In penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of six and eight sweeps at a public "Reaping." These Tributes shall be delivered to the custody of The Capitol, and then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to the Death, until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games.
It's our tradition. It comes out of a particularly painful part of our history, but it's been the way we've been able to heal. At first it was a reminder of the rebellion. It was a price the districts had to pay, but it has grown from that. Now, it's something that knits us all together.