So, the other night, Kitten and I were chatting and she started to spin a yarn about a strange New Year’s custom she’d heard of. It was interesting, so I wrote it down.
Baeshmunti Celebration of the Meregits peoples
By G.W.H.
There is a fertile valley in the foothills of the Mere mountains, deep in the heart of the continent. It is inhabited by the people known as the Meregits. Although their country has changed names over the centuries, as borders shift, the people still call themselves the Meregits.
At the end of the year, in line with the winter solstice, they have a very special new year’s celebration called ‘Baeshmunti’. In the late afternoon, each family gathers for a special feast. If there are people without family, a family will adopt them for the celebration. It is considered quite an honor for a family to adopt a single person for their celebration; as this shows their ability to welcome strangers.
The feast is an elaborate affair featuring a variety of special dishes. Besides several types of roasted root vegetables, there is roasted young goat stuffed with fragrant herbs, small river fish are sautéed in the berries of the Jarlow bush, made into a paste, and served on unleavened bread made from the grains of an ancient breed of wheat. A simple salad made from the wide, soft leaves of the Jarlow bush, wild onions and a vinegar made from fermented grain. For dessert, they serve sour fruit of the Fullallet tree, slathered with wild honey. All of these dishes are served in large platters made from river turtle shells.
At the end of the feast, and after everything is cleaned up, the families lie on their sleeping mats and reminisce about the past year and await sundown.
At sundown, everyone strips naked and takes up a ceremonial torch made from rushes soaked in animal fat. With lit torches, they leave their houses and join the rest of the villagers as they sing ancient songs. The songs tell of the people’s history, with new verses added every year.
The oldest and wisest woman of the village leads the walk to the sacred mudflats along the river. If she is too frail to walk, several young men are there to carry her, for it is a great honor to do so. No one is left behind, from the oldest man, to the youngest child.
Once they reach the river, they discard the burning rushes into small piles. These small piles light up the riverbank in a soft light. Then, the people cover each other in the soft mud of the riverbank.
This is the part of the river where the turtles come in the spring to mate and lay their eggs. The river turtles, which grow as big a dinner plates, are protected in the springtime, as the villagers know that overharvesting of the eggs and turtles can lead to dire shortages in years to come.
The mud signifies the troubles and tribulations that all suffered during the year. It’s not just one’s own troubles, but by putting mud on a friend or family member, one shares their troubles with that person. They in turn, share their troubles with you.
When everyone is sufficiently covered, special fragment candles made of beeswax are lit. With the soft light of the candles, the villagers parade back to the village square. Here, they march around singing the songs of the new year. Songs full of the joys of the past year, the troubles that they have surmounted and the hopes of an even better year ahead.
As the candles burn low, they all march back to the river and wash themselves clean with special fragrant soaps. This signifies the washing away of their troubles and transgressions from the fading year. While still wet, they anoint themselves with the fragrant oil extracted from the flowers and seeds of the Mar Mar tree.
Clean and smelling sweetly, they disperse back to their homes and sleeping mats for a well deserved sleep.
In the morning, to welcome the new year, they don new clothes, gather in a circle and exchange handmade gifts. A special breakfast is served, made from fresh fruits and vegetables. This is to signify the newness of the coming year. They also dine on a hot porridge made from ancient grains, dried fruits, fragrant twigs, and crunchy, small animal bones. This is to signify that all their lives are based on what has come before and that their life is always built on the past.
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