The Harvest Festival (WIP)

When the weather turns cooler and gives the citizens of Romnuchic a relief from the scorching heat, the Harvest Festival begins.

History

The Harvest Festival began during the early days of the planet, when pretty much all citizens had their own farms in which they used to provide for their families. It was a way of celebrating the change of season, and gathering separated families together for a few days out of the year. As the culture changed to allow larger family units and less of a nuclear household, the Harvest Festival began to slow down in it's popularity, becoming a holiday more akin to smaller Earthen holidays such as Halloween.
But, just as Halloween began to pick up traction, so did the Harvest Festival. Around the year 1172, the holiday saw a surge of popularity, beginning in smaller settlements as a way to commemorate the past, and then moving on to the larger settlements. People loved the idea of celebrating the end of summer, since many people, especially students, had been long suffering in the heat of the season. And without many holidays at the time to celebrate, it was a welcome relief from the monotony of everyday life.
In 1205, at the seasonal meeting of rulers, it was decided that the Harvest Festival would become a national holiday, complete with a mandatory break from school and work. While it was not specifically mandated, it became almost unbreakable tradition for rulers to provide food for those who didn't have a family to celebrate with, although this tradition soon evolved to mostly be applied in smaller settlements where providing food for all those people would be possible with the given resources.

Components and tools

The most common parts of the festival are food, since a feast takes place on the last day. There is also a doll or effigy of the personification of the hotter season, which they burn.