Cirelian - Ethnicity

Cirelian are the cultural and ethnic group of humans native to the planet Cirelia as well as the culture of any Cirelian colonies like Ondea.

The planet was colonized millenia ago by humans, and the culture of Cirelia has developed its own unique traits and traditions ever since. The planet’s culture has influence from other planets in the galactic coalition, especially Athea, and shares much in common with other human cultures. 

The planet is home to numerous biomes, with much of it being temperate forests, grasslands, and savannahs, and is split into eight different provinces. The provinces are mostly laid out based on geographical features with borders being made by mountains and rivers. Each province -as well as each Cirelian colony- is home to slightly different traditions but there are still overarching cultural traits that make them all Cirelian.

Social structure

Kinship

Cirelian kinship tends to focus a lot on the immediate family, with households typically being made up of nuclear families with the occasional extended family member. Extended family is still valued and important, with extended family often coming together for holidays and important ceremonies. 

Gender

There are some traditional gender roles but modernly they are often very relaxed and not very binding especially in urban areas. When traditional gender roles are in play women and femininity are often associated with spirituality and creation while masculinity and men are often associated with physical labor and public facing work.

Sexuality

Norms surrounding choice of sexual or romantic partner are pretty relaxed even if people may be seen as going outside the norm by choosing a same sex partner. This is especially true in urban areas where there is more diversity of people and behavior.

Architecture

Traditional architecture is often found in historic elite buildings and modern government buildings and mansions; it may also be seen in some elite apartment buildings and townhouse complexes. This style tends to have a lot of round buildings and towers, with buildings often being laid out in a crescent or flower shape with one large round structure in the center and smaller ones extending outwards. A rectangular building with a central round tower is also seen.

The average modern Cirelian house is built with the entry opening into an open kitchen and living area with a strip of rooms along one side with bedrooms, bathrooms, and utility rooms; if there is a second story the bedrooms may be located on the second floor. A similar layout is seen in apartments. Elite houses are similar, but tend to be grander and have more separation between private family spaces and the spaces used for entertaining guests, often through the use of wings or upper floors.

Dome and cone shaped roofs are common for traditional architecture and even when buildings do not have round roofs they will still often be built in a slightly rounded shape.. Balconies are often seen in houses and buildings with multiple floors. Historically many buildings were built of brick with tiled roofs, but modernly more permanent materials -like concrete, are used especially in larger building complexes and in urban areas.

Fashion

For more info see: Cirelian Traditional Fashion

Traditional Cirelian fashion is descended from the attire of historic Cirelian human cultures, with variety based on the biome, province, or culture that one is from. Many of the mainstream trends stem from trends originating from Natara City and Natara province, whose culture tends to dominate the planet's culture.

A typical outfit consists of a base layer of a top and either pants or bottoms -a dress is also an alternative- with a cloak like garment called a Cirelian cloak. 

Other elements commonly seen in Cirelian fashion include a halo shaped headdress, elaborate braided hairstyles, and minimalist jewelry

Farming & Pastoralism

Cirelian food production is mostly done through intensive farming, especially in Cirelia where much of the planet's space is taken up by urban sprawl.  In city areas, greenhouses and small gardens are often used to produce a small amount of food while colonies like Ondea export products from large scale farming to the cirelian homeplanet for most of the population.

Genetically modified plants made to produce a higher yield are commonly grown, and as such many crops require human intervention to survive. Because of this as well as the high population of mouths to feed, agriculture and food production is a big deal on Cirelia.

Animal production, much like agriculture, mostly takes place on the cirelian colonies where there is more space for raising large livestock animals. Smaller food animals may be raised on Cirelia but this is uncommon, especially in the central urban areas.

Food

Most traditional Cirelian dishes are baked and are savory with lots of vegetables and dough being used. Breads, pies, and pastries are some of the most common traditional foods as they are filling and easy to carry. Cirelian cuisine tends to have lots of cheesy, savory, and earthy flavors. Cirelian deserts are also known for being very fruity and sweet.

Due to Cirelia being a key planet in the Galactic coalition, and home to many non-human and non-cirelian communities, a lot of Cirelian food and cooking ingredients has also come from other planets like Epra and Thunus. 

Notable Dishes Include

Cirelian Sweet Bun - A baked pastry with a soft doughy bun and either a sweet or savory filling. Sweet fillings are often fruit or jam based and savory fillings are often cheese and vegetable based. The savory version is often eaten as a small meal and the sweet version is often eaten as a dessert.

Cirelian Hot Dish - a baked dish made of layers of pasta and vegetable slices with meat and vegetables between the layers. It is often eaten as a savory filling meal, with one dish being able to feed multiple people.

Spirituality

Cirelian spirituality has a lot of Daanist influence, with much of the population either following or having some connection to the faith. Cirelian Daanist sects tend to involve monastic organizations with the biggest daanist organization being the Cirelian sisterhood and female monastic organization focused on a simple sustainable lifestyle for its members while also caring for the sick and needy as part of living an ethical life. Many hospitals and orphanages are run by branches of the Cirelian Sisterhood, and they have a strong presence in Cirelian culture.

The Arts

Music

WIP

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