Unofficial Milliways Holidays List

[herr_bookman]

As discussed in crackchat, we need a Milliways holidays list. I've made one here, but it's probably incomplete. Tell me, Milliways, what other holidays are there in bar?

Comments

[cottoncandypink]

Wilford will make Lunar New Year an annual headache tradition, whether or not anyone else wants to celebrate.

[herr_bookman]

Sure, I can add that to the list.

[bjornwilde]

I think it far to point out anyone can make a holiday happen, whether it’s an official Milliways holiday or not. Seems obvious but I know my brain is the type to say, “It isn’t on the list so even though my pup would like to celebrate it, I shouldn’t.” : )

[herr_bookman]

That makes sense. I'll edit that list to include that.

[misslucyjane]

Steve Rogers's birthday is July 4/American Independence Day. Bar usually observes it with a cupcake and a sparkler. I think one year Steve lit firecrackers with one of the kids.

[herr_bookman]

Cool, I'll edit that in.

[i_am_your_host]

New Year's Eve, darling!

Also May the 4th happened several times to commemorate...Star Wars things.

I'm blanking on others at the moment...

[i_am_your_host]

Ooh, Towel Day, May 25th! I can't remember if it's actually been celebrated in-Bar but I think it's been mentioned.

[herr_bookman]

Towel Day is a great addition to the list, but I have no idea what to say about it just yet that doesn't involve canon puncture. I'll figure something out. Thanks!

[herr_bookman]

Ah, yes! We discussed Star Wars day in crackchat and came to the conclusion that, since this is an IC list, we shouldn't acknowledge May the Fourth. But New Year's day is certainly a good one!

[death_gone_mad]

Winter Solstice also includes a yule goat related bonfire on occasion. Didn't happen this year because...


I forget why. May be that the holiday already had enough going on, or maybe this was a year the actual Gävle goat survived the season.

[herr_bookman]

Cool, thanks for letting me know. Here's hoping we have more Yule goats in the future.

[configuration_birdwatcher]

Yeah, I think the real Yule Goat did survive 2017.

[a1enzo]

I'm not terribly consistent about it and I'm still trying to come up with some actual traditions for it, but Enzo has started celebrating the birthdays of Ada Lovelace (December 10) and Charles Babbage (December 26) as his own version of the Holiday Season. No idea whether any other pups would be inclined to join him in this, but they're welcome to, whether they're digital or just huge nerds.

[herr_bookman]

Sure, I can edit the entry to add those. They're neat holidays.

[a1enzo]

They can, of course, be treated as the endpoints of a lesser-but-extended holiday period if one wants to spread out the festivities.

(And suggestions for ways to celebrate them are welcome! So far all I've really got is that Babbage's birthday should be celebrated with music, because it would really, really annoy him.)

[herr_bookman]

Ahaha. I'll edit the entry to include that as well.

[needsmoreresearch]

My French guys have usually done something for July 14th, the French fête nationale, but I acknowledge with sad shame that I, like...haven't....actually been playing those or any characters in a long time.

[herr_bookman]

I was just looking for some holidays that weren't American. Thank you!

[configuration_birdwatcher]

Canada Day is the 1st of July, but I don't know who in Bar is Canadian. (None of my pups are; Aradia's an alien, Thurlow's English, and Bastion is German by place of birth but not really by culture.)

edit: WAIT, WOLVERINE, DUH

[herr_bookman]

I'll have to ask Batty if Logan cekebrates Canada Day. But thanks for bringing it to my attention!

I will also edit the list to include 12th Pedigree Eve.

[archmagetrust]

I'm not sure if you want to actually add these to your list but Azeroth has a whole bunch of holidays that are usually racial in origin but are now observed by both the Horde and Alliance. They are, for the most part, Azeroth adaptations of Earth holidays. Khadgar observes most of these when he's on Azeroth (he likes celebrations) but he's been too busy on Draenor to make note of the (admittedly more minor) early year holidays. Hallow's End and Winter Veil are the biggest/most important holidays (to Azeroth, racial holidays are obviously more important with their peoples).

New Year's - pretty much just like Earth, but more fireworks

Lunar Festival (lines up with Chinese New Year) - a night elf and tauren druidic holiday that honors the elders that fought off the first invasion of the Burning Legion ten thousand years ago. Involves fireworks, special foods, and visiting the spirits of the ancestors to show that they are still remembered. (And also returning a crazed Wild God to rest for another year.)

Love is in the Air (Valentine's Day)- a goblin holiday created purely to make money. A plague of perfume encourages gift giving among the populations of the capital cities and the goblins are happy to sell chocolates and trinkets.

Noblegarden (Easter) - an Alliance holiday (now adopted by the Horde as well) celebrating new life and friendship. Traditional for nobles and lords to hide coins, candy, and treasures in colorful eggs for citizens to find.

Children's Week (Children's Day, Japan, usually first week in May) - A week taken by the champions of Azeroth to spend time with orphans, spoiling them and fulfilling their wishes.

Midsummer Fire Festival (northern summer solstice til US Independence Day) - bonfires are lit across the land and guardians appointed to watch over them. Meant to raise spirits and ward off ancient evils. Ends with a grand firework show on the 4th (technically the Engineer's Explosive Extravaganza, an Undermine goblin holiday)

Pirate's Day (Sept 19th) - including this more for completionist sake. A 'holiday' imposed by Dread Captain DeMeza taking over the port town of Booty Bay where all are welcome to join her crew for the day

Brewfest (Oktoberfest, last two weeks in Sept-1st week in Oct) - originally a dwarven holiday, any race that makes ale, mead, or beer is welcome to participate in the annual competition for who makes the best brew

Harvest Festival (last week in Sept) - a grand buffet in honor of the fallen heroes of the Horde and Alliance (also celebrates the first closed beta; in EU realms Peon Day celebrates this)

Hallow's End (Halloween) - a complicated holiday. Was once celebrated by the kingdom of Lordaeron as a time when the veil between the living and dead was thin and a giant wickerman was erected that anyone could toss a burning branch into, symbolizing burning away anything that would be unwanted in the long, cold winter months (fears, sorrows, old loves, grudges, etc). When Lordaeron fell the rest of the Alliance continued the tradition, not quite understanding its meaning (adding in costumes and candy buckets). When Gilneas rejoined the Alliance, the original meaning returned with them.
The Horde celebrates this for an entirely different reason. Hallow's End commemorates when the Forsaken broke free of the Lich King's control and regained their free will. Their wickerman is an effigy of the Lich King.

Day of the Dead (Day of the Dead, Nov. 1st) - the day when the veil is thinnest. Spirits of the dead may speak when graveyards are visited and bread and orange marigolds are offered.

Pilgrim's Bounty (American Thanksgiving) - Reflect, give thanks, share a ton of food.

Feast of Winter Veil (Christmas) - a holiday celebrating the myth of Greatfather Winter traveling the world and blanketing it in snow, thus preparing it for rebirth and renewal. The dwarves (and thus Alliance) focus on the figure of Winter, seeing him as a Titan ancestor. The tauren (and Horde) focus more on the Veil aspect, renewal and rebirth. Goblins now take advantage of both versions to peddle gifts and treats, including paying an orc and dwarf to dress up as Greatfather Winter.

[herr_bookman]

I wasn't inclined to post these to the list, but since you've typed them up so nicely and we have at least one celebrant in Khadgar, I don't see why not! Thank you!

[archmagetrust]

Haha, okay then!

Since it's still Noblegarden right now (Saturday is the last day), do I need to clear it with anyone to have Khadgar stash a bunch of eggs around the bar?

[herr_bookman]

Probably not, no! Feel free.

[thewidewideworld]

Cubefall?

[herr_bookman]

Cubefall is on there.

[sunbaked_baker]

Ooh, could we have an OOC Holiday/Seasonal list as well, for the muns' information? It could give a brief explanation of things like Conversations with Dead People, IMDB Flu, Summer Fair, and Talk Like a Pirate Day that wouldn't appear on an IC listing.

[herr_bookman]

That's a good idea! I'll set that up.