Pan-Veletan culture

Pan-Veletan Culture (or more simply but less accurately Veletan Culture) was the collection of cultural characteristics shared by all the schools of Veleta. Veletans had a number of common cultural aspects which are common to all schools of Veleta and helped to bind the entirety of The Order together into a single cohesive movement. These were varied and often the details of these cultural aspects, that is the fine details, would differ from school to school. However, the large scale features were Pan-Veletan and thus were recognised by each of the schools.
These are those traits which partially acted to define a particular organisation as a school of Veleta. However, it may be the case that a given institution had these but which does not meet the other qualifying marks of Veletan School, such as not having the basic beliefs.
These basic markers included the Veletan Calendar, Pan-Veletan holidays and various other cultural set ups which had been determined by the Order to be defining features of Veleta. While organisations which did not meet these were not Veletan, they could have been considered Veletan-compatible so long as they did not directly contradict any of the cultural aspects or beliefs of Veleta.

Veletan Calendar

The Veletan Calendar is a example of a calendar with equal length months, however to do this it has a five days period at then end of each year which does not belong to any month, which expands to six days in leap years. The remaining three-hundred and sixty days are then divided equally between eight months of forty-five days each. These months are then divided into five weeks which consist of nine days.
The excess days, which constituted a period in Veleta for studying the Codicem, for introspection and for preparing for new years festivities, come directly before the new year, which occurs on the twenty-first of June in the Gregorian Calendar. Thus, the scheduling of months within the Veletan calendar, whose months did have names, is as follows:

First Month lasts from June 21 to August 4
Second Month lasts from August 5 to September 17
Third Month lasts from September 18 to November 1
Fourth Month lasts from November 2 to December 16
Fifth Month lasts from December 17 to January 30
Sixth Month lasts from January 31 to March 16 (March 15 leap years)
Seventh Month lasts from March 17 to May 1 (March 17 to April 30th leap years)
Eighth Month lasts from May 2 to June 15 (May 1 to June 14 leap years)
Additional days from June 16 to June 20 (June 15 to June 20 leap years)

This calendar was a key part of Veleta's cultural aspects. It differentiated Veletan chronology from Gregorian and other chronology, and allowed for a shared identity among Veletans by setting yet another small piece of their lifestyle apart in contrast to the rest of society, micronational or macronational.

Veletan Holidays

Veletans had nine holidays a year. These came under three subsets; celebrations of achievements in the sciences, celebrations of historic events and celebrations which relation directly to The Order and Veleta itself. For each of these events, members of entheogenic schools assigned an entheogen to be given special focus on the day in question, and the assigned entheogens shown here were for the entheogenic schools.

The Two Day Feast

The Two Day Feast, otherwise known as The Darwin-Einstein Feast, which was celebrated across the 24th and 25 November in the Gregorian calendar, celebrates two great achievements of modern science. The first day of celebrations commemorates the publishing of the revolutionary biology text, the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin. This book collected Darwin's ideas on evolution by random mutation and natural selection, making it arguably one of the most important books of all time.

The celebrations on November 25 are in honour of the publishing of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, arguably one of the most important discoveries ever made, which changed the way physicists viewed space, time, mass, energy and gravity forever, and which has had implications for a myriad of modern day technologies.
The two days feature feasting, the letting off of small quantities of fireworks (which may either be commercial or homemade) and the construction of bonfires by schools, which became focal points for discussion sessions. These discussion sessions most often centered around the theories at hand. This means discussion of the evolution of life, of the evolution of the Universe and its nature and behavior on the large scale, and often cosmology in general, talks often involving the marvels of modern cosmology and the mysteries which still about within our current understanding.

Quantum Contemplation Day

Quantum Contemplation Day, also known as The Day of Duality, was celebrated October 19, and falls on the day Max Planck first presented his paper which proposed his law of black body radiation, kicking off the first quantum revolution and beginning the theory we now know as quantum mechanics, changing the face of physics in the process. This theory is important to Veletans as one of its features, wave-particle duality, is used analogously to try to communicate the idea that what seems paradoxical (in this example, something being both a wave and a particle) may actually simply be a kind of duality, wherein how you observe something changes what you observe. This celebration featured Veletans taking tea, usually green tea or lapsang souchong, in the traditional Veletan manner, (see Tea Culture). This was a time for relaxation, discussion and contemplation of the idea of duality. Most often this was the time where dualities and supposed paradoxes in Veleta were discussed. Those taking part in the discussion either advance the case that the observed paradox is a duality, that meaning that it is not a contradiction but only an apparent contradiction, or that it is a true contradiction, meaning that it must be resolved one way or the other in order to 'resolve' it.

Nuclear Age Commemoration Day

Nuclear Age Commemoration Day or more informally Criticality Day, was celebrated on December 2, and celebrated the day Chicago-1, the world's first nuclear reactor, attained criticality and thus began the world's first sustainable, power generating nuclear chain reaction. This was a day both of celebration and of mourning, for very different reasons. The day was celebrated as an event which turned the course of history. Nuclear power is an incredibly efficient way to generate energy without the deadly emissions of fossil fuels, though with it's own dangers. It was a great achievement, which took the work of many great minds working many hours to complete, and which stands as a testament to the ability of human beings to cooperate, to innovate and to ultimately change the world.
However, this is also the day which signaled the beginning of much despair for the world. Chicago-1's success lead to the creation of the X-10 reactor, which would go on to produce the plutonium needed to create the bomb which destroyed Nagasaki and kill tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of innocent people. It is this second, far less desirable outcome, which is mourned on this day.
The day gives perfect time for the contemplation of issues of intention as opposed to outcome, to discussing ideas about the proper usage of new knowledge and to considering the implications for the responsibilities born by those who uncover new and dangerous knowledge. During this contemplative and often rather morose period of solemnity in reflection upon the unfortunate twisting of new technology for destruction, tea was often taken, often a green tea or a Ceylon. Veletans considered and discuss to what extent those who created the capability for this destruction bear responsibility for it utilisation, and consider the implications of such lessons in their own lives.
Later on, spirits are lightened with drinks of mead or of wine, or any other alcoholic beverage that might be to hand, the accomplishments of the past eight months were discussed, music was played, and outdoors fires could be lit to symbolise the light and heat of the nuclear reaction. The Veletans would gather around, and offer stories of optimism. The night was ended with a taking a vow to always, at the very least, try to do the best with the capabilities available and try to harness great forces (be they physical, intellectual or emotional) for creation, not destruction.

Lunar Landing Festival

The Lunar Landing Festival or more simply Moonlanding was a grand and auspicious celebration of the day Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first human beings to land on the moon. The impact of man landing on the moon is one of the greatest mankind has ever experienced. The process itself is a testament to mankind's ability to succeed at near anything when it sets its mind to it. Celebrated on July 20, this holiday is a decidedly isolated one, lacking the social aspects of the previous festivals. This is symbolic of the isolation experienced by those first great explorers. This holiday was celebrated individually or in pairs, but with great joy, as Veletans set out to spend the evening under the stars, to marvel at the night sky and to contemplate how giant a leap, but equally how small a step, this event was for mankind. Simultaneously, it was a feat of incredible magnitude, with man taking his first steps on a distant cosmic shore, and yet only a first shuffle into space, to our nearest heavenly neighbor.
The holiday was also commemorated with outdoor cooking, often barbeque or campfire. It was a time to be amongst nature, and a time for introspection. It served to give the Veletan perspective on their place in universe, and to allow them to absorb the isolation and examine themselves. It was also an opportune occasion to consider mankind's future in the universe, and to marvel out our simultaneous massiveness and tininess.

Da Vinci Day

Da Vinci Day or Leonardo Day was a day set aside for the commemoration of Leonardo da Vinci, and to a lesser extend other great Veletan icons such as Nikola Tesla. Celebrated on April 15 (April 14 for Gregorian calendar leap years), it was a time to broaden horizons, to appreciate the great breadth of the achievements of mankind, and to stand in awe of some of histories greatest minds. This day was also a day which should provoke the Veletan to try something new, to re-examine established notions and ultimately to attempt to become a little closer to the "Renaissance man" ideal. This day was a tea festival, and the tea of choice is either green tea or Darjeeling. Veletans also abstained from the consumption of meat on this day, emulating both Leonardo and Nikola, as a tribute of respect to both. The works of Da Vinci being readily available, Veletans were encouraged to read what they could of his notebooks, the same applying to Tesla, whose notes are now easily and freely available. This was in the hope that perhaps a little of the genius of either man might be absorbed into the mind of the reader.
On this day also, Veletans were encouraged to create artistic pieces for their own enjoyment and for creating some form of iconographic tradition within Veleta that might enrich the experience of all members. It was also hoped such activities might broaden the horizons of Veletans, and give them cause to reflect on the world in a manner different from usual.

Foundation Day

Foundation Day was the day that the creation of Veleta is celebrated, on May 4. While this is not the actual state of foundation of Veleta, or The Order, it does mark the first instance of The Order in modern form. This was also the first definite date which is now recorded within Veleta, as all previous development remained undated. This has thus become the accepted date for Foundation Day. Foundation Day is a day that should have at least in part had time set aside for the critical analysis and in depth study of the Codicem. It would serve as not only a refresher course, but a chance to familiarise one's self with any new changes, alterations or addendums which may have been added in recent revisions.
It was also a day for practicing one's physical disciplines, and provides the opportunity for confident and proficient members of combative schools to either show their merit in katas, or to engage in duels if they find themselves lucky enough to find a fellow Veletan within dueling range.
Schools would meet collectively on this day, as a whole, in order to consult within the school before the attendance, of those allowed, at the full session meeting of all school leaders and elder members of The Order. It served to gain consensus on what the major issues The Order faces and how best to resolve them.

New Years Day

New Years Day is the day the Veletan calendar changes from one year to the next. It comes about on the summer solstice most years, over June 20 and June 21. It was a celebration of the previous years successes, and a dissolution of the errors of the previous year. This release was often symbolically portrayed by the creation of sky lanterns by each and every Veletan. They have four panels, one for each of the following: hopes for the next year, that is desires for the existence of others; goals for the next year, those being desires for one's own existence; absolutions of peoples who have acted against you; self-absolution, forgiving yourself for self-transgressions. These were all written out in calligraphic Veletan, and then added to the frame. This served to help absolve issues and anguish, and to clarify the aims of the next year. These were let off into the night, preferably at the darkest part of the night. Fireworks were also let off during the night, in displays to express ideas a concepts, through the interpretive system known in English as pyrography. People arranged these fireworks according the the ideas they wished to put across, and displays were designed to be abstract and interpretable in many ways to many people. This idea allowed for Veletans to discuss their interpretations, and to utilise this central expression, the display, to bind together their otherwise outwardly disparate experiences. In this way, the experience ignites discussion and binding and communal sentiments.

Tea Culture

Tea, and the culture that surrounds it, was a very strong part of Veletan culture. It was an integral part of the social structure of schools, a key piece of Veletan practice and one of the most pronounced cultural identifiers with Veleta. It was subject to a structured ranking, as to the teas drunk by specified ranks, and the teas to be drunk in pan-Veletan holidays. Taking of tea in Veleta was a contemplative and social activity, which served to allow school members to interact in a less formal manner than other possible opportunities.