Festival of Shadows

The crisp sound of a flute rang throughout the shrine’s courtyard, softly drowning out the chatter of the festival. People shifted, glancing around to try and find the source of the noise, but soon they were drawn to something… else.

Writers, books in hand, were suddenly surrounded by glowing, turquoise apparitions. Swirling into the forms of people. Creatures. Worlds. Each detail impossibly accurate to the book and author’s description.

Artists showing off their work watched as these blue threads caused their works to spring to life inside their frames, wind blowing through hand-drawn trees. characters chatting under the sun. Little leaves twirling in the wind.
The flute got louder, stronger, as the tune reached its climax. The apparitions became uneasy, and began to flicker. Changing by the second.
Then… The flute stopped. The apparitions vanished, the pictures lay still. Before them, their Goddess stood. Back from her sacrifice, revived by creativity, growing from the power of the worlds people had created.
Azarius, the Goddess of Shadows, had returned.

-Taken from a storybook about the Festival of Shadows

OVERVIEW

The Festival of Shadows is a 35-day holiday that is celebrated all across Valyria, particularly with the Nerodian people of the west. While this holiday is held all over, only the western cities hold the massive events that give the holiday it's name.

THE EVENT

The event's first challenge takes place across the entire month of July, when authors, writers, cooks, and many others partake in attempting to make as much as they can. Doesn't matter what. It just has to me made.
Once the month is up, they move on to the second challenge. For most of the continent, this is just sharing your work. For the cities in the east (Sometimes called the host cities), this means having a huge festival for four days straight. People show off their work there, and other fun events happen as well.

THE FESTIVALS

The festivals often hold competitions for any made thing, from biscuits to books. Anyone who enters a competition has a chance to win a prize. These prizes can be big or small or somewhere in between, and some even are a mystery until the winner is announced.
There are also lots of book readings, where experienced illusionists will read the made books aloud and conjure illusionary shows, effectively turning the book into a play.
Speaking of, plays are held almost every day of the festivals, and usually the audience gets to speak to the actors afterwards.

Origin of the festivals

According to legend, the first festival took place a short time after the war between the Gods and the Nameless Ones.
Azarius had been a massively powerful deity at that point, almost as powerful of the World Watcher Zirichion. She had created many things, told many stories, and was well loved by her followers.
When the Nameless Ones managed to escape the Chaos Realm, the gods became locked in a seemingly impossible war.
During this war, Azarius sacrificed herself to save her people. They were devastated at the loss of their god, but the prophets foretold that they needed to create. Worlds, stories, art, anything.
And they did. Once the month was done, they held a ceremony at Azarius's shrine.
Then... she came back. Some would say stronger than before.
She told them to create the festivals, keep the legend alive, and continue this tradition for years to come.
And they did.