| Midinváerne | |
|---|---|
 Celebrating Midwinter | |
Also called |
Midwinter, Yule Eve, Yule, winter solstice |
Observed by |
humans, elves, halflings, dwarves, possibly gnomes |
Type |
Cultural, seasonal, astronomical |
Significance |
Marks the beginning of a new cycle: the sun gradually gains power and all things beneath it are born once again; beginning of Yule savaed. |
Celebrations |
Festivals, feasting and spending time with family, friends, loved ones and other people, singing carols, fortune telling, decorating Yule tree or burning Yule log, erecting Winter Shrines |
Date |
winter solstice |
Related to |
Yule savaed, Elven calendar |
Midinváerne (Common: Midwinter) is the day of the winter solstice, celebrated as part of the elven year. Being the longest night of the year, it's considered to be infused with magic. It marks the beginning of the second savaed, Yule.
Traditions[ | ]
Midwinter is celebrated as a huge festival and holiday in countries of the Continent. Observed initially by elves, it was adopted by humans, halflings and other intelligent races.
During the shortest day and longest night of the year, people enjoy by singing, feasting and spending time with their families, friend and loved ones. Before feast, families hang decorations like by mistletoe wreaths, spruce or pine twigs. Suitable traditions are decorating Yule tree and burning Yule log.
One of popular practices in this night infused with magic is fortune telling - for example, maidens are throwing apple peels for know initials of their fiancés.
In The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings[ | ]
- “After Midinváerne, or Midwinter, the day of the winter solstice, the days grow longer. According to the elves, Midinváerne marks the beginning of a new cycle: the sun gradually gains power and all things beneath it are born once again. Winter Shrines erected on this day celebrate the revival of light and life, but also honor the winter, as death and ressurection are two sides of the same coin.” - post on CD Projekt RED blog
One of DLCs contains Winter Shrines connected with Midinváerne.