Holidays: Gorean cities celebrate numerous holidays and they vary from city to city. Other holidays are celebrated in numerous cities but the date of the holiday may vary. Some holidays are religious. Others are simply excuses for festivities. The birthday of the Ubar/Administrator is often a city wide holiday.
Kajuralia: This is the Holiday of Slaves, or Festival of the Slaves. It occurs in most northern cities once a year except for Port Kar. The date differs from city to city though many cities celebrate it on the last day of the Twelfth Passage Hand. In Ar and others, it is celebrated on the last day of the fifth month, the day before the Love Feast. This is a common name for the Fifth Passage Hand, occurring in late summer. It is the greatest period for the sale of slaves. Slaves are permitted to tease and play tricks on free persons without fear of discipline. A slave says "Kajuralia" after doing such a prank. It is similar in some ways to the Earth holiday of April Fools.
Carnival: The Twelfth Passage Hand, just before the solemn Waiting Hand, is often a time of great festivities. It is the time of Carnival. Appearances by theatrical troupes or carnival groups are common at this time. They often consist of rogues and outcasts. Such persons are denied the dignity of the funeral pyre and other forms of honorable burial. These troupes must petition for the right to perform in a city. Sometimes the actresses must be "tested" by the officials before a license is granted. Bribes may also be required to get licenses. Bribes are not really secret and there are even scales to determine the amount of the bribe dependent on the size of the group, number of days, etc. Licenses usually run for five days though sometimes only for a night or specific performance. Licenses are commonly renewable, within a given season, for a nominal fee. Troupes may include men on stilts, fire swallowers, jugglers, clowns, acrobats, dancing sleen, magicians, tight rope walkers, mimes, animal trainers and more.
Carnival time is also a time for people to don masks and bizarre costumes. There are even costume contests and parades. These masks and costumes allow an opportunity for jokes and pranks. They also permit incognito assassinations between free people. Some free women even go as far as to masquerade as slaves and run naked through the cities.
Game of Favors: One game played during Carnival time is Favors. In the basic version, free women are given ten light scarves. Each group of scarves is unique to the woman. The free women then pass out the scarves that grant kisses to the recipient. The first girl who dispenses all of her favors and returns to the starting point wins. This gives free women a valid way to flirt during this specific time.