The word ecelta I borrowed from Kharina.
Thankyou to all my reviewers.
The Spring Festival,
There is nothing to equal Vikasana-the Spring Equinox. It is what makes the twelfth month the most preferable of all the months in the year. Not only are the hiranti blossoms at their most sweet smelling, but the miselda tree is at its most glorious. They mingle so splendidly with the scent of Opata brush, that they create a most exquisite perfume.
It is so beautiful.
Everyone tries to decorate his or her Scoop with the most exotic flowers possible. Instead of being their usual drab shade of blue, Scoops become a riot of yellow, white and even green.
This year, Mother and I went to a great deal of trouble to arrange flowers in the most modern fashion: a combination of Est blossoms, Motamuem plant and Qushe flowers. I thought the Est blossoms with their chic yellow petals were an especially contemporary touch on my part. I was very pleased when Mother allowed me to put them in.
Being covered by a vast multitude of hanging blossoms, everything is so pleasing: even Svaamidroha, normally the ugliest of the four major spaceports, begins to look splendid; so luxuriant are the flowers that adorn its unsightly buildings.
Being a holiday, we do not have to go school. Our whole community gathers at Tirthayaatre Grove. The head of every family places sprigs of flowers on the Shrine. Whilst my father was placing some Rea flowers on the Shrine. I noticed that our teacher, Aisenolli, had hung Zopa blossoms from her wrists, which made her look most pretty. After all the sprigs had been laid, the whole community said the Spring Rituals in unison. How marvellous it all was!
I have heard that the Elemaki gather and behave in a flagrant manner: dancing ecstatically, their Shaman women becoming especially ludicrous. Father says that someone aught to put a stop to such foul behaviour.
I have heard that in the Northern Hemisphere, along with the Vikasana Festival, (which of course they celebrate in the Fourth month, not the Twelfth), they also celebrate Ramika Day, which is held on the third day of the Third Month, apparently to commemorate the love between Star and her husband River.i Married couples use this occasion to exchange gifts, and it is fashionable to announce engagements and hold Eceltas at this time.
When I was ten, we visited my mother's childhood friend Ouradinya, who had moved to the Samptal Plainii when she married. Whilst I was there I played with her daughter Pilonya. I thought Pilonya was a sweet filly, despite being four years younger than me. Ouradinya had cultivated an especially lovely feluta plant growing right outside their Scoop, and a rather unusual pink plant that Ouradinya referred to as a Unanen bush. Pilonya had a particular aptitude for gardening, even at her young age, I observed the rather skilful way she helped water her mother's Nondil flowers, so that their fragile petals would not be damaged by the heavy drops of water.
Being Ramika Day, Ouradinya's husband Vyeshomire-Monilieum-Elmand, gifted her with some sweet Eena plant. She reciprocated with some particularly fine Jilax root wrapped in Laal brush.
Instead of hanging the flowers on the Scoop as is done at Vikasana, the flowers had been dug into the ground nearby, to form the character of marital happiness… though this was charming, it was in no way superior to our own Scoop decorations during Vikasana festival. On balance, I think I much prefer Vikasana to Ramika day.
On our way to the Samptal Plain, we stopped at Maghroor Spaceport. When we left home, the weather was still summery. Though it was Third Month, and thus officially autumn.
But in the Northern Hemisphere it had been early spring and every building in Maghroor had been decorated with Say flowers, their extravagant purple petals, struggling to stand out against one another. This was especially pleasing when contrasted with the glowing white of the Military Academy. Mother said that it was most indecent to hang such vulgar plants on an Educational facility, where children might see themiii. Father merely grunted.
i This popular Andalite fable tells the story the eternal love between the Mythical Lovers River and Star, who were separated first when River was exiled by Stars father, and later by the death of Star. And yet remained loyal to one another. Jahar, typical Andalite of the Southern Hemisphere, puts duty towards family as being above that between husbands and wives.
ii The Samptal Plain is located in the North West corner of the Andalite home world, in fact this is not far from where the famous brothers, War Princes Elfangor and Aximili originated.
iii Purple is to Andalites, the colour of passion and love, the shape of the Say plant is also rather suggestive to Andalite eyes. As result, Jahar's mother considers the flowers vulgar.