 November 24, 2016 - 12:53pm | Of all the human celebrations and customs, the harvest and thanksgiving feasts are most appreciated by the vrusk. Only the vrusk have another annual harvest thanksgiving feast. The yazirians are known for their feast celebrations yet they are culturally based upon hunting. Yazirians developed agriculture to support the wildlife of their clan game preserves. Their feasts celebrate one hunt after another year around, all developed around managing animal populations in the preserves. Dralasites do not have a history of feast gatherings. The debate gathering is the center of their cultural celebrations. Any dralasite invited to a family thanksgiving feast is likely to turn the human dinner table discussions into a raging debate not suitable to family unity. The vrusk on the other hand are profoundly unified with the humans in thankful celebration of the annual agricultural harvest and family (hive). The vrusk culture is based on the hive as every young being learns in school. Yet the hive is supported by agriculture. The vrusk developed agriculture faster than all of the other core four races. The hive fostered agricultural innovation and cooperation at a scale in advance of the human family, tribes, and subsequent civilization. Vrusk hives developed celebratory feasts before their recorded history and even before the organization of queens as a ruling societal structure. Vrusk history and archeology indicate the harvest feasts fostered the creation of hive government, established the hive alliances that overcame the many periods of hive wars, and eased the transition to the modern corporate society of the vrusk. When humans gather for their annual harvest feasts it is not uncommon for the local vrusk community to join in and voice their appreciation for the blessing of the year. The timing of human thanksgiving holidays tend to coincide or be within days of the vrusk harvest celebrations. Whether you are on Minotaur, Clarion, Ken'zah-Kit, Zik-Kit, or Gran Quivera you are sure to find vrusk at thanksgiving dinners and humans at vrusk harvest feasts. Humans tend to enjoy the large community bonding of the vrusk hive/corporate harvest feast. Vrusk are enthralled by the human family gathering and the more intimate social relationships expressed in the smaller gatherings. On Gran Quivera it has become popular for mated vrusk pairs to host thanksgiving dinners like human couples do. They host these dinners on the days between the hive harvest feast day and thanksgiving day. Close friends and relatives of various races are invited and expressions of thanks and solidarity are the theme. This Thanksgiving I wish to express thanks to all beings in the Frontier. I have been blessed with wonderful travels and associations with beings of all kinds. The insights you have shared here in the forums have been a joy. The collaborations and publications wonderful. I look forward to another year of your friendship. Enjoy your families, friends, and Thanksgiving feast. I am happy for all the Humans, Vrusk, Dralasites, Yazirians, Humma, Ifshnit, Osakar, Zethra, Saurians, Sathar, S'sessu, Zuraqqor, Mechanon, Notui, and Mhemne that contribute to the development of the Frontier. May everybeing hare share their favorite dish, and to my yazirian friends, please do not kill the zeedahn at the table. Happy Thanksgiving, Alex Stone and Happy Holidays! Jurak Hangna, Dwain, and Tik -iggy |
 November 26, 2016 - 7:05am | The cornucopia is a human tradition that practically no humans understand or even practice. Its like the appendix in the human body, just something that hangs around and few understood what it meant. It had a vrusk analog dating back to hive alliances and kept allive in vrusk corporate culture. The vrusk hives and latter trade houses would send a gift to an allied hive or trade house at the time of the harvest celebration. In ancient times it was aggricultural surplus but latter and in particular during the rise of the trade houses works or art. Often allied trade houses would try to outdo each other with these gifts. When human and vrusk began to interact the cornucopia almost instinctively drew the attention of the vrusk. When choosing a gift to send to human individuals, families or organizations the vrusk began to create cornucopia's brimming with fruit and vegatables. Humans reciprocated with fruit baskets and the giving of perishable food stuffs in an attractive container has become a staple particularly on colonies where humans and vrusk interact. Because of the intervention by the Royal Guard and Royal Marines during the Free World Rebellion to limit the loss of life and the aid given by the Crown of Clarion to help relocate Vrusk to other colonies , many vrusk trade houses began to send cornucopias to the Palace. An almost off hand remark by the king about wishing they would donate the food to charity or the poor resulted in the vrusk organizing the Cornucopia Collective on Clarion. Trade Houses sending food as an act of gratitude for the kindness shown the vrusk by the Crown of Clarion send it to the CC and it disperses it to the poor of Clarion. Similar collectives have sprung up on mixed species colonies like Cassidine and Prengular. Jedion has nothing but gratitude for his fellow Frontiersmen. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 November 26, 2016 - 2:13pm | Sport Traditions? "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
