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Latest revision as of 09:44, 20 February 2025
The second of the four festival weeks in the Greyhawk calendar, Growfest is held at the beginning of low summer. Growfest follows Coldeven before it becomes Planting.
It is the only festival which is not considered a municipal holiday in the City of Greyhawk for at least part of the festival.[1] An equinox occurs on the fourth of Growfest.(see below) The week is particularly sacred to Atroa, as well as the Old Faith.
In elven culture, Growfest is known as "Springrite", and it is customary to spend the week around the equinox dancing and singing, involving themselves in nothing but merriment. All important decisions and actions are postponed by the elves until the week is over, with the significant exception that this is when most elven couples marry or announce their betrothals.
The faithful of Hextor call this time the Blooding; they observe this week with contents of strength, fitness, and skill, offering blood to propitiate their god.
Since the rise of Turrosh Mak, the entire week of Growfest has featured human sacrifices by the hundreds at the Drachenkopf Temple in honor of the Earth Dragon.[2]
This festival week is marked by the aquamarine moon Celene shining full in the night sky (as are all the seasonal festivals).
Calendar
The following holidays and celebrations take place during Growfest:
| Starday | Sunday | Moonday | Godsday | Waterday | Earthday | Freeday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Feast of Edoira begins in Safeton Growfest Eel Run begins in Caronis[3] |
2 | 3 | 4 Spring equinox, Saint Cuthbert's Day, Spring Feast Feast of Edoira in the City of Greyhawk  
|
5 | 6 | 7 Desportium of Magic Feast of Edoira ends in Safeton Growfest Eel Run ends in Caronis |
Misattribution
The name "spring" or "vernal" equinox is something of a misnomer. In Dragon Magazine Annual: 1999 (Annual #4), p19, Campaign Holidays, the "spring" or "vernal" equinox is identified as the first day of spring on Growfest fourth.
However, in all other sources,[4][5][6][7][8] spring begins in Readying[9] (when there is no equinox). Because there are five seasons, rather than four, Growfest is celebrated after the end of spring and at the beginning of low summer.[4][5][6][7][8][10][note 1] Though "an" equinox would certainly be in Growfest, it would be neither a "spring" equinox nor the beginning of spring. Festivals aren't associated with solstices and equinoxes in any other sources.[note 2]
Because of this misattribution, it is speculated Springrite and the Spring Feast should be on Readying fourth at the beginning of Spring instead of Growfest fourth, since both celebrate spring as a season. Also due to this misattribution, this equinox might more accurately be called the "Estival Equinox" or "Summer Equinox" as it marks the beginning of Summer.
| Greyhawk calendar | |
|---|---|
| Days | Starday • Sunday • Moonday • Godsday • Waterday • Earthday • Freeday |
| Months | Fireseek • Readying • Coldeven • Planting • Flocktime • Wealsun • Reaping • Goodmonth • Harvester • Patchwall • Ready'reat • Sunsebb |
| Festivals | Needfest • Growfest • Richfest • Brewfest |
| Seasons | Winter • Spring • Low summer • High summer • (Summer) • Autumn |
| Solar events | Spring equinox, Summer solstice, Autumnal equinox, Winter solstice |
| Holidays | Agelong • Blood Moon Festival • Breadgiving Day • Council Day • Council of Mayors and Manorial Lords • Crowning Day • Dark Night • Day of the Legion Will • Day of Treachery • Declaration Day • Election Day • Faerieluck • Fallrite • Feast of Edoira • Feast of Fools • Feast of Wenta • Freedom Day • Frost Days • Great Moon's Glory • Guild Days • Holy Day of Serenity • Midsummer's Day • Midwinter Night • Remembrance Day • Rollo's Day • Saint Cuthbert's Day • Spring Feast • Springrite • Thrommel's Day • Yeartide • |
References
Notes
- ↑ However, despite specific dates given for seasons, in The Adventure Begins, Roger Moore refers to Growfest as the "full arrival of spring" (though that has debatable meaning), and in Player's Guide Anne Brown refers to it "as soon as spring comes".
- ↑ Despite not being called solstices, Needfest and Richfest are held at "Midsummer" and "Midwinter" in the middle of those seasons (which are solstices by definition), while Brewfest (or the "Autumnal Equinox", as it is called in the Dragon Annual 1999 article) is celebrated at the beginning of Fall, as would seem appropriate.
Citations
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.43.
- ↑ Slavers (2000), p.125.
- ↑ WGR4 The Marklands (1993), p.30.
- ↑ a b The World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting (1980), p.4.
- ↑ a b World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), p.5, Catalogue, Table.
- ↑ a b Player's Guide (1998), p.13, Table.
- ↑ a b The Adventure Begins (1998), p.39, Table.
- ↑ a b Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000), p.2, Table.
- ↑ The Adventure Begins (1998), p.42, "Readying 1st is the calendar date for spring's start.".
- ↑ Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk (2007), p.14.
Bibliography
- McComb, Colin. The Complete Book of Elves. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
- Miller, Andy. "Campaign Holidays." Dragon Annual #4. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999 (pp. 18-19).
- Mona, Erik. River of Blood. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
- Moore, Roger E. The Adventure Begins. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Artifact of Evil | 230 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | The City of Greyhawk: Folks, Feuds and Factions | 66 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Dragon magazine #068 | 44 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Dragon magazine #241 | 44 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Dragon magazine #262 | 42 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Dragon magazine #263 | 47 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Dragon magazine #358 | 31 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Dragon magazine #AN4 | 19 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | From the Ashes: References Card | #1 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Greyhawk Adventures | 101, 103 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e | 16, 17, 56, 62 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Living Greyhawk Gazetteer | 2, 25, 111 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Living Greyhawk Journal #0 | 12 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Living Greyhawk Journal #2 | 29 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Living Greyhawk Journal #3 | 30 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Oerth Journal #04 | 12 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Oerth Journal #10 | 23,59 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Oerth Journal #16 | 42 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Oerth Journal #17 | 8 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Oerth Journal #19 | 73 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Oerth Journal #22 | 7,8,41 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Oerth Journal #25 | 6,47 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | The Glaive's Gambit, RPGA | 9 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Player's Guide to Greyhawk | 13, 14 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | Slavers, AD&D 2e | 122, 123, 125 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | The Adventure Begins | 7, 10, 25, 27, 29, 30, 39, 40, 42-44, 52, 59 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | The World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting (Folio) | 4 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | WGR4 The Marklands | 30, 71 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | WGR5 Iuz the Evil | 72 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 5 |
| Growfest | Calendar | Common-Month, | World of Greyhawk boxed set (1983) | 19 |
| Growfest Eel Run | Calendar | WGR4 The Marklands | 30 | |
| Growfest Tourney | Calendar | Living Greyhawk Journal #2 | 30 |