While the waning of the brutal winter season is a cause for joy all on its own, the Spring Equinox signals the start of one of Heron's most beloved festivals, celebrating the arrival of a phenomenon the Heronites consider to be sacred. The Aurora Festival lasts an entire month, and is notable in particular for bringing even the least devout Heronites to temples across the region. Sermons during this festival take on a different flavor than they do during the Festival of Chaos. Rather than emphasizing the virtues of austerity, discipline, and obedience, services encourage templegoers to show gratitude for the natural wonders the Gods have provided for them, and to revel in their connection to the environment around them. For many, this serves as a time of healing after being forced to survive Heron's harsh winter.
The Aurora Festival is said to have originated in northern Karn Territory, not only because this area is where the Pyrisian Aurora features most spectacularly, but because many of the festival's customs seem to be influenced by the culture of the region. The Karns have often been referred to as the Lords of the Stars and Sky, after all. During the Aurora Festival, revelers bundle up and spend time gazing upwards into the darkness, waiting for the aurora and sipping dala tea. It is customary that for an hour every night, all torches and outdoor lamps be completely darkened, so as to increase the visibility of the phenomenon. During the day, the festival tents serve largely as venues for storytelling and simple theatre performances.
In the last few decades, the Lords of Heron, in a tradition begun by a former Lord Karn, have used the Aurora Festival as a time for the noble families to meet in Dalaska and celebrate as a group while working out any pressing diplomatic matters; particularly those that relate to Heron's natural environment and its protection.
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