forum What Holidays do your Characters Celebrate?

Started January 09, 2019 by @A. Alice Robins

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Hello there and what holidays do your characters celebrate?

Ooh! Since my main location in located in a remote, icy, mountainous place with lots of snow and blizzards, my characters celebrate the start of summer, when all the ice melts and the air is humid and cool, perfect for growing tea, a staple in the harsh winters. Red is the color worn for celebration, as fire is crucial to the freezing place, while white is worn for funerals, as it symbolizes the deceased has given in to the endless snow and white. To wear white besides at funerals is a major insult, and since dyed cloth is a rare thing, it is scandalous to wear such precious clothing on a normal day; it is seen as showing off and bragging of your wealth, as they are a humble people.

So if they can't wear white, but dyed fabrics are also a no-no, do they wear furs and leathers instead?

One of the holidays my characters celebrate is called the Festival of Togetherness. It’s during the coldest part of winter, when it becomes too cold to leave your home. It lasts until it warms up a bit, then there is a big feast to celebrate. During the cold part, families basically have a forced bonding time and will play games and have fun, and also sleep in one big pile to keep warm. That’s why it is called the Festival of Togetherness. It kinda is their version of Christmas.

As long as you aren't being kicked or elbowed, sleeping in a pile is the most fun thing you could ever do.

Well, they are basically magical cats, so the chances of being kicked or elbowed go down somewhat…though I imagine someone could get clawed by accident.

(I made a festival for a world of mine called "Winter Moon Festival". I can elaborate if people are interested in hearing…

Ooh that sounds interesting! Please explain!

(Okay, so in my world, it's actually really rare to see the moon. It only appears four times a year. Once for each season. The world's magic is closely connected to nature, and it's said that magic is strongest during the winter when the moon is visible. So every year, they have week long festivities leading up to the time the moon appears. Mages demonstrate their magic, Alchemists and herbalists hunt for the best herbs in friendly competitions, a traditional food that is a sweet bread with spices is always served the night of the moon, and when the moon appears, they hold dancing in the town squares, with brilliant costumes and masks, with Mages helping with the show. They continue festivities until morning when the moon begins to fade, and the children wake up early to present gifts to the goddess of the moon for strong magic and a good harvest for the next winter.

That’s really cool!

I like very much.

(Yay! People approve! Now I'm sure I can keep it for my story!

Each seasonal court celebrates its solstice/equinox.
Spring has a big garden party in the courtyards
Autumn has a nighttime masquerade ball
Summer has an outdoors ball
Winter has an indoors feast with a celebration afterwards.

The Harvest Festival. There is music and dancing and a big bonfire with a deer roasted with honey. Apples are given as ceremonial gifts and all the town parties till sunrise.

There are many different holidays in my universes depending on the planet but one of my main characters, Sireda; despite being mostly human is raised by aliens therefore she’s raised by those sort of beliefs. Her family and the people celebrate something in English known as the ‘Two Fanged Hunt Moon’. The fanged didn’t really have much of a definition but I figure it could represent the fact the aliens usually have two large fangs sticking out. The entire festival typically three days, but the main festival takes place on the second day.

The children go out to collect flowers and clay, and younger children help their parents. Some people have different jobs; they might make music, for example. A form of face painting is also available. On the second day, during night, when there is two full moons, those of age usually go out to hunt. It’s not a competition, but some like to make it one for fun. Some people hunt smaller creatures while others hunt together in large groups. They bring the food back to the village and there they feast. Leftovers might last for days afterwards but it is traditional that you will not eat anything from the hunt afterwards. The rest is usually given to the wildlife or the gods.

Another holiday is currently unnamed but takes place during the hottest day of the year. It’s kinda an artistic holiday; though you need no skill in art to participate. You make art of any form and gift them to friends, family, even random strangers. Then if you want you can dance or listen to some music. Even make music.

I really like the second one.

Um… my characters are all Swedish so they celebrate all Swedish holidays and traditions, and some more international ones. Nothing special, really. Except for that I don't think most countrys celebrate Midsummer the way we do it.

I feel like if I ever write the book I want to about a real-life witch, I might insert a couple occasions of them celebrating Samhain and Yule.

One of the dystopian bandit tribes in my story celebrates Christmas, sortof. Basically they hang random pretty-looking junk on a tree near their camp to decorate it, and if they have a friend or two in the tribe, they make/steal gifts for each other. The leader pretends to roll his eyes at the whole thing, but every Christmas Eve he sneaks out of camp and either hunts down nice big deer or a few wild fowl and leaves them under the tree for the bandits to eat the next morning. They still haven't figured out it's him doing it, and some are absolutely sure it's Santa Claus bringing them food. Long story short, they're a bunch of adorable dorks who barely count as blood-thirsty bandits at all, and I love them XDD

That's frickin' adorable. I can practically see it and it's the most precious thing.

hehe ty >w<

The creatures in Astras celebrate the Eclipse Festival, which happens every 5 years, and lasts for a month, adding an extra month into their year! Participants dress in dark purple, red, gold, and white. There’s lots of dancing, singing, and feasts. Every year each person makes a paper lantern, and they float it down the river on the first night of the festival. After you float yours down, you pick up another persons lantern, and then must find them sometime during the rest of the festival in order to be blessed with good luck for the next five years. There’s a legend that if you pick up someone’s lantern, and they pick up yours, you will marry each other in the future.

Every night the goddess of children, Periwinkle, will leave a small gift under each child’s pillow. On the second to last night, she leaves the biggest gift, and on the last night, she brings no gifts.

If you are in a relationship with someone, you are supposed to buy them a special bracelet made out of multiple colored string braided or woven together. If you don’t, it’s supposed to be bad luck for the relationship. There are lots of proposals during the festival.
If you want to express your love to someone who doesn’t know you love them, you would gifts them a piece of round, smooth glass inscribed with a special rune on it.

I think that’s everything, wow.

That’s really cool!