Ave, Sandum Citizens!
For several years now, we have all celebrated the Day of Secession (le Jouro de Secessio) and the symbols, epithets, and colours which have shaped its celebration have also shaped our State and our Nation. However, we have yet to recognise these symbols and colours, thus we have created this article to briefly discuss the iconography of one of our most important State holidays.
The Day of Secession is called the Dawn or Spring of the State. This epithet was most notably begun during the 2013 (MMXII) celebration of the Day of the Secession thanks to the cultural work of the Sandum State’s first musical concert. It was a title granted to the holiday because of the close proximity to the beginning of the Spring season (which begins in Kremlum Sandus Province in late February and early March); however, this epithet of Dawn or Spring is most closely related to the holiday’s historical significance as a day in which independence was declared from the St.Charlian Commonwealth – where Sandus was a semi-autonomous territory of another micronation – which can be seen as the beginning of the State of Sandus régime, much like how the Dawn is the beginning of the day or Spring is the beginning of the new year (this is especially seen in the iconography of the Regifugia and Matronalia, which collectively celebrate the New Sancta Year).
However, the vision of the Day of Secession from the St.Charlian Commonwealth as the “dawn” is a vision taken back to the very first Day of Secession. As shown above, all of the posters are alike because of their focus on dawn scenes and on light. This is a key part of the artistic iconography of the Day of Secession and one which led to the epithet of the Day of Secession being the “dawn” or “spring”. Over the course of the past three years, then, focus has been paid to dawn and morning scenes — however, of a certain variety.
Particular attention has been paid to dawn scenes which contain more purples and pinks than reds, oranges, and yellows. As a result, these are often the colours used for the celebration of the Day of Secession and virtually all Sandum posters celebrating the Day of Secession contain purple, especially lavender. This focus on the lavender colour particularly has led to an importance of the flower, particularly in this year’s celebration as this year’s celebrations will include dried lavender sprigs and a field of lavender in the dawn is depicted on this year’s Day of Secession holiday cards. However, it must be noted that this is not the first year that flowers have been chosen to represent the Day of Secession: last year’s celebration (MMXII, 2013) had holiday cards which depicted a purple dawn with purple flowers of an indeterminate kind. In this year’s celebration, the flower has become determinate: lavender, after its purple colour and the common colour found throughout the many years’ celebrations.
The symbols surrounding the Day of Secession are growing and becoming more clear to us, with the example of lavender over the past several years. What was a focus on purply dawns became a focus on purply dawns with purple flowers, and thus lavender has become the flower of the holiday. In this way, many of the celebrations of Sandus’s important State holidays are growing in iconography and symbolic importance. Over this year’s celebrations, it will be interesting to see how things pan out and in what direction this year’s celebrations go. For instance, as the Sôgmô prepares to celebrate the Parentalia – an ancient Roman holiday commemorating ancestors and deceased relatives and which falls before and a day after the Day of Secession – this month, this year’s celebration may witness a symbolic “darkness before the Dawn”: a period of “night” which will accent the time and celebration of the Secession more closely as the moment of Dawn for the Sandum Nation and State. This year’s celebration is also being used to unveil a characteristic match of two instruments that will likely shape Sandus and the holiday in the future: auloi (ancient Greek flutes) and the kayagum (a Korean zither-like string instrument). Furthermore, the relation of the holiday to the rise of Realism as a specific and important politic in Sandus will also continue to shape the celebration for years to come.
— Sôgmô Sörgel
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