Night of Shadows is a solemn and mysterious holiday. Occurring approximately once every four years, this moving holiday takes place when both the lesser and greater moons are absent from the sky, leaving the world in complete darkness. It is a time of reflection, fear, and prayer as the inhabitants anticipate the return of the moon goddesses and the restoration of light and witchcraft.
Observance:
Night of Shadows begins with a midday feast, a symbol of gathering strength before the impending darkness. Once the feasting is over, fasting begins, and people refrain from eating or drinking until the following morning. As the sun, Sorale, sets, and the moons, Lysara and Astraea, fail to rise, businesses close, and people retreat to their homes to seek shelter throughout the dark night.
Festivities:
There are no nighttime celebrations on Night of Shadows. Instead, it is a time of quiet contemplation and vigilance. People take to their homes and spend the night in fear and prayer, hoping for the safe return of the moon goddesses and the restoration of light to the world.
Origins:
The holiday's origin is shrouded in myth and prophecy, with some believing that it foreshadows a time when the moon goddesses will fail to return, plunging the world into perpetual darkness. Such a belief fuels the solemnity and reverence surrounding this enigmatic occasion. Others believe the old tales of the moon goddesses visiting their mother, Nyxandra, in the Underworld.
This night is an imported holiday from the Zuwali continent and observed by the non-indigenous people of Meskrell though the five major clans of people indigenous to Meskrell also observe their own versions.