The Homecoming
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A ritual to welcome Warriors home from battle, or friends from a long quest.  ritual between 2,  performed in a group setting. Requires, a Beloved, a returning Hero, a Piper, a bowl of water with towel, whiskey, a Quaich, and fresh clothing. For our purposes here we will assume the couple is a male soldier returning to his female wife (amend gender roles as necessary).
 If the millitary unit will allow, the returning Warriors should be "dropped off" just outside the city limits of their home town, if not it can be performed at the end of their street as they walk home, in uniform. we will assume here that the unit has offered to participate in the ritual. The Wife (Wives/Husbands...) waits just inside the city limits, the limits having been previously demarked (agreed upon) by Druids. The Soldier walks up to the city limit, but no further (he is not welcome back with the dust of war upon him). He performs a 'Wilt thou go to the Barracks Johnnie'
 
 once done, his wife approaches him with a basket containing fresh clothes, a Quaich, whiskey, a locally grown vegetable, and linnens. In her hands she carries a basin of fresh water, and a towel over the other arm. She approaches him and sings a welcome song such as
When she reaches the borderline she stops, and courtseys. She holds the bowl over the border line allowing him the opportunity to was the dust from his hands without crossing the border. Once he has passed the water over his hands 3 times she puts the bowl and the basket on the ground. taking the linnens out of the basket, and using the water she washes whatever exposed skin there is saying,
 
An t-uisge ann mo lamhan                           the water in my hands  
 
'S e tonn na fèin-' coileanadh sìorraidheachd      is the wave of the self-fulfilling eternity  
 
bheannaichte gum bi gach nì a tha a 'suathadh blessed be everything it touches 
 
 Condemning the clothing with "This is innappropriate" and "this will not do" she removes all of his outer wear (To a socially appropriate level), kicking any war clothingthat crosses the borderline back. She washes him head to foot. Then, standing she takes the Quaich and fills it, pronounces a toast of welcome over it and presents it to him. he takes his handle and she offers the first sip (if lovers she can then kiss his lips with the water of life before he drinks of it himself).
Once he has drunk of the Whiskey she says:
"I welcome you home from the plains of death, be you filled with life again, Welcome home"
Here she pulls the fresh clothing, and says the blessing over them
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Nar a gonar fear an eididh                      May the man of this clothing never be wounded  
 
        Nar a reubar e gu brath                            May torn he never be  
 
       (Cian theid e 'n iobairt no 'n cairde         (What time he goes into the sacrifice or judgment  
 
       Sgiath chomarach an Dhiathan da)x2      May the sanctuary shield of the Gods be his.)x2  
 
  
 
       Biolair uaine ga buaine fo                        Cresses green culled beneath a stone  
 
       'S air a toir do mhnai gun fhiosd;            and given to a woman in secret;  
 
       Lurg an fheidh an ceann an sgadain        The shank of the deer in the head of the herring  
 
      'S an caol chalp a bhradain bhric              And the slender tail of the speckled salmon.  
 
She hands him the clothing. Once dressed she offers him a candle, when he grasps it she moves it (both holding it) and passes it over the entire course of his body to absorb the energy of the battle. Then holding it over the border line she lights it and gives her hand to assist him over the border. Now they may embrace. They should then dance a Scotch measure, being sure not to let the fire out. the fire should be brought home and used to kindle the house hearth.
 
Once the dance is done she offers him the local fruit by taking the first bite, saying "Eat now of the free fruits of home", and together they join/ start the Homecoming parade. Children concieved on these nights will grow to be braw soldiers in their turn.
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