#Maccabee games

[secular-jew]

Ágnes Keleti (née Klein), survived the Holocaust, lived through the overthrow of communism in her native Hungary, and won 10 Olympic medals over the course of her career. At 103, she is the oldest living Olympian medalist alive today.

Born in 1921, Agnes became a star gymnast in her youth, winning national championships and at 15, participated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. With the outbreak of World War II, Keleti concealed her Jewish identity and survived by finding work as a maid in a small village. Her father and other family members were murdered at Auschwitz.

After the war, Ágnes resumed her career and made her true athletic breakthrough. She missed the 1948 London Olympics due to a torn ankle ligament.

At 31, which is quite an ancient age for a gymnast, she won 4 medals at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, including the gold in the floor exercise.

In 1956, during the Melbourne Olympics, the USSR invaded Hungary, and Ágnes defected along with 4 other Hungarian athletes. The following year, she emigrated to Israel where she became the star of the 5th Maccabiah – מכביה.

Keleti collected more Olympic medals (10, including 5 gold medals) than Usain Bolt (9).

Photo: Agnes Keleti, the Maccabiah Archive

[drewminyart]

and i lay here beside you and i‘m golden now

[newtsoftheworldunite]

also also blood and fire (pillars of smoke)

Maccabean Revolt fic about how blood and fire and smoke is the life of a kohen and so if the Bayt haMikdash is desecrated then they’ll fill the land with blood and fire and smoke until it can be restored.

[aeolianblues]

I'm realising of late that I am the sort of person whose favourite music and guilty pleasure songs people would not be able to distinguish from the outside, I'm the worst about it.

I like rock music, about 10 years ago you may have surmised that meant I either hated pop or felt the need to hide it. Over time, that hasn't happened, either I do openly bore of a formulaic song that is frustratingly blandly written— or just methodically mediocre and hoping for the charting/vitality without putting anything of the key artists into it (not necessarily something personal, sometimes the 'thing' in question is simply a brain...), or quite often, I just like it. I love a good pop tune. Not ashamed of that at all.

Similarly, being a rock fan, I do love a good lick! I do love a great riff or a sexy fuzzy amp tone, hell yeah. But is there music that makes me want to get up and throw a chair because I hate the artist so much? Yeah. I will openly dislike a Guns N Roses song even while singing along to the higher bits on Paradise City full-diva. And yeah I've attempted the exercise-like Sweet Child riff. I will say Slash seems a nicer person than Axl, I can't stand him and can also confirm from a friend who toured with him that it's a fucking miserable task being around that band (she suffered through the double attack of being 1) closeted gay 2) in the 90s 2.5) around fucking hair metal macho rock music cunts extraordinaire Guns N' Roses... The band would've been one short by the end of that tour were it anyone but her with the saintly patience, on account of murder. So yeah, nothing guilty there, I just openly hate them.

The thing that people couldn't tell the difference between is some of the indie music I love and the indie music I hate— sort of. I do like some cool alternative. Love me some smart indie. I'm post punk all the way. You want to be pretentious and read poetry to terse music, go for it. I adore it.

But then there's some indie, which sounds almost the exact same to the ear that doesn't look for the stories behind the artists, that I cannot stand, but in reality am really coming to like. I think I am irritated by the entire concept of the Strokes, but I do feel so cool walking downtown with the Is This It album in my ears. Cannot stand the way they're called these sort of fathers of 00s indie. That 00s NYC scene were largely annoying rich college kids who happened to make okay art during maybe the last 3 years that anyone could truly afford to be an artist in New York City (what some have described as the years just before the Giuliani NYC reforms that made it impossible to earn a living as an artist there. A part time restaurant chef now in NYC will simply not have the wages and subsequently time to be in a rock band that much. The gentrification hit music Hard, they say. I'm not a New Yorker but yeah. Same concept in Toronto).

But despite all this—and most importantly, this belief I have that if I were a classmate or housemate of many of these guys during the early 00s, I'd have hated their arrogance. Can't forget that belief I somehow have—I do still really enjoy quite a few of that period's bands.

(The New Abnormal was Not a better album than A Hero's Death though. I am still sour about that.)

Then there are some really, really naff indie bands from the 00s in the UK too, in theory I've got no time for them. I didn't quite vibe with them at 16. I also genuinely do not want to like e.g. The Maccabees. I still have some ego! I still have some pride left in me. But put on Dreaming Of You by The Coral and I'm on my toes dancing. Shoulders shaking at a desk. I'll vibe along to some really naff pop rock indie too. I just don't want to vibe to the Vaccines. Don't let me near that stuff.

But who on the outside of this nuance can really tell the difference between Wet Leg (beloved) and The Maccabees?

At least I'll never be a Courteeners fan.

[a-blade-disguised-as-a-girl]

Imagine you’re Jonas Maccabees. You get an invitation to two meetings at a nightclub with all the other streetlords in the city, the only stipulations being that you can’t bring weapons or guests. You’re curious, so you go.

Your nemesis is there, showing excessive PDA with the nightclub owner. A new streetlord named Séance is there, and you already know her identity. The Dove Lord is there at the second meeting, and so is the leader of the Orphan Guild and his salesman, because apparently they get to break the rules. (For the first meeting, the Doves’ second had been there instead and the Orphan Guild leader’s girlfriend was there, and you suspect she killed your sister and is impersonating the Dove Lord, so this adds up. The second meeting is more important though.)

Séance suggests a stock market for the gangs and starts threatening the most important, dangerous people in the room to take her seriously. She pulls it off, so she has your respect. Everyone likes the idea except for Ivory—who, again, you think is actually Rebecca and murdered your sister. If this theory is correct, then Bryce is her boyfriend, and yet he goes against what Ivory says (not a smart move in any instance) and pledges to join the stock market.

Ivory is furious, and Harvey starts grinning like an idiot, confirming your theories bc if she was just the leader of the Doves, why would he care? Ivory stands up and walks away, and then Séance (in a real power move) just up and leaves, thanking everyone for their time. The audacity. Your nemesis follows, which, good riddance, he’s a mess.

Leaving you—Jonas Maccabees, Scavenger, the Scar Lord—alone with Bryce Balfour and Harvey Gabbiano, who are filled with simmering resentment and wildly inappropriate happiness, respectively. Two people who are almost certainly colleagues with the woman who murdered your sister. Two people who are absolute disasters and also just fucking ridiculous, and you are now stuck in a meeting room in a nightclub with them because everyone else at this Important Gang Meeting just bailed.

Pour one out for Jonas y’all

[oyonok]

In January 2020, I started a NYC based MOTW campaign, and honestly kind of went off on the NPC portraits.

[frogshunnedshadows]

to do:

Overthrow the Seleucid Empire of Antiochus Epiphanes

Untitled Gelt Game

[simthingwonderful]

Latkes for your sims!

Latkes (or potato pancakes) are usually eaten during Hanukkah because they're fried. Fried foods are intended to commemorate the drop of oil found by the Maccabees that was expected to last for one day, but lasted for eight instead. I may create more Hanukkah foods in the future.

Latkes can be eaten for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. They require a cooking skill of 6 (because in real life, they're a pain to make), and the recipe can be bought at the bookstore. CCLoader is needed for latkes to appear in your game.

Download from ModTheSims:

[chai-af]

chanukah !!

chanukah is coming up! it’s a jewish holiday (can be seen spelled several different ways such as “hanukkah”) that commemorates jewish resistance to assimilation.

in the second century bce, judea, the land where jewish people’s ancestors resided, were subjected to pressure from the greeks to accept their culture and beliefs (during this period, judea was ruled by the seleucids, which are the syrian-greeks).

you may have not heard of antiochus IV, the successor of alexander the great, who conquered judea (along with syria and egypt). while alexander allowed the people under his control to continue observing their religious traditions, antiochus was much more oppressive. he massacred jews and prohibited the practice of judaism, as well as requiring the sacrifice of pigs at the holy temple (pigs aren’t kosher and therefore it is sacrilegious to sacrifice them).

a jewish army led by judah the maccabee revolted against the assimilation of hellenistic jews and the oppression of the seleucid greek government. they miraculously defeated the seleucid army and drove them off the land. jews reclaimed the holy temple in jerusalem and “rededicated” it (as it was desecrated by the seleucids). the word chanukah means “dedication” because of this event.

it is said that when the jewish people went to light the temple’s menorah, they only find one cruse of olive oil that was untouched by the seleucids. thus, they let the menorah with that one-day supply and it lasted for eight days. this story gives reasoning as to why we light our chanukah candle on the chanukiah (a 9-branched menorah)* every night for eight nights. it’s also why chanukah is also known as the festival of lights.

so today, other than lighting the candles, we also eat foods that are fried in oil such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts). another popular tradition is to play with the dreidel, which is a (typically wooden) four-sided spinning top, with a hebrew letter on each side (נ‎, ג‎, ה‎, ש‎; nun, gimel, hey, and shin). each letter represents an action that the spinner has to do. it’s sort of a gambling game and typically uses chocolate gelt (those chocolate coins covered in gold foil) as currency.

* why are they 9 branches when we light the candles for eight night? because the ninth candle is in the middle and known as the shamash, or the heper candle. it is the candle that is lit first and used to light the other candle. each night’s new candle is added from right to left, while we light them from left to right.

sources:

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/What-Is-Hanukkah.htm

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hannukah

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/history-of-hanukkah#:~:text=Hanukkah%2C%20which%20means%20%E2%80%9Cdedication%2C,Temple's%20candelabrum%20for%20one%20day.

hope those who celebrate have a happy chanukah, and happy holidays to the rest of you lovely people <3

[dzamie]

Possibly a weird question, but you might have the answer:

I went online to buy some chocolate coins for a gaming party, and about half the listings indicated that the coins were for Hanukkah (and were therefore on sale, though they were the wrong color for my party). Do you know why that might've been?

Yeah, it's because of ancient (maybe Roman?) persecution of Jews. See, way back when, it really sucked to be Jewish. It still sucks today, but it also sucked back then. It was actually pretty illegal to teach and practice Judaism, which really put a damper on that whole "passing down community traditions" thing.

Luckily, gambling was cool, as was lying to cops. See, if it was around Chanukah time, and you were telling the youths about how the Maccabees pwned the army and were rewarded with a tiny bit of long-lasting oil, and then the cops busted in the door like "oi wot's all this then," being seen talking about the glory days of beating up people who tried to eradicate your religion would be bad for your physical health. However! If the cops instead saw a bunch of these weird Hebrews gambling with spinning tops, well that's just good old-fashioned fun, now innit? Carry on, lads, glad to see there's no monotheism going on around here.

But the joke's on them, of course, because even the tops themselves were a mnemonic for "a great miracle happened there," referring to when God was so pleased with us for continuing to be Jewish that He let us use a lamp for way longer than is usually possible. So the cop turns his back and the ancient Jews go back to religion things.

Anyway, this all becomes a tradition: Chanukah comes 'round, get out the dreidels and gamble (or at least pretend). But naturally, some people want to be involved in the spinning top game, but don't want to wager actual legit money. So: chocolate coins instead!

As far as I'm aware, Chanukah is one of the biggest consistent reasons people buy chocolate coins (we may be 1-2% of the population, but basically everyone who can buy them, buys them. Annually.), so it's not too surprising a lot of the gelt you see is listed as "for Chanukah."

From what I know of Christianity, I think this is like you looking for plastic eggs (for props in a bird-themed game or something) and finding that, for some reason, a lot of plastic eggs are listed as "for Easter."

[theredqueenandthebloodwyrm]

(I voted 4-6 but actually counting my answers it would have been 7 for my first reblog)

Holidays that I should have remembered to put down because I know them and corrections about what I said are in the tags.

So in total after fact-checking and looking up for clarification AFTER THE FIRST POST, I DID NOT CHEAT (promise)-- I know nine holidays in total after checking my initial answers + seeing what I forgot the first time around. Plus Eden provided me that lovely spreadsheet about the list of Jewish Holidays and feasts so I can go memorize that now.

Non-jews of tumblr:

If possible, please write your answers in the tags!

[jimmycarterghostland]

Does anyone else remember James Frey's Endgame: The Calling book series? I read all of the main books. I used to be obsessed with them. I think they're trash now, but there's still a lot that I like about them. Book three was the last one. Endgame: Rules of the Game. It was a wild read. I remember hating Maccabee, because he was one of the more evil characters, but I was rooting for him in this book. Because I hated An Liu more. Lmao.

I love how diverse the characters were in this series. There were a lot of diverse locations and world-traveling as well. There was some great gray morality, and black morality. The character duos were interesting, especially Maccabee and Baitsakhan's. Did I spell his name right?

The fight scenes were always interesting. They took place in unique locations, and they didn't feel repetitive. Also, I think I remember that this series had a distinct character voice for each narrator, especially An's chapters. Like his "TIC" thing. The main characters all had a different variety of personalities, which was a plus.

I love how dark these books were. There was a lot of brutality in it, which I tend to like in the fiction I consume nowadays. Like, one girl in the first book gets her spine broken during a fight and then one of her attackers sets her on fire. She does get put out of her misery by one of the compassionate main characters before the fire can completely engulf her, though.

Rules of the Game had two main character deaths that I felt ruined the novel. I still see their deaths as bad writing. It wouldn't have been so bad if they had died with dignity or had heroically sacrificed themselves.

Chiyoko was my favorite character. Unfortunately.

The Irish girl, Aisling, was pretty cool too. She was a sniper, which made me even more fond of her. I like how she spent most of the first novel in that cave, while the other main characters were traveling the world, getting shot at, and dying.

The Indian girl, Shari(spelling?), was another great character. It was odd how she was a married mother at 15 years old. But that did make her character more interesting. Big Alice, an Australian Aboriginal, was awesome. I liked her brief bond with Shari.

The girls in this series were more interesting than the boys. But all of the characters were fun to read about, even the ones I despised.

The series had a lot of flaws. But there were so many great moments too. These books were unpredictable and tense, even though I'm sure I spoiled the last book for myself before I read it. I can't remember if I did the same with the second one. I do know that I enjoyed reading it.

[jurakan]

YAY fun facts! I'll take one please

Okay for whatever reason I THINK that I’ve covered the Nine Worthies, but I can’t find any post I’d made about them, though I mentioned it here, so I guess that it’s fair game! Today You Learned about the Nine Worthies.

The idea behind the Nine Worthies was this medieval folkloric ideal of chivalry, and nine men through history, Scripture, and mythology who embody that ideal. If you look at the list and know many of the figures, you may decide that they don’t really seem to fit, but keep in mind that what was in medieval mythology isn’t always accurate to real life. 

It was also weirdly inclusive? The Nine Worthies is divided into three groups: three pagan warriors, three Jewish warriors, and three Christian warriors. Here’s the listing:

-Hector of Troy

-Alexander the Great

-Julius Caesar

-Joshua

-King David

-Judas Maccabee

-King Arthur

-King Charlemagne

-Godfrey de Bouillon

[If you’ve never heard of that last one, don’t feel bad, a lot of people haven’t–he’s the first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem (the Crusader State set up during the Eastern Crusades). He’s not a king, because he didn’t take that title, though his successors gladly did.]

The list is hardly completely agreed upon by all parties, but that’s the basic list that you see in most places. There’s also the idea of Women Worthies, but that’s less in the “canon” (though I would happily like to see who you would put on that list!).

If you've already received this Fun Fact, let me know and I'll submit a new one.

[oaky-doky-henry]

Hey everyone! Its your crunchy, munchy, birkenstock rockin, hippie, nature, druid dad!

Happy Holidays!

It’s important during this wonderful time of year to give recognition to the religions and cultures that celebrate during this time of winter! As an American, I see the corporate idea of Christmas overshadowing what’s truly important! I was watching the Grinch the other day with my beautiful boys and lovely wife, when I totally realized what is truly important about Christmas! It’s not always been over the top with gifts and decorations and old saint nick!

The Christmas season is more than just the celebration of Santa Clause! The traditions of religions really made this holiday season what it has become today!

The Jewish celebration Hanukkah is an eight day long holiday! This year its celebrated December 7th through December 15th! Every night is celebrated by the lighting of a candle on the menorah! It symbolizes how the Maccabees revolted against Antiochus IV Epiphanes. According to the Talmud, a later text, the Temple was purified and the wicks of the menorah miraculously burned for eight days, even though there was only enough sacred oil for one day's lighting! Aside from lighting the menorah they also celebrate by singing special songs, such as Ma'oz Tzur. Reciting the Hallel prayer. Eating foods fried in oil, such as latkes and sufganiyot, and dairy foods. Playing the dreidel game, and giving Hanukkah gelt!

So for all my Jewish kiddos! Happy Hanukkah!

The Christian celebration of December 25th symbolizes the birth of their messiah, Jesus of Nazareth! The Christian bible tells about how Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin and was told by angels that she’d give birth to the messiah. So her and her fiancé, Joseph, traveled to the city of David. She gave birth to Jesus in a stable, since there was no room for them in the inn! And shepherds came to see, being guided by the star. The star is now known as the Christmas Star!

So for all my Christian kiddos! Merry Christmas!

A lot of people would (and still do!) celebrate the Winter Solstice! Aka the hibernal solstice! Its the shortest day of the year! They would decorate trees for good luck, they would feast and sing and spend time with those they loved!

So for all my kiddos! A very happy solstice!

Love you lots! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Spend it with those you love!

COEXIST!🌟🎄💖

[vodrae]

The Endgame series just popped in my head when talking about Hunger Games with my gf, I'm split between read them again (and buy the 3rd) or keeping my memories of them and not reading them with my older eyes

I need to talk to somebody about Endgame you guys have to read that book. It’s been a year but i’m still crying over it. THAT BOOK WAS SO GOOD AND NEEDS A PROPER FANDOM

[oc-challenges]

Tis the damn season, people! This year at oc-challenges, we’re doing a winter holidays challenge! Challenges are Hanukkah,The Winter Solstice, Christmas, and New Years inspired. @aliverse and @elmunson have teamed up with @victoriapedrcttis and @maddies-buckley to come up with 32 prompts to hopefully inspire and delight you!

RULES

Be respectful and accepting, most holidays have their roots in religion and it’s important to both treat people of any religion with kindness and be sure any depictions of a religion you are not a part of is researched well and done respectfully.

You know the usual, don’t steal edits. If you feel an edit of yours or someone else’s has been stolen and would like to report it, follow these guidelines.

For any crossovers, make sure the other person is okay with crossovers.

Feel free to ask questions, all prompts are open to interpretation!

In order for your post to be included in this blog, it must be tagged with #owhc2022.

And last but certainly not least, have fun! 

Challenges under the cut...

EIGHT DAYS OF HANUKKAH For the first eight days, we will be celebrating Hanukkah!

Day One: Soon So Shall It Be By You (December 1st)

In the spirit of OC Challenges, our first challenge is dedicated to Jewish OCs; an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites and Hebrews of historical Israel and Judah. Create to your heart's content, and if you don’t have one of your own then feel free to make a new one inspired by this prompt or make something for someone else’s Jewish OC!

Day Two: All of The Honor (December 2nd)

Most winter holidays are about the appreciation of life, family, and friends. Today we’re making something to show an appreciation for someone else. Make something for a Jewish OC creator, let them know that they're loved and cherished.

Day Three: Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah (December 3rd)

Day three is all about the holiday itself! Make or write something nice about your Jewish OC celebrating Hanukkah by themselves, their friends, or family, or even an non Jewish OC celebrating with their Jewish friends or family!

Day Four: A Game of Dreidel (December 4th)

Much like the teetotum, the dreidel is a four sided spinning top toy that bears letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The game has become a famous tradition during Hanukkah, created as a way to help those study the Torah. Show us what your OC’s dreidel would look like or write about your OC playing the game with friends and family!

Day Five: Light The Candles, Count Your Blessings

On the first night of Hanukkah when you light the first candle with the shamash, you recite three blessings. For this day, take a look at what your OC values and the things and people they are thankful then make an edit or write something to highlight those things.

Day Six: In Honor of The Maccabees (December 6th)

The Maccabees were a priestly family of Jews who organized a successful rebellion against the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV and reconsecrated the defiled Temple of Jerusalem. What is something that your oc would die / risk their life for? Have they done it already? Have they lead a rebellion or campaigned for change?

Day Seven: A Great Miracle Happened Here (December 7th)

In the holy temple in Jerusalem, a menorah burned for eight days. It became known as a miracle, giving Jews time to purify and rededicate sacred space. Where did your OCs miracles happen? Is there a place they consider sacred or special? A place that brings them great comfort?

Day Eight: Miracle of Eight Days (December 8th)

A small vial of oil to keep the flames burning for one night somehow miraculously burned the Temple's menorah for eight days during a time of war and prosecution. In that span of time, they were able to make more oil and keep the eternal flame lit. Has your OC ever experienced a miracle, figurative or literal? Has something they needed or loved but expected to abandon them lasted through their worries? Write or edit something about your OC’s personal miracles.

WINTER SOLSTICE Challenges inspired by The Winter Solstice!

Day Nine: Blessed Be (December 9th)

Blessed be our capacity for creativity, creating ocs has made us friends and brightened our darkest days. Today, create something to celebrate a pagan oc.

Day Ten: Brightest Blessings (December 10th)

A good person wishes others only the brightest blessings, and today we are going to give our own blessings. Create something for a pagan oc creator!

Day Eleven: Time of Reflection (December 11th)

One tradition in winter solstice celebrations is to reflect on your past and those in it, for day eleven we are going to look at an oc from long past. Maybe you want to look at your first oc and reflect on how they’ve changed from first draft to final product? Maybe there’s an oc you’ve decided to scrap or finished with that you would like to honor one last time with an edit or drabble?

Day Twelve: Bask in The Evergreens (December 12th)

Evergreens are famous and honored for the exact reason you’d think— they remain lush even in the harshest circumstances. Today is all about forevers. Perhaps you want to honor an oc that remains eternal in your heart or persistent in your mind, maybe even do something as simple as creating something for an immortal oc?

Day Thirteen: Back to Mother Nature (December 13th)

One winter solstice tradition is to give back to nature and the creatures it mothers, some do this by decorating a tree to highlight it’s beauty and some do this by decorating a tree with edible food for animals among other things. For today, honor an oc who loves the natural phenomenons of their world whether that be through a love of nature, nature powers, or care for the animals of the world.

Day Fourteen: All The Pretty Lights (December 14th)

The winter solstice is celebrated on the shortest day and longest night of the year, thus we must find light in different ways. For this day, honor an oc who finds or is the light in the darkest day. Perhaps they are a mirrorball, reflecting all the best parts of others. Perhaps they simply have a talent in keeping hope alive, continuing to show love and optimism through all hardships no matter how hard survival is?

Day Fifteen: May The Flame Warm Our Hearts and Light Our Way (December 15th)

Today is about dedication; to gods and goddesses, those we cherish, our places of worship. For today, perhaps show or tell us how your OC would decorate their Yule alter? Perhaps how they would choose to honor their deities? Maybe show or discuss what gifts they would give to those they cherish?

Day Sixteen: Merry Solstice (December 16th)

It’s time for another celebration, this day is all about the holiday itself! Tell us about how your oc celebrates yule! Do they bake gingerbread, craft wreaths? Do they sit around the bonfire and tell stories?

Day Seventeen: Time of New Beginnings (December 17th)

Besides reflection, winter solstice is also big on renewal and new discoveries or ideas. Today, it’s time to do something to represent newness and change! You could create a brand new oc, perhaps highlight an oc with qualities you’d like to emobody in the new year in attempts of changing your life for the better?

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS Some merry challenges for a merry christmas!

Day Eighteen: Baby’s First Christmas (December 18th)

Over the first year of a baby’s life, many people document a lot of the major moments—but when it comes to making memories, there’s nothing quite like Christmas Time. Recount your OC's first Christmas as an infant or as a recently new parent whose trying to make the holiday special with their little bundle of joy!

Day Nineteen: With Your Under The Mistletoe (December 19th)

In Norse culture, the Mistletoe plant was a sign of love and peace and Figg promised to kiss anyone who passed underneath it. For Celtic Druids, it was used to ward off evil spirits, provide good luck and even help to improve fertility. No matter what origins you prefer or have grown up knowing, both created the tradition of mistletoe hanging in the archway of a room where two rooms met to become one. Create something to celebrate two becoming one with an OC and their significant other under the mistletoe.

Day Twenty: For You and Me (December 20th)

The season is about giving and surprising those you care about with the perfect gift. Create a gif for your best friend who is in love with one or a few of your OCs! Make something inspired by your conversations that were based on an AU or a crossover with their very own OCs.

Day Twenty-One: Rocking Around The Christmas Tree (December 21st)

The Christmas tree, a symbol that represents permanence and immortality and decorated with lights, ornaments, and a star on top for the shining hope for humanity. For this challenge, write about and show how your OC(s), or send asks to your fellow creators about how their OC(s) would decorate their tree! Do they have a family tree that have homemade ornaments? Do they just have a personal pencil tree with peculiar theme? Do they get a fake tree or a real tree.

Day Twenty-Two: Jingle Bells Are Ringing, Everyone is Singing (December 22nd)

Other than gifts and decorating, Christmas music is a major part of the Holidays. From "All I Want for Christmas Is You" to "Last Christmas" which song best relates to your OC(s) this season? Do they enjoy Christmas Caroling around the neighbourhood? Do they sing a certain song every year that people automatically associate with them?

Day Twenty-Three: From Mine to Yours (December 23rd)

Christmas Cards are a great way to share love to those who live miles away from you, especially if you have no idea what to give them and just insert a $50 gift card in the envelope. Create a card that your OC would gift to someone else to spread kindness and warmth this chilly season.

Day Twenty-Four: Christmas Special (December 24th)

Hallmark is known for their very cheesy romantic TV Christmas movies but we always sit and devour the plot no matter what. As for the mainstream blockbuster movies such as Love Actually, The Holiday, and A Bad Moms Christmas, these are the movies that follow a different formula by giving us individual looks into the holiday season for different people and families with their own troubles and personal goals. For this day, you'll be inserting your OC(s) into their very own Holiday Special AU or making something for the actual holiday special of their fandom!

Day Twenty-Five: Giving, Receiving, and Appreciating (December 25th)

For the day in question that inspired the last seven challenges, we're taking it easy. To complete Christmas Day's challenge, simply make sure you signed up for and submitted ocpotlucks gift exchange than watch out for your gift and be sure to compliment others ocs and creations you see on the blog.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Some challenges to prepare us for the New Year!

Day Twenty-Six: First of The Year (December 26th)

Before we enter a new year of new beginning, let’s reflect on this years beginnings. For day one of our New Years themed challenges, let’s honor the first oc you made *this* year with some writing or an edit.

Day Twenty-Seven: You Make My Year Better (December 27th)

Saying goodbye is hard, but the hello can sometimes make everything worth it. For this day, appreciate a fandom you said hello to this year by making something for an oc you made for said new fandom.

Day Twenty-Eight: A Toast To You (December 28th)

You’ve heard it from a million people in a million ways; Skam says people need people, Girl Meets World says the secret of life is that people change people. So this day is about those people in the oc community who made your year better, and more specifically the ocs they created that changed and inspired your own writing and creativity. That’s right, we’re making something for your favorite oc of the year by someone else.

Day Twenty-Nine: The Best Part Of My Year (December 29th)

We all need ways to get through life, sometimes those things are always the same and sometimes they are hyper-fixations that get you up in the morning to explore. So, what oc did you find yourself fixating on most this year? Was it a brand new one, perhaps an old one you haven’t thought about in a while? On the twenty-eighth, use your passion to create something for your MOTY… muse of the year.

Day Thirty: I Still Love You (December 30th)

Friends break up, friends get married, strangers get born and strangers get buried, trends change, rumors fly through new skies… But that doesn’t mean some things don’t stay with us even when they lose our focus. Today, we are showing some love to those we may have accidentally left behind by making something for an oc you love that you feel you may have neglected this year.

Day Thirty-One: Practice Makes Perfect (December 31st)

A lot can change in just seconds, and even more can change in 365 days. Over the year, we’ve all learned and grown in so many different ways, and it’s time to show off. Remake an edit or rewrite a draft from early this year to remind yourself and others how far you’ve come! 

Day Thirty-Two: Resolution (January 1st)

One of the most well-known traditions of new year celebration is to make resolutions. A New Year’s resolution is when someone makes a promise or sets an expectation for the new year that they are determined to live up too. Although these resolutions don’t always stay resolute, let’s get a good start on our attempts by making something on the first day of the year for an oc you want to appreciate and work on more throughout 2023.