The ancient Roman festival in honor of Bacchus. Also called Hades and, by the Romans, Dis. Demeter persuaded the gods to let her return to earth for eight months a year. Her story, celebrated in the Eleusinian Mysteries, symbolized the vegetative cycle. I loved the gradual realisation that none of the characters knew what was going on - and all were making assumptions about the others.
Nobody is in charge.
The all- knowing Julian, to whom the others look up. He turns out not to be so deep after all. Richard, who is hiding his history from the others, and asuming they are thinking things about him, which they are not. And, conversely, he has mistaken impressions about them. I loved the way this theme kept on appearing.