During the War of 20 Million Deaths, when the Centauri were fighting for supremacy of Centauri Prime with the Xon, each year the Centauri would count how many of their own people had survived, and celebrate their good fortune. The Ceremony itself takes the form of an elaborate banquet or feast that can last up to a week, during which the participants are encouraged to continuously eat, drink and purge until they become one with their inner self (and, incidentally, pass out).