Klingon holidays

[qelIy]

posted on 3-1-2003 at 12:04 AM

Klingon holidays

is aything known about Klingon holidays?
do they celebrate the start of a new year?

[Kesvirit]

posted on 3-1-2003 at 07:24 PM

Aside from the ever-present Day of Honor (which has it's own thread going), I've seen references to:

QI 'LOP at "tlhIngan Qummem": Klingon major holiday (n) * which comes every tenth Klingon month. Like most Klingon holidays it is marked by much eating and drinking . It is also marked by a peculiar custom; Each guest brings a large dish of TO'BAJ 'US - stuffed to'barg legs to the hosts house. In return the guest is allowed to take any non-sacred item in the house. The actual origin of this custom is obscure. (I thought it sounded like KEPLO' ) .
* = non-canon or non-verified

and the: Feast of Qot baVol at "Totally bIj issue #18". Not much was given in the way of specifics. I don't know how widespread it is; it may be a tradition observed solely by the crew of the IKV Stranglehold.

As for a New Year celebration, Klingon history seems defined more by major battles, events that relate to successions, etc -- political history, as opposed to natural history involved in the regularity of planetary cycles or astronomical events. Also, IIRC most Imperial calendars throughout the ages use as reference points the reign of a particular ruler or dynastic line. Thus I doubt such a tradition of New Years based on something as "boring" and predictable as the path of a planet around it's sun would be widely observed.

But it's a big Empire, composed of many conquered worlds and peoples with differing customs. So who knows?

[weslipuqlod]

posted on 3-1-2003 at 10:11 PM

It is my belief that Klingons do not recognize mere holidays, they have celebrations that are the primary vehicles of religious expression. The only fundamental festival celebrations of Klingons I have recorded are QI'lop, Empire Union Day (wo'jij'jaj'), Qo'bo'val, and batlhjaj.

QI'lop celebrates the superiority of the Klingon military and is celebrated every 10th Klingon month. Kesvirit has accurately described this festival's primary practice.

Empire Union Day is celebrated every third month to honor the uniting of the Klingon people by qeylIS.

However the only place I have discovered QI'lop and Empire Union Day discussed is within Marc Okrand's Klingon Language audio tapes.

Qo'bo'val celebrates the defeat of the tyrant molar by qeylIS the unforgettable. Aspects of this celebration were introduced to us in ST:TNG "Firstborn", featuring recreations of the legendary stories of Kahless.

Of all of the named celebrations batlhjaj, The Day of Honor, is the most documented. batlhjaj, is the occasion on which Klingons re-affirm their own sense of honor and commemorate their most esteemed enemies, reflecting on the past year's events and behavior.

[qoSagh]

I have often thought that holidays would be more personal or regional in nature. After all the warriors that were in a great battle would be more likely to celebrate that victory than those who were not in it. I also think that the birthday of your houses leader would be important to your house, but not all that much to other houses. As for specific holidays I have been working on a project off and on that would be a Klingon Calendar, that would list various holidays.

As for Imperial (national) holidays I would think that only events that were of Imperial importance would get this status, like unification day, and such.

qoSagh qlIStIy
meycha of the qaptaQ
Prothonotary of the Desert Rite