#askholiday

(This article is a work-in-progress)

SCURRY DAY

OVERVIEW

A Damijani holiday, also known as Day of the Rat, in which every citizen is encouraged to capture as many live rats as possible. It falls in Summer time when the rat population is at its highest.

The captured rats are dropped off at special locations, and each citizen is awarded a badge displaying their lifetime rat tally. This tally improves their Civic Duty Score.

The rats are later released into Zareen Empire as an act of retribution for the Zareenites’ past crimes against the Damijani.

CULTURAL IMPACT

Scurry Day is beloved by Damijana’s most patriotic citizens. The less patriotic may not participate, or may even sabotage the rat catchers. Some citizens are terrified of rats and hire a professional rat catcher to do the work for them. Naturally, the richest citizens have far higher rat tallies than the poor.

However, some citizens have gotten clever and started secret rat breeding operations, selling the beasts to others to artificially inflate their tallies.

Others become especially enthusiastic about the holiday, donning traditional rat masks and elaborate catching gear to do things the old-fashioned way. Engineering-oriented citizens use this day to show off their new rat-capturing inventions.

Unsurprisingly, the world's finest rat trap designs are all Damijani in origin.

FOREIGN IMPACT

Zareen Empire is aware of this tradition and has countered it with a holiday of its own: a 7-day event known as Extermination Week, which begins the day after Scurry Day.

During this week, special task forces are sent out to exterminate all vermin on sight, including rats, mice, bugs, stray cats and dogs, and even birds, which may carry diseases brought over by the Damijani rats. Citizens are encouraged to participate as well by leaving out poisoned bait or traps.

Unlike Scurry Day, Extermination Week participants receive no tally badge or reward for their efforts, except for their own personal satisfaction. Many Zareenites view it as their civic duty to defend their empire this way, while others simply delight in the thrill of the hunt.

All captured vermin, dead or alive, are brought to special facilities where they are incinerated. The resulting ash and bones are then sold to commercial businesses.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

(Note: This article is a work-in-progress! More holidays and info will be added over time.)

For religious holidays, see the religions directory.

Evangelite Holidays

Damijani Holidays

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

That's a fun question! At least here in the US, Christmas is treated like a secular holiday by a lot of people, so even people who aren't Christian tend to celebrate it. I could see the FGG getting in on this.

As a worldly man of adventure, Evan is fascinated by the concept and wants to do all the Christmas Things(tm). He chops down a tree to decorate, which disgusts Glenvar, who believes this tradition is disrespectful to nature. Instead, Glenvar celebrates by slaughtering a deer and decorating a live tree in the forest with its intestines to honor his gods.

Everyone else decorates Evan's tree together, using ornaments made out of shells, bones, feathers, pinecones, and other random crap they found around the village.

Evan realizes they need a feast. Glenvar is the only one who can cook and he's busy dicking around in the forest, so they bullshit their way through a "traditional" Christmas dinner. Ham? They got moose. Fruitcake? They got appelchek. Eggnog? They got Matuzan palm wine. Close enough!

Evan reads about the legend of Santa Claus. He figures Balthazaar is fat, jolly, and beardly enough, so he asks him to play the part. Balthazaar puts on a Santa costume. Skel dresses like a Christmas elf and joins him in his "sleigh" which is just a decorated cart being pulled by Javaan. Javaan has antlers strapped to his head like a reindeer.

The village children have no idea what's going on, but they're delighted anyway as Balthazaar rides through town and tosses candy canes to them. His sleigh is full of gifts that his crew stashed beforehand, and he and Skel pass them out to everyone. Itchy tries to rob the sleigh at some point and just gets run over. No one notices.

Alaine entertains the crew with carols she wrote. Javaan stands under the mistletoe all night, smooching everyone who walks through the doorway. Linde finds an excuse to wear her ugliest sweater. Lukas makes paper snowflakes and hangs them everywhere. Jeimos rigs up electric Christmas lights. Zeffer builds a gingerbread house. Isaac eats the gingerbread house. Elska burns the Yule Log.

Mr. Ocean has been trapped under ice in Drifter's Lake this entire time.

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Questions/Comments?

Good questions! As for the holiday part, holidays are something that are still underdeveloped and I really need to work on more. But if any culture has something like Valentine's Day, it's Matuzu Kingdom. Matuzan culture reveres romance and passion a lot, so it's safe to say they have at least one day a year dedicated to love. Probably multiple.

Each species has their own ways of flirting, but sometimes it's more culture-specific than species-specific. For example, humans from different corners of Gaia might express their desire in very different ways. There are few behaviors that apply to all individuals of one species.

I'd say there's only a handful of species-specific flirting behaviors, and they are:

Roshava instinctively flex their muscles around people they desire. They just casually do it without thinking. If a roshava seems a little "tense" around you, don't worry. They might just be into you!

Ogres smack their crushes with their tails to show interest. Yes, it hurts, but it hurts so good. They might also pound their tails against the ground to express arousal (but this can also be an aggressive gesture depending on context, so be careful. You do not want to get these two mixed up...)

If a sirene is into someone, they'll start playing with that person's hair to show it. They may also swim circles around them and brush against them with their tail.

Cecaelia tangle their tentacles around those they love. The more tangled up you are, the more they want you.

Satyrs are compelled to offer gifts to the one they desire--usually alcohol or something sweet, like fruit or candy.

Minotaurs express desire by sniffing their crushes a lot and touching them with their noses.

Centaurs nudge eachother with their hips to say they're ready to plow the fields, ifyouknowwhatimean.

Gorgons encircle their crushes with their long tails. Loosely at first, but the more interested they are, the more they'll close in. If you find yourself wrapped up and being squeezed, they're either trying to kill you tell you they're DTF. Try not to mix up the signals...

There, now you know how to woo and be wooed by a few species. Use this important knowledge to bag yourself a cute date for Matuzan Love Day B)

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Questions/Comments?

(This article is a work-in-progress)

Harvest Day (Late autumn)

Evangelites celebrate this national holiday in late autumn, just before winter arrives. Farming is a way of life for most Evangelite families, so Harvest Day is considered the biggest holiday of the year in this kingdom. On this day, friends and family join together and have a big feast to honor the year’s bounty. What they eat may differ slightly by region, but meat pie, beer, appelchek, and corn on the cob are the classic staples.

Almost all shops and offices in the kingdom close down on this day. Preparations begin early in the morning and don’t stop until late at night.

Traditions:

-The women of the family wake up before sunrise and begin indoor preparations. Men take care of outdoor preparations, such as slaughtering livestock and chopping wood for the oven. If the family owns slaves, the slaves will assist with all duties.

-Everyone is expected to fast until dinner time, which starts when the falling sun touches the horizon. Only water may be consumed until then. Before eating, the family matriarch will lead a prayer of gratitude to Mother Gaia.

-Slaves are not permitted to eat until the family finishes their dinner. Instead of the usual staples, slaves traditionally eat beetroot soup, biscuits, and baked apples. Some families allow slaves to eat leftovers from their feast, but this is considered taboo.

Resting Day (Late autumn, day after Harvest Day)

The last crops have been harvested and the year’s field work is officially over. Now winter is creeping in, bringing a long period of darkness and scarcity with it. Evangelites celebrate Resting Day to prepare themselves for the upcoming hardship.

For this one day, slaves are relieved of their usual duties and encouraged to rest. Evangelite families also use this day to sleep off their hangovers and recuperate from Harvest Day. Most shops and offices remain closed through this day.

Traditions:

-Citizens and slaves alike will sleep in on this day. Adults don’t work and children don’t attend school.

-Rather than cooking, everyone eats Harvest Day leftovers.

-After sunset, the family leaves an offering on their doorstep for the local isanae (frost nymphs), in an attempt to gain their favor and ask for mercy during the winter. The type of offering varies, but the most common are coins, jewelry, flowers, and trinkets. If the offering is gone by the next morning, it’s believed the isanae have accepted it and will be merciful towards the family. If the offering is still there, it’s believed the isanae have rejected it and will carry on with winter as usual. If the offering is still there and also vandalized in some way, it’s considered a very bad omen. This means the isanae was offended by the offering and will give the family extra trouble throughout the season.

Defender’s Day (Early summer)

This national holiday is dedicated to the kingdom’s soldiers, veterans, police officers, and slavers. Civilians honor these professions on this day, believing they make the kingdom a safer place for commoners.

Traditions:

-Each city holds its own parade, in which its local defenders will march to display their might. Bigger cities hold aerial dragoneer performances. There is much music and mirth at these celebrations, but also tears as fallen defenders are honored too. Toy swords are handed out freely to young boys.

-After the parade, defenders go home to a special dinner cooked by their families. Their loved ones also give them a gift to show their gratitude.

-All defenders receive a bit of money from their government on this day. The amount varies depending on their position and how long they have served.

Green Awakening (Early spring)

Winter has finally subsided. The snow is melting, the isanae have cleared off, and now the limniads (plant nymphs) are awakening to breathe life back into the landscape. This is an Evangelite Lindist holiday which honors all nymphs, but particularly limniads and dryads.

Traditions:

-Citizens encourage the nymphs to wake up by leading a musical procession through the wilderness, playing instruments and singing songs in the nymphs’ honor.

-Families leave an offering outside for the local limniads and dryads. The offerings differ, but families typically choose things that will attract specific types of nymphs to their property. For example, a farmer who wishes to attract pumpkin limniads to his field might leave pumpkin seeds, pumpkin-themed jewelry, or pumpkin pie.

-Slaves who work farms begin planting on this day.

-Women traditionally dress in floral prints on this day.

King’s Day (Current king’s birthday)

The date of this national holiday changes every time a new High King takes the throne, as it’s celebrated on his birthday. In cases where the king was born on an existing holiday, he will choose a different date to celebrate his own.

Traditionally, Evangelites only observe the birthday of the king–not the queen, prince, or princess.  In rare cases where the king dies prematurely, queens have taken the throne in their place. Still, the queen’s birthday is not observed, and instead Evangelites continue celebrating the day of her late husband’s birth until a new king takes her place.

Traditions:

-All Evangelite cities will hold a public celebration, but none celebrate harder than the capital city, where the king resides. All citizens are granted the day off from school and work to attend this kingdom-wide birthday bash. Those who live near the capital may travel to the castle grounds, where they might see the king in person. Others will celebrate from afar with music, decorations, dancing, and plenty of beer.

-While many view this holiday as nothing more than a flimsy excuse to drink, others take it more seriously, using it as an opportunity not only to honor their leader, but to show their patriotism for the kingdom itself. These individuals can be seen parading their kingdom’s banner around town, encouraging others to get into the spirit.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Modgir: se había dicho que las velas son símbolo de la magia, así que velitas. Una celebración modgiri que honra a la magia. Está inspirado en el día de las velitas, una celebración colombiana donde prenden un montón de velitas

Lamai: la posición de lamai con la muerte, me hizo pensar en el día de muertos. Recordar a los seres queridos que ya no están entre ellos

Matuzu: un día para mostrar cariño dando florecitas. Inspirado en la costumbre latina de entregar flores amarillas, fue incentivado por una novela argentina llamada floricienta

(Translated with Google Translator)

Festivities that the kingdoms would have and their royal inspiration: Modgir: It had been said that candles are a symbol of magic, so candles. A modgiri celebration that honors magic. It is inspired by the day of the candles, a Colombian celebration where they light a lot of candles Lamai: lamai's position with death made me think of the day of the dead. Remembering loved ones who are no longer with them Matuzu: a day to show affection by giving flowers. Inspired by the Latin custom of giving yellow flowers, he was encouraged by an Argentine novel called floricienta

I really like all of these, especially the candle-themed holiday! I'll take these into considerations when I work on more holiday articles, thank you! I think these ideas fit these cultures really well.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

There is a holiday called the Day of Deceit that originates from Zareen Empire, but has spread to other cultures in recent times. It's mostly commoner communities that celebrate this, but some gaians participate as well.

On this day, commoners celebrate their ability to lie by refusing to let a single truth pass their lips for the next 24 hours. This leads to a lot of silliness, confusion, and sometimes disaster.

As you can imagine, most fae find this day very annoying...

This holiday is most popular among commoners in Zareen Empire and Evangeline Kingdom, but you may find random communities celebrating it worldwide.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost