Midwinter.

The' firs t festival day of the year is known

generally as Midwinter, though some people name it
differently. Nobles and monarchs of the Heartlands look
to the High Festival of Winter as a day to commemorate
or renew alliances. Commoners in the North, the
Moonsea, and other, colder climes celebrate Deadwinter
Day as a marking of the midpoint of the cold season,
with hard times s till ahead, but some of the worst
days now past.
Greengrass. The traditiona l beginning of spring,
Greengrass is celebrated by the dis play of freshly cut
flowers (grown in special hothouses wherever the climate
doesn't permit flowers so early) that are given as
gifts to the gods or spread among the fi elds in hopes of a
bountiful and speedy growing season.
Keeping time from day to day
Most people don't keep track of the time of day beyond
notions such as "mid-morning" or "nigh sunset." If people
plan to meet at a particular time, they tend to base
their arrangements around such expressions.
The concept of hours and minutes exis ts mainly
where wealthy people use clocks, but mechanical clocks
are often unreliable, and rarely are two set to the same
time. If a local temple or civic structure has a clock that
tolls out the passing of the hours, people refer to hours
as "bells ," as in "I'll meet you at seven bells."

Midsummer. The midpoint of summer is a day of

feasting, carousing, betrothals, and basking in the
pleasant weather. Storms on Midsummer night a re seen
as bad omens and signs of ill fortune, and sometimes
interpreted as divine disapproval of the romances or
ma rriages sparked by the day's events.

Shieldmeet. The great holiday of the Calendar of

Harptos, Shieldmeet occurs once every four years
immediately after Midsummer. It is a day for plain
speaking and open council between rulers and their
subjects, for the renewal of pacts and contracts, and for
treaty ma king between peoples. Many tournaments and
contests of skill are held on S hieldmeet, and most faiths
mark the holiday by emphasizing one of their key tenets.
The next Shieldmeet will be observed in 1492 DR.

Highharvestide. A day of fe asting and thanks, Highharvestide A Brief History

marks the fall ha rvest. Most humans give
The documented history of the Tisdale region spans several
thanks to Chauntea on this day for a plentiful bounty before
centuries, tracing back to the legendary tales of Baldur's
winter approaches. Many who make their living by
journey across the Trackless Sea. The details recounted in
traveling road or sea set out immediately following the
this section are primarily preserved by scholars and
holiday, before winter comes on in full force and blocks
historians, many of whom have dedicated their lives to
mountain passes and harbors .
studying the region's past. However, for the ordinary
inhabitants of the continent, these historical events hold
The Feast of the Moon. As nights lengthen and
little significance or relevance to their daily lives. Despite
winter winds begin to approach, the Feast of the Moon
this, news of distant happenings in places like Faerun still
is the time when people celebrate their ancestors and
manages to trickle down to even the most remote villages in
their honored dead. During fes tivals on this day, people
the Tisdale region, albeit sporadically.
gather to s hare stories and legends, offer prayers for the
fallen, and prepare for the coming cold.

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