Festival of Water

In the world-spanning desert, and under a black sky clogged with ash and dust, a raindrop hits the ground. As minutes pass a gentle sprinkle changes to a downpour to a torrent. The rain will last 3 months.
People emerge from their homes into the torrential downpour and as more people emerge shouting and whooping into the streets the Festival of Water begins. After performing a few quick rituals everyone gets down to partying, consuming foods and alcohol brought from worlds away in a week long feast. Painted faces amuse children and gifts saved throughout the year are brought out. Families and clans flung across the stars return home to celebrate the rejuvenation of the sands, bringing with them cloth and silk in the colours of the rainbow.
Weeks later as the rain abates the sky is cleared and the suns radiant once more. The water has washed away the sands clinging to the mountainsides and pools back into new seas, revealing behind it the metal crops of the land.
This is the Season of Water

History

The first settlers on Tau Ceti were expecting catastrophic weather thanks to the asteroids impacting on her surface, but to their surprise they discovered a preexisting stable cycle of seasons and microbial life flourishing in the tumultuous environment. The vital part of this cycle is the distribution of water across the globe.
After the season of the sky where the ground shakes beneath the onslaught of the heavens comes the season of water. Volcanic eruptions and a hot season of fire cause the sparse seas to shrink as water evaporates into the atmosphere, but this all comes to an end after the season of the sky, the impact of meteors and derelict ships kicking huge dust plumes into the upper atmosphere, blocking out the sun. In this sudden winter the water drops to the sands below as an intermittent but strong rainfall, allowing the parched life, and later the human settlers, to prepare once again for the sweltering summer months.
Due to the importance of this change it is universally celebrated across the planet, although minor differences change between each Burgh they all follow the same ritual of cleansing and feasting. During the week of celebration many minor rituals and traditions as many and varied as the tribes themselves. These traditions have occurred unaltered for over a thousand years.

Execution

On the first rainfall the Ceteans takes their first bath since the beginning of the season of fire, ritually cleaning the old year off them. This carries great weight to them as they will not have had fresh water for over 9 months as it is considered wasteful to have to bring water from off-world as they do with food.
Once this is done they drink from fresh water upstream.
The final fixed part of the tradition is a journey to the clan mountain to thank the planet for its bounty. How they thank is dependant on the clan but nothing is ever given as tribute, instead moving a rock to the summit carving another marking on the side of a rock or prayer is typical.
With these 3 parts completed follows a week of revelry and feasting, capitalising on the abundance of water that will be preciously rationed throughout the remaining year.
During this week all naming ceremonies for new children and coming-of-age ceremonies are held. The exact traditions and ages of the participants once again deviate between Burghs and clans but the vast majority involve submerging the participant in water, a vestige from Christianity.

Components and tools

Water is considered to be purer the higher up it originates from and the less people that have laid hands in it, thus there lies a hierarchy within each Burgh as to who gets to wash in which pools and drink from each stream.
Food and drink are brought from off-world as no food can be grown on Tau Ceti, and for this celebration no holds are barred and many clans spend lavishly on such luxuries.
Once the whole population has completed the ritual tarpaulins are opened to catch the rainwater and store it in enormous underground vats where it will be used throughout the year. Only the first rain is treated specially.

Participants

All Tau Ceteans are expected to observe it, the elderly and young are assisted by their clan members. Ceteans that are off-world celebrate the week of feasting and thank the planet for its bounty, but do not wash themselves or drink as the importance is placed on the water used. High importance is placed on the first washing and drink of children born within the last year, as this is analogous to christenings, where they will first receive their name and formally become part of their parent clan.

Observance

The date of observance is fluid due to observing it on the first rainfall, and may even occur on different days for different Burgh.

Primary Related Location

Tau Ceti