#theikosevent

FLORALIA.

" you start in april and cross to the time of may one has you as it leaves, one as it comes since the edges of these months are yours and defer to you, either of them suits your praises. the circus continues and the theatre's lauded palm, let this song, too, join the circus spectacle. ”  — ovid, fasti ( V.185-190 )

whereas most festivals were strictly for the elite, FLORALIA was for the enjoyment of the common folk. celebrated from april 28th to may 3rd, it was the time of year to let loose, forget your worries, and take a moment to appreciate the beauty nature has to offer as the center figure of the festival was flora, the roman goddess of flowers

traditionally, the floralia's most important aspect were its games. competitive events with big prizes, everyone wanted to participate. other features of note were the release of goats and rabbits, as well as various theatrical performances that ... may or may not have been performed naked. it was customary to wear colourful clothing to represent the frivolous nature of the festival and " sprightly flora's ritual fun and festal jests "

NEW YORK, MAY 2021.

much as the spirit of the floralia festival was one of lighthearted bliss, so too is the carnival associated with it much less intimidating than a fancy gala or an intimate blind date. you’re much more likely to run into children running around the maypole or a dad sneezing from the pollen than any snobby glitz or glam, and it offers the opportunity for relaxation without expectation. the pretty pastel pink envelope that’s slipped under your doorstep is hardly scary, either, simply extending an invitation to enjoy the spring air and blooming gardens in central park this coming weekend

for those favouring a faster paced way of life, the carnival perhaps might be lacking — boasting a petting zoo, picnic area, and extensive variety of blooming gardens just asking to be admired, it’s not the most exciting roster for some. and while there is large selection of outdoor games and booths to pick from, and an open air stage, the sugary sweet atmosphere doesn’t offer much in the way of chaotic revelry ( unless you’d like to show up naked and carry on the tradition, that is ) but, regardless of intensity, the carnival promises a fun time in the spring air and some cute goats, so what’s not to like ?

OOC.

the event will take place IC in the middle of traditional floralia celebrations, on SATURDAY, MAY 1ST 

OOC, the event will start on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28TH. in line with our relaxed activity rules, we’ll give you three weeks, until WEDNESDAY MAY 19TH for threads. of course, feel free to continue threads past this date, but make sure to refrain from posting any new starters 

as always, please attempt to plot with as many people as possible, and reply to the open starters posted in the tags so that nobody feels left out

LUPERCALIA.

the exact origins of this pagan festival are uncertain, but it was thought that in ancient times LUPERCALIA took place to honor the she-wolf who raised romulus and remus, the founder of rome, and please the roman fertility god LUPERCUS

while traditionally held from february 13th to 15th, it is not to be confused with the later christian tradition celebrating saint valentine — it was not a celebration of pure and courtly love, but instead an intense, sexually-charged, and even perhaps bloody one filled with animal sacrifice and naked ritual

most notable to the festival was the random matchmaking ; during lupercalia, it is said that the men randomly chose a woman’s name from a jar to be coupled with them for the duration of the festival in the hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility

NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 2021.

this would, in all likelihood, not be something in your mind in the modern day. a celebration that died out ages ago, lupercalia hardly finds a place in the memory of any contemporary new yorker. 

however — that doesn’t stop a beautifully sealed red envelope from showing up on your doorstep, delicate filigree addressed to you specifically and bearing a striking resemblance to an invite long since pushed into the back of your mind

and you think back to the gala, that hedonistic mischief filled night, and the mysterious benefactors behind it. it was well done, lavish and over the top, and idly you recall being asked if you’d be interested in any future events. it hadn’t seemed like a big deal at the time, because it was an exciting evening and what's the harm, who wouldn’t want another night of magic, it wasn’t like you had to foot any bill — so you’d agreed, put down your name without much thought, and moved on with your life. it wasn’t until now, months later, you feel a spark of recognition 

the origins of the sender are not any more clear than they were the first time around ; the invite claims you’re paired to go on some sort of quasi-date with another member, claims it’s so everyone who said they were interested in more events can get to know each other in a more intimate setting than the gala, but otherwise is void of much more explanation. a little off-putting maybe, but the reality of it stares up at you from a perfumed piece of parchment — you’ve already been matched. what are you supposed to do now, be the asshole that stands them up ?

OOC.

the event will take place IC at any time between FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH, and SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH — though, your muses will have received the notice in the mail sometime before this, as well as the contact information for their partners

OOC, the event will start on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH. we’ll give you until the following TUESDAY to plot, plan, and start threads with your writing partners, but we’d like for your starters to be posted by then ! feel free to take as long as you need with the actual completion of the threads, though ! 

we’ve chosen an event of this kind to promote our anti-bubble rping stance. we want to create and uphold an environment where everyone plots with as many people as possible, that’s why we think randomly paired events like this could have a positive influence on the climate we have here 

on another note, especially if your character is in a relationship or aromantic / asexual, there is absolutely no obligation to make the thread romantic in nature. although valentine’s day and lupercalia definitely were, we’re not forcing you to have threads that are similar in nature when you’re not comfortable with such things for whatever reason. the pairings and locations are meant to work more as a framework or jumping point — feel free to make it as platonic, or even antagonistic, as you want, have your pair ditch the location they’re at completely midway through, etc. make the thread your own !

finally, please post any event content under #theikosevent002, including showing off any outfits if you so wish, and any event starters under #theikoseventstarter !

SATURNALIA.

SATURNALIA — by far the most popular and jolliest ancient holiday, it was originally celebrated on december 17th and began as a singular day to offer gifts or sacrifices during the winter sowing season to saturn, or, as you might know him, KRONUS.

and a true party it was. saturnalia was a time of drunken revelry ; of gambling, singing, playing music, feasting, and socializing. the roman poet catullus famously described it as “ the best of times ”. so riotous were the festivities that the author pliny reportedly built a soundproof room just so that he could work during the raucous celebrations.

this was a time of normal social patterns being turned upside down. regular life came to a halt ; most notably, slaves did not have to serve during saturnalia, but were instead allowed to participate in the festivities. in some cases, they even sat at the head of the table while their masters served them.

in many households, a mock king was chosen: the saturnalicius princeps, or “ leader of saturnalia. ” this figure was responsible for making mischief during the celebrations —insulting guests, wearing crazy clothing, and sowing disobedience across the home. integral to the spirit of saturnalia, the idea was that they ruled over CHAOS, rather than the normal order. the common holiday custom of hiding coins or other small objects in cakes is one of many dating back to saturnalia, as this was a method of choosing the mock king.

reversal. chaos. mischief. indulgence — those are the foundations of this age old celebration

NEW YORK CITY, 2020.

in the spirit of such role reversal and overturning of social order, a gala is being hosted, and a special one — one where people from all walks of life are invited to join in wild revelry. whether you’re a socialite of the upper echelon or a part time worker struggling to make ends meet it makes no difference, for are all welcome to come indulge in the lavish feasting and over-the-top celebration to come.

and no expenses have been spared, that is certain. from decadent feasting to top shelf offerings, surely staying true to the values of drunken revelry shouldn’t be difficult. it is a night for eating, for drinking, for dancing, and for indulging in all those impulsive desires you would never have thought possible before. and perhaps you may even have the chance to be crowned royalty ?

whether you find yourself perfectly at home dressed in your black tie best or simply committed to making as much trouble as possible, there is no doubt it will be a night to remember. 

OOC.

the gala will take place IC on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18TH — though, your muses will have received an invite in the mail sometime before this.

the event will take place OOC on the dash from FRIDAY DEC 18TH through to FRIDAY JANUARY 1ST. we’ve decided to let the event run on for a little longer to take into account absences during the holiday season, as we know it can be harder to get on during these times ; more details on activity exceptions around the holidays will follow ! additionally, feel free to continue your other threads during this period, but it’s ONLY between these dates we will be allowing new event starters to be posted. 

for a fun little twist, we will be rolling randomly for a saturnalicius princeps when the event begins — in character, this translates to your muse finding a little red ball in their hors d'oeuvre at the beginning of the gala, but mechanically we will be reaching out to message the mun when the event begins to let them know they’ve been picked ! much like the original ancient celebration, it becomes their duty to maybe sprinkle in a little chaos, spice things up, and they will be revealed and crowned at the end of the night !