D&D General Festivals, Fairs, and Holy Days

When I started writing my Iskandar setting, I did a deep dive into real medieval societies. One thing I noticed was that holy days/fairs/festivals were really common and important in those societies, and none of the D&D games I'd run or played in ever reflected that well. I wanted to change that. I know there have been a couple of supplements on this released in prior editions, and there are some other games (like Pendragon) that do this pretty well. But I'd not seen it done well myself.

In my current campaign, I sat down and defined 20 festivals that happened throughout the year and placed them in the calendar. I'm lucky that one of my players keeps strict track of time. Whenever they are in the city during a festival, I try and incorporate that into the campaign. I usually do that through mini-games. It's usually a lot of fun, and also provides good character development opportunity.

It's really cool now, because the characters are starting to adjust their behavior in order to attend festivals. Last night, they decided to head back to the city of Iskandar, and someone said "It's Balder's Day tomorrow," Balder being the god of poetry and plays. They wanted to attend that, so they traveled deep into the evening to get back in time.

Now, I'd not expected this nor prepped anything at all for Balder's Day, but we ended up adapting a couple of games from "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and had a hilarious session. The guys are training now which will take 15 days, and someone said "It's All Spirits Day a couple of days after we finish training. I think I want to stick around in the city for that."

It's added a great new dimension to our game, and I recommend it. FYI, here's a list of festivals in Iskandar:

1. All Fools Day: A costumed parade and practical jokes.
2. All Spirits Day: Flowers and candles placed on shrines.
3. Amnesty Day: Minor crimes and debts are forgiven.
4. Areyo’s Day: Yellow kites flown and races through the city.
5. Balder’s Day: Plays and poetry recitals throughout the city.
6. Candles Eve: Solemn evening parade with candles.
7. Day of Contrition: Dress in black and no alcohol.
8. Day of Naming: Names given to babies, animals, etc.
9. Day of the Dead: Colorful shrines created for ancestors.
10. Feast of Freedom: Music, feasting, and a colorful fair.
11. Feast of Vela: A raucous day of eating and drinking.
12. Festival of Fire: Bonfires and firecrackers on the streets.
13. Founders Day: Solemn commemoration in Old Town.
14. Fyon's Day: Only wine can be consumed this day.
15. Harvesttide: Agricultural show followed by a feast.
16. Hocktide: Amends made and debts repaid.
17. Mora's Day: Stately pageant down to the harbor.
18. New Year’s Day: Feasting and drinking until dawn.
19. Rogation Day: Fasting and prayers for the coming year.
20. Voyna’s Day: Battle re-enactments and martial contests.

Have the methods of celebration be collective magical Rituals with mechanical benefits for the participants.

Great idea also to make downtime more interesting!

I've started a few new campaigns in town/village during a festival or feast day, PCs get to compete in games, attend the markets and witness the Holy Rituals and inevitably get caught up in a new adventure. I anchor my festivals around the the Solstices/Equinox then Spring Flower, Mid Summer, Harvest and Winter (New Year) then have variations for different settlements and nations

It's all about world-building and feeling a part of that world. I almost always have a world calendar with unique universal holidays, religious holidays, PC character birthdays, and if something epic happens or happened with a past adventuring party, a note for "that's the day the evil warlord so-and-so was deposed." My calendar (using one of many online free generators) has a "notes" section where I can plugin a short blub about what the locals do. It's a fun aspect to the game: Hey guys, the Day of the Dead is coming up, are you planning anything special for it? Cleric PC, as a worshipper of the gawd of the dead, this is a big deal [and here's why].

Works less in adrenaline-pumped, 1st-20th level in 6 months adventures, but to each their own.

Hope it's okay to share my own list. My campaign world turns on the shifting whims of Olympians and Fey, so...

Olympian Feasts, Festivals and Celebrations:
(Apollo) Pythean Festival / Festival of Tears, Autumn, every 5 years – poetry & musical laments
(Apollo) Sibylline, Summer – oracles and fortune seeking
(Ares) Dia Anteros / Day of Slaughter, Summer - unrelenting bloodshed
(Athena) Pax Minerva, Wintertide – truce and games between armies
(Bacchus) Dionysia, Autumn - parades, performances and drinking contests
(Demeter) High Harvest, Autumn – parades and bountiful feasts
(Diana) the Sagittar / the Great Hunt, Autumn – hunting elusive prey
(Flora) Floralia, Springtide – fey holiday, pardons, parades and plays
(Hades) Violet Festivals, Summer - summoning Shades
(Hera) Gala Matria / Queen’s Fair, Springtide - women lead & get gifts
(Hercules) Olympiad Games, Summer, every 4 years – athletic contests
(Mercury) Twelfth Night, Wintertide - kings and peasants trade places
(Muses) World Faire, Summer, every 3 years – arts and learning
(Pan) All-Fool’s Day, Springtide – fey holiday, playing of pranks
(Persephone) Eve of Mourning, Wintertide – mourning for lost loved ones
(Persephone) the Prosperine, Wintertide - arranged marriages
(Venus) Eragon, Springtide - competing for ladies’ favor
(Zeus) Fera Victoria / the Victor's Spoil, Summer - feast of triumph over enemies

Fey Feasts, Festivals and Celebrations:
(There's some overlap between Fey & Olympian festivals. Also, note that Folly is its own season)
(Flower Fey)
Spring Fling, Springtide – frolic, games and scavenger hunts
Floralia, Springtide – parades, plays & gifts
All-Fool’s Day, Springtide - playing of pranks
(Fabled Fey)
Marinalia, Folly – festival of fables come to life
Gaming Day, Folly – games & contests
Proving, Folly – youth given tasks to prove themselves adults
(Bright Fey)
Regalia, Summer – fey walk among mortals and demand respect
Masquerade, Midsummer – dance of disguises between fey and mortals
(Wild Fey)
Luminalia, Autumn – parade of lanterns, lead animals to safety
Rhyme’s Day, Autumn – when it is unlucky to not speak in verse
(Frost Fey)
Twelfth Night, Wintertide - kings and peasants trade places
Saturnalia, Wintertide - the Fey recreate the lost Golden Age
Day of Amnesty, Wintertide – pardons for Chronos and for foes

I have yet to add too many specific festivals to my game. I've tried to keep a light touch with the major religion of Jewel of the Desert, because it's inspired by a mix of Islam and Judaism, two religions I don't personally practice. Better to keep a light touch in that context, IME. (Doubly so when nobody else at the table is particularly religious themselves.)

But one specific heretical sect, the Zil al-Ghurab (Raven-Shadow) assassin-cult, has been very relevant. Their theology has mattered to multiple characters. The fact that they're a heretical (and heavily oppressed--for not-entirely-wrong reasons!) sect means that their festivals have to be practiced in quiet and it can be difficult for them to get the materials they want for the associated rituals. They hold a "Day of Remembrance" for their martyrs, many of whom were Raven-Shadows slain by the wider Safiqi priesthood. It's a bit like a blend of Yom Kippur, Eid al-Adha, the solemn parts of New Years, and Memorial Day, with incense-burning, fasting, prayer, self-reflection, meditating on the lives of the martyrs, etc.

I've actually had a lot of fun developing the R-S theology and practices, because it means they're much more nuanced than a typical "religion of evil". They have beliefs that are...difficult...to engage with because, y'know, murder, but they aren't insane zealots that can't be reasoned with, and for everyday life, their values aren't meaningfully different from the wider Safiqi religion. They are extremely devout, and thus an approach based on "you have to give up your religion" won't work for the vast majority of them, but that's not the same as being totally bugnuts crazy. They desire enlightenment, and aren't all about just killing anyone anytime--there are structures and limitations--but if they have their way and take over, they would definitely be killing a lot more people than they do now. But! That could change. The party has learned that their theology has been...manipulated, shall we say. Not totally faked, but controlled by outside forces, channeling them toward one specific interpretation rather than a different, perhaps less murder-centric, interpretation.

CherubKid said:

Hope it's okay to share my own list. My campaign world turns on the shifting whims of Olympians and Fey, so...

Olympian Feasts, Festivals and Celebrations:
(Apollo) Pythean Festival / Festival of Tears, Autumn, every 5 years – poetry & musical laments
(Apollo) Sibylline, Summer – oracles and fortune seeking
(Ares) Dia Anteros / Day of Slaughter, Summer - unrelenting bloodshed
(Athena) Pax Minerva, Wintertide – truce and games between armies
(Bacchus) Dionysia, Autumn - parades, performances and drinking contests
(Demeter) High Harvest, Autumn – parades and bountiful feasts
(Diana) the Sagittar / the Great Hunt, Autumn – hunting elusive prey
(Flora) Floralia, Springtide – fey holiday, pardons, parades and plays
(Hades) Violet Festivals, Summer - summoning Shades
(Hera) Gala Matria / Queen’s Fair, Springtide - women lead & get gifts
(Hercules) Olympiad Games, Summer, every 4 years – athletic contests
(Mercury) Twelfth Night, Wintertide - kings and peasants trade places
(Muses) World Faire, Summer, every 3 years – arts and learning
(Pan) All-Fool’s Day, Springtide – fey holiday, playing of pranks
(Persephone) Eve of Mourning, Wintertide – mourning for lost loved ones
(Persephone) the Prosperine, Wintertide - arranged marriages
(Venus) Eragon, Springtide - competing for ladies’ favor
(Zeus) Fera Victoria / the Victor's Spoil, Summer - feast of triumph over enemies

Fey Feasts, Festivals and Celebrations:
(There's some overlap between Fey & Olympian festivals. Also, note that Folly is its own season)
(Flower Fey)
Spring Fling, Springtide – frolic, games and scavenger hunts
Floralia, Springtide – parades, plays & gifts
All-Fool’s Day, Springtide - playing of pranks
(Fabled Fey)
Marinalia, Folly – festival of fables come to life
Gaming Day, Folly – games & contests
Proving, Folly – youth given tasks to prove themselves adults
(Bright Fey)
Regalia, Summer – fey walk among mortals and demand respect
Masquerade, Midsummer – dance of disguises between fey and mortals
(Wild Fey)
Luminalia, Autumn – parade of lanterns, lead animals to safety
Rhyme’s Day, Autumn – when it is unlucky to not speak in verse
(Frost Fey)
Twelfth Night, Wintertide - kings and peasants trade places
Saturnalia, Wintertide - the Fey recreate the lost Golden Age
Day of Amnesty, Wintertide – pardons for Chronos and for foes

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Why wouldn't it be okay? It's a messageboard... post what you like. You don't need anyone's permission.

Cool list!

This is what I did for my homebrew setting. I used the modern Pagan holy days as a basis. They do come up in my campaign as I keep a calendar and work them into the stories told. In fact, in my current Ghosts of Saltmarsh campaign, the town has just celebrated GreenFire, and the party's Bard proposed and married (handfasting) the woman he had been courting in town since the start of the campaign.

The Holy Days of the Turning Wheel
The Calendar of the Turning Wheel marks the sacred rhythm of the world, shaped by the waxing and waning of the light, the turning of the seasons, and the balance between life and death. Eight holy days are observed throughout the year, each carrying ancient meaning and rich tradition. These festivals offer moments of rest, reflection, and revelry for people across the land, and they often shape the spiritual and social fabric of entire communities.

Kindlefest
Date: Embermorn 1
Seasonal Meaning: The awakening flame and spark of life after winter's darkness
Symbolism: Renewal, inspiration, fire, and the divine spark within
Activities: Lighting hearths, blessing tools, dedicating apprenticeships, divination rituals, candlelight ceremonies
Common Traditions: Lighting every hearth in the village; placing a single lit candle in every window; smiths and artisans bless their tools for the year ahead.

Dawnbless
Date: Thawtide 15
Seasonal Meaning: Spring equinox, the return of balance and fertility
Symbolism: Growth, balance, new life, and the earth's awakening
Activities: Egg painting, water-blessing, planting ceremonies, flower processions
Common Traditions: Children hide painted eggs to be found by others as a symbol of life's mysteries; young lovers plant a tree together as a vow.

Greenfire
Date: Greengale 1
Seasonal Meaning: The height of spring and union of life forces
Symbolism: Fertility, passion, protection, and wild joy
Activities: Leaping over sacred fires, dancing around maypoles, blessing livestock, matchmaking and handfasting
Common Traditions: Festivals with wild music, games of strength and wit, ritual courtships, and twin bonfires to pass through for blessing.

Suncrest
Date: Sunreach 15
Seasonal Meaning: Summer solstice, longest day of the year
Symbolism: Triumph, divine radiance, heroism, and healing
Activities: Dawn vigils, athletic contests, herb gathering, honoring sun deities
Common Traditions: Rolling fire-wheels down hillsides, feasting in the open, crowning of the Sun King and Sun Queen.

Firstfruit
Date: Highharvest 1
Seasonal Meaning: First harvest, waning of the year begins
Symbolism: Gratitude, abundance, sacrifice, and legacy
Activities: Offering the first bread or grain, harvest games, storytelling competitions, ritual duels
Common Traditions: Weaving corn dolls; holding contests in storytelling and poetry; baking the first harvest into sacred loaves.

Twilightfare
Date: Emberfall 15
Seasonal Meaning: Autumn equinox, the descent into twilight
Symbolism: Reflection, preparation, and letting go
Activities: Sharing oral histories, preserving food, honoring ancestors, twilight lantern processions
Common Traditions: Lighting floating lanterns on rivers to guide spirits; gifting food to neighbors as a sign of kinship and survival.

Veilfall
Date: Shadowmere 30
Seasonal Meaning: End of the old year, beginning of the dark half
Symbolism: Death, the spirit world, remembrance, and mystery
Activities: Ancestor rites, masking, ghost stories, spirit offerings, divination
Common Traditions: Wearing masks to confuse or appease spirits; building ancestor altars; scribing names of the dead into ash for blessings.

Nightheart
Date: Darkrest 15
Seasonal Meaning: Winter solstice, rebirth of the sun
Symbolism: Endurance, hope, rebirth, and light in darkness
Activities: Lighting Yule logs, dream vigils, gift-giving, oracles and midwinter rituals
Common Traditions: Holding vigil from dusk to dawn; kindling a single flame in darkness; storytelling by the fire to welcome the returning light.

Tonguez said:

I anchor my festivals around the the Solstices/Equinox … then have variations for different settlements and nations

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Same in my Greyhawk campaigns. Midsummer (1st Richfest, the Summer Solstice) is the big one, with fairs and contests in many places. A good time for PC’s to be in town, see some local color, and compete with/meet NPC’s. I’ve done it multiple times in different places with different groups in different parts of Greyhawk, andit’s always fun.

In my Shackled City Adventure Path, I did the same thing with the Flood Festival (when the monsoon rains are about to arrive) and it was the best thing in the campaign. I used some fan made extensions to that part of the story. Events, contests, and a high class ball with the luminaries of Cauldron.