A Guide Book to the Great Tree by Kathryn Huang Page B

region and from species to species. Calling songs are always sung. Each species has its own unique call. Spotted Owls, for example, issue a series of short, barking hoots, whereas Barn Owls emit long, drawn-out shrieks. As the night falls, and the Egg Festival begins, a symphony of calls can be heard in every place where owls live. Some owls also put egg-shaped stones in their nests to symbolize their wish for a brood of healthy, robust chicks.
    SCROOMSA WIKKEN
    To owls, death is believed to be the passage to another life in glaumora. It’s not necessarily scary or sad, but merely a journey that we must all embark upon. Scroomsawikken has been celebrated since the time of the legends as anight when the living remember and honor their departed loved ones.
    Traditionally, on the night of Scroomsawikken, on the first new moon after spring’s equal night, the mood is bright and not at all gruesome. It’s treated almost like a family reunion of sorts. The deceased are remembered fondly. Owls return to the site of their loved ones’ final ceremonies to pay respects. Some owls offer flowers, others bits of food and furs to make the departed ones’ stay in glaumora more comfortable. Often, there is singing and dancing at the sites, for owls want to bring joy to the ones they love, even after death.
    At the great tree, owls light candles in the Great Hollow to pay tribute to the deceased. Every year, I light a candle for Strix Struma. Now, with the passing of Ezylryb, Boron, and Barran, there are so many more candles to light. Each point of light reminds me what amazing owls they all were, and how they’re surely making glaumora an even better place.
    NIMSY NIGHT
    Nimsy Night takes place on the shortest night of the year and marks the start of summer. Owls see it as anoccasion for welcoming back the darkness, for after Nimsy Night, the nights grow steadily longer until the arrival of Founder’s Night (Long Night). It is also the time to usher in the warmest months of the year, when prey is plentiful and flying is most pleasant.
    During the time of the Golden Rain at the great tree, chaw practices are cut short, young owls take fewer classes, and all owls enjoy as many night flights as they can possibly fit into the few hours of darkness. So, all the owls look forward to the coming of Nimsy Night because it signals the change to a more leisurely schedule. I, of course, always seem to work just as hard as I do the rest of the year.
    Everything is decorated with the color green for Nimsy Night. The leaves of maples, oaks, and sycamores reach a bright, verdant shade during this time of year. So owls string them together to make garlands and wreaths. These are placed over hollows and nests, and are said to bring good fortune and health. Some owls even dye their primaries green in celebration.
    The best-known ritual of Nimsy Night is the picking of herbs. Since ancient times, owls have believed that herbs are at their most potent and have miraculous healing powers on the shortest night of the year. Therefore, we pick them on this night to dry and use throughout theyear. Now, I don’t think this is a scientifically proven fact, so I question its validity. But, herbs do seem to be most abundant in early summer, so I suppose it’s only sensible to gather them at this time.
    And as with all great celebrations in the world of owls, there is a feast associated with Nimsy Night. It’s not quite as grand as the feasts for Founder’s Night or the Milkberry Harvest Festival, but it’s wonderful nonetheless. Families of owls gather to share meat, which is plentiful at this time of year.
    At the great tree, there is traditionally a snail bake. Raw snails are not the tastiest of foods for owls—most of us find them too slimy. But once they’re cooked, they become an absolute delicacy! A typical snail bake begins with the heating of great stones near the shoreline. The colliering and metals chaws are