Retrograde Season
Retrograde Season is a cultural phenomenon on Mars during which a number of celebrations, festivals and activities are hosted during the 72 day period every 2 Terran years in which Mars is in retrograde when viewed from Earth. It is not entirely understood where the tradition started, but it is hypothesized that it began with the astronomers and planetary scientists that inhabited Mars' earliest colonies.
The exact celebrations held during Retrograde Season varies somewhat by region, but the most famous include LZ Null's Retrograde Kickoff, the bi-annual Trenchquake Music Festival in the Eos Chasmata, the Elysium Retrograde Market, the New Appalachia Barbecue Competition, the VM 4000 Rover Race, and the Hellas in Retrograde Liquor Festival. In addition to major celebrations, smaller towns usually host at least one of two events--especially at the start of end of Retrograde Season--and retrograde celebrations can be found in even the smallest, most remote settlements on Mars.
Retrograde Season is also associated with patriotism and history in the UFMC because Martial Independence was officially declared on the day Mars entered retrograde, and while Independence Day rarely falls of the first day of Retrograde Season, Independence Day celebrations are known to be particularly boisterous when they fall in Retrograde Season. In the Sovereign Hellan Republic, however, it is the end of Retrograde Season which is seen as most important, as independence was declared from the UFMC on the first day Mars exited Retrograde as a symbolic gesture.
Retrograde Season is also seen as a particularly lucky and prosperous time, and many Martials have been known to hold off on important decisions and actions until Retrograde Season. The season also maintained many of its astrological associations earlier in its history, though with the growing secularization of Martial society and the demystification of the space age that has occurred with time, these associations have mostly tapered off or been incorporated into the general view of Retrograde Season as a particularly fortuitous time.
The exact celebrations held during Retrograde Season varies somewhat by region, but the most famous include LZ Null's Retrograde Kickoff, the bi-annual Trenchquake Music Festival in the Eos Chasmata, the Elysium Retrograde Market, the New Appalachia Barbecue Competition, the VM 4000 Rover Race, and the Hellas in Retrograde Liquor Festival. In addition to major celebrations, smaller towns usually host at least one of two events--especially at the start of end of Retrograde Season--and retrograde celebrations can be found in even the smallest, most remote settlements on Mars.
Retrograde Season is also associated with patriotism and history in the UFMC because Martial Independence was officially declared on the day Mars entered retrograde, and while Independence Day rarely falls of the first day of Retrograde Season, Independence Day celebrations are known to be particularly boisterous when they fall in Retrograde Season. In the Sovereign Hellan Republic, however, it is the end of Retrograde Season which is seen as most important, as independence was declared from the UFMC on the first day Mars exited Retrograde as a symbolic gesture.
Retrograde Season is also seen as a particularly lucky and prosperous time, and many Martials have been known to hold off on important decisions and actions until Retrograde Season. The season also maintained many of its astrological associations earlier in its history, though with the growing secularization of Martial society and the demystification of the space age that has occurred with time, these associations have mostly tapered off or been incorporated into the general view of Retrograde Season as a particularly fortuitous time.
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