You don't need belief. You just need a connection between your emotional state and some larger-than-you *something* in the outside world.

#ritual #liminality #folklore #anticonsumerism

We create adjacent holidays to capture whatever we might be missing: Friendsgiving (Nov 22nd), Galentine's Day (Feb 13th), but these are largely secular and social.

We need mythology and lore to really bring a holiday into focus, to give it identity, to give it purpose.

We need more liminal holidays, imo. The notion of a lead in to V-day that's all about letting go, putting your past behind you, and found family seems like it could work for people. And another spooky themed holiday is always welcome.

Plus, Red Queen has that whole "Off with her head" thing going

Perfect! I was also thinking of pomegranates and red wine.

I'll detail my thoughts more going forward.

Please, share the idea around. Feel free to take ownership of the idea and make it your own thing.

I would love it if this took root and became something that people actually celebrated.

If any of this interests you, reach out. I'd love to chat.

I have a list of other ideas, but that's the vibe. Practices could scale from individual stuff, up to dinners, or even parties.

Anyway, I wanted to get it out of my head and share, because I think it could be fun. Plus, I want more excuses to put up spooky decorations.

5/

There would need to be mythology for the Red Queen herself of course, but I think it'd be more fun to have a bunch of conflicting stories of her origin and purpose so that people could argue about the finer points of who she is.

4/

Model it after folkloric vibes like Halloween. So lots of small occult-adjacent activities and ritualized stuff. Burning candles, destroying unsent letters to whomever you're letting go, or sharing meals with your found family, while toasting the people or situations you're leaving behind.

3/

Where Valentine's Day is all about saccharine lovey dovey stuff, Red Queen's Night would be about letting go of failed relationships (romantic or otherwise) and found family. But do it with spooky vibes. Something to stand in contrast to Valentine's overly commercialized stuff.

2/

"Nepal will fall, and they will vote for their leadership on Discord three days later!"

To think such otherwise brutish creatures would be capable of such creative work just speaks to the deep wonders the world holds if we just pay attention.

On nights of the full and dark moon, Screaming Maws will gather to howl in complex, haunting harmonies that are equally beautiful, unnerving, and moving.

Collisions are frequent, which usually results in bloody wrestling matches, though the wounds largely appear superficial. Winners of these matches usually feed the best, and will lead charges into battle.

Truly terrifying to witness one charging into a fight, ridden by an equally terrifying div (or goblin in my own tongue).

Leadership changes frequently as it seems to come down to screaming matching between members, sometimes charging towards one another to see who will veer off first.

The Screaming Maw are, by and large, knuckle walkers, but are surprisingly nimble and swift, equalling the pace of a horse at a moderate gallop. Of special note, I’ve also witnessed Screaming Maws that allow themselves to be harnessed up and ridden by members of their sibling tribe, the Trap Jaws.