prismatica | Voice: greenbean1

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Voice: greenbean1

Um, hello. My name is Confidence, and I wanted to ask a few questions. If that's okay?

[ He's holding on pretty well, voice not stuttering... much? ]

There's been talk about undeath and serious things, so I figured it could be nice to focus on the seasonal festivities! I've heard it is called Firalia here, but others call it Christmas?

My home country has something similar, but it doesn't take place in winter...

So I... um... I wondered if anyone would like to share how they celebrate at home...? Especially what they eat and things you do with family and friends.

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By getting drunk.

In April, because the thing humans are aiming to celebrate very definitely didn't happen in December. It was a good friend's birthday, and half the time it overlaps with the anniversary of his execution. [Crowley is really not the ideal person to ask about Christmas.]

Humans can get confused sometimes, I guess? Why did they move it?

Probably because they went and made the execution a major holiday in its own right, and that one was harder to move. Known to've happened during an existing holiday season.

He got better, but they sure like to dwell on the agonising death bit first.

He... got better?

[ You have confused the boy??? ]

That's good, at least. That must have taken a lot of diamonds.

[ ...yeah that's also confusing, nvm. ]

Do you celebrate any winter holidays at all?

Special circumstances. No diamonds involved.

Not really, no. Friend of mine rather likes the non-religious trappings of Christmas, but it can get a bit too sweet for my tastes. [Not that this means he won't indulge Aziraphale, because he 100 percent will.]

Huh. That's pretty amazing!

[ There's a small pause. ]

So Christmas is sweet, got it. Like... in food or in feeling, though? Or both?

It can be both. Certainly enough candy to go round.

You certainly got a... unique perspective on Christmas to start things off. [And Hifumi is 3000 percent intending to follow up on that notion with Aziraphale when she gets a chance.]

For me, Christmas is primarily a religious observance. I believe the shift in dates previously mentioned may have also had something to do with co-opting existing winter holidays as Christianity was first spreading throughout Europe, but for whatever reason December 25th became the go-to date. The midnight church service is my favorite of the year.

In my home country, I'm in the minority, but the secular trappings of Christmas have proven so pervasive that they've wormed their way into popular culture anyway. For most, it's considered a couples' holiday, particularly Christmas Eve.

[And then there's the fact that her best friend apparently spent the last Christmas Eve they were home for summoning Satan to save the world from a malevolent godlike being, but that would just complicate matters further.]

We don't have a "Christmas" back home, but we do have the Glacier Spirits Festival. The main festivities are held in the Southern Water Tribe, though there are smaller celebrations that happen in the North and in Republic City for people who don't have the time or money to make it to the South. Its purpose is to celebrate the unity of the tribes despite all the geography separating them, along with the connection between the human world and the spirit world. It's said that the winter solstice is when the two worlds are closest, so I suppose it's a general celebration of being able to make connections despite the various barriers separating us.

Or something. I mostly celebrated in Republic City since I've been too busy working to take a vacation like that and someone has to organize celebratory public activities for people who can't leave. There's a pretty even split between the people who like a quiet, spiritual experience and people who just want an excuse to throw a party. I've heard in the South it's definitely become more of a party over time, and there are a few people who aren't exactly happy about that.

I don't know, though, I feel like people should be able to celebrate a holiday however they want as long as they're not engaging in criminal activity or anything like that. If you really think about it, it is about finding common ground despite your differences, after all. Maybe the observant should offer up some cotton candy and popcorn unto the spirits to see if they like it.

My world does not have that particular celebration, but it does seem as though many worlds do have holidays this month... or the equivalent, I suppose. I know for many years we would celebrate the founding of Garreg Mach Monastery, which was generally accompanied by a ball for the students attending the Academy. Of course... that has fallen by the wayside over the years, given that there has been a war going on. I'm not sure if I appreciated the ball at the time, but now, I miss those days.

There is also Saint Cichol's Day, which is merely a day of quiet religious observance. There is generally a choir recital on those days, which is pleasant enough. My birthday falls upon the same day, though, so I have a bit of a special place in my heart for the holiday.

Well, that's lovely. I'm looking forward to see more.

It's nice to know that it's not just a religious holiday, I wouldn't want to offend any gods.

It's all so very different in different worlds, so it's so interesting!

[ He pauses for a moment, taking in what she's saying. ].

It makes sense that it was a religious thing, most holidays are... but with so many gods in my home world there were a lot that were secular, too... to not alienate anyone. Mostly harvest, new year, solstice and equinox things? I guess some things bleed over, too, and people with different gods celebrate a holiday in their own way.

[ Connie takes a sip of his tea, although he hopes that's not loud over the network. ]

I think I like the idea of Christmas. It's good to have a holiday when it is the coldest. Midwinter in my world is a holiday that celebrates alliances more than families and couples.

Glacier Spirits Festival is such a lovely name! It sounds rather similar to Midwinter from my world, which is celebrating alliances and such...

[ A very popular but extremely capitalistic and cold celebration in his own family while growing up, but fuck them. That was not what it really was about, he found out later. ]

It seems it's a religious and spiritual holiday season for many here. I really like the idea of celebrating friends and family.

[ Pause. ]

...do spirits even eat?

War... um, war tends to put holidays aside. I'm very sorry, balls and celebrating a monastery sounds really nice. Hopefully it will return when the war is over?

[ He doesn't really know how that works, but he tries. ]

You're born on a holiday? That must be a really wonderful experience! Especially if there's choirs to listen to and a day of calm.

Wouldn't know how religious or not things are here. We haven't exactly had long enough to find out.

I don't think my world is too far removed from your first respondent's; rather, it's a difference in perspective.

The new year is particularly important in my home country, with some religious connotations for most of the populace. The spring and autumnal equinoxes are also public holidays, but usually without the same overtones as the new year.

Something to focus on other than the cold and dreary weather is preferable, it's true.

Oh, you're new? That must be very confusing, I'm sorry.

[ He sounds genuine, pausing for a moment. ]

Well. At least you're not alone? I think, since you said 'we'.

Some worlds here are so similar it's eerie, yet there always seems to be something that's off...

[ He sounds thoughtful. Maybe the non-glaringly obvious differences were just things that people didn't know about? (That was probably philosophy for another day.) ]

I think most places would have some kind of celebration for the new year, no matter when it is. Unless they don't have years? It's nice to know that the equinoxes are celebrations in other places than mine, though.

Can I ask what the name of your world is?

I believe I made a post about it a while ago, but simply put: the Feast of Misrule is a riot. People spend the next three days before the new year getting blind drunk before fighting each other as spectacle and playing practical jokes.

The New Year is a much calmer affair, left for rest, visits with friends and family, and exchanging small gifts.

No, I meant everyone in general. No one who's shown up on that moon's been here for a winter yet.

[But he isn't alone, either.]

One Earth out of many. There are others here from the same one, if at a couple different points in time - we've been able to point to enough shared history to know that for certain. [As well as the Persona business.] Whether it overlaps with any other variation, I can't say for certain. I wouldn't be surprised in either direction, though.

Christmas is a holiday rooted in Earth events, which is why it's so commonly spoken of.

Hi, Connie! [ it's her horn bro from many moons ago! ] Questions are absolutely okay!

Christmas Eve is bigger than Christmas at home. It's a romantic holiday so couples go on dates, exchange presents, that kinda thing. And if you aren't with someone, it's normal to just hang out with friends who mean a lot to you.

Oh! You're right, I didn't quite think of it that way. I'm sorry.

So many Earths... it seems like a really popular plane.

[ Weirdly named, too, since people keep saying it's mostly water. ]

Do you personally plan to celebrate Christmas here? Or just do Firalia?

A lot of these seem to be about getting drunk. I never really understood why that is funny, but I guess my tolerance is also really bad...

[ He's a cheap date. ]

There's so many ways to celebrate winter holidays, it seems. I don't... I don't have family to celebrate with, but I want to get some presents for my friends.

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