Emillion Mods (emillionmods) wrote in emillion, @ 2014-03-14 09:52:00 |
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Who: Everyone!
What: Howaito Dē Festival.
Where: Bazaar District.
When: Today.
Rating: Please mark in your subject lines for anything above PG, possible warnings or triggers!
While Saint Namorados might have been considered the most conventional holiday in Valendia, in Ordalia, and more specifically the Sako Islands and other nearby regions, had grown to accept another related celebration: Ai ni Kotaeru Howaito Dē. A relatively modern custom, this one with no especial considerations to obscure Pharist saints, this holiday had been one devised by eager Sako merchants and confectioners, its popularity and acceptance growing wider as time went by. During Saint Namorados, Sako Island women would present chocolate gifts to the various gentlemen in their lives according to custom. Sometimes handmade, these confections would be presented as either giri-choco, a polite obligation to acquaintances, guild mates and business associates, or honmei-choco, more conventionally romantic gifts for sweethearts and lovers. During the following month, on Howaito Dē, these men would be encouraged to return the gesture three-fold, in gifts oftentimes presented in white. Chocolate, cookies, candies, and other, sometimes more intimate gifts as well had become common. Of course, Emillion had its own share of Ordalian merchants and citizens, many of whom were either eager or simply accustomed to observing this event. Therefore, on every appropriate day of the year, a small festival was held in the Bazaar District to observe these practices and offer gifts, treats and other imports. An entire block had been partitioned off to serve the Ordalian merchants who had special shipments of wares sent in just for this particular day, offering a variety of items not usually seen outside of the Sako Islands. Stalls serving sweets, chocolates, baked goods and other cuisine were in abundance, attracting Bazaar patrons looking to buy things for others or even for themselves. Hoping to attract as many diverse customers as possible, the merchants had also set up a small number of gaming booths for the young, armor and weapons booths for fighters, and even a number of tome vendors for those looking to buy imported books and scrolls. The Bazaar District saw triple its share of patrons on this day, for those eager to see and experience something a little out of the ordinary. |