Author: Longest Night Midwinter Masque

Reserve your room today!

Don’t miss out on our super duper special Masque room rate at the Hyatt.

To reserve your room at the special discount rate, use this link

Not into the whole “booking online” thing or just prefer to talk to an actual person?  Have no fear! You can also call the Hyatt reservations office at 877-803-7534.  Just make sure that you mention either “Longest Night Midwinter Masque” or “MASQ” to receive our special group rate. 

Want to check out the hotel before you book?  Visit the Hyatt Regency Fairfax’s website.

The Quiet, Private Love of House Alyssum

Alyssum is the house of modesty, a surprising trait in a society that doesn’t shame love. But for some love is quiet, private. We value the quiet intimacy of love and we honor Naamah in keeping that privacy. “Love as thou wilt,” means that we make room for all types of people and love is not only the bold and brash lover singing their heart out to the person of their affection. It’s also seen the rose blushes on cheeks and the whisper of veils and the soft sound of lovers in the dark. Alyssum doesn’t shout it’s joys from the rooftops rather cherishes them in their hearts. In Alyssum house we were taught that when Naamah went to the King of Persis, whom she lay with to secure Blessed Elua’s freedom, that she trembled to lay aside her modesty. alyssum flowerTo offer something so personal is no easy task and because of it, her sacrifice on Elua’s behalf is honored in our efforts to mimic and value that modesty. Just as the other houses offer her worship through their choices so do we in our own way.

Some see shame in modesty. Shame of our bodies that we try to hide them, shame of sex and sexuality that we whisper our desires. But modesty does not need to be derived from a sense that something is wrong so much that something is valuable. We view our bodies and the things we do with them as special in much the same way that all of Terre d’Ange does. However we view them as gifts that are reserved for the right time and place and person, shyly shared and privately enjoyed. Closed doors and covered bodies do not ruin the joy in the experience. We want our lovers to come away from the encounter just as fulfilled and pleased as others.

Those who choose to visit Alyssum house come seeking these treasures like a gift wrapped in silk and bows. Some choose to keep their encounters and tastes and loves to themselves not for shame of them but because it is something personal for them. Privacy is something to be respected as much as any other aspect of consent. Some enjoy the blushes and embarrassment of the modest exposed. They come to admire and love those with shy smiles and averted eyes. Finding the erotic teasing of skin hidden behind veils and desires revealed in whispered confessions is an allure for others. Alyssum offers muffled giggles and quiet sighs that do not need to be shared with anyone else. There is beauty in the shared private intimacy that is different than the love that is spoken of freely. Different but no less or more valuable.

 

~Cyrille nó Alyssum

Dowayne

Calling All Makers!

The Longest Night Midwinter Masque is looking for volunteer crafters to join us in our fundraising efforts for the Fairfax County Public Libraries. D’Angelines have amazing and special talents and we would love to utilize your gifts to create unique items for sale.floral scrollwork

Some of the projects you’ll be hearing about in the coming months include personalized birth charts, handmade Terre d’Ange soaps and essential oil blends, and 2020 Midwinter Masque logo apparel.

Whatever your craft, we want to hear from you! Send a short proposal to fundraising@thelongestnightmasque.com with your ideas.  Have a talent you would like to share but don’t have something specific in mind? We are happy to work with you to develop your own unique project!

 

Love as thou wilt,

Arietta de Millazza nó Bryony

Fundraising Coordinator

Raising Funds for the Libraries

Libraries are valuable resources in our communities and it’s important that we support them.    After all, without libraries, how would Phédre ever have solved the mystery of the Master of the Straits and saved her dearest friend?  Plus, isn’t this event based on a series of nine books (if you follow Phédre, Imriel, and Moirin – which you should – through all of their adventures)?

FCPL logoSo, it is in this spirit that the 2020 Masque will be raising funds for the Fairfax County Public Library system.  The FCPL consists of 23 branches – 8 regional branches, 14 community branches, and a branch dedicated to serving customers who have special accessibility requirements – serving the over 1 million residents of Fairfax County “through programming, community spaces, technologies, and collections of educational and recreational resources.”

Proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the libraries and, in the coming weeks and months, you will be hearing from the Dowayne of Bryony House about some exciting fundraisers.

If you would like to make a personal donation to the libraries, you can do so by clicking the Donate Now button on the Fairfax Library Foundation homepage.  You can add “Longest Night Midwinter Masque” in the notes if you wish.  Select “FCPL” as your home library.

Who would you be?

black lace mask and candleWe all have our favorite characters and favorite moments in the Kushiel’s Legacy series.  If you had the chance to magically become a character in the series to live through a certain time in one of the books, who would you be and what “adventure” would you experience?

Would you be a young Phédre – or Alcuin – studying in Delaunay’s household?  Perhaps you’d want to experience that fateful night in the Skaldi cave as Joscelin?  Maybe you’d be happiest as Hyacinthe, running his business on Night’s Doorstep.

Tell us all about it in the comments section!

Pics! (‘cuz it did happen)

Are you bummed that you missed the 2019 Masque back in January?  We’re bummed, too.  Did you come to the event and want to relive every glorious moment of the evening?  (C’mon, you know you do…again)

Or maybe, you’d like to peruse pics from the 2016 and 2017 Masques in Pennsylvania?

EG Photography logoHave no fear, we’ve got you covered!  This link will take you to photos of all of our prior events by EG Photography.  Make sure you’re “camera ready” come January 4, 2020, as Emily Golihew will be joining us again to snap candids and formal portraits throughout the evening.

Master Piero’s Discussion Series: Request for Proposals

In Kushiel’s Scion, Imriel travels to the University of Tiberium to study under the eccentric Master Piero di Bondi and his famous pigeons.

picture of a pigeonTo further immerse you in our weekend in Terre d’Ange, we will be hosting a short series of discussion groups on Saturday, much like those Imriel, Eammon, Brigitta, and Lucius held in the tavern long after class.  We invite you to submit proposals for these discussion topics, worthy of those inspired by Master Piero – no pigeons needed.

Groups will last approximately 60-90 minutes and should be designed for no more than ten (10) to fifteen (15) participants.  Please limit your topics to direct discussions of the Kushiel’s Legacy books.  If your topic is chosen, be prepared to lead an in-depth discussion of your topic and bring any materials your participants may need, such as question handouts or printouts of supplemental information.  Include the names of any Kushiel’s Legacy books that participants need to bring.

To submit your proposal, send an email to info@thelongestnightmasque.com with the subject Discussion Group Topic and attach your proposal to the email.  Do not type your proposal in the body of the email.

Proposals will be accepted no later than 11:59pm, May 1, 2019. Proposals will be reviewed by a committee and those whose topics have been chosen will be informed by May 15, 2019.

Tickets to Master Piero’s Discussion Series will be made available once subjects have been chosen and group leaders confirmed.

Join us for the 2020 Masque!

In honor of the 2019 Vernal Equinox, we officially invite you to join us for the 2020 Longest Night Midwinter Masque on Saturday, January 4, 2020!

We have a little over nine months before the event, but we’re well on our way to planning what could be our best one yet.  2019 portraitWe hope you enjoyed the 2019 Masque and will be joining us again in 2020 for a long night of revelry and merrymaking.

We tried hard to secure space in one of the ballrooms at the Palace in the City of Elua but, alas, our requests were denied.  Something about a visiting Alban delegation…or maybe it was a war with the Skaldi…a shadow government in exile…refinishing the marble floors?  It was tough to get a straight answer on why we couldn’t hold the ball there, just that we couldn’t.

But fear not, fellow D’Angelines!  We will, instead be returning to the Hyatt Regency Fairfax.  While it may not be the Courcel Palace, it is still a fantastic place to hold the Midwinter Masque – and we will be doing it up right.

So mark your calendars, buy your tickets, get your costume ready, secure your travel plans, and get ready to enjoy the 2020 Longest Night Midwinter Masque!

 

~Love As Thou Wilt

The Schedule – See You There!

Private Reception with Jacqueline Carey – Presidential Suite, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

  • January 4th, 7 – 9:30 p.m. ~ Private Reception

 

The Masquerade – Commonwealth Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

 

The Dungeon – Virginia Suites, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

 

Brunch on Night’s Doorstep – Dominion Suite, Hyatt Regency Fairfax

  • January 6th, 2019, 8 – Noon ~ Brunch

Announcing New Vendor: The Metal Weaver

Invented by Celts and adopted by Romans, chainmaille was an important part of a soldier’s ensemble until the emergence of the musket in 1520. Though antiquated as armor, the craft of chainmaille continues on in myriad aesthetics. One such craftsperson is The Metal Weaver.

On Etsy since 2009, The Metal Weaver specializes in handmade, high quality jewelry, strong craftsmanship, and elegant chainmaille design. The Metal Weaver enjoys working with various alloys and doing custom work, while keeping meticulous records of the metals used in any given piece. You can find The Metal Weaver on Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/themetalweaver and the Masque this Saturday! Be sure to introduce yourself and get your custom chainmaille jewelry in the works!