Festivius de Pyroluxis

This is a festival that takes place in Tessan on August 25th to 27th. During this time, Betriation enters into the Asteroid Cluster Zone. This region in space contains 300 times the number of clusters. These showers occur as Betria passes through the asteroid cloud. Festivus de Pyroluxis means "Festival of Firelight."

Festival Events
Many people during this time light small bonfires, where they cook their food for the night. Many people also light fireworks. However, these fireworks are usually limited to sparklers so that the view of the meteors are not impeded by the light pollution.

Special Occurences and Superstitions
Every seventeen and a half years, Betriation passes through another ring- this is the D2 dust ring in the asteroid ring. This caused brighter night skys. At times, the sky would turn completely purple, due to ionization of fine particulates in the upper atmosphere. There have been nearly every reported color ranging from an intense white, sky blue, and even pure black, so all the stars were blanked out and only the meteors shone through. It was considered auspicious to be born during these special meteor showers. These occasions were called, "Caelius Colorics Noctern" (Night Sky Colors).

However, every few hundred years, Betriation will miss the pass through due to spin imperfections. Historic belief was that the current king was unfit for rule, and must be slain to preserve Betria's existance.

On the moon of Atlantis, these showers fall into a 15 year intensity cycle, increasing for the first seven, then weakening on the next eight. Betriations cycle is much less pronounced, and the quantity of meteors is different by only 2,000 meteors between the pitch and crests of the cycle. On Atlantis, the difference in pitch and crest on the meteor cycle is by 2 million meteors. Some years, they see two meteor or other years, being thrown deeper into the? belt? by Betriation's lunar orbit, creates 10 times more meteors than can be seen on Betriation.

Effects of the Showers
During this time, many interplanetary travels are halted due to worries that ships may be damaged, also, many places lose radio contact due to high levels of ionization in the atmosphere. In Tessan, being a national holiday, schools and government agencies are shut down for the observance of Festivius de Pyroluxis. Since many of the meteors are small (> 15 miles), and the dust is microscopic, it is very rare for a meteor to cause damage. One meteor- dubbed Mortemluxis was about 35 miles across. It crashed in Lepotrisma, and created a large crater. There were no injuries, except that the dust that it created blotted out the showers in many Lepotrisman cities.

Celebrations in Other Regions
Festivius de Pyroluxis is also celebrated in Isopolypeno, Timbaire, Paesiodon, Pesseton, Sur Du Opilli, and Occidalius? and places where there is high Tessian influence. It also goes by the name "Faxis Caelim Brixton" in Occidalius.