Holidays

[Worldmaker]

Some of the holidays celebrated in the Young Kingdoms. Feel free to post your own. It should be noted that not all of these holidays are celebrated everywhere.

Craftday: The Churches of Oranus and Calpurnia host a holiday on the first day of Summer that serves the community by teaching them those crafts that are both helpful and beautiful. Priests engage instructors and set up a comfortable work area in the temple, and invite all the townsfolk to come learn crafts such as painting, sculpting, weaving, pottery, ceramics, drawing, and embroidery. The day typically ends with an informal picnic, dancing, and singing.

Demon's Feast: Held on the 30th day of Goldenleaf, this festival marks the arrival of winter and is also the day on which the dead are honored. Graves are blessed, bonfires are lit, firecrackers set off and demonic costumes worn. All unmask at midnight and drink a toast to life.

The Feast of the Fools: This weeklong celebration, held at the mid-point of Spring (usually the second week of Stormhome) is a time of high spirits and capers to mark the end of the old. People wear costumes and play tricks on each other, old grudges are forgiven, and old clothes or household items are thrown or given away.

Festival of Fire: During this day-long celebration, the priests of Oranus hold a great outdoor party which all are invited to attend. On the 12th day of Shieldmoon, a large bonfire is built, and at dusk it is lit. From this the priests travel about town, lighting the hearths of places of business, other temples, smiths' forges, and those homes of any who display the symbols of Oranus above their door. Afterwards, all rejoin at the bonfire, where roast pig and casks of ale await. Loud, boisterous singing, ritual combat, and contests of strength are held. To the untrained eye, these sometimes resemble drunken brawls.

Festival of Pomponilla: On the 2nd day of Summerset, the Lady of Mercy is honored by all giving their breakfast and a monetary donation to the poor. This is a day for forgiving debts, renewing bonds and allegiances and prayer. The day is popular for weddings, and the night reserved for lovers. The Church of Pomponilla hosts dancing in the evening.

Greengrass Day: The first day of the year, Greengrass Day is also held to be the beginning of spring. Greengrass Day is considered a day of relaxation. Flowers that have been carefully grown in the inner rooms of keeps and temples during the winter are blessed and cast out upon the remains of the snow to bring rich growth in the seasons ahead.

HighHarvesttide Day: HighHarvesttide, on the last day of Summerset, heralds the coming of fall and the harvest. It is a feastday; food is always on hand for those coming in from the fields.

Joining Day: This day is most important holy day for the Church of Calpurnia. On the first day of Shieldmoon, gifts are exchanged between lovers and couples. This is also a popular day for weddings. The Church of Calpurnia hosts a worship service which all are welcome to attend, and many do. The Service begins with a High Priestess blessing the worshipers with holy rose water. Afterwards, there is a feast followed by singing and dancing. Traditionally, those married by the church during the year bring donations for the temple in thanks for their good fortune.

Memorial Day: In honor of sailors lost at sea, on the last day of Summer priests of Nigidius visit the townsfolk who have lost loved ones during the year. Prayers and libations are offered, and donations are made to those families who are suffering financially. This holiday is held only in coastal areas.

Midsummer Day: Midsummer Day, the 18th day of Summer, is a time of feasting, music, and love. Betrothals are traditionally made on this day. It is very rare for weather to be bad on this day -- such is considered an extremely bad omen, thought to foretell famine or plague.

Redemption Day: It is customary on the second day of the year to confess your sins at the temple of your choice. Also, this is a good day to confess things to friends and family, as all are supposed to remember the forgiveness of the gods.

Return of the Whales: Priests of Nigidius celebrate the return of the greatest of the sea mammals - the migrating whales. The priests and novitiates sail out upon the waters, singing songs to the Oceanlord. Ale is carried aboard ship, and toasts are made whenever the whales surface nearby. All priests jump into the waters and swim among the magnificent cetaceans. One priest, usually a novitiate, stays sober in each boat, to watch over the swimmers and make sure that the boats return to shore while some priests are still able to navigate them. This holiday has no set date, but rather is held the day after the whales are first spotted off the coast.

Sabuca's Day: This is a day of great feast and thanks for the harvest and other blessings. Lords of the manor host their tenants, families gather and all the churches have ceremonies. Priests of Sabuca gather together to prepare a feast, to which all are welcome. Often this feast is held outdoors. There is much traveling about on the heels of the feast, as merchants, court emissaries, and pilgrims make speed before the worst of the mud arrives and the rain freezes into snow. There is no set date for this holiday, as it is held at the close of the harvest and some areas get the crops in quicker than others.

Spring's Eve: Held during the last five days of the year, and believed to officially end winter, this period of celebration is marked by the lighting of candles and lanterns, and dancing through villages and private residences to "burn" out winter's cold and provide light to welcome back spring. Each day of the celebration is marked with the lighting of candles and lanterns after dark. On the last day, a large evening meal of food and wine is traditionally eaten.

Wraithwalk: The day after Demon's Feast, this day of terror is observed by all races. During the day locks are checked, families gather together, food and drink are collected. People often gather in tabernacles for night-long services, or at parties for night-long celebrations. At dusk, all houses are secured, and all who can hide safely indoors. And through the night, people celebrate solace in shelter and comfort in tabernacle celebration alike. During the night, the spirits of the dead and all supernatural beings imprisoned on the earth are free to walk. Those mortals trapped outdoors sometimes vanish, or are found brutally slain. Often, property that has been insufficiently warded will be destroyed.

Wintersnight: Wintersnight, held on the Winter solstice (usually the 13th, 14th, or 15th of Icinglace), is considered holy by the churches of both Rian, Goddess of the Moon and Hurwen, Goddess of Winter Season. It is customary to light a candle once night has fallen and allow it to burn throughout the night.

[Blue Jogger]

Extra Days: Sometimes the gods are slow to start the year as they should. Because of this, the calender gains a few "extra days" to bring everything back into proper alignment with the stars and the seasons. At some point, this became a holiday, where people are to get into the spirit of giving, being thankful, and take time off to reflect upon the coming year. The number of "Extra Days" in the year are not always known until they are calculated a week before hand and agreed upon by those who watch the stars.

These days are also the strangest since it is believed that anything done during Extra Days "doesn't really count" until the calender starts again. Some have clain to see the dead walking and talking during Extra Days, but they are mindful to return to the grave before the last Extra Day ends or else be doomed to walk the Earth until next year's end.

[arcady]

Are we contributing holidays gor your setting, or showing off the holidays we use in each of ours?

EDIT:
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[Worldmaker]

Are we contributing holidays gor your setting, or showing off the holidays we use in each of ours?

The latter, though I freely admit that if I see one I like in someone else's post, I'll swipe it. Of course, I expect the everyone else to do the same from my list.

[Curufea]

Days of Change - Two weeks preceeding the Epiphany (see below) heralded by vast battles both religious and secular, wherein the Avatars of the Gods stride forth to lead armies and do battle. The Gods themselves make strange and controvertial requests, often sending their followers into conflict with others.

The Epiphany - Preceeds the Dark Age. Happens every 5000 years. Civilisations and religions fall, the Gods disappear for a period and then come back in a new aspect/incarnation.

GM note - this is basically when the players take the place of the Gods in my setting. The players were - an Avatar of Good, the God of Good (overseeing), the Avatar of Evil, the God of Evil and a poor chap who owned the dungeon they were questing in (who was himself being used by the God of Balance). The Gods step down, the Avatars take over - the world roils in turmoil during the transition.

[teh bunneh]

Good idea for a thread!

Most folk celebrate the Equinoxes and the Solstices, but how they celebrate is a different matter. Almost all celebrations are tied to the religious observances of one or more of the many, many gods of my world.

The Druids celebrate Springrite (vernal equinox), Agelong (summer solstice), Fallhallow (autumnal equinox), and Yeartide (winter solstice). I haven't worked out all the details of these festivals, except Fallhallow. This is a day in which the revered dead can return to Earth for one night in order to complete any tasks they left undone. People are required to show hospitality and deference to any stranger who shows up at their doorstep that night; however, since the dead can also be dangerous and terrifying, very few people go abroad after dark. Those that do take care to mask themselves (so the dead don't recognize them) and carry lights (so they can see the dead).

(What can I say? Hallowe'en is my favorite holiday!)

The Dwarves celebrate the Day of Community (in which they honor their friends), the Day of Remembrance (in which they remember their ancestors), the Day of Boasting (in which they boast of their own feats), The Day of Sharpening (in which they prepare themselves to meet the future), the Day of Atonement (a day to recall one's own shortcomings and faults), and the Day of Sorrow (in which they mourn their losses). The six feast days are considered the most important days of the year, and work is forbidden on these days (expect as necessary to keep the community functioning). Dwarves will never, ever fight on a feast day unless their lives are directly in danger.

Elves have eight major holidays and a host of minor ones (Elves are my world's premier partiers). They are: Forest Day, the Festival of the Lights (held on the vernal equinox), Moongazing, the Festival of the Trees (held on the summer solstice), Faerieluck, Mangreeting (on the autumnal equinox), Treetopping, and the Festival of the Stars (on the winter solstice). Each festival lasts for one full day and one full night (at least!), and are filled with singing, drinking, dancing, and relaxed sexual mores.

In parts of the west, they celebrate the Day of Ascension -- the day the great hero Durom died and became one with the gods, nearly a thousand years ago. The first part of the day is spent in religious observances. In the early evening, folk gather around on or near a greensward or the banks of a lake or river, where they share dinner outdoors. Often craftsmen, entertainers, and wizards will gather to put on demonstrations or hawk their wares. It's essentially a big community day.

Finally, there's the Yule, which is celebrated pretty much everywhere. The last three days of the year fall "outside" the calendar, and are considered very holy. The first day is a day of prayer and quiet contemplation where folk remember lost family and friends. The second day is a day of community festivities. During the night, local druids (or town elders) decorate the main village tree with baubles, candles, and ribbons. The whole community gets together and prepares a feast for all and eats it in a public place. The third day is a day when gifts between friends and family members are exchanged. The "Grand Druid" arrives to bless the community and hand out toys or sweets to the good children, and switches with a willow stick to the bad ones.

(I've run two very fun Yuletide adventures; all my players love the concept!)

Bill.