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A Rad O'miamaala
the fourteen festivals

Raa-Dyanists in Syana observe fourteen festivals throughout the year. One falls on the winter solstice on June 21st and the rest are calculated in o’di-rad (Syan religious months of 26 days) from the solstice.

They each honour a prominent figure in Raa-Dyanism, and are mainly centered around worship and celebration. These festivals are all also national holidays with most businesses closing on these days or not requiring staff to come to work.

anis Di-’NAla:

Day Of Inaala

  • Falls on shortest day of the year (winter solstice)

  • Marks the beginning of a new year as well as the first di-rad of the year

  • Honours Inaala (god of the moon)

  • Celebrated with large feasts and parties

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NAl-anis Di-Dara'kAra:

Night Of Dara'kaara

  • Falls 26 days after Anis Di-’naala

  • Marks beginning of second di-rad of the year

  • Honours Dara'Kaara (original creator)

  • Celebrated by giving offerings (o’kaasaka inaal di-o’kaara) and praying/giving thanks to Dara'Kaara 

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anis Di-O’lidos:

Day Of The Snow

  • Falls 52 days after Anis Di-’naala

  • Marks the beginning of the third di-rad of the year

  • Honours Lidos (god of snow/ice/the cold)

  • Celebrated commonly by a pilgrimage to the mountaintops of the O’balisaa Di-O’kaasaka and leaving o’kaaaska inaal di-o’kaara as close to the peak as possible

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MiamAla Di’sa:

Festival Of Gold

  • Falls 78 days after Anis Di-’naala

  • Marks the beginning of the fourth di-rad of the year

  • Honours Maalakyaa (god of royalty) 

  • Celebrated by throwing coins into the sea to wish for good fortune and happiness as well as gift giving

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MiamAla Di-oda:

Festival Of Birth

  • Falls 104 days after Anis Di-’naala

  • Marks beginning of the fifth di-rad of the year

  • Honours Mino (goddess of childbirth/family/legacy)

  • Celebrated by giving feasts to all pregnant women and rubbing clay on babies and washing it off

 

anis Di-O’kyagok:

Day Of Numbers

  • Falls 130 days after Anis Di-’naala

  • Marks the beginning of the sixth di-rad of the year

  • Honours Nolis-Kaara (god of knowledge)

  • Celebrated by leaving painted stones (O’kyagok) around academic sites and giving a pebble/stone to students to bless their grades. Traditionally involved offering a kyagok to the village wise-person.

 

NAl-anis Di-OmAni:

Night Of Omaani

  • Falls 156 days after Anis Di-’naala

  • Marks beginning of the seventh di-rad of the year

  • Honours Omaani (personification of the land)

  • Celebrated by eating by candlelight and praying to Omaani for good harvest/luck

 

anis Di-Ola-karAka:

Day Of The Sun

  • Falls on the summer solstice (182 days after Anis Di-’laana)

  • Marks the longest day of the year and the beginning of the eighth di-rad of the year

  • Honours Oraara (personification of heat)

  • Celebrated by sleeping underneath the sun, making flower crowns and holding large parades

 

MiamAla Di-karAka:

Festival Of Fire

  • Falls 26 days after Anis Di-ola-karaaka

  • Marks the beginning of the ninth di-rad of the year

  • Honours Karaaka-Kaara (god of fire)

  • Celebrated by lighting large community bonfires and traditional-dancing competitions

 

anis Di-rA-omAni:

Day Of The Harvest

  • Falls 52 days after Anis Di-ola-karaaka

  • Marks the beginning of the tenth di-rad of the year

  • Honours Di-omaani-Kaara (goddess of the harvest)

  • Celebrated by sharing food with neighbours and throwing large feasts for the whole family

 

NAl-anis Di-KyabA:

Night Of Kyabaa

  • Falls 78 days after Anis Di-ola-karaaka

  • Marks the beginning of the eleventh di-rad of the year

  • Honours Kyabaa (god of the dead)

  • Celebrated by remembering the dead and creating small statues of deceased loved ones and writing messages to them on the statues

 

MiamAla Di-o’mAlAl:

Festival Of Sorrow

  • Falls 104 days after Anis Di-ola-karaaka

  • Marks the beginning of the the twelfth di-rad of the year

  • Honours Maalaalasa (god of mourning/loss)

  • Celebrated by holding a 20 minute vigil of silence at midday and placing pictures of deceased loved ones on memorial shrines

 

anis Di-SanadA:

Day Of Sanadaa

  • Falls 130 days after Anis Di-ola-karaaka

  • Marks the beginning of the thirteenth di-rad of the year

  • Honours Sanadaa (god of fish/rivers/marriage)

  • Celebrated by eating fish meals also a common marriage date

 

MiamAla Di-a Di-lAs:

Festival Of The Kind 

  • Falls 156 days after Anis Di-ola-karaaka

  • Marks the beginning of the fourteenth di-rad of the year

  • Honours O’ni-Kaara (goddess of kindness/animals)

  • Celebrated by leaving notes with kind words and compliments for people to read. Also common to buy gifts for your pets and donate to various charities.

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