Stink. Stank. Stunk.

It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on.
Joni Mitchell - River

Celebration Day.

The only thing we know about it is that it originated with the Amarr. Every year since their history was first recorded the Amarr spend one day in celebration of family and the prophet. It's rumored that the origins of the day reach back to the Eve gate. The day has become one of feasting and charity.

The tradition used to include seating the slaves at the same table as their masters, but since the Minmatar rebellion, slaves are only given a day of rest and a full meal. The tradition of gift giving that has taken root in other cultures has slowly trickled back to the race that originated the holiday. While not an official part of the holiday, some Amarr have taken to giving gifts to their family members in celebration of family. Almost all practicing Amarr spend half of their day in Church for Celebration and listen to the traditional sermon. The religion has spread to other races through the Minmatar who were able to have some real freedom for a day.

The Amarr spread the holiday through their conquest to many different races, the greatest of which were the Minmatar. The Minmatar Republic celebrates the day a bit differently than their former masters, usually with entire communities coming together for a day. The only tradition for the day among the Minmatar is the complete lack of bread. Given how scant the concept of a "full meal" was to some Amarrian masters, the Minmatar at times were provided with just a loaf of bread each.

The Minmatar began the concept of gift giving that has taken full hold of the Caldari and Gallente. They usually gave just homemade gifts, sometimes a valuable item they'd been able to hide from their masters. The gifts are never extravagant. The Gallente and the Caldari have managed to take the gift giving to another level, and the original meaning of the holiday has become somewhat obscured as the other races adapted it. Next to the Amarr empire, the largest non-Republic Minmatar population live in the Gallente Federation.

The Minmatar don't just comprise a huge segment of the population of the Gallente Federation, they are a political and cultural force to be reckoned with. The Gallente quickly moved to adopt Celebration Day, and the day has become one of gift giving and feasting. The Quafe corporation has even taken up official sponsorship of the holiday. A few of the same holo-vids make their way on the airwaves every year, and the Gallente Federation holds numerous parades to celebrate the day. The Caldari, and Ishukone Corporation in particular, found the consumerism inherent in the Federation holiday to be particularly profitable.

The Ishukone corporation has always been the most pro-Gallente of the Caldari Megacorps, and it's transplant from Gallente culture of Celebration day is among it's most profitable concepts. The gift giving of the holiday has been elevated to almost religious significance to the Caldari and those who do not receive a gift in Caldari culture consider it to be a slight.

Celebration Day has transcended, in a short time, the barriers of language and nationality to be a true galaxy wide holiday. The Amarr take pride in the fact that their holiday is celebrated in the farthest reaches of space, and take it as gods will that it has conquered where they have yet failed to tread.

Regardless of it's source, regardless of the why's, today we celebrate with our friends and family. Go out and have fun.

Good Day.