Daily Debate: What Holiday Would You Create in Hyrule?

This time of year is filled with lights, feasts, and celebration as many cultures gather in warmth during the winter darkness. Whether it is a religious celebration or an acknowledgement of the changing seasons, the diversity of customs and traditions is a quality that makes this time of the year special to so many. Like our own world, Hyrule is a diverse place filled with cultural richness; while Zelda games don’t really give us much insight into the holidays celebrated by residents of Hyrule, it’s fun to imagine what kind of cultural celebrations must take place. With that being said, we thought we’d ask our readers for input. What holidays would you create in Hyrule if you were on the throne for a day? (Yes, of course the various races have their own monarchs, but we’ll let you play musical chairs with the thrones in this thought experiment).

We would love to read your ideas in the comments section below, but to get things started here are a few ideas:

King Dorephan Day: According to the historical record engraved in the stone cliffs of Zora’s Domain (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild), the Zora leader fought off a Guardian Stalker with nothing but his strength and courage. As the tale goes:

“Around 100 years after King Dorephan ascended to the throne, a stray Guardian crossed Upland Zorana into our domain. The Guardian seemed unstoppable. Our best soldiers’ spears barely left a scratch on its metal hull. It was than that our King Dorephan, without a thought for his own safety, came out to face the Guardian himself. With supernatural strength, he lifted the Guardian and hurled it into a ravine. The impact of the fall left the Guardian in pieces, and it was never to trouble another Zora ever again. The citizens celebrated the king’s valor. From then on, their trust and respect for him grew beyond compare. You can still see the scar he earned that day on his forehead-a token of his triumph.“

If I sat on the throne of Zora’s Domain, I would declare that each year during the season of the Great Calamity, Zora everywhere would gather and feast along the cliffs overlooking the waters of the Kingdom. After a day of celebratory meals, songs, and story-telling, a singular icon of the Guardian Stalker would be pushed over the cliffs in annual celebration and remembrance.

Festival of the Moon (Ordon Village): The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess tells of a Legendary Hero who became wolf, the one who unleashed his beast within to dispel eternal twilight from the land of Hyrule. As Mayor of Ordon Village, I would decree that each October, residents celebrate the Festival of the Moon during the first full moon of the pumpkin harvest. Parents would help their children design wolf masks to be worn on the night of celebration, when the whole village gathers around the rock spire to remember the Ordon youth who became a wolf to save Hyrule. Games would include wolf-song competitions, wolf and hawk tag, howling at the moon, and for some reason—hours of goat herding challenges.

Destiny Day (Outset Island): As explained in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, young boys coming of age are required to wear the customary green outfit commemorating the Hero of Time who saved Hyrule from evil. However, the spirit of the Hero returned to the people with Outset Island’s very own youth, and Ganondorf again knew defeat. As the head of Outset Island, I would decree that residents celebrate Destiny Day each year, marking the occasion of the Helmaroc King’s first appearance and Link’s brave ascent to the island’s forest to rescue Tetra. The whole community would gather to remember the journey to becoming the Hero that took place in the days that followed and how the Hero saved the watery kingdom and brought hope to many. When the sun reached its highest, those physically able would climb the mountain in honor of Link’s first journey to destiny and picnic at the very spot he first united with Tetra.

Tell us what you think. Did these ideas get your creative forces flowing? What holidays would you create in Hyrule? How would they be celebrated? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Featured Image: y_ambe

Comments
Sorted Under: Breath of the Wild, Daily Debate, Games, Original Content, The Legend of Zelda, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess
Tagged With: No tags were found for this entry.