"How Are Holidays Created?" or "Can I Just Make My Own Or What?"

[Seil]

Firstly, (ha, grammar) I'm not talking about the Batman villain. (http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/Holiday) Though, creating your own Batman villain would probably be pretty cool. I'd name my dude 'Luke Oliver.' (ha, reference)

Anyway, I was wondering about 'creating' a particular holiday. You know, announcing that it was a holiday, talking to people, whatever. Then I thought 'can I do that?' is that sort of thing... like... were a bunch of perverted people talking about Valentines day? Or was that just florists and Hallmark?'

I was wondering the history of the old holidays, how new ones get created and where I can go to create my own.

Also, you guys could throw out your new custom for Festivus or other fictional holiday that was mentioned in a sitcom that real people inexplicably support or whatever.

I mean there is a Pie Day (http://www.piecouncil.org/Events/NationalPieDay/), c'mon people.

(Also Talk Like A Pirate Day (http://www.talklikeapirate.com/howto.html).)

[Azisien]

It seems to be created like any other made-up cultural tradition, and as such the "strength" of the holiday is based on how many people consider it legitimate. So major religious holidays tend to be pretty huge, whereas Talk Like A Pirate Day is probably limited to niches of the Internet (FOR NOW, we must spread the word).

As for initial creation, I dunno, probably based loosely around an actual event. I haven't done much in-depth study of all holidays though. I imagine some of the older ones are so warped from their original intention that it doesn't even make sense anymore.

[Amake]

Remember, you can create official national holidays by declaring yourself and/or your property a sovereign nation. You can also claim property by declaring that you own it. I own the sun since a thread I made a few years ago, so hereby I declare the first Saturday of January to be Sunday! On the sun.

[Aerozord]

Government sactioning is often just the final step of what most people already consider a holiday. Though do keep in mind alot of holidays people consider legit aren't actually recognized by the government. For example a skim of wikipedia seems to indicate St Patricks day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_patricks_day#In_the_United_States) isn't a government sanctioned holiday

[mauve]

"How Are Holidays Created?" When a boy holiday and a girl holiday love each other very much....

[Osterbaum]

...the boy holiday pulls out just in time to splurge his holiday splooge on the calendar. And that's how holidays are born.