[Dragaera] Ascension Day

[James Burbidge]

On 07/03/07, Davdi Silverrock <davdisil at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 3/5/07, Jon Lincicum wrote:
>
> > I notice that the "Ascension Day" holiday is mentioned by Vlad in
> > /Dzur/, and also in /Brokedown Palace/.  (Both times in reference to
> > someone's face lighting up.)
> >
> > But the fact that it is, apparently, celebrated both in Fenario, and
> > also in the Empire, makes me think that perhaps this holiday is
> > celebrated all over Dragaera...  I was struck with the thought that this
> > holiday could commemorate the Ascension of the gods, and the expulsion
> > of the Jenoine--this being about the only thing I could think of that
> > both Dragaerans and Easterners would be in complete agreement about
> > celebrating.
>
> "Ascension Day" sounded vaguely familiar, and a quick Google confirms
> that it is a Christian holiday celebrating the ascension of Jesus into
> heaven, and takes place in the May/June timeframe (presumably varying
> because of the variation in the date of Easter).  OK, probably nothing
> to do with the Ascension Day in question.

Ascension Day is forty days after Easter, and always falls on a
Thursday.  I am quite sure that it has no internal relationship to the
Dragaeran holiday, but I'd be surprised if the name wasn't an extrnal
spur to the use of that name for a holiday.

>
> Here's another thought, which seems more likely to me:  Ascension Day
> is the celebration (of the anniversary?) of the current ruler
> ascending to the throne.  Obviously, these would both be important
> holidays in their respective cultures, the one for the ascension of
> King Laszlo, the other for the ascension of Empress Zerika IV, but
> (probably) completely different days.

The usual term for that, here in the Commonwealth, is Accession Day.