Jah, in the world of Akiniwazi, you don’t celebrate Halloween. That is a day of darkest black infamy. It is the date the Skaerslinger first made the dead rise from their graves and caused their own zombiapocalypse that was quickly overcome the following day, but not without it’s horrible price.
So on November 1st, Allhelgensdag (All Saints Day as we know it) is celebrated as a victory over the forces of darkness in a very real way. The day is one of solemn remembrance that begins a week of feasting, bonfires and culminates in a celebration of life and God’s grace over Forsamling society as they turn forward to face the soon to arrive Season of Ice, aka Winter.
Feasting begins on the Sunday before the holiday, and goes to the Sunday after. If Nov 1st falls on a Sunday, it is the first day of the celebrations. It lasts a week, for after the dead began to be raised, the Forsamling dug up every cemetery and burned the bodies in an updated and Christianized version of the traditions from the Gamlehaven (what they call their ancestral homes back in Europe).
This also marks the beginning of the tradition of cremating the dead instead of burying them. Many “pyres” are created on that evening where effigies are burned to remember their dead loved ones. Lamps are kept at the doors of houses to symbolize the Holy Spirit protecting them from the Draugr, as well as ward off the other minions of the Devil.
The Forsamling mark themselves with ash from the effigy pyres mixed with oil and drawing crosses and other related symbols on their bodies. They also write the names of their loved ones. Many visit the memorial stones as families. This is done with no particular schedule throughout the week. On the seventh day of the feast week, a ceremonial washing on the last day of the feast days.
Hope you enjoyed this little piece of culture and society from the Akiniwazisaga.
PS: this is a general overview and a little bit a work in progress, but as it sits, this is the basis for the holiday in my world.
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