Creating Holidays #17: MANLINESS

[Minibit]

With Father's day coming up, I've been walking through stores and bombarded with barbecues, golf clubs, ties, and sports jerseys. I want to issue a request to Hallmark that they make cards for dads who don't work in offices, aren't outdoorsy and don't enjoy sports unless Nascar counts, and it got me thinking; not every culture has the same definition of what a man "should" or "shouldn't" like or dislike. So this exercise is a two-parter!

First, come up with a definition of manliness for your culture; what are manly men supposed to look like? What are they supposed to enjoy? What are they supposed to dissociate themselves from? In what ways are they supposed to behave differently from females?

Second, invent a holiday that celebrates manliness! A day for the male gender to celebrate itself, and dedicated to things perceived as being manly, or that men are encouraged to enjoy/participate in. This is a good setup for a coming-of-age ceremony, a test of courage, or other landmark in a boy's growing up. It could be a day when men get pampered, or when they work hard and are rewarded by the ladyfolks; use your imagination!

Holiday Name:
When is it celebrated?
Who celebrates?
What is done to celebrate?
How old is this holiday?
Has this holiday changed much from its roots?
Where do the festivities take place?
Is there anything it is taboo to do on this holiday?
Do people dress differently for this holiday?
Is any kind of decoration traditional?
Are any colours, symbols, or icons associated with this holiday?
Are any spirits or deities associated with this holiday?
Is it an important/widespread celebration, or a smaller affair?
Are there any foods or drinks associated with this holiday?
Do any natural events coincide with this holiday (ie: an eclipse)?
Only grown men, or boys/babies too?
What part do women/feminine peoples play in this holiday?

Other Creating Holidays Exercises:

Seasons!
Death!
Food!
Protection!
Costumes!
Travel!
Animals!
Time!
Parents!
Invention!
Gifts!
Inebriation!
Superstition!
Religion!
Miracles!
Birthdays!
Manliness!
Games!
The Future!
Purification!
Flowers!

 

[Sheridan]

(first person to post *victory wiggle* This is for one of my two flying races, the one I'm focusing on being the more commonly known 'Sky Lights' thanks to their vibrant colors)

Definition of Manliness: Someone strong, brave, often stupidly brave, and a good leader. Men are also expected to be smart.

Holiday Name: Preening Day
When it is celebrated: Unlike most holidays it does not have a set date, it happens whenever a boy proves himself to be a man by spending a week alone in the mountains and bringing back the head of one of the predators in the mountains.
Where it is celebrated: In the city suspended from a mountain side, Sky Lights City. The home of the colorful flying race known as the Sky Lights.
Only grown men, or boys/babies too: As I said before, once a male has earned the rite to be called a man it is held. Boys can be sent out as soon as they enter their teen years but when after that is up to them.
Any special foods or drinks associated with this holiday: Whatever animal head is brought back, that animal species is then hunted by a large pack of men lead by the person being celebrated and they eat what they catch.
Any colors or iconography associated with this holiday: The icon for the holiday is a young Sky Light boy's silhouette, pure black, next to a full grown Sky Light man's silhouette, golden colored. No colors associated with the holiday though
What is done to celebrate: Once the new man returns to the city he is given a weapon and armor, usually based on the animal he killed. He and the the high ranking hunter men then go back into the mountains to hunt more of whatever he killed for the feast. For lower class citizens this is the only way for them to hunt with the hunting group of the city. Once food is caught it is brought back, the woman cook, and the men eat. The leftovers, if there are any, are given to young men that are yet to go on the trip into the mountains to encourage them on. Then the women from the city's brothel come and preen away the new man's under feathers that he no longer needs and the women are then under his command for the rest of the day.