manor
When: December 8 (Post starts around 4 pm, right after sunset) {Pre-dated by 4 days}
Summary: The Nott family is hosting the annual Lighting Ceremony

For centuries, the Nott family had held Lighting Ceremony. It was the one time of the year when bloodlines and money didn't matter; everyone was the same. Even the house elves took part to the celebration and were treated as equal (not that Stephen liked to treat them as slaves the rest of the year), and the ceremony was open to everyone with magical ability. It was one tradition Stephen was quite pleased to uphold, even if it felt strange to do it without his father there.

In the morning, he and his mother had had breakfast together before helping the house elves with the decorations. He probably should have asked Andromeda, but this was family and Andromeda wouldn't be family for much longer. In fact, they barely spoke anymore. If he was truthful, he would have rather invited Azriel, but he didn't think either Azriel or his mother were ready for that, and today it was the Immaculate Conception, a day to honour Mary and mothers. Stephen would not upset his mother unduly.

In the afternoon, they had gone to the chapel for the Mass, before heading off to where the party would be. They had set up, as usual, right in the middle of the park, the only flat land with a perfect view of all the trees. They had created special protections for the dragons to prevent idiots from sneaking into the reserve and getting eaten, although Stephen thought that if they were that stupid, they deserved what they got, but then it would spoil everyone else's Christmas and he couldn't allow that. There was Christmas music echoing through the land and tables set up with hot cider, tea, champagne and lots of food. Everything was self-services as even the house elves had a day off and their own private party from where they could see the lightening of the trees.

At dusk, father Luke said the blessing, and finally when the sun went down, the lights came alive. Every tree in the land lit up creating an amazing game of colours, creating a winter wonderland that would last until the Epiphany. For Stephen, this represented a day of hope, the beginning of a new liturgical year and hopeful of a solar year without so much pin and suffering. Today, the Christmas season began.