Holiday Development Questions
Before we begin, here are a few things to remember!
Holiday traditions are forever evolving. Over time things are altered, dropped, or added - for example, to not give Christmas presents wrapped in festive paper seems pretty odd now, even though the custom only started in the early 20th century. And while telling ghost stories used to be a Christmas tradition (it's even referenced in "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year"), pretty much nobody does that anymore. And finally, the Christmas traditions we have today weren't invented all at once, but over time.
Also, if your holiday is particularly widespread, region-specific customs can be expected. If you're creating a holiday that's celebrated worldwide (or even across worlds :P), answer the questions with this in mind. Now, let's go!
- What and/or who does the holiday celebrate or commemorate? Why and when did people decide to celebrate/commemorate this particular person/thing?
- When did people start observing this holiday? How long has it been observed for?
- How popular and/or widespread is it?
- How has the popularity of the holiday changed over the years? Why has it changed thus?
- When is it observed? How long does it last?
- Is the holiday more sacred or secular? Has this changed over time? If so, how and why?
- How important do people generally consider observing this holiday? Which people consider it more important or less important? Why?
- Are there any games or fun activities traditionally associated with the holiday? If so, what are they? How, when, and where did they originate?
- Are there any games, activities, or customs that are generally only participated in by people of certain age groups - IE, specific to children, young adults, etc.?
- Are there any songs or musics connected to the holiday? If so, how and when did they come about?
- Are there any colors or other symbols associated with the holiday, and what do they represent? If so, how and when did they come to be associated with it?
- Are there any traditional decorations associated with the holiday? If so, when and where did they develop? Why?
- Are there any traditional clothes or garb associated with the holiday? If so, what is it, and why?
- Are there any "holiday spirits" connected to the holiday? If so, how, when, and where did they originate? How have they changed over time?
- Are there any superstitions connected to this holiday? If so, what are they? When, where, and why did they originate?
- Are there any particular foods or beverages associated with this holiday? If so, what are they, and how and when did they become associated with it?
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