TO THE RAVENS
Halloween isn't celebrated in the Roman lunar colonies, but the native Kynthians have a comparable festival called Thanatousia (from thanatos, "death"). It takes place in November rather than October, and it's a week-long feast for the dead, one of the biggest religious and social events of the calendar.
Particularly for the women. Kynthian women spend a lot of time in the house, even keeping to specific rooms (the women's quarters) among themselves and their children. They aren't legally forbidden from leaving, but socially they're expected to have a male escort, and if a controlling father/husband/son forbids his womenfolk from leaving, generally no one stops him.
But everyone's expected to get out and celebrate Thanatousia, even the slaves, so this is a time when women can range around (most often in safe groups) with less oversight. The main spectacles are the games/competitions -- athletic feats such as footraces, horse races, boxing, wrestling -- but also competitions in poetry, music, rhetoric, riddles. Most are for the men, but the women may be allowed to watch at least some of them, and particularly broad-minded communities might allow a footrace for young girls or competitions for food and weaving. Women also do most of the decorating, including of religious statues, and this will be a chance to show off their skills and gain both recognition and admiration. Some lower-class women work as professional mourners, and families will stage elaborate tributes to their loved ones, hiring these mourners' services; there's definitely a professional hierarchy with some mourners in high demand.
What really sets these competitions apart is that people don't compete on their own behalf; they dress in special costumes and take on the identities of notable ancestors (this is thought to be an extension of the literal hero/ancestor worship found in ancient Greek culture), and in this way they bring new glory (or shame) to their clans. (It's also a great way to revive old family rivalries and feuds.) The prizes are wreaths of peacock feathers, or the feathers of lesser birds painted to look like peacock feathers, and these trophies are cherished by families and often kept for generations until they fall to dust.
Year-round, Kynthians decorate their houses with paintings of their family members' eyes, and winning difficult competitions in Thanatousia is a great excuse to have your eyes repainted in a more prominent place (such as the front wall) or decorated more beautifully. On the other hand, if you botch your attempt in front of a crowd of all your family and acquaintances, you might have your eyes repainted in an inner room, maybe one of the ones the women use.
There's a religious aspect to the festivals. Temples will put on pantomimes, some secret and only for the priests and perhaps some dignitaries, others more public. The pantomimes often involve the retelling of much-loved myths and folklore, the singing of songs (sometimes personalized, such as tributes for certain clans/participants/ancestors), and the sacrifice of bats, owls, or a panther. Local priests might also lean on certain individuals to forgive debts, free slaves, or donate goods (or even family members in the form of acolytes) to the temple's service.
Food is also a major component in the celebration. There will be public feasting at the games, in private homes, but also at the graves themselves. Revering the dead and tending to their graves is important to Kynthian culture, and neglected graves are seen as shameful and unpious. Grave sites will be cleaned, fresh wreathes and flowers added, stones repaired, and food and drink will be left for the dead. In Akantha's case here, her family grave has a hole in the top through which tribute can be poured directly down.
Akantha lives in Loukiana, a small but very old town, and so its graveyard has stood for centuries upon centuries. It's also been the site of many battles, most recently with the Romans. (Loukiana lost.) So there's a lot of disrepair in the sprawling and mazelike graveyard. Along with the death inscriptions, some graves have been defaced. The one behind her wings belongs to a rich family who allied early with the Romans. Along with getting graffitied, the eyes on the authoritative male figure have been gouged out, a violent and total show of disrespect among Kynthians.
I took some liberties with Akantha's clothes here because I wanted the Halloweenish colors. She'd be wearing her best clothes, but she absolutely would not be wearing purple because it was incredibly expensive and reserved for Roman imperials. Her arms and legs are wrapped up for warmth, and the ribbons securing them have spells/prayers written on them, wishing her health until the next Thanatousia. She also has a black tear painted on each cheek as a sign of mourning. She's been sent to pour wine in the family grave but, as you can see, she doesn't have a lot of piety as she does it.
