What is the reaping in the hunger games?

In "The Hunger Games" series by Suzanne Collins, the reaping is an annual event held in each district of Panem to select one male and one female tribute to compete in the Hunger Games – a televised spectacle where young people fight to the death in a controlled arena. The reaping is a way for the Capitol to remind the districts of their submission and to maintain control through fear.

Each year, the citizens of each district gather in a public square to watch the reaping ceremony. The names of all eligible teenagers aged 12 to 18 are placed into a lottery, and a boy and a girl are chosen at random to participate in the games. The selection process is known to be unfair, as poorer districts with more entries have a higher chance of being selected.

The reaping is a somber and tense event, as families grapple with the possibility of losing a loved one to the games. The chosen tributes are whisked away to the Capitol to participate in the brutal competition, and their fate becomes intertwined with the political machinations of the ruling government.

The reaping sets the stage for the rest of the story and establishes the main conflict of the series – the struggle for survival and defiance against oppressive authority.