For the beginning of the new year, which for the people of Kalora is
in the middle of their harsh winters, they engage in a tradition of
writing on rocks, a communal wall, or collection of large beach
rocks with their intentions for the following year.
History
New year traditions have a long history in Kalora. The time is
accompanied with many ceremonies and tradition, usually unique to
a specific family or group.
Rock wettening began as an individual event. A family, name lost
to time, had a special tradition of writing their goals on small
rocks in chalk. These goals were small, achievable ones, such as
an intent to listen to new music or make new friends. After
everyone had written on their own rock, they would swap them with
another family member who would vow to help them achieve their
goal, dip the rock in water to erase the chalk, and keep the rock
as a reminder of their dedication to help their family member.
What started as a unique family tradition soon spread to the
community at large when the family began to invite other people in
their community to join them: neighbors, teachers, colleagues,
service workers. Along the way, the idea to create communal goal
arose and, instead of writing on a stone that could be held in the
hand, people began to write their goals on a large wall of a house
in the community and hoses were used to wipe down the goals.
Later, for larger groups, goals were written on beach rocks and
the tide swept away their goals as a symbol that the sea, a source
of life, would help them.
Execution
The first step is to select an appropriate surface for the goal to
be written on. An individual's rock should be smooth enough that
the chalk words are legible but not so smooth that the chalk has
nothing to grab onto. Some people select their rocks earlier in
the year and save them for later and others choose a rock on the
day of. It must be large enough to fit the entire goal. Some goals
are a single word, such as "marriage" or "child," and only require
small rocks, but others are more detailed and require larger ones.
It is still expected that an individual rock can be held by a
single person, preferably in one hand.
For communal goals, community buildings or the houses of special
members of the community are chosen to be Writers. This could be
the local medical magician's home or a popular restaurant,
depending on the agreed intentions of the group. The goal for the
group is ascertained by discussion on the eve of the new year,
although it is usually planned earlier than the day of. The people
who own or live in the building that the community has chosen are
the ones to inscribe the goal.
Entire towns along the coast use the beach rocks to write goals.
The goals are often complex and can be written across several
stones, but they must be written quickly before the ocean waves
can wipe them away before the ceremony is complete. The leader of
the town or members of the largest family are often the Writers.
After the goals are written, they are traded over to the people
who will wash away the chalk, Wetters. Specific individuals to
trade with can be planned in advance, but it is encouraged to be
someone outside of someone's immediate circle in order to foster a
growing sense of community. The larger communal goals hand off the
task to a secondary group picked well in advance based on
community polling.
Using hoses, or the tide, each goal is erased with water while the
Wetter makes their vow to help the fellow in their community. Once
the surface is completely clean, people often celebrate with a
feast and share their goals with others.
Participants
Writers and Wetters for communal goals are often split along
gendered lines. Writers perform as a "dry" gender, one that's
associated with stability and individuality. This includes
wearing capes with pins affixed to the back with meaningful
symbols or beloved items. People will also pin feathers or
shells or other items acquired over the previous year. They may
paint their face with colored paints, especially in warm earth
colors like yellow and brown.
Wetters perform as a "wet" gender, associated with dynamism and
community. Wetters often don't wear much clothing except for
large necklaces with drapes that cover a significant part of the
chest. They may also paint their skin, specifically their hands,
in colors like purple and red, as long as the paint also washes
off with water.
Everyone who wants to participate in having an intention
collectively supported appears as an audience member for the
communal celebrations. It is not required to go, and people who
have not had remarkable years will often forego the ceremony if
they don't have any specific exceptional goals for the new year,
but if one does agree not to partake in the communal goal it is
considered rude to write an individual one. Some people get
around this by only doing the ceremony with their long-term
partner, so no one is aware of the social transgression.
Observance
The celebration is observed on the day before the new year. It
is during the winter when it is exceptionally cold, and the
celebration is usually done outside for community goals. The
refusal to wear clothes can be devastating for certain
populations, so Wetters are often
Sela
members of the community, whose thick blubber keeps them from
being too cold.