| abstract | - The day traditionally marked the onset of winter. It was also a time to celebrate and honor the ancestors and the respected dead. On this day, folk blessed their ancestors' graves and performed the Ritual of Remembrance. People also gathered to tell stories of the deeds of their ancestors and of the gods until deep into the night, until they merged and became legend. This was a time to hear of past heroes, great treasures, and lost cities. In Faerûn, battles were typically fought between harvest-time and the coming of winter. This meant that most of the fighting usually occurred in the month of Uktar. The timing of the Feast of the Moon—after recently slain soldiers had joined the ranks of the dead—was thus practical, if sadly ironic. The Heralds of Faerûn had a number of special duties on the Feast of the Moon. Prime among these was to perform the Bloodsong ceremony, at which a Herald publically recited the genealogies of each noble family in the area. In this way, the Heralds reaffirmed a noble family's traditional authority and status, as well as the respect accorded to them. Priests of a number of deities of various pantheons held rites, ceremonies, and festivals on the Feast of the Moon. Many, though not all, focused on remembering the dead in one way or another.
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