Holidays around the World

Administrator Posts : 458 Join date : 2012-02-04

Sanctimonian Holidays

New Years Day - January 1st
Nearly universal celebration, celebrated by every known culture save for the Alfar. In Sanctimonia, as in many cultures, people symbolically look forward to the new year, often preforming folk rituals, such as eating certain food, the lighting of symbolic candles, the killing of old animals, and so on, to ensure good luck and good health in the new year. In Sanctimonia specifically, there is a strong cultural tradition that says that Tyr will resurrect someone to life on this day. This leads to an annual procession of grieving parents, widows, husbands and children, exhuming their loved ones and bringing them to a Chapel in the hopes of resurrection.
Approbation Day - Febuary 14th
Very old Holiday with roots in pre-history Talibar and Occitan. People offer traditional sacrifices and offerings of gold, silver, blood, and so on, to appease disruptive and malevolent spirits. To who and what is offered varies by region. In Occitan, the holiday binds foreign evils from interfering in Occitan; in Sanctimonia, it binds disruptive Gods, and is often quite specific towards each God. The Church of Sanctimonia discourages this Holiday, while in Occitan it goes unchecked. Very superstitious holiday.
Glory's Fall - May 25th
Solemn Holiday remembering the Fall of Imperia. With it's connection to the beginning of an age of chaos, it has become a national day of mourning for Fallen loved ones as well. People are known to construct temporary shrines, constructed out of portraits, locks of hair, clothing articles, family heirlooms, and so on, belonging to their loved ones. It is considered extremely taboo to remove any part of these shrines until the day has ended; folk knowledge says that those who do will be the next to lose someone dear to them.
Day of Atonement - June 20th - 22nd
Ancient Alfar Holy Day devoted to Holy Three. Involves a long procession of burnt offerings and purification rituals. Culminates with a grand procession of ritually purified Alfar priests, who offer a Phoenix to Aten in payment for their transgressions that year. Also symbolizes the continuation of the Concord. In Sanctimonia, the Church of Tyr observes solemn prayer before offering a purebred, ritually blessed eagle. Since the founding of the nation, the King has traditionally gifted a large sum to the poor on this day, via the Priests of Illmatyr. In Sida, this Holiday is a week long extravaganza, with each Sultan throwing extremely expensive festivals and grandiose sacrifices. Sometimes upwards of a thousand animals are sacrificed in this time. Some more conservative Mukhamists accuse the Sultans of doing this not out of religious fervor, but out of a desire to one-up rival nations.
Crowning Day - July 10th
Celebrates the crowning of the first King of Sanctimonia. Usually evokes demonstrations of patriotic fervor among the soldiers and Watchmen of the land. It is traditional for the King to hold a feast with a group of randomly selected soldiers and his Generals.
Festival of the Blessed Maiden - October 12th - 14th
Commemorates the birth of Alyssa Munroe, hero of the Black Tower. General celebrations are held throughout the Kingdom, while most local Churches hold sermons telling of the life of Alyssa Munroe. This day also marks the beginning of an annual procession parading the hilt and shards of the Ardent Blade, which is said to have been gifted to Alyssa Munroe by an Archangel of Tyr. The procession moves through all of the major cities in the Kingdom, until it reaches Surna on Nov 4th, Deliverance Day. There the shards are taken before the ruins of the Black Tower, and priests lead a sermon retelling and celebrating the fall of the Black Tower.
Hollow's Eve - Oct 23th - 31st
Very old Holiday with it's roots in pre-history Talibar and Occitan. Folk festival in which nature is deified in the form of Vaettir. Incense is commonly burned, with different scents indicating different prayers "to be taken upon the winds". Highly popular despite both the Church of Sanctimonia and the Saint's Orders in Occitan discouraging the Holiday.
Deliverance Festival - Nov 4th
Celebrates the fall of the Black Tower. Involves jubilant, feverish Church sermons and excessive celebration. Also marks the end of the procession of the Ardent Blade.
Day of Accounts - Dec 20th
Ancient Alfar holiday. In Ahdsur, Justiciers lead a ritual binding dark gods from acting in Ahdsur. In Sanctimonia, Priests undergo a dangerous ceremony in which they contact Shar, Goddess of Darkness. They then demand that she come to accounts for her crimes, and supplicate herself in Tyr's court. A host of Clerics are on-staff to then attend to whatever hideous ailment Shar has cursed the presiding priest with.

Administrator Posts : 458 Join date : 2012-02-04

Feel free to suggest your own. There's a lot of nations and cultures to cover, so go at it.

Tryhard Posts : 602 Join date : 2012-02-06

My character gets a holiday. I feel so spoiled.

Vengaboy Posts : 299 Join date : 2012-04-07

pycheko - year long celebration

glorious day of work and service

Administrator Posts : 201 Join date : 2012-02-20

Surna specific holiday.

Day of fear- Nov 1st
The Day of Fear marks the anniversary of the alleged “Otherworld incident” where local legends tell of dark, monstrous entities from the mysterious plane of existence known as the Otherworld attempted to spill over onto Aeria by using Surna as an invasion point only to be stopped by a band of locals who would later be known as "The heroes of Surna". Despite the entire event being written off by Talibarian officials at the time as cultic rituals gone awry many Surnans to modern times dress in scary costumes mimicking eye witness accounts of the creatures.

Subject: Re: Holidays around the World Sun Mar 31, 2013 1:24 pm

If the Selas lore gets accepted:

Noodle wrote:: Yule - December 25th
Midwinter begins shortly before the new year on December twenty-fifth, dictated as the longest night of the year. During this time, people across the world celebrate by exchanging gifts and enjoying each-others' company. Inns and Taverns reach their highest attendances at this time due to the amount of travelers passing through to visit their families in distant lands.

Imbolc - February 1st
Imbolc marks the beginning of the planting season, spring. A common practice is the making of Dyaus Stars, four-pointed stars woven from rushes and nailed above doorways to ward off fire and lightning. Farmers observe the weather on Imbolc, poor weather on the first of February bears good omens for the season of growing, summer.

Ostara - March 20th
The first of two times a year that both day and night are equal in time, Ostara. It is about this day that farmers maintain and sow their fields. Many trees and plants begin to blossom again and animals begin to return from hiding. Ostara is very closely associated with Selas as it is seen as a time of great fertility.

Beltane - May 1st
The sabbat of Beltane is closely related to Aten and is a time of great purification, also marking the start of the season of growing, or summer. Large bonfires dot the landscape to ward off pestilence and malevolent spirits. During this time priests of the gods of light see a boost to their divine magics as the material plane drifts closer to the realms of light.

Litha - June 21st
Litha marks the time when the sun graces the sky for the longest time of the year. Also known as the Day of the Alchemist, several potion-makers flock to the wilderness or their private gardens to gather plants of healing, believed to be at the peak of their potency at this time. This Sabbat is often overshadowed by the Day of Atonement festival.

Lammas - August 1st
Marking the beginning of the season of harvest, one of three harvest festivals, designating the harvest of grain. The first crop of which was to be ground and baked, the bread thereof to be broken in four and placed in the corners of the barns containing the crop to protect them from weevils and other maladies.

Mabon - September 22nd
The second equinox of the year, Mabon is also the second of the three harvest festivals, this one of thanksgiving for the other fruits of harvest. This time is marked by large feasts hosted by aristocrat and farmhand alike.

Samhain - October 31st
The final of the three harvest festivals, capping off the season of harvest and ushering in the season of rest. Followers of the gods of the darkness find themselves with greater divine magics at this time as the material plane drifts closest to the realms of darkness.

Subject: Re: Holidays around the World Sun Mar 31, 2013 6:52 pm

I got into the holiday suggestin' spirit, and came up with Gaerd material. The days aren't entirely important, but, I thought it'd do well for myself, to at least have them somewhere where I can see them.

Sunday - Selunsday
Monday - Aelmatarsday
Tuesday - Tymporsday
Wednesday - Vogrsday
Thursday - Tyorsday
Friday - Frejmsday
Saturday - Odensday

Aeskabod - January 31st-February 1st:
(Youth Festival)
A celebration marking the passing into the New Year and the things to come. Often, it is a celebration of youth, and involves the second greatest physical competition between Gaerdic holidays, second only to the summer event of Gullbod. Winter festivities run high, as do sparring events, and feasting. Similarly, the young of the Gaerds often find their allocation within the society around this time.

Astbod (Frejmbod) - February 14th
(Love Festival)
A tradition that helps step out of the common dourness of the Gaerds is their festival celebrating love of all sorts. Marked by displays of affection between members of the community, whether romantic or pleutonic, and no matter how small an act of such may be for a member of this society. Similarly, it has become a greatly anticipated day of hunt for the Gaerds, in which men will often try and pursue the greatest hunt for their spouse, and in doing such, bring back great bounty. This usually results in a feast.

Morkbod - March 20th:
(Forest Festival.)
A celebration marking the beginning of spring, and the beginning of the warm seasons. This is largely seen as a time of great life, blossoming, and fertility amongst the Gaerds, and is a frequently honored festivity. Feasts are held and aged wines sampled, and more often than not, this time serves as a favorite time to bestow Rights of Passage upon the Hunters of the Gaerds.

Hyrrbod - April 30th-May 1st:
(Fire Festival.)
This festival brings trandition and culture into the frequently dour hands of the Gaerds, showcasing their ideals and their naturalism, and distrust of foreign magery. The fire festival is overseen by the sages of the Gaerds, and is the holiday most influenced by their spiritual leaders. These sages write runes and wards, and bathe them in fire; either by tossing runes into a fire pit, or burning the wards upon sticks. These are to instill the people and the community with various effects as well as hope in the coming days, and can also be used to communicate with the spirits that roam the land.

Odensbod - June 21st:
(Oden's Festival.)
This early summer tradition brings honor to high Oden, whose namesake belongs within this festival. This festival is a time where the learned of the Gaerds, along with the sages, compile readings for the coming year, and similarly read signs from the gods to help read how the year should proceed. This is a common time for political movements and elections within Gaerdic communities, and also, include feasts rather frequently.

Gullbod - July 31st-August 1st:
(Gold Festival.)
A summer festival celebrating the height of the year, overlapping two days, both of which being the base for intense competition which hold honor throughout the year, until the next Gulbod. The passtimes and recreational activities of the Gaerds are at their most competitive these two days, and performance in this is coupled with a great deal of pride, and respect.

Fraendbod - September 22:
)Kin Festival)
A pleasant festival celebrated within Gaerdic communities as a time of communion and unity. Feasting is common, as are athletics and sporty displays of skill, strength, and ability for entertainment. This festival also marks itself as a powerful day for the sages of the Gaerds, whom view the skies in use of the Stjarnamark.

Haustbod (Kalmathor's Day and Aelmatarbod)- October 31st-November 1st:
(Autumn Festival)
A contestant for the most revered of all Gaerdic celebrations is Haustbod, and it is a two day span of deep cultural tradition. The first day is a day in which the Gaerds believe magic in the world nears its strongest, and that spirits and dark powers can easily take form upon the world. The Gaerds remain vigilant this day, and engage in rituals such as dirge-singings to ward off fell spirits, and or take battle to them. The next day is a day of somber dour reverence for those whom have passed on, along with feasting, but under the shadow of a much more tame atmosphere than most.

Aettbod - November 11th:
(Ancestor's Festival)
A revered ceremony preceding Drengrbod by some time, that plays host to various honorary rights of the dead and living ancestors of families, clans, and the Gaerdic people as a whole. Older Gaerds whom have time to spare, and are not needed for the Drengrbod celebrations in their own village, often make pilgrimages to holy sites throughout the Gaerdic lands, to arrive there for Aettbod, and honor those great heroes and dead that perished in times before.

Drengrbod - November 20th:
(Warrior's Festival)
It is this day that the Gaerds bring a feast honoring their greatest warriors and fighters, in which all may rejoice, feast, and make merry. This day is also carried out with great festivities in sports, games, feasting, sparring, and hunting; for these cumulative reasons, it is one of the most anticipated ceremonies of the Gaerdic tradition. Similarly, it also a day when youths are inducted into their combat training and receive their first sword.

Rikrbod - December 21st:
(Great Festival)
The Great Festival is a year's ending celebration in which men unite in joy and remembrance of all things triumphed and lost during the year, as well as a cold optimism for the next. This is generally the greatest feast of the year, met with great amounts of food and drink, and similarly, a fair amount of jovial act throughout Gaerdic communities.

Tryhard Posts : 602 Join date : 2012-02-06

Fail Day - February 3rd
A day to recognize and condemn the enormous failure that has befallen the entire world. This figure shall go unnamed, lest this holiday be confused with a celebration of said failure who is ugly and runs a terrible RP that no one likes.