Arvorian cultural norms and traditions

Arvorian cultural norms and traditions are a tapestry of traditions, beliefs, behaviours, and superstitions that are the product of centuries of social progression. While many of the strongest of these are rooted in the ancient Dakhani traditions of their ancestral land.

How to tell if you're an Arvorian

• You live in a house or flat with your parents and any siblings, and in some cases, your babushka (grandmother) and dadushka (grandfather). The house would be an average of 120 square metres and the flat an average of 90 square metres.
• You had your own bedroom, which was about 10 square metres.
• As a child, you and your friends had access to a neighbourhood football pitch and at least one community park where you would often play. You also had access to a library, an arcade, and a movie theatre.
• You and your family enjoy at least two weeklong holidays every year.
• You were enrolled with Gosmed on the day you were born and likely had the same general doctor throughout your childhood and teen years.
• As a child, you joined the National Pioneer Organisation shortly after your sixth birthday and remained a member for the next decade.
• You received a full, ten-year education from your local primary and secondary schools. You can read and write in Arvorian and, especially if you started your schooling after 7610 RH, at least one other language.
• Your father worked a good job, either in a factory or an office, and had the pay and benefits to provide for you and the rest of the family. Your mother might have worked an office or retail job or stayed at home with you and your siblings. If the former was the case, one of your babushkas looked after you.
• Boys are circumcised three days after they are born, in keeping with an ancient Dakhani custom.
• Men will remember looking forward to their sixteenth birthday, when they would celebrate their coming-of-age ceremony and could begin growing out their boroda (борода, beard).
• If you qualified for tertiary education, you attended the local university nearest your hometown.
• If you did not qualify for tertiary education, you attended a polytechnic in your raion, and received a practical education in a skilled trade.
• You know you can travel anywhere within the ADR without hindrance.
• You know that no matter where you go in the republic, you can depend on the police or the medical services if you need them.
• You have a strong appreciation for and belief in the socialist system, and similarly value the importance of community and caring for your friends and loved ones when they are in need.
• You know the value of fiscal responsibility, modesty, and enjoying life without being wasteful or excessive.
• Punctuality is both a sign of respect and one of personal discipline.
• While you appreciate the value and importance of hard work, you likewise know the value of maintaining balance between labour and free time.
• You know the importance of equity and justice and consider them two of the most important values a society can have.
• You will work between 56 and 64 hours per week. You receive your pay packet weekly and know that your slip will detail deductions for the income tax, national health, and national insurance.

How to tell if you're an Arvorian urbanite

• You travel by bus, elevated rail, metro, or bicycle everywhere you go, if it isn't within walking distance. If your family does own an automobile, they reserve it for special occasions or for road trips.
• You're familiar with self-service cafeterias. Enjoying a light meal at such an establishment is a popular aside to any shopping trip.
• You've likely purchased any or all of the following from a vending machine: a newspaper, a snack, a fizzy drink, a sandwich, or cigarettes.

Supersititions

• If you give an Arvorian flowers, always give them a bouquet that contains an odd number of flowers. Giving flowers in even numbers is only done at funerals.
• It is considered inappropriate to whistle in someone's house. This stems from an old Dakhani belief that doing so risked drawing the displeasure of the spirits, which would in turn lead to misfortune.
• If someone sneezes while telling you something, they are likely telling the truth.
• When dining, be very careful not to spill the salt. Doing so means that someone will shed tears very soon.
• Never kiss or shake hands over a threshold. This can lead to a quarrel.
• Wishing an Arvorian a happy birthday in advance is considered a bad omen.

Arvorian funerary traditions

• TBA