The Illumination of Minerva

The Illumination of Minerva is a festival which occurs once a year at the winter solstice when the full moon is at its highest point in the sky. It is with this festival that believers all over the world take the time to remember their loved ones and give thanks for all of the good brought into their lives by them. Childhood friends and lovers alike embrace and thank each other for their presence in each others lives and the support and memories over the course of their relationship. Oftentimes couples and families might exchange gifts as a token of their appreciation and in larger towns and cities events may be held at midnight, normally ending in raucous parties. 
The illumination is also a time for those who have lost loved ones to remember the good memories and times shared and to be thankful that they had the opportunity to experience them. Generally the festival is a time for rejoicing in the connections which make everyone better members of society.

History

The Illumination of Minerva is symbolic of the relationship between the two moons of the Evergreen Realms. While the main moon, Lunas, is seen on most nights throughout the year, the secondary moon, Minerva, is seen only a few times throughout the year. On the night of the Illumination the moons are at their brightest and closest in the year. Over time this has over time developed into the story of the lovers. Minerva and Lunas are destined to move through existence only able to see each other fleetingly but there connection and love for the other pulls them back together time and time again. In different cultures the story takes on a slightly different tone, with the Orangzamrud believing that the story instead represents the individuals responsibility to be independent and mostly self sufficient but also being able to recognise when support is needed.

Observance

The festival occurs during the time of the full mood in the Evergreen Realms. At this point, when night falls people everywhere celebrate the Illumination of Minerva with their nearest and dearest.