Festival of Orbia

History

Orbia - goddess of the earth, the harvest, and queen of the gods - is one of the most important deities in the Venian pantheon. As such, her cult has held considerable influence throughout Venian history. The three most famous temples in the city are those dedicated to her, Martalus and Taranux. As such, her festival is one of the most important on the Venian calendar.
Orbia’s festival - also called the Orbinalum - is one of Venia’s most religious celebrations. During the first several centuries after the city’s founding, the revelries increased in scale, giving rise to the festival’s current manifestation.

Execution

The Orbinalum lasts for four days. Each represents the four seasons, which are spring, summer, fall, and winter. The four seasons also correspond with the four phases of agriculture: planting, growing, harvesting, and storage. 
Each of the four festival days is linked to the four seasons. The first day -representing spring - is when Orbia’s priests and priestesses begin the Orbinalum. They retrieve a small statue from the Temple of Orbia’s treasury and place it on a chariot painted green and gold reserved for the occasion. At Venia’s zenith, the figure was sculpted from pure gold. In the past, it was built from clay, then solid oak. Four horses pulled the statue to the main square. When they arrived, the festival officially began. The gold remained in the square on a green marble pedestal until the festival concluded. Venia’s magistrates opened some of Venia’s storehouses and held an enormous feast.
The feast continued into the second day, accompanied by theater dramas and comedies, wrestling games, sailing contests, and eating and drinking contests.
The third day is made most famous by the parties. Massive parties are held in the city’s public spaces. Private citizens hold feasts and invite as many people as they can. People walk up and down the streets, entering the houses of those who leave their doors open for travelers. There, they receive cups full of wine or small sweets.
The fourth day of celebration represents winter and a winding down of festivities, with the parties slowing and stopping and flow of gifts ceasing. The priests and priestesses removed Orbia’s and placed it back on its sacred chariot. At sunset, when the statue returned to the treasury, the Orbinalum ended.

Participants

All of Venia participates in the Orbinalum.

Observance

Being a festival associated with plentiful times after the harvest before winter arrives, it takes place in the fall.