Jolankhilyas (cʉlaŋˈxiljas)
History
As the winter times can be brutal in Shiza, it’s important for people to hide away from the harsh conditions of the season. Since people are often confined to their homes, not much is happening during these months. For most people of Shiza, they view this as an opportune time to explore and learn what they can through research and reading. Many are usually reading during this time to avoid boredom.
Shiza in general is usually left alone when it comes to global politics, being a small island in the south, so it’s not very often that it gets dragged into conflict. One such example is the reason why people celebrate this holiday.
Highking Λis was a ruler who wanted to bring back the original Symilf kingdom, and spread that original culture throughout the whole world. One of his first targets was Shiza, trying to make and rewrite laws and have knights enforce them. Part of the original culture has a disdain for literature in general, preferring straightforward oral history over written folklorish metaphors. The Highking tried to ban books, even having knights do inspections in random homes, but the citizens refused to follow the law, either by sneakily reading or straight up fighting the knights. The Highking finally conceded after a small court of fae almost killed him.
Execution
On the night before Jolankhilyas, people will gift their loved ones with books. What said books are vary, depending on the interests of the people receiving the books. During the day of Jolankhilyas people will look at the books they’ve received and spend all day reading them. Often at the end of the night, or into the next day, they’ll throw a party to celebrate the joy of reading and the importance of sharing folklore.
Components and tools
The holiday needs books, and lots of it. Food and other party supplies are also common but not required.
Participants
There’s really only two key roles, which is being the person giving a gift, and the person receiving the gift.
Observance
The holiday is observed during the Winter Solstice, a significant astronomical event, and typically falls at the end of the month of Rav or the beginning of the month of Virau, depending on the precise timing of the solstice in that particular year.
Primary Related Location
Related Ethnicities
This would absolutely be my favorite holiday.
Right?! I based it off a real tradition in Iceland where people would gift books on Christmas Eve :3