bro loving the freedom and creativity this brings me
okay so dwarves all have their maker, Mahal, whose Aule right? im not fact checking right now so correct me if im wrong, but dwarves don't really treat their maker with a typical religious pursuit, its more like "oh yeah he's there he exists we go to him when we die ig" and thats that, theres no priests or religious rites or anything, so i assume their holidays aren't centered around him either.
also dwarves live a much longer time than humans do, so im also gonna assume that their bigger holidays aren't annual either. like maybe they're every 3 years or every 5 or 10 years, or they're in accordance with celestial shit. but the thing that gets me about celestial holidays is that dwarves are creatures that roam below the earth, the caverns and caves are their home, not the stars and the heavens, so holidays that come around every few years or so make more sense.
this brings the question of what exactly would dwarves celebrate then? we know canonically they have Durin's Day, an annual holiday that signals the start of the new year, however, i feel like besides new years, their holidays would be in accordance with the things dwarves value most. This includes smithing, crafting, mining, the riches of the earth, feats of strength, and value of close friends/family, greater than any treasure. Some dwarven holiday ideas i have are listed, with hc's around each of them.
Durin's Day- the dwarves new year. Not a huge holiday, but a nice short one, like one night of festivities. I feel that most celebrations would be more family/small group centered with this holiday, maybe a small feast and some form of dancing and music. This holiday is mostly focused on the improvements in development from one year into the next, and just a last way to celebrate before going into the depths of winter. The New Years was proclaimed by Durin the I, and has since been named in his honor.
The Fire Festival- this has been stewing in my mind for a while now. every 5 years, for two whole weeks, a huge display of dwarven craftsmanship and skill is celebrated and admired, with dwarves of all different crafts in relation to fire presenting stalls of their best works. We're talking smithies, glassblowers, candlemakers, you name it. Its a celebration of the fire that produces such great works of beauty. and the outfits... bro the outfits make this festival. everyone is decked out in reds, oranges, blacks, blues, and yellows, and positively dripping with gold and gems. the make up is usually charcoal or some sort of bright/shimmery pigment, and the hair is done in so many braids weaved with different ribbons and precious metals. fires are constantly lit, with one giant fire pit kept burning continuously throughout the entire festival, and fireworks are set off on the first and last days (we know dwarves can make fireworks from balin in the hobbit). the food is superb, with a lot of spicy main menu items and citrus and bold sweet fruits imported, and the dishes are prepared almost artfully. music and dancing play a huge part, and some dancers spend years leading up to the festival to try to capture the movements of the flame in their steps. its a bit like coachella except much much better.
Meragel (or feast of all feasts)- this whole holiday would probably occur every 25 years or so. It is, as the name implies, a feast to rival the gods. Like this is a week of feasting the whole community takes part in, and everyone eats at least the first meal together in a great hall or a large open space. A large array of meats, ales, wines, whiskey, breads, sweets, grains, root vegetables, spices, fruits, and cheeses are brought to the many many tables, and every group brings a dish (or several). This feast i feel, is explicitly a time for family and friends who love each other dearly to meet up and talk of their lives. people will travel many miles for an opportunity to connect with their loved ones again, and what better way to bond than over a delicious meal? side games and music are to be expected, though whether or not people will be able to dance depends on their ability to hold their liquor.
Rites of Strength- physical prowess and power are very important in dwarven culture, and this whole holiday is an event specifically for that. typical dwarven sports games (i wholeheartedly believe they'd have some version of rugby but as a rugby player im biased), lifting, wrestling, sparring, some form of rock/discus throwing, any shows of skill involving weaponry, and most importantly, a display for younger dwarves to prove their worth going into adulthood. I'm thinking this holiday would be around every 10 years, since that's a good window for older teens and young adults to be showing off their skills. One huge challenge is set up, with all the younglings competing against one another over the course of a moon cycle to become a champion (a new challenge is presented twice a week, and over the course of these challenges the number of competitors decreases based on skill alone, until there is one remaining). The prize for the youngling in the end is Honor and a Hefty purse of gold. Dwarves will travel to the nearest village/city of the head of one of the 7 dwarf families for the competitions, and while the challenges are ongoing it gives the adults and wee pebbles opportunities to have good rough fun with one another. also hc'ing that dís was the champion during her tournament.
Exhibition of the Sciences and Arts- dwarves have a deep love of creation and making sense of things, and science and art are so deeply intertwined that dwarves have a celebration for the two of them together. haven't thought about the time for this one, but possibly every 3 years? not sure. anyways, architecture plays a huge part in this festival (its probs the most perfect combination of the two fields, and we all know how dwarves love their geometric halls), as well as practices of logical medicine (throwing this in there but im thinking dwarves have logical medicine that they know for fool-proof physical healing and illogical medicine that is like groovy witch-craft reading signs and superstitious stuff), carving art, mathematics, acting, singing, writing, and so on so forth. its a knowledge share and a place where intellectuals feel most at home, and isn't so much a party as it is a nerd expo. super fascinating and interesting though, and a great place to find talented scientists and artists for commissions and job opportunities.
The Craft Trade- a huge market that comes along every two years where crafters display their wares for about 2-3 weeks, during the summer solstice. i feel like this would be a huge display for potters, weavers, quilters (i hc that quilters are widely respected in dwarven culture), textile merchants, tailors, cobblers, jewelry makers, spice traders, bakers, ect. its a mesmerizing and amazing place, perfect to trade and buy gifts. It's also considered good etiquette to bring food to the sellers, as dwarves are notoriously protective of their works, and they don't wish to risk leaving their stalls for too long during the day. a lot of pop up entertainment is around, from buskers to party tricks and games.
On Weddings, Birthdays, and More- Weddings are kind of a huge deal in dwarf culture, bcs you only marry if you find your One. there can be years of preparation going into a wedding, and while the actual ceremony and creation of the marriage contract (canonically, dwarves are obsessed with contracts) lasts only a day, the feast, even without the couple present, will last for a week at least. the families/friends of both parties are present and taking their well deserved break from preparations. On birthdays, the day of birth is most joyously celebrated. trusted friends and family are invited to celebrate the successful birth of another dwarf (its a long and rare process for dwarves to be born, celebration is almost a necessity) and the gifts presented to the child are spectacular, as well as the feast in the child's honor. Full birthday parties are held maybe every 30 or 50 years, and probably the largest party will be a dwarf's 100 and 200 year party. annually, not a whole lot of special emphasis is placed upon a birthday, maybe a favorite meal and small gifts given by your closest companions. afterall, when your lifespan is nearly 300 years, annual birthdays grow tiring.
welp my wrists are tired and im slouching like a shrimp, but i had so much fun writing this!!!
Hi friends! I wanted to share this wonderful link RIGHT HERE from the amazing Dwarrow Scholar who has a tumblr and a website. This is all about Dwarven Holidays and it’s such beautiful and fantastic information. I will be using it a lot!
Next week’s Fili Friday story used this info and let me tell you guys I am screeching at the fluff. It turned out way fluffier than intended! But to me that’s not a bad thing and perfect for the last Fili Friday before Christmas! IM EXCITED.
