For those tired of traditional Christmas celebrations, a surprising source -Dungeons & Dragons- has a way of offering a welcome break. This opportunity comes fromThe Adventure Zone, the McElroy family’sDungeons and Dragonspodcast. Similar toshows likeCritical Role,The Adventure Zoneand the McElroys have played a role in elevatingDungeons & Dragonsthrough livestreams of theirD&Dcampaigns.
D&Dfans of all stripes deserve a way to celebrate the holidays that feels right to them and isn’t just taking a Christian holiday and shoehorning it into their campaign settings, andThe Adventure Zoneobliged us all by introducing us to the good news that is Candlenights. This"pantheistic, pansexual, personal pan pizza winter holiday,“to quote the McElroys, is one everyone can celebrate, because it reminds us that even at this time of year, just lighting a candle is enough to keep the darkness at bay.
Candlenights Has Traditions For Everyone
The Adventure Zone Created A D&D-Themed Alternative To Christmas
Originally introduced on the McElroy’s advice podcastMy Brother, My Brother and Me, Candlenights is a holiday with no set beginning or end, so there’s no having to worry about getting your cards in the mail too late, or being good enough to be on Santa’s nice list. After all,Candlenights doesn’t have Santa, but it does have the Star King, a mysterious figure clad in a jumpsuit and fishnet stockings that reportedly arrives in a spaceship shaped like a squid.
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Candlenights also has the important figure of Terry the Nondenominational Gift Delivery Dragon, but he doesn’t decide who gets the gifts, he’s just the dragon equivalent of the Postal Service. You don’t need to bother with leaving him any cookies or other snacks either, because he keeps to a special diet (and keeps an energy bar on him in case he gets hungry while out on his deliveries).
Candlenights Is Perfect For Anyone Wanting To Get Into D&D
Candlenights Could Provide A Fun, D&D Adventure During The Holidays
Thanks to its use in episode 29 ofThe Adventure Zone’s first arc,Balance, and its subsequent graphic novel adaptations, Candlenights is canonically celebrated in multiple words. That meansit’s the perfect holiday to include in aD&Dgame, whether it’s an ongoing campaign that just needs an injection of a little holiday cheer or even a holiday-themed one-shot.
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Candlenights is a special winter holiday, because it takes the things everyone loves about the more well-known religious celebrations — gift-giving, delicious snacks, and decorating your preferred form of plant life — and presents them without any of the spiritual obligation. As made apparent byThe Adventure Zone, it’s for everyone and anyone, with no requirements and no special dates to keep track of, no banal carols to memorize, and you can add on whatever other trappings you so choose.
Dungeons & Dragons
TheDungeons & Dragonsfranchise is a fantasy adventure series based on the iconic tabletop role-playing game. The franchise includes both live-action and animated adaptations, with the most notable being the recent filmDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves(2023), which brought the fantasy world of D&D to a broader audience with its blend of humor, action, and classic D&D elements. The franchise explores themes of heroism, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of adventuring in a magical world filled with dragons, wizards, and mythical creatures.
