Tell me about the Holidays and Festivals of your world!

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

What are the important Holidays and Festivals in your world? Are they different as you go kingdom to kingdom? Are any of them celebrated the world over? Are there any that are unique to the various good races? what about the evil races? What holidays are the governments of the world trying to stop? Are there any that used to be celebrated, but are now just a memory? How are they celebrated?

I'm creating the calendar for my homebrew game right now, and the more holidays and festivals you can tell me about, the richer I can make my calendar!

 

[Enkhidu]

What are the important Holidays and Festivals in your world? Are they different as you go kingdom to kingdom? Are any of them celebrated the world over? Are there any that are unique to the various good races? what about the evil races? What holidays are the governments of the world trying to stop? Are there any that used to be celebrated, but are now just a memory? How are they celebrated?

I'm creating the calendar for my homebrew game right now, and the more holidays and festivals you can tell me about, the richer I can make my calendar!

I ended up going with a set calender with some fairly universal holidays, but haven't fleshed out any of the more regional holidays.

New Year
9 Tendays of Spring,
Birthday
9 Tendays of Summer,
Daughter’s Day
*Daughter’s Day (every 5th year, when the Sun’s Daughter lights up the sky for a day, a night, and this – the following day)
9 Tendays of Fall,
Remembrance Day
9 Tendays of Winter
Year’s End

Each of the big holidays are generally accepted throughout the known world and are accompanied by festivals. Birthday is when the common folk celebrate everyone's birthday - individual days of birth are almost never recorded for any but the noble. Remembrance Day is when ancenstral dead are venerated, and I don;t really have to say much about Year's End and New Year.

I made Daughter's Day the one day every year when the world's second (and mich smaller) sun is visible. Once every 5 years, that sun stays in the sky for a Day, and Night, and the Following Day - this accounts for the extra Daughter's Day every 5 years.

 

[Samothdm]

What are the important Holidays and Festivals in your world?

There are a bunch - mostly religious feast days or special historical anniversaries. Things like the founding of certain religious sects, the death date of various saints or prophets, the anniversary of the recovery of sacred relics, that kind of thing.

Are they different as you go kingdom to kingdom?

They mainly differ for the different world religions. "The West" pretty much all share a version of the same religion so their holidays are all very similar. Regional variations creep in depending upon which "saint" is more popular in a particular country, city, or village. King's and Queen's birthdays are also often celebrated as holidays, as are the various founding dates for each country.

Are any of them celebrated the world over?

Not really. The equinoxes and solstices are usually celebrated, but they end up being tied to religious services and since the religions are all so different, the celebrations end up being very different.

Are there any that are unique to the various good races? what about the evil races?

My world is pretty much all shades of grey so this question doesn't really apply to me. My races tend to be more integrated, so you get elves and dwarves and goblins living alongside humans in big urban areas so they all end up pretty much sharing the same holidays. Some races prefer to try to keep their cultural identity but they're on the losing side of that battle.

What holidays are the governments of the world trying to stop?

Anything that they church tells them is bad.

Are there any that used to be celebrated, but are now just a memory?

Sure. The group I DM is not really super concerned about such stuff, though, which is too bad. Many past celebrations are rooted in historical mysteries that could provide clues for their current adventures, but they just don't seem to want to try to immerse themselves in the world like that, so I just let it go.

 

[Crothian]

While I have the holidays they really haven't been used as much as I'd have liked. THe setting for these area nothern continent that has harsh winters and much of the clebrations reflect this.

Spring Equinox: Day of celebrations and remembering those lost to the winter. Many prayers are said for good hunts and plentiful plants. THis starts the travel season as the snows start to melt alloowing long ranged travel to be possible.

Summer Solstice: These two days celebrate the most people’s birth. There are many games and contests all over. The sun does not set in between these two days. The celbrations are from first light to last light. Many of the contest revolve around archer but all sorts of games are there.

Autumn Equinox: This is a day to pray for a good harvest. It is also the last chance to talk to many people not of your city or tribe. THe rough winter sets in after this holiday making travel nearly impossible from place to place.

Winter Solstice: This is a day of quiet contemplation. Many prayers go out for others safety. THis is in the dead of winter and many people are just staying indoors trying to out last it.

 

[Testament]

They vary tremendously from nation to nation, only the equinoxes and solstices are universal. In the nation where my characters started, the new year is celebrated when the monsoon comes. The result, a week-long party to end all parties, featuring competitions of all kinds, the largest being a boat race across the bay, at the monsoon's height. Other celebrations there are the Day of Freedom, commemorating the retaking of the capital and the formal declaration of independence from the northern Empire/Theocracy; and The Angel's Feast, a day to commemorate the dead, especially those who died in the war for freedom.

The Empire is a very different beast, with different festivals in different provinces, many of which are illegal, as they have been deemed heretical by the monotheistic church. I'm still working them out, but the approved ones nearly all involve the Sun, and fire. Lots of fire.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Cool, some nice ideas there!

Most people have commented on the Equinoxes and Solstices. What about other holidays, that are not based on seasonal changes? Victory remembrances, Death remembrances, discoveries, general festivals, etc. Can you give me specifics? Names, what date/time of year, special ways they are celebrated? I'm not asking for all of them, but details on 1 or 2 would be great.