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I want to vaguely remember that they still practice holiday traditions, albeit with out the religious or superstitious stuff. But i could have sworn there was a book i read that made mention of a holiday on earth similar to Christmas. Anyone know for sure?

Think I have read some cases like Emperor's ascension etc that would be celebrated.

Holidays are celebrated by working a double shift for the glory of the Emperor. 24 hours instead of the normal 12 hours.
Every citizen is of course overjoyed at these opportunities to work extra hard for Our Undying Lord. It is a great honour. Don't you feel the joy, citizen?

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Holidays are celebrated by working a double shift for the glory of the Emperor. 24 hours instead of the normal 12 hours.
Every citizen is of course overjoyed at these opportunities to work extra hard for Our Undying Lord. It is a great honour. Don't you feel the joy, citizen?

GLORY BE!

 Backspacehacker wrote:

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Holidays are celebrated by working a double shift for the glory of the Emperor. 24 hours instead of the normal 12 hours.
Every citizen is of course overjoyed at these opportunities to work extra hard for Our Undying Lord. It is a great honour. Don't you feel the joy, citizen?

GLORY BE!

HAIL THE EMPEROR! GLORY TO HIS NAME!

The Enforcer trilogy often started chapters with a quick description of this or that religious day and how the people should observe it.

There might be some non-religious holidays but I'm sure they still somehow tie into the Emperor and his Imperium. Like celebrating a legendary later-day military leader, say Lord Solar Macharius? He's probably sainted anyway so it's still religious.

The whole Imperium celebrates Sanguinala to honor Sanguinius.

The only certain thing known about this tradition is that Imperials across the galaxy wear Blood Angel-iconography on that day.

Apart from that... who knows? Common theory is that it's kind of like christmas, though I wouldn't be surprised if it is celebrated in different ways across the planets.

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Holidays are celebrated by working a double shift for the glory of the Emperor. 24 hours instead of the normal 12 hours.
Every citizen is of course overjoyed at these opportunities to work extra hard for Our Undying Lord. It is a great honour. Don't you feel the joy, citizen?

Don't you mean 48 hours a day?

(a cookie to anyone who gets the reference)

I expect so.

Weird, creepy and odd, but yeah, I suppose you'd call them celebrations...

Why wouldn’t humanity still celebrate holidays? They’re a part of almost every human culture and humans haven’t changed so much as to remove that core part of human psychology. They may not have many sanctioned holidays, because grimdark=no happiness for anyone, but there shou,d still be regular celebrations.

The Shira Calpurnia books explore some holidays in surprising depth. The Ciaphas Cain novels mention a few holidays as well, including one similar to Christmas. If I recall, one author invented a holiday called Candlemass and another The Emperor's Birthday...which may be the same thing as described on different worlds. Pretty sure the Mechanicus has some holidays as well.

 gnome_idea_what wrote:
Why wouldn’t humanity still celebrate holidays? They’re a part of almost every human culture and humans haven’t changed so much as to remove that core part of human psychology. They may not have many sanctioned holidays, because grimdark=no happiness for anyone, but there shou,d still be regular celebrations.

I imagine different worlds have different holidays and quantity of holidays too. Historically on Earth, agrarian societies tend to have more holidays (coinciding with harvests and winters) so Knight Worlds likely have more than Hive Worlds and Mechanicus worlds might not have any following that template.

Audustum wrote:

 gnome_idea_what wrote:
Why wouldn’t humanity still celebrate holidays? They’re a part of almost every human culture and humans haven’t changed so much as to remove that core part of human psychology. They may not have many sanctioned holidays, because grimdark=no happiness for anyone, but there shou,d still be regular celebrations.

I imagine different worlds have different holidays and quantity of holidays too. Historically on Earth, agrarian societies tend to have more holidays (coinciding with harvests and winters) so Knight Worlds likely have more than Hive Worlds and Mechanicus worlds might not have any following that template.

Mechanicus worlds may not have holidays celebrating the change in seasons, but they are Mechanicus-affiliated, and the Adeptus Mechanicus is basically a giant religion on its own. Most religions have holy days that are celebrated. Forge Worlds and AdMech outposts probably have very different holidays than agri-worlds, but they should still have some holidays.

On Necromunda they celebrate Fistmas and the good boys and girls are given presents by the mutant Phanta Claws.

Animus wrote:
On Necromunda they celebrate Fistmas and the good boys and girls are given presents by the mutant Phanta Claws.

I really want to verify, but I'm afraid to type that holiday into google.

Also don't forget the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension, and the day of celebration known as The Emperor's Gift.

 oldravenman3025 wrote:


Also don't forget the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension, and the day of celebration known as The Emperor's Gift.

my guess is Sangulia marks the start of a holiday season that ends with the feast of the emperor's ascension. a week of celebration etc.

That said, while the IoM almost certainly HAS holidays, they likely are not what we think of holidays. whereas we have a few days off, get together with family and friends, go to a party get drunk and maybe extange gifts, my over all feel is holidays would be very differant.

I'm not sure on Imperium-wide holidays, but individual planets seem to have their own holidays. There's on that gets attacked in one of the Eisenhorn books that's celebrating a military victory. There's also one in the same trilogy to celebrate a large IG founding.

 gnome_idea_what wrote:
Why wouldn’t humanity still celebrate holidays? They’re a part of almost every human culture and humans haven’t changed so much as to remove that core part of human psychology. They may not have many sanctioned holidays, because grimdark=no happiness for anyone, but there shou,d still be regular celebrations.

We have seen in novels etc enough glimpses of regular life to know that in the working middle class it's not HUGELY different to now. Maybe more draconian laws but you still have personal time, go and buy pastries for fun etc. Also holidays are mentioned here and there.

For many wars etc will still be just "things that exists outside of our planet".

Now for the bottom end of society things are hell. I would say 40k universum simply widens the gap between two extreme side's situation but middle class still exists.

As for how it's done: Probably one day, maybe bit less work that day(some very special like Emperor's ascension might be totally off), extra ration/some special delicasy and lots of Imperial propaganda

Audustum wrote:

 gnome_idea_what wrote:
Why wouldn’t humanity still celebrate holidays? They’re a part of almost every human culture and humans haven’t changed so much as to remove that core part of human psychology. They may not have many sanctioned holidays, because grimdark=no happiness for anyone, but there shou,d still be regular celebrations.

I imagine different worlds have different holidays and quantity of holidays too. Historically on Earth, agrarian societies tend to have more holidays (coinciding with harvests and winters) so Knight Worlds likely have more than Hive Worlds and Mechanicus worlds might not have any following that template.

I would imagine a holiday in the IoM means compulsary extra prayers and attendance at a parade of the local planets military might e.g. PDF / Guard. All of it not to interfere with work rotas and to be done in what little free time you have.

I read years ago of an imperial assasin who wiped out a family celebrating hogmaney

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
The Shira Calpurnia books explore some holidays in surprising depth. The Ciaphas Cain novels mention a few holidays as well, including one similar to Christmas. If I recall, one author invented a holiday called Candlemass and another The Emperor's Birthday...which may be the same thing as described on different worlds. Pretty sure the Mechanicus has some holidays as well.

Candlemas is a real Christian, and in particular Catholic, holiday on February 2nd, and marks the official end of Christmas.

Considering how Byzantine the Imperium is portrayed as, they probably have religious holidays, with public processions and masses almost every other day, in much the same way as they did in Medieval Europe.

It is mentioned in some of the Horus Heresy books - naming a couple of holidays and "lodge celebration days" etc. So yes, generally speaking there are still holidays.

It's probably safe to assume that worlds freed after the long night would celebrate the day the Imperium showed up and "rescued" them, etc.

One can assume there are both Imperium Wide holidays such as Sanguila, and planet specific holidays which as with all things can be made up for whatever reason.

Celebration of battles, when the planet returned to the Imperium, the Planets governor getting new socks. anything can be celebrated for a holiday and anything can occour during it. Humans like holidays and will celebrate just about anything...

Any of the fluff that doesn't double down on the grim dark usually mentions holidays. Religious societies are usually very big on them. I'm sure every planet in the Imperium probably celebrates a few universal holidays, the rest being based on local custom.

 RedCommander wrote:
The whole Imperium celebrates Sanguinala to honor Sanguinius.

Hey, you’re forgetting the other winter solstice tradition, Slaaneshmas.

Link is pretty freaking NSFW: https://youtu.be/sqFmt9XYeYo

Eldar Shortseer wrote:

 RedCommander wrote:
The whole Imperium celebrates Sanguinala to honor Sanguinius.

Hey, you’re forgetting the other winter solstice tradition, Slaaneshmas.

Link is pretty freaking NSFW: https://youtu.be/sqFmt9XYeYo

That's not f****** canon.

 RedCommander wrote:

Eldar Shortseer wrote:

 RedCommander wrote:
The whole Imperium celebrates Sanguinala to honor Sanguinius.

Hey, you’re forgetting the other winter solstice tradition, Slaaneshmas.

Link is pretty freaking NSFW: https://youtu.be/sqFmt9XYeYo

That's not f****** canon.

OH YES IT IS DONT SPOIL MY SLAANESHMAS WITH YOUR NONCANON TECHNOCALITIES ALL I WANTED WAS A GOOD SLAANESHMASS AND NOW STUPID. STUPID. STUPID.

All joking aside though there’s probably still a Christmas like night in 40k.

lliu wrote:

 RedCommander wrote:

Eldar Shortseer wrote:

 RedCommander wrote:
The whole Imperium celebrates Sanguinala to honor Sanguinius.

Hey, you’re forgetting the other winter solstice tradition, Slaaneshmas.

Link is pretty freaking NSFW: https://youtu.be/sqFmt9XYeYo

That's not f****** canon.

OH YES IT IS DONT SPOIL MY SLAANESHMAS WITH YOUR NONCANON TECHNOCALITIES ALL I WANTED WAS A GOOD SLAANESHMASS AND NOW STUPID. STUPID. STUPID.

All joking aside though there’s probably still a Christmas like night in 40k.

Maybe, maybe not, it's worth noting that during the middle ages Christmas did not have the prominance it does today, Easter was seen as the actual "important Holiday" I suspect the IoM is much the same given the notable imperium wide holidays referance the emperor ascending and Sanguinis dying. both of which are Martyrdoms.

BrianDavion wrote:

lliu wrote:

 RedCommander wrote:

Eldar Shortseer wrote:

 RedCommander wrote:
The whole Imperium celebrates Sanguinala to honor Sanguinius.

Hey, you’re forgetting the other winter solstice tradition, Slaaneshmas.

Link is pretty freaking NSFW: https://youtu.be/sqFmt9XYeYo

That's not f****** canon.

OH YES IT IS DONT SPOIL MY SLAANESHMAS WITH YOUR NONCANON TECHNOCALITIES ALL I WANTED WAS A GOOD SLAANESHMASS AND NOW STUPID. STUPID. STUPID.

All joking aside though there’s probably still a Christmas like night in 40k.

Maybe, maybe not, it's worth noting that during the middle ages Christmas did not have the prominance it does today, Easter was seen as the actual "important Holiday" I suspect the IoM is much the same given the notable imperium wide holidays referance the emperor ascending and Sanguinis dying. both of which are Martyrdoms.

They don't have easter or christmas. In fact, whatever traditions earth had in the past have no bearing on the year 40,000.

Though Sanguinala is probably the best of the Imperial holidays.

... And no, that thing is not canon. Chaos "gods" are vehemently against all fun and that is why we must destroy them.