Today is April 1st, or April Fool’s Day. Traditionally, today is a day for fun tricks and playful lies. Even governmental agencies, big corporations, and media get in on the act. The celebration of the day dates back to the early 16th century, and may actually go back centuries earlier. This silly little day has been something we’ve celebrated for over 400 years. Why? Is it actually that fun? Do you look forward to it? What is it about this day that we continue to celebrate it year after year?

Birthdays. Labor Day. Memorial Day. Anniversaries. Religious Holidays. We have traditions surrounding each of these particular days. Some of these have cultural traditions, like the Thanksgiving meal in the US, fireworks and parties for New Years, and the pageantry of the Olympics. There may be family traditions, like having a family reunion over Memorial Day or a specific meal served for birthdays. You may even have individual celebrations. I always take the first Friday in April off in order to do whatever I want that day.

These are the secular rites and rituals that can make up a culture, but religious celebrations are also an important aspect of our lives as well. The time with family for Christmas and Hanukah is based on religious significance, even if your family has removed that connection in your own celebration. Easter and Halloween’s celebrations and symbolism have their roots in even older traditions that few people continue to practice. Weekly religious services, important dates celebrating events like Passover, ceremonies like weddings, or coming of age celebrations are important touchstones in our communities.

Rites, rituals, and traditions like these are an important factor in defining who we are as a people and a culture. They are interesting for your readers and players, who will feel more connected to the setting the more they know about it. Weaving these into your stories can add a richness and depth that your audience will appreciate.

Doing this is actually easier than you might think. Do some research on how people used to celebrate birthdays and religious holidays and adapt them to your own setting. Mix and match things to make them your own. Music is used in most of these ceremonies, so look to songs to give you inspiration. Think about important days in your culture and think about how they could be celebrated or remembered. In the US, we celebrate the birth of our country with fireworks and parades, but have a much more somber tone when remembering the soldiers who died for us on Memorial day. Your culture may even do the opposite, holding raucous celebrations for the honored dead, but serious, highly ritualized celebrations for when the gods left your country in the great exodus that birthed your nation. Be creative, but consistent with the feel for your world.

Thanks for reading. I’ll see you next week!