Festival of Remission

The Festival of Remission is one of the most sacred festivals that followers of The Starry Path celebrate on days when the stars "align". This alignment is not a literal formation of a line by the stars, but is instead the alignment of the other Constellations into the larger constellation known as Hand of the Dragon.
Preparations for the festival begin weeks or months in advance, with the rulers from entire regions pitching in for the celebration. During the preparations, detailed accounts are taken of all existing debts and collected by the rulers putting on the celebration.
On the day of the actual celebration, an enormous festival is thrown to celebrate the alignment of the stars. This festival lasts anywhere from a day to a week. Throughout this festival, the local rulers pay off their subjects' debts from a special fund in their treasuries that is kept for the purpose.

History

The clergy of the Starry Path hold that this sacred tradition was given to them by Ava'tr himself in days long past. It is a practical extension of the religion's principles regarding honorable, benevolent leadership.
Even though the religion has declined to a mere handful of followers (at least on the mainland of Aedeva), those who still follow the Starry Path consider the Festival of Remission to be one of their most sacred holidays.

Participants

Usually, the Festival of Remission is celebrated by an entire region whose leader is a devout follower of the Starry Path. In these cases, the festival is run by the region's head priest and presided over by the local ruler, who sets aside the money for the festivities.
In some cases, when a community of followers of the Starry Path lives in a region dominated by another religion, such as Cireth, it is not uncommon for members of the community to pitch in together to fund the celebration. These celebrations are usually much smaller, but equally joyful as the community works together to pay each other's debts.