Cotton Harvest Festival
This festival occurs on the 13th day of the 8th month and celebrates the beginning of the cotton harvest. Historically, cotton was an important export that allowed the village to feed itself before the founding of the federation. The Church of Gwen considers it a material that is especially capable of cleaning impurities. As such, this festival is naturally the largest and most important festival in Gwenborg.
Festival Events
Stall Shopping
The bulk of the festival takes place on the road that leads from the main village to the church building. The road is filled with countless stalls selling food, trinkets, cotton goods, and more. These stalls typically open early in the morning and close shortly before sunset.
Cotton Reaping Dance
Just as the bottom of the sun starts dipping below the horizon, the priest or priestess of the Church of Gwen performs a traditional dance at the alter of the church. During the dance, the priest(ess) uses ornate farming tools to ceremonially tear apart old cotton goods that no longer serve their purpose. This performance symbolizes the idea of throwing out what is used up in order to make room for what is new.
Cotton Drifting
The old cotton that is torn up during the dance is handed out to festival goers who then send it down the river in order to return it back to nature now that its purpose has been served. The cotton drifting is traditionally finished before the sun fully sets.
