The Morning Star Festival

The Morning Star, or the Gold Star, holds a particularly important position in the Jinian worldview. It is said that when the first mythical Emperor rose to power in the Hu basin, he was guided by the Old man of the Morning star, who gave him sage advise in how to defeat his enemies and how to cement his legacy. No matter the validity of these events, the Morning Star has long been seen as a guide and protector of the Hu civilization, and these celebrations are associated with him in return.   The first recorded case of this celebration was before even the beginning of the Xin era, where a local prince in the upper Hu basin recorded the spending for the Morning Star festival. Over the years, the celebrations have taken root in Jinian culture and have been encouraged by many lords, princes, and most notably, Shui the Engineer.   The founder of An Ning was said to have believed that the success of his journey was partially due to the blessing of the Gold Star. As such, on the third day of the Morning Star festival, Shui arranged for a large feast on the island of Xian Yi for the whole day, where all of Shui's followers can come together in the manner of an extended family and thank the Gold Star for its blessings.   Despite the construction of the palace of Forbidden Red on the island of Xian Yi, and despite the incredible expansion of the Jin Empire, this tradition remains. On the third day of the Morning Star festival, which is the day traditionally reserved for the family meal, The Palace of Forbidden Red is opened to all inhabitants of the Jin Empire, to symbolize the large extended Jin family. Upon the vast courtyard are placed long rows of tables, filled with luxuries such as roasted pork, steamed fish, and sugary confectioneries. For the poor in An Ning, this is THE occasion of the year to gorge on foods they can barely pronounce the name of.   Others, coming from across the empire, use this as an occasion to access the ears of the court. As following traditions, present at the feast, are the Ministers of the eleven ministries, the Grand Chancellor, the Yin Jin of the Silverhouse, and many other lesser magistrates. Many would come from the edge of the empire, just to gain a chance at conversion with some of these individuals, and perhaps attempt to slip some, less than legal, gift to them, in order to convince them of their views.   Finally, for the wronged of the Empire, this is an occasion to right those wrongs. On this day, a number of them will speak to the Emperor himself and make their case. Then, upon hearing the arguments, the Emperor may choose to dispense imperial mercy. On more severe cases, involving innocents used as scrap goats and completely morally depleted local officials, such a complaint can lead to the start of an investigation by the Imperial infusion corps. On more than one occasion, these complaints lead to the removal or even execution of local official.

The Morning Star festival, or the Spring festival, generally last ten days. The morning on the first day of the festival is marked by a wish to the Gold Star at the crack of dawn, for the upcoming year. Then, the peoples will clean their house from top to bottom, to chase away the accumulation of misfortune inside. Once that done, on the evening, the families that can afford it will hang yellow or golden lanterns outside, as an invitation for the gold star's blessing. An Ning, as the imperial capital, is famous for being completely lit by hundreds of thousands of lanterns over the entire duration of the festival, paid entirely by donations from the rich merchant class and the imperial treasury.   On the second day, the celebration turns toward the close family and the three generations of the family would come together to share supper. On the third day, there is a communal supper with the extended family, up to the nine generations. Over these two days, those in the family who passed during the year are honored and given an offering meal, for their journey to beyond life.   The celebrations for the next six days varies from region to region, but it usually revolves around celebrations with people outside of the family or clan. Coworkers, neighbors, friends, and acquaintances all exchange gift in the following days, and feast together during the nights. For many villages, there are communal feasts during these days, with tables right in the middle of the dirt streets, where everyone partakes, adding their aliments together to make for a truely impressive feast.   In An Ning, the last days of the Morning Star festival are essentially used as seven days of continuous celebrations. The city remains lit at all time by the golden lanterns and on almost every water crossing and island corner, one can find comedians and musicians. From the break of dawn to the fall of dusk and beyond, the city of An Ning basks in music and laughs. All of this is usually funded by the Imperial Treasury and does change from year to year, depending on the fund available.