Festival of Stories, Spring's Waxing Gibbous Moons

Ereza's two moons, Allurna and Eyna, waxing gibbous signal that it is time to bid farewell to Spring and celebrate that Summer is approaching. Taking place during the Fruit Moon (6/9) of Ereza's Calendar, it honors the elder god Bernice.

Celebrated Deity

Bernice, The All Knowing, who is the God of knowledge gave the gift of language and writing. To celebrate both gifts, stories are performed in her honor.

Local Celebrations

Communities will perform favorite stories, past festival winners, and even local histories; frequently the story will be decided during Flower Feast, Spring's Half Moons to allow for ample rehearsal time. Some of the more affluent will hire acting troupes to perform for the occasion.

Celebrations in The City

The largest celebration is held in the Free City of Bernice, where it lasts for several days. The City is flooded with pilgrims from the surrounding nations who come to celebrate, perform, and make money. Throughout the year when Illuminates of Bernice collect new works and submit them to the church, a council of Scriptori choose the best from among them. The clergy host a competition over the four days proceeding the holiday; a history, comedy, tragedy, and biography are enacted each day. On the fifth, and true, day of the festival, the winning history, comedy, tragedy, and biography of the previous year are acted out and the new winners are crowned. Prizes and gifts are awarded to authors and performers alike.
In addition to the excitement on the main stages, there are smaller venues throughout the City for other works. These include poetry readings, Q&A tables and/or lectures on educational writings, and much more. Many of the pilgrims will don costumes to show their love and support of characters and authors. The festival brings large revenues to the City and helps defray the costs of many of the programs it provides.

Festival Food Inspired by Bernice

Popular festival foods include desserts made with blackberries, especially finger-print cookies and hand-pies with fingerprint crust decor in honor of Bernice's Ink Fingers moniker. Pigs are roasted whole and a pastry baked into the shape of a book is placed in its mouth; it is symbolic of Bernice's familiar, Gullin, the golden bristled boar. According to legend, if you catch Gullin, you can gain knowledge from the book he carries in his mouth. Additionally, book shaped pastry pockets stuffed with shredded pork are big sellers.

Secular Significance

Those that can make the pilgrimage to the Free City of Bernice take part in all of the festival activities, which is a big boost to tourism and travel industries.
At home, communities celebrate by putting on plays of their own. More affluent communities will often vie for the services of local player troupes not chosen for performances in the Free City. Other communities will cast players from among their own during Flower Feast, Spring's Half Moons. A homespun version of the same festival foods found in the Free City are available, as well as figures and dolls for children to reenact the stories.

Holiday Food

Blackberry thumbprint cookies pay homage to Berince's moniker Ink Fingers.