Festival of the New Moon - Early January
The first Full Moon of the year is a big holiday for Puppillars, where they ring in the new year with a big celebration! During the day of the first Full Moon, Puppillars have big parades and marches throughout their secret glades, making as much noise as possible to chase away any bad energy trying to take root in the new year. The motto of the holiday is "Howl, Bark, and Dance" and Puppillars certainly try to live up to it every year, making lots of noise and having big parties!
Holiday Traditions: Parades, outdoor parties, howling competitions, banging on pots and pans, singing and dancing in the streets, block parties, live music
Snailcat racing season - March
Racing is very popular among Snailcats, as these felines place a lot of value in dexterity and speed! Many, many years ago, the leaders of Snailcat clans used to be decided by race, so every March snailcats across the continent hold races to honor these old traditions. Over time the Snailcat Racing Season has also expanded to include other track and field like events, such as relay races, long jumps, and things like javelin throws! Communites all across the continent hold thier own races, whether its small towns doing fun informal races and games, to larger cities having a whole carnival around highly competitive events! Some events include races for puppillars or humans, though mostly they sit on the sidelines and cheer on thier snailcat friends and family.
Holiday Traditions: Training during the lead up to the races, racing and showing of feats of speed and dexterity, bragging, large racing events
Ducky Days - May
What better way to show your love or admiration for someone than a rubber ducky? Puppillars absoluetly love rubber duckies (especially ones that squeak), so over the years a tradition developed to give rubber duckies to friends and loved ones during the springtime. Many varieties of ducky are been produced throughout the year, and often puppillars will buy them throughout the year in order to pick out the perfect one to gift to someone. Rubber Duck vendors often visit larger Secret Glades during the holiday, giving away, selling, and trading rubber ducks.
Holiday Traditions: Gifting duckies, grabbing ducks for your own collection, showing your appriciation for those you care about (even if it doesn't involve gifts), spending quality time with loved ones
Nine Lives Festival - September
Feast of the Beast - Late October/Early November
The Feast of the Beast is a time where puppillars celebrate their more "wild" ancestry and the harvest time. Puppillars will pantomime more feral actions, such as hunting in packs, digging holes, and other animalistic actions. Storytelling is also very common during this holiday, namely telling the stories of ancestors, both distant and not so distant. The other component of this holiday is feasting, puppillars celebrate the fall harvest, cooking large meals and feasting together with family and friends. A tradition during each meal prepared during this holiday season is to put some aside as either tribute to ancestors or to the earth itself as thank you for the harvest. In both cases, food gets buried in the ground as tribute, which often helps fertilize land used for growing.
Holiday Traditions: Eating lots of food, telling stories about ancestors, pantomime shows, cooking freshly harvested food, puppypillars eating off the floor and playing in the dirt
Cozytide - December
Wintertime is all about getting cozy for Puppillars! Cozytide is a time where Puppillars like to settle in and re-focus for the end of the year, spending time with friends and family, and aiming to be as comfy as possible. During Cozytide, many Puppillars have get togethers with friends and family, sharing food, stories, and giving gifts. Puppillars try to make Cozytide a relaxing and happy time, and often commit to acts of charity over the course of the month. A Cozytide gathering often has everyone bringing food, even if it wasn't asked for, and often bringing along "strays" who don't have family around. Many new friends are made during Cozytide.
The tradition of Cozytide stems from the puppillars of years past banding together to survive a cold winter. Puppillars have a very strong pack instinct, and typically strive to help others get through what can sometimes be a harsh season. Puppillars often opened up their home to the less fortunate, and this tradition continues on today.
Holiday Traditions: get togethers with friends and family, giving gifts, campfires, spending time by the fireplace, meals with family, cooking for others and giving food gifts, quiet indoor activities, charity, making sure everyone is included
Human Holidays
Since many puppillars and snailcats live closely with humans, they will often celebrate human holidays as well as their own. Puppypillars love Trick or Treating at Halloween, and everyone loves receiving presents, so many gift giving holidays are enthusiastically celebrated by puppillars and snailcats. Everyone loves celebrating, even if puppillars sometimes do thier own twist on the holidays sometimes!