Cardinal Moon Festival

Winter Solstice, 15th-16th days of Mon Hegrou

Due to the alignment of the celestial bodies Shey, Yuud, Dynos, and Hegrou, the winter solstice is always accompanied by a lunar eclipse. It is the only such occurrence of a total lunar eclipse because of the binary stars, and is known as the Cardinal Moon both for its red color and its significance in marking the midpoint of the season. The eclipse lasts for four to six hours at the peak of the night, depending on which of the binary stars is closer to Dynos that year. As the binary stars orbit around each other, every other year’s winter solstice is darker and longer, as the bulk of light is coming from the smaller of the two stars. On years when the larger star is closer, the night is slightly shorter.
The winter solstice is celebrated with an all night festival, centered around a large bonfire. The traditional bonfire serves a practical purpose as much if not more so than its religious significance. The light and sound help to deter nocturnal predators that are more active on the solstice, and the heat generated helps against the inevitable temperature plummet from the long absence of sunlight.
Religiously, the fire is meant to invoke Shey and Yuud to return, pushing back Hegrou's darkness. While Hegrou isn’t really seen as a negative force, just a part of the natural order, the hazards which accompany the dark are nonetheless threatening.
Much of the food for the festival is roasted over the bonfire on pokers or stewed in sealed pots that are fully submerged in the flames for a time. Those feeding the revelers cycle meals into and out of the fire throughout the duration of the festivities.