New Year Celebration
The last day of the year according to the solar calendar Bohemian Republic uses, comes about a month after the winter solstice. It is a day filled with sleep and naps in the morning, an afternoon filled with feast and fireworks preparation combined with a day long fast so no one gets too full or drunk too early. The celebration and welcoming the New Year starts when the sun sets for the very last time - the fireworks go of to send a proper goodbye to the fireball and the calendar year as a whole, then the eating comes full of deliciousness, because the worst part of the winter is already behind us and only about a third of snow and frost is left to overcome and lastly comes the beer and the dancing which lasts thorough the entire night.
The New Year is welcomed by a chorus of bells that sound all over the Republic from the moment the sunlight appears for the first time on the horizon till the moment the sun itself is in the sky again. Then everyone pretty much drops dead tired (and probably drunk) and sleeps a good part of the day, because one needs to be fully energised to face the challenges of the year that has arrived plus the future self is the one who likes cleaning anyways so good night and a happy new year!
Winter Solstice
This is more of a family tradition than a community one. Celebration of the longest night of the year last for three days. On the first day, the family gets together and each person or a group of people has a specific task to perform - usually it is either connected to food preparation or tidying up the house. The dinner at the end of the day tends to be quite sombre and focused on the missing (deceased) members of the family and memories associated with them. The second day is dedicated to visiting friends or other parts of one's family that were not present the first day. On the third day, all the leftovers are gathered up in the entire village (or a town district) and a big communal lunch is held outside under the open sky (or giant tents if it's snowing too much) that is sometimes associated with the exchange of small gifts and souvenirs.
The First Winter Month
The first winter full moon signifies the start of the "end-of-the-year" period during which one counts their blessings they received during the years (be it personal achievements or other happy moments in one's life) and the sins they have committed (and up until the solstice they have time to start repenting for them and try to seek forgiveness, so they can start the new year with a clean slate). Wreaths are made out of branches of coniferous trees and are adorned with dried fruit. Lighting coloured candles is also a popular thing. Their colour depends on what is a person lighting them searching for - whether fortune for the new year or forgiveness for something they have done.
The First Snow
It is an unwritten tradition that the moment the first snow starts falling down, kids (anyone under 15) are allowed to run outside and leave school for the rest of the day.
Popular Games and Past-Times
Festive drinks get prepared and distributed by street vendors such a hot wine mixed with honey and hot chocolate and various teas and potions protecting against cold and flu and other annoyances that colder weather brings with them. Even small villages tend to set up a ice skating place on a lake or a nearby river or they flood a part of the square or a bigger street as ice skating is probably the most popular wintery activity for adults. Bigger towns and cities also organise special skating parties instead of usual dancing balls to end the social season on a high and sparkly note. Acrobats and circus performers tend to be hired for these kinds of events as well.
Ice sculpting contests are also really popular among the people, there is usually a prompt to mimic a certain historical figure in an unusual situation. Points are awarded for historical accuracy and how humorous said situation is. And every year in Taresh there is a competition for the longest knitted scarf ever made. All the contributions made into the competition get divided into wearable pieces and the woolen accessories are then distributed among the poor of the city.
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