Change the Holidays

[Pixxelation]

3/4 regular holiday releases are currently slightly exclusive to some members due to them being specific, real-world holidays that not everybody celebrates. That is why I think we should replace the current ones with DC-specific ones that are basically the same (or similar) events, on the same dates, under new names.

 

For Christmas, the name in the description would change, as well as the announcement page. This would prevent members like myself from feeling slightly excluded, and allow holiday dragons based on other winter holidays.

 

For Valentine's Day and Halloween, all that would need to happen would be a change in name on the announcement page. This would prevent people who do not celebrate said holidays from getting angry.

 

A possible addition would be in-cave texts to explain what the DC-specific events are. The following is an example text that would be in-cave for the winter holiday event:

 

As you walk to the caves you usually grab eggs from, you notice a cluster of caravans and tents and decide to stop by. As you get closer, you realize that the Winter Festival, where people of all faiths gather together to celebrate the winter together, has begun! You wander through the tents, awestruck by all the amazing things people have on display. One tent in particular catches your eye, and you decide to check it out.

 

Upon closer inspection, you find it is a stand for (Insert event here). You ask the operator about it, but he says he is still setting up, and asks you to come back on (Insert event date here), when he opens. you feel you are done for now, and continue on your way to the caves.

 

Clearly, the holidays would be pretty much the same as they are now, with slight word changing to make them more inclusive.

Edited January 20, 2013 by PieMaster

[leodoug]

I personally like the holidays the way they are. I am not catholic, but I enjoy celebrating the spirit of those holidays. Also, I don't think that Dragon Cave is from our "world" per say. I think that it is a completely different place entirely, and even though it is medieval-like, our culture and the fun times that we have can still seep through. I understand that the holiday dragons may offend people, but they are meant to be fun! They have always been a tradition and I do not think they should be changed. I love celebrating the winter season with my holiday dragons, even if they are released on Christmas.

 

So a big no from me. I honestly don't understand why people would want to change such a wonderful tradition.

[Pokemonfan13]

I would support the xmas event being more of a winter solstice thing, but it would limit what the event could be. The winter holidays originally were essentially huge parties with lots of drinking and merry making in general, not much to draw on for an event. xP Drawing upon the non-religious aspects of xmas gives a lot more to do.

[Nectaris]

I would support the xmas event being more of a winter solstice thing, but it would limit what the event could be. The winter holidays originally were essentially huge parties with lots of drinking and merry making in general, not much to draw on for an event. xP Drawing upon the non-religious aspects of xmas gives a lot more to do.

^This. And the fact that the Christmas colors are some of the prettiest of any holidays, getting rid of them seems a shame to me.

[Pixxelation]

The description guidelines specifically state that DC is in a medieval setting

 

Just because it isn't Christmas doesn't mean its successor, so to speak, can't have similar messages about sharing friendship and stuff. Events (Not badges), I can understand being Christmassy. However, there are plenty of other types of events, like snowman decorating/building, creating a winter landscape with animals and things, etc.

 

EDIT: We don;t need to necessarily eliminate the colors, but I have to admit, the same color scheme every year is getting a bit old. Especially since I've seen tons of other great concepts that don't involve those colors. Umbria has had some amazing Winterlune releases.

Edited January 17, 2013 by PieMaster

[gistofeverything]

I wouldn't mind the holidays being changed to fit the timeframe of dc.

 

As to Valentine's day, it wasn't really acknowledged as a true holiday until around the early 19th century, and I wouldn't consider that medieval, seeing as how the industrial revolution started at the end of the 18th century.

 

getting rid of them would be a shame to me.

Green, red, and brown are traditional Yuletide colors. By changing the holiday to fit this holiday, you wouldn't be changing the colors at all, from my understanding.

Edited January 17, 2013 by gistofeverything

[angelicdragonpuppy]

As was very, very prominently pointed out in my thread, it wouldn't be getting rid of any holidays, just getting rid of any religious ties to said events to expand them to users of all faiths. I think?

Users of all faiths can already enjoy them. Christmas has become about as secular as any other day of the year nowadays, and we certainly haven't had any Christ or Nativity-themed dragon releases. If people are going to flip out and refuse to participate in something because of the use of the word Christmas (which, again, has become exceedingly secular), then honestly it's their own silliness causing them to miss out, not the word.

 

I would prefer the Holidays stay as-is in this regard.

[Pixxelation]

Just because some people who don't have a winter holiday to celebrate celebrate a variation of Christmas as does NOT make it secular. As a Jewish person, it kinda makes me feel upset that people assume that.

[leodoug]

The Christmas traditions are the most fun! As was previously stated, there really is not much that you can do that is both medieval and secular. We would all end up getting a little badge that says Happy Holidays! and then a bland dragon that lacks any ties to the traditions that we hold dear. I am not Catholic, but I will still give my children a Christmas tree and presents, the love and traditions that may have started with religion have grown into a nationwide time of peace and understanding. Why would you want to revert to a time when people had little to celebrate and religious intolerance was running rampant. If you wanted to be true to the medieval time frame, lets say in Europe, there would be witch-burnings, crusades to wipe out Muslims, corrupt religious leaders, and absolutely no religious freedom or equality. The way our holidays are set up now are, in my opinion, fun and unoffensive. Why would you need to change a good thing?

 

edit

 

You don't need to take offense to something just because it is different from what you celebrate. It is fun to admire other cultures, and if you look throughout history civilizations have grown and prospered based on other cultures that they have learned from. Catholics got many of their celebrations from polytheistic rituals that had previously been in place. The Romans adopted the religion of the Greeks that they overtook and adapted it. The majority of people that celebrate Christmas, in any of it's forms, simply celebrate it as a time of joy. I am wiccan and i still enjoy it! I don't understand how you can be offended by something that is so joyous.

Edited January 17, 2013 by leodoug

[gistofeverything]

What I said was wrong; I did not see that they were only talking about the colors.

 

However, I don't like the fact that we are forcing people to celebrate holidays that they don't normally participate in.

[Pixxelation]

Because they don't need to be religious. You may not see it as a religious holiday, but it is. It's got Christ in the name. Like I've said, loosely basic g it on Christmas is fine, but I am unhappy with it blatantly saying, "HEY LOOK IM A CHRISTMAS DRAGON RAWR!" Not bashing the sprites, I love them, but it still makes me feel a bit separated.

 

EDIT: I never said the colors have to be charged. It's just that there are tons of w term color schemes out there, that green and red, Christmas's colors, seem kinda missing an opportunity. Green and red dragons re fine, but every year? Kinda boring.

Edited January 17, 2013 by PieMaster

[Banuk]

We would all end up getting a little badge that says Happy Holidays! and then a bland dragon that lacks any ties to the traditions that we hold dear.

Changing the name of the holiday in question wouldn't make the spriters stop making amazing dragons, you know.

 

 

 

I'm for changing Christmas to something more fitting. I won't deny that it does irk me during the winter holidays when I'm always hearing, "The holiday is called CHRISTmas, not this "Happy Holidays" stuff!" which is effectively saying that some think Christmas is the only holiday that should be celebrated that time of year.

[leodoug]

I'm not saying that we should stop being tolerant and accepting to other religions, because many other celebrations are occurring around the same time. But completely removing any trace of tradition from the events and the new dragons would make it unexciting. I would love to have a Hanukkah dragon one year, I love celebrating all of these different times of joy. I just think that the Christmas traditions are the most fun and vibrant that can be represented.

[Pixxelation]

I've been repeating myself that loosely basing things on Xmas is fine. Blatently screaming Xmas is different.

Edited January 17, 2013 by PieMaster

[HeatherMarie]

I'm sorry, I guess I just don't get it. The *only* thing religious, in ANY way, about the Christmas event is the dragon's description that mentions that spirit of Christmas. And it *doesn't* mention the spirit of Christ, or the miracle birth, or anything like that... "spirit of Christmas" can very easily just mean "being nice to people".

 

We've had tree-decorating events, and cooking events, and wreath decorating events, and gingerbread-house events. NONE of those are religious in any way. And I admit I haven't researched, but I can imagine that things like decorating trees and making cute things with food could easily have happened during medieval times.

 

IF this suggestion didn't change ANY of the actual events OR dragons, if it was a change in "name" only, then I'd support it. Otherwise, no thanks. I like our events the way they are.

[gistofeverything]

The only thing that would really be changing would be the name of the event and the date of release (Dec 21 v. 25)

[Pokemonfan13]

If the problem is that the name has christ in it, change it to xmas dragons and xmas event? x3

 

 

BTW, I'm an athiest and I avoid religious things like the plague because I get things stuck in my head very easily and my family is christian [so I started out going to church], so if I hear common prayers etc they start running through my head and I can't get them OUT! [and the last thing I want to have is a prayer to a god I don't believe in running in my head...] Now, I still celebrate the non-religous aspects of christmas. Gift giving, family, good food, even christmas music as long as it's the Trans Siberian Orchestra. x3

Edited January 17, 2013 by Pokemonfan13

[Sir Barton]

I wouldn't mind the holidays being changed to fit the timeframe of dc.

 

As to Valentine's day, it wasn't really acknowledged as a true holiday until around the early 19th century, and I wouldn't consider that medieval, seeing as how the industrial revolution started at the end of the 18th century.

 

 

Not quite right...

 

The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius.

 

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines")

 

Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia.

 

I see no reason to change the holidays though I would not be opposed to Christmas being the Winter Solstice and I see absolutely nothing wrong with Valentine's fitting into the Cave.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Sir Barton

[gistofeverything]

A true calendar holiday here until much much later, which is where this site is based at. Not once was it mentioned anywhere that it was based off of Europe.

 

Edit: I really need to be more precise when I make a post. >_>

Edited January 17, 2013 by gistofeverything

[Sir Barton]

It was still a holiday in the 15th century. A holiday doesn't have to have government sanction to be considered a holiday. Valentine's is an old holiday. Just because it didn't become commercialize until later doesn't change that fact. In fact to me commercialization ruins a holiday.

[gistofeverything]

Commercializatio is what have this holiday the traits that has been shown today.

 

Which is also the trends that DC follows.

 

Which entails the same treatment as a commercialized holiday.

 

And anachronisms like this should be taken care of.

[Obscure_Trash]

I would love to open up the winter release, so users could submit Christmas, Hanukkah, or other winter holiday/celebration dragons and any could win. I think that would be pretty fun and more diverse in tradition and sprite.

[Sir Barton]

Commercializatio is what have this holiday the traits that has been shown today.

 

Which is also the trends that DC follows.

 

Which entails the same treatment as a commercialized holiday.

 

And anachronisms like this should be taken care of.

If the train of thought is to change the holidays to medieval ones, then you aren't going to be worrying about commercialization. You are looking at ancient fest days and celebrations. Valentines fits the time frame.

 

Also if we change Christmas to celebrate the Winter Solstice, shouldn't we then include Belatane, spring equinox or at least the Summer Solstice?

Edited January 17, 2013 by Sir Barton

[gistofeverything]

If the train of thought is to change the holidays to medieval ones, then you aren't going to be worrying about commercialization. You are looking at ancient fest days and celebrations. Valentines fits the time frame.

 

In this continent, however? During the middle ages, this was largely contained in Europe.

 

But it's TJ's decision where to base his world off of.

[Reidragon]

I think all should be left as is. If it isn't broke please don't try to fix it :/ I enjoy the events as they are. I see no reason why anything should be changed.