The War of Flowers is a mock battle and courting ritual between the sons and daughters of the noble La Serenissiman families. The women station themselves in a fortified palace in one of the smaller islands and arm themselves with flowers and hollow eggs filled with confetti or colored flour. The men start from a temple to Baal-Jupiter and cross the canal in an armada of gondoli to the women's fortress. They try to storm the women's fortress against the onslaught of flowers and eggs. After the mock battle, there is a feast.
In Kushiel's Chosen, Severio Stregazza invited Phedre to the War of Flowers to court her.