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Sugar Rush Week

The final stretch of the Founding War was brutal and saw many casualties. A census was taken after the war’s end to assess population levels and economic stability of various municipalities. Results of the census suggested a population deficit to the degree that many smaller towns and villages were deemed to be at risk of having an insufficient workforce to sustain themselves long-term. In an effort to bring struggling communities together and to help the population move on from the horrors it endured during the Founding War, Parliament passed a bill calling for “600 Hours of Celebration” to mark the anniversary of the war’s conclusion. This event would lead to one of the most widely beloved festivals in the entirety of the Republic.

The rousing success of 600 Hours of Celebration led to calls for it to be an annual event. Though there was support for such an action both within Parliament and among the general populace, the initial event was deemed too logistically demanding to be repeated annually. A compromise was reached to establish a seven-day event initially referred to as “Victory Week” before the name was eventually changed to what it is today.

The name “Sugar Rush Week” is derived from the large amount of sweets baked and consumed during this period. Cakes are by a wide margin the most commonly-made confectionery and is associated with the festival, though other pastries are prepared to varying amounts. Many of the Republic’s most prestigious bakeries made names for themselves with their ability to provide for the celebrating populace during the initial 600 Hours of Celebration.
As the increase in population over the years began to threaten to overtake the production of wheat and import of sugar, many bakeries made adaptations to ease the burdens on both their supplies and their workers. Examples of these include a reservation system for cake orders up to half a year in advance, and temporary workplace hires to alleviate pressure on the workers.

The primary reason for these cakes is to provide for the receptions of the festival’s numerous weddings. After it became recognized that those who married during the 600 Hours of Celebration had long and happy marriages and several children, people came to believe that getting married during that week would bring happiness and prosperity. This has led to countless unmarried Hooman couples seeking to marry during Sugar Rush Week, and even led some married couples to seek divorce so they could remarry specifically during the festival.
Due to the toll this took on priests, officiators, and others, actions were taken by Parliament to curb the sheer number of weddings that took place. The first method was to hold group marriage ceremonies to be held solely during Sugar Rush, but due to pushback from those claiming the mass ceremonies lessened the experience the practice was abandoned. In its place Parliament enacted a reservation system for weddings wherein an engaged couple sign a wedding agreement in triplicate before a government official on a specific day in which to marry, with a hard limit of no more than 50 weddings officiated by any one officiant per day. On average, a wedding officiant is responsible for overseeing 37 weddings on a given Sugar Rush Week day.

In addition to weddings, parades are a recognizable aspect of Sugar Rush Week. They typically take place on the fifth day of the Week. Wedding officiants are exempt from work on this day.
The theme of these parades is universally that of the victories during the Founding War. As such, those marching in the parade are to dress as troops did during the War. An exception to this is the parade marshal, who wears a red-crested helm. Rolling stands holding up works of soulful works of art depicting various Founding War battles relevant to the location hosting the procession. As the parade takes place, the parade marshal yells “AVE!”, to which the rest of the procession and the crowd respond in kind. After this exchange, one of those marching recites a piece of oral history concerning the War. Embellishment is welcome. When the recitation is complete, the parade marshal yells “AVE!” and the cycle repeats until the parade has marched its path.

Ending on the eleventh day of the year’s eleventh month, Hoomans celebrate their unity by banding together outside the limits of their towns and cities singing folk songs. Though what songs sung specifically vary by location, Just the Two of Us proves to be a constant among all who participate.