Ceremonies & Festivals
Ceremonies and Festivals are important for the clan's cultures and morals as a way to upkeep activity for the clan. The Ceremonies are important for the future generation of kits as they help keep a sense of sustainability within it. Here are different types of Ceremonies and Festivals!
Rank Assignment Ceremony
Usage :: It is to assign a Kit a future rank based on their pelts glow by a Messenger. Messengers have to travel to settlements whenever a Queen has given birth to her kits.
" I, {Name} of a Messenger of LanternClan assign {Kit Name} as a {Rank} as their pelts path. May our ancestors continue to shine your pelt. "
Apprentice Ceremony
Usage :: It is to assign a Kit to become an Apprentice based on the Messengers assignment to their rank. A Messenger travels to a settlement where the Kit(s) are to be promoted to their rank, the settlement gathers around and watches as the Kit becomes an Apprentice. An Apprentice MUST be assigned the rank that they were assigned to at birth AND one that is in their settlement. If there is no rank that the Kit was assigned to at birth then they are taken away from their settlement and trained in another one. And only once they graduate do they return to their birth settlement.
" Kit, you have reached the age of Apprenticeship. As a Messenger for {Leader Name}, I assign you your Mentor and rank. From this day on, until you receive your {Rank Name} name from SpiritClan, you will be known as {prefix'paw}. Your mentor will be {Name of Mentor}. "
After that, the Mentor greets their Apprentice and touch noses with them as the settlement cheers out the Apprentice's new name. In the case of Medicine Cats, the Apprentice is to travel with the Medicine Cat to the Tree Of Gathers to converse with the cats of SpiritClan.
Leader & Deputy Ceremony
Usage :: It is to assign a Deputy to a Leader rank and to assign a royalty pelt a Deputy rank. The royal pelts must rest inside the Tree Of Gathers as a way to communicate with SpiritClan. After that, SpiritClan judges each royalty pelt and chooses a cat while the 3 deputies of each colony is judged by other SpiritClan residents. Once the SpiritClan residents make their choice, one of the deputies gain their lives for their leadership.
The new Deputy must swear an oath to the cats of SpiritClan to always be loyal to their Leader and clan and to never engage in anything against them.
" I, {Name} as a new Deputy to LanternClan swear to always be loyal to my leader, to never fight against my clan, and to never engage in treason against the crown. I hold this promise to my heart as I advise my leader with all I know is {good, strength, wisdom, etc...}. "
Meanwhile, after the leader gains their 9th life, they are given a flower crown that represents them in personality. From spiked brambles to the soft petals of marigold, these flowers can be anything, even the ones not native to their homeland. When a Leader is given their lives they hang around SpiritClan with the Deputy to listen to the stories of the other cats, some be it lessons or memories. But after the night ends, the Leader and Deputy go back to their homeworld. The day after the ceremony, the Messengers are tasked with gathering the settlements to the Tree Of Gathers to see their new Leader and Deputy.
When there is no Leader ceremony and only a new Deputy is chosen for a new settlement, the last part is taken out completely, the Leader part of the ceremony doesn't exist, and the Deputy returns to their settlement. They may make an announcement in their settlement about being the new Deputy of that settlement but even this isn't required.
Messenger Ceremony
Usage :: A kit who is assigned the rank of Messenger and had gone through the training of a Messenger is promoted by the Messenger they were training with. The Messengers all take part in a place in the territory after they have received permission from their leader to do so. The Messenger that trained the Apprentice promotes the kit. The Apprentice must vow to always be transparent to their leader and to never fight in battle, for their tongue is their biggest weapon and that communication is the order in the time of chaos. Most Messengers usually use the suffix that relates to the mouth of a cat [-maw, -nose, -tongue, -tooth, -whisker] but this is not always the case. Though, a Messenger that is named something that isn't related to the attributes of their mouth is considered rare.
Mentor: " As your mentor, I ask my apprentice if they know their vows as a Messenger. "
Apprentice: " I do. "
Mentor: " Then announce your vows to me and your clanmates. "
Apprentice: " As a Messenger, I will remain transparent to my leader and will never engage in tooth and claw, for my tongue is my biggest weapon as communication is the order in the time of chaos. I will never use my tongue against my leader and will always use it to protect my clan. "
Mentor: " Now that you have announced your vows to your clanmates you are now a Messenger of LanternClan. I yowl upon SpiritClan to give you the name {prefix'suffix}. "
After that, the new Messenger is given a tap over the shoulder from the other Messengers and they all return back to their settlements.
Warrior Ceremony
Usage :: A kit who is assigned the rank of Warrior and had gone through the training of a Warrior is promoted by the Leader at the Tree Of Gathers. A large ceremony is made for Warriors of the clan, the Messengers gather the settlements together and they may bring a gift for the soon-to-be Warrior. Once all settlements are together, the Apprentice sits beside the Leader and the following words are exchanged.
Leader: " I {Name}, leader of LanternClan, call upon SpiritClan to look down at this Apprentice. They have trained to learn our way of life, to respect it, and to live by it. As such, I present them to you, cats of SpiritClan, as no longer an Apprentice but as a Warrior. "
Leader: " {Apprentice}, do you promise to always be loyal to the code, to me, and to your clanmates? "
Apprentice: " I do. "
Leader: " Then I present you with your Warrior name. From this night forward, and for many nights to come, you will be known as {prefix'suffix}. SpiritClan honors your {virtues} and we welcome you as a full Warrior of the clan. "
After the Leader announces the Warrior's name, the rest of the clan chants their name to the stars, and the Warrior receives their gifts from their clanmates, and the clan chats with one another. After that, the Warrior goes on vigil with the Messengers in the territory.
Medicine Cat Ceremony
Usage :: An Apprentice who has been training as a Medicine Cat is to be privately promoted as a Medicine Cat by their Mentor. The Apprentice travels to the Tree Of Gathers with their Mentor and another Medicine Cat from another settlement and goes to SpiritClan to receive their name. The Mentor presents their Apprentice to be judged by SpiritClan and a SpiritClan Medicine Cat gives the Apprentice their rank after they have said their vows. Most Medicine Cats are named after attributes based on healing [-leaf, -pool, -feather, -heart, -bamboo], though, this will not always be the case.
SpiritClan Ancestor: " From, {Mentor Name} I have been told you have completed your Medicine Cat training. If this is the case, do you know your vows? "
Apprentice: " I do."
SpiritClan Ancestor: " Then speak to them in front of your ancestors. "
Apprentice: " As a Medicine Cat of LanternClan, I will never harm another cat, I will always use my knowledge to heal and support my clan, no matter their wrongs. And I will use my tongue to inform my leader of the words sent by our ancestors. "
SpiritClan Ancestor: " Then from the tongue of your ancestor, you will be known as {prefix'suffix}, may you always value life wherever you go. "
After this, the Spirit Clan Medicine Cat puts their nose on the cat's shoulder and a small mark underneath their fur will be there. This is an extra hidden mark known as "The Mark Of SpiritClan" and will not glow. It represents the bond Medicine Cats have with SpiritClan.
Hunter Ceremony
Usage :: An Apprentice who has been training as a Hunter is to be privately promoted as a Hunter by their huntmates in a place in the territory, the process is usually done with permission from a Messenger who asks permission from the Leader for the ceremony to happen. A Messenger keeps watch on the ceremony as it happens. During the ceremony, the soon-to-be Hunter must vow to always provide for their clan, for the clan will starve without their help.
Hunter: " As a Mentor of this Apprentice, it is my duty as a Hunter, to promote them to my rank. {Apprentice Name}, do you know your vows as a Hunter?"
Apprentice: " I do. "
Hunter: " Then speak to them in front of your clanmates and Messenger. "
Apprentice: " As a Hunter it is my duty to provide for my clan and my Leader, for if it wasn't for me, my clan will starve to death. I must put my life for the lives of others, and make sacrifices for them to thrive no matter what. "
Once the Apprentice had announced their vows, the Mentor puts their nose on their shoulder and they are now a Hunter. Afterward, they must go with the Messenger and give them prey for the Leader or a Queen.
Retirement Ceremony
Usage :: An elderly or disabled cat announces the retirement of their status to live out the rest of their lives in the Elders Den of their settlement. The retiring cat tells the Deputy that they will retire and the Deputy makes a settlement meeting to announce the following words.
Deputy: " Is it your wish to give up your rank and join amongst the Elders? "
Retiring Cat: " It is "
Deputy: " The clan honors your sacrifices for the clan, you may rest yourself as I call upon SpiritClan to give you moons of solitude. "
Festival Of Serpents Rest
Festival Of Serpents Rest is a festival for all the settlements to take part in. The rules for the festival is actually really easy. All cats in the clan must fast by sunrise and not eat a single prey they may catch. Throughout the day the clan must get prey for a very large prey pile at the Tree Of Gathers. By sunset, the entire clan goes to travel to the Tree Of Gathers to have a giant feast throughout the entire night. The settlements talk to one another about themselves and sometimes have small sparring with one another.
The festival starts in the newleaf by the second moon of the season.
Festival Of New Seasons
Festival Of New Seasons is a Greenleaf festival at the Tree Of Gathers to celebrate the coming of future good seasons. Most of the clan celebrates by giving gifts to loved ones and to catch up with old friends at different settlements. There are usually dances and food gathered by hunters to feed the clan during this celebration. While the celebration is short, it is no doubt sweet. The festival was made to honor the seasons and SpiritClans guidance.
The festival starts in the greenleaf by the second moon of the season.
Festival Of The Running Spirits
Festival Of The Running Spirits is important for blessing LanternClan with good fortune, it was started by a Medicine Cat named Nightleaf after a sickness ravaged the clan and he called out to the stars while they raced, in which SpiritClan heard him and gave him the answer to cure the illness. During the festival itself, LanternClan gathers around the Tree Of Gathers and meow up to SpiritClan for what they wish they want for their clan as the stars race across the sky. If lucky, a SpiritClan cat will hear the request of the cats below and send a sign to them in a dream.
The festival takes place during the leaf-fall.
Festival Of The Hidden Pelts
Festival Of The Hidden Pelts is a festival that sends gratitude and appreciation for the cats glowing pelts by shining together and dancing around the Tree Of Gathers. Most of the dull pelts are usually not accepted in the festival while the brightest pelts are. In a time long ago, cats of all shining pelts would participate in the festival, but a leader named Scorchstar felt that dull pelts were getting in the way of the brightest pelts to shine, because of this, Scorchstar saw that it could perhaps be an insult to SpiritClan. It has become an accepted idea that only the brightest cats should participate in the Festival Of The Hidden Pelts, though, some cats have also started to believe that this has angered SpiritClan. A series of several unprecedented events have happened over the course of years without the dull pelts.
The festival takes place during the leaf-bare.