Creating Holidays #4: Protection!

[Minibit]

This is going to be a very 'open' exercise; create a holiday based around the idea of a culture's protection.

Being safe is a very important part of any society; however, as they say, Death is all around us!

Protection can be celebrated from any number of things; here's some examples to get your imagination going:

• Military protection (a memorial, or other appreciation service, a military show)
• Sexual protection (an awareness day)
• Health protection (Awareness day, clean-up-the-city day, appreciate medical professionals day)
• Spiritual protection (Ward-off-evil-spirits day, appreciate-protective-deity day)
• Protecting the past (A historical day, a day memorials or other archaeological treasures are maintained or appreciated)
• Protection of a certain demographic (ie: women and children; a rape/robbery/abuse awareness day)

As always, you can use the form below, or free-write about your holiday

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)?
Do guardsmen/soldiers play any special role?
Are any charms or rituals performed for protection?

Other Creating Holiday Exercises:

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

 

[Elflady]

Holiday Name: Liente ia un Yuelden (Day of the Gurdians)

When is it celebrated?
Late autumn, at the shift between the months Crestla and Ellyon.

How old is this holiday?
No one can really remember any longer, older than the split where a large group left for Aldeor.

What time is this holiday celebrated?
It starts at noon generally and goes on during the day and often into the night.

What is done to celebrate?
First there is a ceremony honouring the Guardians and the sacred Tsaki drink, reserved for Guardians normally, is given to all, Guardian and Keeper alike, after this the celebration begins where Guardians perform stunts of hunts, battles and young children from both casts join in play to imitate the Guardians. People drink the spicy wine made during autumn and the rest of the day is close to a generci feast or festival.

Are any specific foods or drinks associated with this holiday?
As the autumn is the time when many of their fruits and berries needed for making their wine are harvested their spicy wine is very popular and even children can be permitted to taste it. Tsaki, the special drink made from herbs and the juice from pressed Jia roots that normally are only given the to Guardians are during this day given to every Zaitra during the ceremony.

Are any performances done?
Some of the Guardians, mostly the younger but some of the older join as well, illustrate hunts and battles, it is widely liked by the rest of the Zaitra as the Keepers are forbidden from any weapons and battles.

Does everybody (men, women, children, elderly) take part?
Yes, to not attend is considered disrespefctful for the Guardians who are the reason for the holiday.

Is it a relatively important holiday?
Among the Zaitra living in Aldeor the holiday is considered unimportant and is not celebrated any longer but among the Zaitra in Zarradeo it is a considered a holiday only second to the celebration of their gods.

Is it affiliated with any spirits or deities?
No.

Do the people celebrating dress a certain way for it?
No.

Is it a family-centric occasion, or more of a public day?
It is a more public celebration.

 

[Merry Berry]

Holiday Name: Nannasdag

When is it celebrated?
It is celebrated the first day of each year.

How old is this holiday?
It's been around for about 1000 years, and it came into existence when the amount of deaths during the winter was exceptionally high due to lack of protection against the cold.

What time is the holiday celebrated?
It is celebrated throughout the entire day. It begins after the clock strikes twelve, when everyone holds hands and pray for Nannas protection, and then wish each other a happy new year.

What is done to celebrate?
You gather a bunch of old, unused clothes, and throw them in a pile, the larger the better. Therefore, this is an activity which many people from many different families gather to do. They then douse the clothes in gin, according to legend, juniper infused alcohol was Nanna's favourite beverage. The clothes are then burned, and people sing songs around the bonfire. It is said that the smoke carrying the gin and the warm clothes pleases Nanna.

Are any foods or drinks associated with this holiday?
Apart from gin, which of course only the adults can drink, many pastries as served. It is also said that Nanna loved sweets, and especially the Nannasbulle, a cardamom flavoured sweet bun is made.

Are any performances done?
Not apart from the bonfire ceremony.

Does everybody take part of this holiday?
Yes.

Is it a relatively important holiday?
Since it's part of a religion that is basically replaced by Christianity in the places it is celebrated, a lot of the original symbolism is lost, but it is still widely celebrated.

Is it affiliated with any spirits or deities?
It is the holiday to celebrate Nanna, the goddess of protection and warmth in olde norsweid religion.

Do the people celebrate dress a certain way for it?
No.

Is it a family-centric holiday, or is it more of a public holiday?
It is a mixture of both. It is meant to bring families together.