Culture of Ossoria

The culture of the High Kingdom of Ossoria has been influenced by many factors including the nation's status as an island nation, its history as a major power, and its federal system of kingdoms with unique and distinctive traditions, culture, and symbols.

Language

The Ossorian Gaelic language is the de jure official language of Ossoria and is spoken monolingually by an estimated 87% of the Ossorian population. Additionally, eight other languages are recognized as regional or minority languages by the federal government: Vadran Gaelic, Inisi Gaelic, Breconese, Syllanese, Hemari, Arzelli, Vormsian, and Ossorian Sign Language.

Music

Traditional Music

Traditional Ossorian music encompasses many different types, including drinking songs, shanties, ballads, and laments (called a caoineadh), sung unaccompanied or accompanied by a variety of instruments. Pipe bands are also common sights at festivals, parades, and military displays. Commonly used instruments include the fiddle/violin, the flute/whistle, the uilleann pipes, the bagpipes, the cláirseach, the accordion, the concertina, the banjo, the mandolin, the guitar, the bouzouki, and the bodhrán.

Folklore

Fairy Lore

For centuries, Ossorian oral tradition has passed down tens of thousands of stories and customs concerning fairies, with a specific focus on how to avoid offending them and attracting bad luck as a result. For this reason, even today, natural features associated with fairies (hawthorn trees, fairy rings, forts and paths) are left undisturbed even by government infrastructure projects.

Religion

Main article: Ossorian Druidry

Politics

Honors System

The Ossorian honors system is a means by which the Monarchy is able to recognize and reward an individuals' achievements or service to the High Kingdom. Any person or group in the High Kingdom may nominate someone for recognition. These nominations are reviewed by a special independent commission established by the Monarchy and their recommendations are presented to the Monarch for final approval. The honors ceremony takes place in the Audience Hall of the Castle in Kenlis, with the family and friends of those to be honored invited to attend.

Cuisine

Common foods

• Dairy: butter, buttermilk, cheese, cream, milk
• Grains: barley, rice, wheat
• Breads: barmbrack, potato bread, scone, soda bread, sourdough bread
• Fish: anchovy, carp, cod, haddock, hake, herring, mackerel, pollock, trout, tuna, salmon, sardine, zander
• Seafood: clam, crab, crayfish, dillisk, mussel, lobster, oyster, sea vegetables, shrimp
• Meat: chicken, goose, pork, rabbit, turkey
• Vegetables: cabbage, carrot, kale, lettuce, onion, potato, rhubarb
• Fruits: apple, blackberry, cherry, elderberry, pear, plum, raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry, tomatoes

Traditional dishes

• Ossorian Breakfast: A full meal commonly served with, but not limited to: bacon, sausages (links or patties), eggs (fried, scrambled or poached), fried potatoes (sliced, chipped or shredded), bread (fried or toasted, of any type), pancakes or waffles, and hot tea. Regional variants are common, but easily tailored to the tastes of the individual.
  • Breakfast Roll: A toasted bread roll containing many of the above elements, a popular and more portable alternative.
• Brúitín: A dish made by mixing mashed potatoes, chopped scallions, butter, milk, salt and pepper.
• Colcannon: A dish made by mixing mashed potatoes, a pot herb (usually cabbage, kale, or seaweed), butter, and milk. Regional variants are extremely common and often include chives, leeks, and/or onions.
• Fish and Chips: A battered fillet of whitefish which is deep-fried, sprinkled with salt and vinegar and served with chips.
• Fishcake: A patty made of minced or ground fish mixed with a starch, usually potato, then dipped in batter and deep-fried.
• Fisherman's pie: An oven-baked savory pie made with smoked fish and a cheese sauce topped with mashed potatoes.
• Salmon cheesecake: A savory cheesecake prepared with smoked salmon. Typically served as an appetizer.

Óstaí culture

Óstaí culture pervades Ossorian society and crosses all social divides. The term refers to the Ossorian habit of frequently visiting public houses, known as an ósta (English: inn). Traditional óstaí culture is more concerned with being a place where neighbors and friends can gather in a relaxed atmosphere than simply being a place where people go for food and drink, making them important meeting places for the communities they serve. The archetypal óstaí features live music (typically traditional Ossorian music), a friendly and warm atmosphere, and is filled with memorabilia of the local area and its patrons. Traditionally, óstaí take absurd or whimsical names which are prominently displayed on the front of the establishment and on signs hanging above or near the door.

Sport

A variety of sports are played throughout the High Kingdom, with the four most popular sports being hurling, football, soccer, and rugby. These four sports account for about 85% of event attendance. Hurling is the most popular sport in Ossoria measured by match attendance and community involvement, representing approximately 40% of attendance at sporting events, followed by football at 21%, soccer at 19% and rugby at 5%. The Royal Hurling Championship match is the most watched event in the Ossorian sporting calendar.

Symbols

The High Kingdom as a whole has a number of symbols which represent it, as do its constituent Kingdoms and Dominions. The White Ensign is the Flag of Ossoria and is the primary symbol used to represent the nation. Osraí is the national personification of Ossoria, the national animal is the deer, and the national floral emblem is the heather.

Naming conventions

The predominant naming convention in the High Kingdom is for an individual to have one or more given names (a forename and a middle name), a lineage name (a patronymic or matronymic, not commonly used outside official records), and a surname (an ancestral name). The surname and lineage names are preceded by a gendered prefix: respectively; Ó and Mac for males, and Ní and Nic for females.

• Example (Male): Dara Ruaidhrí Mac Mairéad Ó Grianna
• Example (Female): Pádraigín Eiléan Nic Séamus Ní Bhraonáin