doayaam

Doayaam is a traditional harvest festival observed by the Doayan people in the fictional region of Alasora. Occurring at the end of the monsoon season, the celebration marks gratitude for rain, soil, and sustenance, and emphasizes communal memory and renewal. The name is derived from the Doayan words doa meaning "remember" and yaam meaning "season" or "time of gathering."

During Doayaam, villages gather at communal plazas to prepare offerings of grain, salt fish, and roasted seeds. The central ritual involves lighting lanterns that float on water or hang from bamboo poles, believed to guide ancestral spirits home for the night. A daytime program features storytelling, epic poems, and a drum-and-flute dance known as the Doyaam dance, performed by youth groups. Communities also exchange seeds and recipes as a sign of reciprocity.

Historically, Doayaam traces to an ancient pact between farmers and river spirits, preserved in a regional chronicle from the early medieval period in the fictional Alasoran calendar. The festival has evolved through trade and migration but remains a core expression of Doayan identity.

In contemporary practice, Doayaam functions as a regional cultural festival, supported by local governments and cultural organizations. It serves as a site for crafts, music, and tourism, while communities emphasize sustainable celebration, including the use of solar-lit lanterns and shifts toward plant-based offerings.