Picture this: you live in a kingdom where the year isn’t just a march from New Year’s to Harvest Day to the King’s Birthday. Here, the calendar is crammed with days like The Day of Flaming Pudding, The Moonlight Sock Parade, and the legendary Annual Talking Squirrel Debate—events so wonderfully odd, you can’t help but look forward to them. These aren’t just filler dates—they’re worldbuilding gold. Weird holidays make your fictional kingdom feel alive, chaotic, and human. And best of all, they can reveal more about your world than a history book ever could. 

Let’s figure out how to make them. 

Why Bother With Strange Holidays? 

Weird holidays are like secret handshakes between you and your readers. They make the world feel lived in because people celebrate traditions for reasons that don’t always make sense anymore. Just look at our world—Groundhog Day exists. Cheese rolling exists. La Tomatina? That’s thousands of people pelting each other with tomatoes in Spain, and no one’s shutting it down. 

These quirks give your kingdom cultural depth. They can: 

● Show the values and history of your people. 

● Offer natural comedy or tension in your plot. 

● Give characters personal stakes in public events. 

Think of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Bilbo’s Eleventy-First Birthday Party—not weird by Hobbit standards, but delightfully eccentric for us. It’s a cultural snapshot and a plot kickstarter. 

Step 1: Decide the Origin 

Every holiday, no matter how silly, comes from somewhere. Maybe your kingdom celebrates “The Night of the Lost Crown” because centuries ago, a king dropped his crown in a river during a festival, and it was found on a turtle. Now the whole town wears turtle shells on their heads once a year. In Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, many festivals come from wonky histories that make perfect, if twisted, sense.

Step 2: Make the Customs Memorable 

A weird holiday without weird traditions is just a date. The customs are the fun. What do people do? 

● Physical activity: rolling giant wheels of cheese down hills. 

● Food rituals: eating pancakes while hanging upside down. 

● Symbolic acts: burning a giant straw dragon to welcome spring. 

The odder, the better—because those details stick in readers’ minds. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, the “Penguin Sledding” and “Eclipse Day” moments aren’t central to the plot, but they deepen the sense of a rich world. 

Step 3: Tie It to Character Arcs 

If your main character dreads “Lobster Appreciation Week” because they were once pinched in front of their crush, you’ve got built-in tension. If your villain plans to strike on “The Day Everyone Wears Masks,” that’s instant plot camouflage. 

Holidays are perfect backdrops for: 

● Revealing personal grudges. 

● Creating misunderstandings. 

● Masking significant story events under public chaos. 

In Harry Potter, the Yule Ball isn’t weird, but it’s a celebration that drives relationships forward and hides dangerous subplots under glitter.

Step 4: Mix the Tone 

Weird holidays don’t have to be purely comedic. A silly tradition can have a dark origin—and vice versa. Your “Festival of Flying Lanterns” might be gorgeous to outsiders, but locals remember it started as a mass vigil after a plague. George R.R. Martin does this with Westeros feasts—half joyous distraction, half political maneuver. The dual tone makes them memorable. 

Step 5: Make It Believable 

Yes, you’re making up “The Day of Seven Pies,” but it should still feel like people made it up. That means: 

● Customs evolve—old ones fade, new ones sneak in. 

● Some people hate it, some live for it. 

● There are always regional variations. 

In our world, Halloween looks different in Ireland, the U.S., and Japan. Let your kingdom have that messiness. 

Pitfalls to Avoid 

● Too much at once – If you list 17 wacky festivals in a row, the reader’s eyes glaze over. Sprinkle them through your story. 

● Breaking tone – A slapstick holiday in a grimdark tragedy needs a clear tonal purpose.

● Pointless inclusion – If it doesn’t add to the plot, worldbuilding, or character, cut it. 

Final Thought 

Weird holidays are like secret spices in your worldbuilding stew. Too many, and you overwhelm the flavor. Too few, and your kingdom feels bland. But the right one, at the right time, can make your fictional world unforgettable.