The Festal Year of Frostianity
The Frostian liturgical year (the Ring of Winters) turns through fasts and feasts that re-live the great events of salvation. The calendar is lunar-solar, reckoned by the cold White Moon, and oriented to the deep of winter rather than the warm of summer. The year begins with the Reglaciation Vigil in late autumn (the watch for the Winter King).
The Great Cycle (the high holy days)
- The Reglaciation Vigil (late autumn, ~4 weeks) — the Frostian “Advent”: watchful waiting for the Winter King. Begins the festal year.
- Firstsnow (winter solstice) — the Nativity of Connor Frost; the supreme joyful feast.
- Aurora Night (12 nights after Firstsnow) — the showing of Connor to the Cold-Readers; the lighting of the aurora-lamps.
- The Long Fast (40 days before the Whitening) — the “Fast of Forty Frosts,” the great penitential season.
- The Whitening (Holiday) (early spring, movable) — the central feast: the Melting, Sublimation, and Reforging. Preceded by Ember Eve (the Melting) and the Cold Vigil.
- The Rising (Holiday) (40 days after the Whitening) — the Ascension into the White on Mount Hoar.
- The First Hollownight (Pentecost) (50 days after) — the descent of the Rime-within; the birthday of the church.
The Weekly & Daily Holy Times
- Hollownight (Stillday) — the weekly sabbath of rest and stillness (kept from dusk to dusk).
- The Hours of Frost — the seven daily prayer-hours.
The Saints’ Feasts (Sanctoral Cycle)
- Hagalmas — feast of Saint Hagal; the scholars’ and teachers’ day.
- The Feast of the Twelve — the The Frostborne Twelve together.
- Wennamas — feast of Wenna Frost, the Ever-Snow.
- Corintide & Vaeltide — the apostle-martyrs Corin and Vael.
- The Vigil of the Slush — the day of the cold dead; prayer for souls in The Slush.
The Seasonal & Folk Festivals
- The Festival of Drifts — midwinter community festival of snow-sculpture, frost-song, and the feeding of the poor.
- The Lawfeast — commemorating the Lawgiving on Mount Hoar (with the The Climb of Hoar pilgrimage).
- The Crossing — the Frostian “Passover,” recalling the deliverance from Solmara.
- Whitethaw — the spring festival of the (lamented but accepted) seasonal thaw, with prayers for the Rewhitening.