Lunar Eclipse

There is an old superstition that predates even Tige the Uniter. 'Not every eclipse foretells disaster, but every disaster is foretold by an eclipse.' Though, I do not know if it can be a superstition when there is so much evidence in support.

— Shiv Moonsong

The Continent of Argentii experiences, on average, 2-3 lunar eclipses a year with about 1 in 7 being a total eclipse as visible from Crossroads Island.

Manifestation

A lunar eclipse can only happen during a full moon. It is caused when the sun, the planet, and the moon all find perfect alignment, or a semi-perfect alignment. This perfect or semi-perfect alignment casts some portion of the planetary shadow onto the face of the full moon. A perfect alignment obscures the entirety of the moon except for an incredibly thin ring, as the shadow is ever so slightly smaller than the moon's surface. A semi-perfect alignment casts part of the planetary shadow across the entire face of the moon, thus transitioning through a prismatic lightshow over a few short hours.

Observance

While many consider Observing the Lunar Eclipse to be an old-fashioned custom, among those with Guardianship, it is an almost sacred obligation.

Localization

Across Argentii, whenever an eclipse is witnessed, the people celebrate the memory of those they've lost through different celebrations. While the details vary from island to island, they almost all involve three things: food, offerings, and stories of the deceased, their deeds...and their ghost.

For example, amongst the Metilth Working Caste in Central Tilth, a lunar eclipse will be met with a bountiful meal (or as much as one can afford), with places set and servings allotted to immediate relatives that have died since the last eclipse. After dinner, an altar is laid with images, relics, and offerings of sand and flame. Stories are told then, to pass the time until the heigh of the moon and the start of the eclipse. Then, families will often journey together into the city's Wall District to peer up through the curving Bubble Wall to observe one of the few natural beauties still available to them.