Seraavat

Seraavat is a ceremonial rite central to the culture of the Serai, an island-dwelling people in the archipelago of Liradon within the fantasy realm of Ardentia. The word seraavat stems from Serai roots meaning “gathering light” and “season,” and the rite is observed annually at the summer solstice to mark the transition from planting to harvest and to honor ancestors.

Seraavat combines ritual procession, song, and craft. On the eve of the solstice, participants carry lanterns along coastal trails to a ceremonial plaza, where they perform the dawn-call, a polyphonic chant that signals the start of the harvest season. They weave a communal cloak—the dawn-wrap—from dyed fibers, which is then presented to the eldest matriarch. A shared feast follows, and younger members undergo a rite of passage in which apprenticeship in a local trade is pledged and announced.

Variations exist between islands and villages. Some communities incorporate fire dances or water rituals; others emphasize marine offerings or the keeping of genealogical maps. In contemporary depictions within Ardentia literature and media, seraavat is often portrayed as a unifying festival that blends memory, craft, and ecological gratitude.