Orc holidays

[Eunostus]

My DM asked me to further flesh out my battlemaster orc's background and culture for his homebrew world. I'm looking for a few holidays that orce might celebrate.
I currently have:
- The Great Hunt: a hunting competition where members of different tribes compete for the best catch
- Ride of the Daisies: when the daisies in the plains blossom for the first day, orc men ride out on their family's most prized mounts to impress the available orc women in the daisy fields

Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Trask]

Throwing day
Orcs take turns throwing stuff off cliffs at a target on the ground. Cabbages, goats, halflings, gnomes, human children. Whoever can hit closest to the target wins.

Counting Day
All the Orcs from the nearby tribes gather together in a massive festival of food, drink, and games. Then the eldest orc (the counter) count up all the adult male orcs present. When the eldest orc cant count any higher or loses track, all the remaining orcs that havent been counted yet have to fight to the death. The fighting stops when everyone gets bored. The survivors get the property and women of the losers. These are called the luckies and they are highly respected, it is said that having a lucky among you is sure to bring your tribe great victory.

As you probably noticed, these are bit more, uh, silly than yours. If thats not your thing then fair enough, but I feel as though if you play an alien race like an Orc and you celebrate festivals that seem totally normal, civilized, and actually kind of nice, then why bother? Orcs are warlike, cruel, and alien. Emphasizing these value differences will make your festivals feel more integral to your orcish heritage.

[Expected]

Throughout many, if not all, of the books, Orcs are depicted as being Chaotic Evil due to their mark of Gruumsh (their creator)--even Half-Orcs are affected by it, albeit to a lesser extent. Because of this, I would think they'd have holidays that'd include their tendency for violence and evil. For example, a holiday in which they raid nearby villages, burn them to the ground, and use the bones of the villagers to make necklaces, earrings, etc.

[M Placeholder]

Would Orcish Culture even recognise such a concept of a holiday? A Holy Day in honour of their pantheon, such as a number of chosen warriors gouging out one of their eyes in tribute to Gruumsh, or a festival of fertility in the name of Luthic would be more fitting.

[Kane0]

Eye Day:
In memory of that fateful day Gruumsh lost his eye, Orcs wear fancy eyepatches (or fake eyes if one has a spare eyesocket) and adorn their homes with eye-related decorations. Tales are told of how Gruumsh lost his eye, and sacrifices are made to determine when the day of reckoning will come.

Craft Fair:
A 3 day event for those orcs that are not warriors, stalls and 'craft stations' are set up in safe, open spaces and the warriors donate raw materials (usually taken in raids) to be worked into items of worth or ceremonial value to the community. Those working are provided food, water, shelter and treated with respect for the duration of the crafting.
At the end of the event the warriors compete (often violently) for ownership of the items created.

Taming month:
Throughout this month Orcs are encouraged to seek out dangerous creatures and subdue them. The more powerful and dangerous the creature that is 'broken', the more prestige the Orc gains. Groups of orcs that participate must choose one among them to receive the honors. At the conclusion of the month the chief or shaman will determine a winner and bestow upon them the title of 'Beastbreaker' as well as some position of authority, usually leadership of a raiding party or warband.

[Sinon]

Think of different types of holiday –

There are those associated with seasons and cycles, like phases of the moon, equinoxes, solstices.
Those associated with events, like the founding of a nation, birth or death of a hero, victory or defeat in war.
Then there are transitions: becoming a warrior or announcing a successor.

So I’d make my holidays a mixture:

For example, a winter solstice holiday that commemorates the death of an ancient leader.
(So, how would orcs do this? Self-mutilation might be popular.)

There might be a spring festival where new warriors are initiated into a tribe.
(This might be quite bloody, but likely won’t have more than a few real deaths.)

You could have a holiday where orcs affirm their place in the tribal hierarchy. (This may involve sacrifices, maybe ritual decimation. The less frequently it happens, then greater the sacrifices. You could set this on a particular celestial event, like the first full moon after a wandering star rises in a sacred constellation.)

You might have a tribal shaman who declares holidays when “the signs are right” which could be legit signs, or it could be when the holyman thinks the tribe needs to let off steam. (These will possibly be more Baccanal in nature.)

Other sorts of ad hoc holiday might be to commemorate events or celebrate the assentation of a new leader. These could seal alliances, which might then include more cooperative activities, but could also involve sacrificing captives or ritual combat. It might be fun to include a way for those disgraced or exiled to rejoin the community, perhaps buying their way back in, maybe with trophies.

[ImproperJustice]

What about a coming of age festival?

Young warriors endure varying humiliations and tests of endurance not all that different from hardcore fraternity hazing rituals to cement their place in the tribe.


Maybe a great race, that involves carrying a heavy burden such as a log over one’s back while running barefoot through difficult countryside.


I really like the eye festival mentioned earlier.

[Finback]

Eye Day:
In memory of that fateful day Gruumsh lost his eye, Orcs wear fancy eyepatches (or fake eyes if one has a spare eyesocket) and adorn their homes with eye-related decorations. Tales are told of how Gruumsh lost his eye, and sacrifices are made to determine when the day of reckoning will come.

Ah yes, remembered in that famous orcish song, "Eye day, eye day, gotta get down on eye day"



OK, here's an idea that started as a bad pun ("Crossmas!"), but Grudge Day - in which orcs are allowed to square off against any other clan member and raise any grudges. The complainant places their weapons on the ground at the feet of the source, and vents. The source of the complaint can then place their weapons at the feet of the first complainant and raise what they think is a bigger grudge, or choose to battle the complainant in a weaponless fight. This is seen as a better option in Gruumsh's eye, as a) it *can* prevent unnecessary killing b) it's seen as somewhat fair - if you want to complain about the biggest, toughest orc's behaviour, you better be ready to back up your claims c) either way, everyone gets the fun of watching a big old fight.

[Finback]

For example, a winter solstice holiday that commemorates the death of an ancient leader.
(So, how would orcs do this? Self-mutilation might be popular.)


I can see this as being a real mark of dedication - noone's going to be a coward and just lose a finger. Hands would be the most common, facial mutilation for a more imposing visage, but the really hardcore go for an eye. Nothing says it than trying to emulate your god.

[Derpaligtr]

My DM asked me to further flesh out my battlemaster orc's background and culture for his homebrew world. I'm looking for a few holidays that orce might celebrate.
I currently have:
- The Great Hunt: a hunting competition where members of different tribes compete for the best catch
- Ride of the Daisies: when the daisies in the plains blossom for the first day, orc men ride out on their family's most prized mounts to impress the available orc women in the daisy fields

Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I've always been fond of Orcmass.

🎶It was the day before Orcmass and all through the tent, not a creature was sneaking, not even a... Ugh... Orc holiday have no time for rhyme! Orcmass about smash and a...

[Finback]

I've always been fond of Orcmass.

🎶It was the day before Orcmass and all through the tent, not a creature was sneaking, not even a...

Not even a Pwent.
Because Pwent's don't do sneaking
It's orcs that get rendt.

[Kadesh]

Volo's introduced the Auroch as a mount for Orcs, and Giant Bats as mount for the Red Hand Orcs introduced in the same book.

[Vorok]

If you want a more shamanistic approach, you could look to WoW, where the orcs in the past gathered all the clans under a sacred mountain once a year, traded stories and were generally less aggressive than usual.

The daisy ride seems a bit un-orc-y, no matter where your orcs get their inspiration. I'd think more like ritualistic combat with no regard to gender, as orcs being just straight is bull****, and there's no reason why orc women should not desire to prove themselves and attract a mate just like their men can.

Also the orc dating sim has some sort of pan-orc gathering festival in there, that might be a source of inspiration as well.