Harvest Festival

Each fall, on the night of the first full moon in October, the citizens of the empire celebrate the Harvest Festival.
Food from the recent harvest is prepared for a grand feast that night where dancing and other reveling. Cities often have a grand celebration in the market place squares and in the streets in general. Food stalls sell all types of edibles ranging from sweets and candies for the children, savory meats and breads for filling the belly and copious amounts of drink to wash it all down with. Regional dishes are usually the common fare, but if a person is willing to pay, often very exotic foods can be found for the offering.
In addition to the food and dance, participants also often don animal masks as part of the celebration. These can be either common animals, such as local birds or forest animals like foxes or squirrels, or more fantastical creatures like dragons or phoenix. Sometimes masks in the shapes of demons or angels are worn, although the members of the priesthood look down upon that type of decoration.  Masks hide the identities of everyone and many stories have grown up over the ages depicting romances between strangers of vastly different status in life.  With everyone hidden, some do use it as an opportunity to do things that would normally not do. Some use it as an opportunity to confess their love for another.  Others use it as an excuse to start fights with those they have felt have wronged them.  Fights during the festival, though, are harshly punished and the guards often have their hands full despite the large penalties.
The nobility will also throw elegant balls in conjunction with the festival. Guests are invited to the various palaces where cooks prepare amazing feasts and musicians entertain the guest. Some prepare all year fanciful outfits that can cost hundreds or thousands of gold.
Celebrations usually last all night and only after the sun begins to rise do the celebrants return to their homes. The following day is also a holiday, but most spend the next day recovering from their revelry.