First Full Moon after the Spring Equinox: Spring Festival (sacred to Venus) PUBLIC HOLIDAY

This is the most keenly anticipated event of the spring, with everyone looking forward to warmer weather. The spring festival is enjoyed by people of all ages and from all walks of life, both country folk and city dwellers. It is traditional to rise at dawn in order to see the sunrise, which is supposed to bring good luck. It is also important to wear a completely new set of clothes this day, and not to do so is said to bring misfortune - Venus does like people to look their best! White and gold, the colours of the dawn, are favoured. 

The Temple of Venus is decorated with red roses, myrtle, and reeds this morning, and here girls pray to be pretty, graceful, and charming. This day is given over to pleasures such as parties with games and dancing, outdoors if the weather allows it. The hare is sacred to Venus and so is the dove, so children are told that the Spring Hare will bring dove eggs for them. Decorating eggs and then searching for where they have been hidden is a popular children's game. 

A piece of weather lore is that if it rains on the Spring Festival, another seven weeks of wet weather are to come, while a sunny Spring Festival means seven weeks of good weather lie ahead. The traditional meal this day is spinach souffle, roast lamb and mint sauce served with boiled new potatoes and asparagus, and baked custard. Popular treats are cinnamon buns shaped like hares with honey.  

5th: Day of Taxation

On this day are taxes collected from all the great lords of the kingdom, with money flowing into the kingdom's Treasury from the four quarters of the land. 

10th: Festival of Cybele

Worship at the Temple of Cybele includes singing and dancing priests in yellow robes, throwing rose petals to the goddess. Sumptuous banquets follow for her wealthy followers.

12th: Annual Boat Race

The great universities of Charcross and Grantbridge compete in a rowing race on the River Tayo each year, from the village of Hawkley to the manor house of Laxbrook, a distance of some 4 miles. Only 6 miles from Camden, crowds of people turn out every year to cheer on their old alma mater.   

14th: Commemoration of the Victory of the Battle of Cape Gadeira (sacred to Neptune)

Wreaths of laurel and flowers are laid at the memorial for Captain Algernon Flybridge, who won the battle at cost of his life. A banquet is given at the Royal Naval College in Port Brine, with King Bernard giving the lead toast.  

19th: Festival of Ceres

This is the annual day of worship for the Temple of Ceres, which always includes prayers for the growing crops. Afterwards there is a theatrical presentation and banquet for the common people, who Ceres especially cares for. By tradition, this is the last day of the spring holidays, with students returning to school or university the next weekday.

21st: Day of the Shepherds

A day for the country people, in particular the shepherds. The sheep pens are cleaned and decorated at dawn, and the sheep are dipped and washed, with many prayers and rituals for their health. The dipping complete, the farmer hands around jugs of ale to all the workers.

23rd: Festival of Wine (sacred to Venus)

The Temple of Venus blesses the vineyards and prays for good weather until the grape harvest. There is then a very thorough sampling of the previous year's wine. Many people spend the day in the country walking from vineyard to vineyard trying different wines, until they can no longer stand upright. How they get home again is a question for other minds to ponder.

25th: Day of Primroses

On this day do country girls and women go out into the fields to collect primroses for to make primrose wine, cordial, and syrup. Town dwellers like to visit the country today to pick the flowers as well, and they are a popular flower to wear in the buttonhole, or pinned to a dress. To give a primrose to someone today is a sign of love, or at least deep friendship.  

26th: Annual Riverbank Entertainment 

An outdoor event held by the River Tayo. Comedians, poets, magicians, singers and dancers perform for the public, and are paid by donations from the crowd. 

28th: The Dame Elvira de Villiers Championship

A major fencing competition for women held in the Great Hall of Camden Palace with a prize of a silver cup and fifty gold coins. This is the opening event of the fencing season.

30th: Summer's Eve

On the evening before the Summer Festival do the country people light bonfires on hilltops in the fields. There is much dancing around the fire, and as the flames die down, cattle are driven across the embers to purify them before they are let into the pastures for summer the next day. At the end, the dancers leap across the embers and make a wish. 

In towns and cities, young people often have parties - especially ones held outdoors in parks and gardens. This is a popular day for young couples to become betrothed, and rumour has it that many choose to celebrate it by disappearing into the woods together for the night. The traditional food and drink to share around the fire is cheesecake and mead.  

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