Due to the many celebrations and holidays seablossom's people are often seen as merry and friendly. The type you'd go out to get a drink and tell stories with. The people there vary wildly, of course, just as the people of any large city but it is true that the city's culture is vibrant with many interesting holidays and customs.
Seablossom's 4 Seasonal holidays
The spring festival is the second most important holiday after the autumn one. It's held just before sowing starts in the neighboring villages.
This time is considered to be the beginning of a new year as it's when life begins to return to the world starting the cycle once more. It's customary to reflect on the past year or even the past as a whole during this time
It's a celebration of new beginnings and It's common for people to make promises to themselves as well as others. Many people propose to their partners during it with their weddings being held exactly a year after the proposal. Having a wedding any sooner is seen as rushing into things.
The least important of the 4 seasonal holidays. Held on the Summer solstice.
It being the least important does not mean it's not important. The Sea is a focal point of this one and one of the main traditions is inspecting and repairing boats during it and the few days leading up to it as the holiday started because the long day made it easiest to do that.
The sea brings life and death in equal parts to those who live in a port. Remembering that is what this day is all about. The tradition of hanging out windchimes is present during all major holidays but it's the most important here.
The biggest of the major holidays. Held, as the name suggests at the very end of harvest.
While Seablossom itself isn't an agricultural centre, they borrow some of their city guard to the nearby villages with protection against bandits in exchange for a certain percent of the harvest. As such the harvest season and especially it's end is celebrated.
Due to the lessened workload during the Autumn and winter months many tend to try and pick up new skills around this time. The festival in itself is followed by a week of preparations that's as important as the day. It's also a celebration of life.
Considered slightly less important than the spring festival and held on the winter solstice
The longest night of the year is when the dead are considered to be the closest to the living. So while the dead are mourned during the day, their lives are celebrated during the night.
The living make their favourite food, play their favourite dances... do all the things that those they lost would have loved. Some outside the city think this approach is insulting to the dead and call those who participate in this drunkards with no respect for those who have passed but most who have actually tried it say it's a very comforting tradition as it allows them to feel like those they've lost are near again if only for a day.
Customs and traditions
When you approach seablossom, especially during a holiday, you will often hear the sound of winchimes. Hanging them out is linked to an old legend about how the Pirate Queen's partner used to hang them so she'd alway know her way to port. Following this many started hanging them so their own families would come back either from the sea or from other travels and as such a tradition was born.
This tradition ended up being so popular that many ended up adding it to their own celebrations, especially ones that included family gatherings and so nowadays it's practically impossible to visit the city and not hear windchimes.
One of the common beliefs of the people of seablossom is that arguing during a meal will make the food taste bitter or bland. It's common for people to take a break in an argument to eat a meal which often results in said argument cooling of. This, of course contributes to the reputation friendly people of seablossom have.
It is believed that this belief originated in the mountains and was brought over to the city by people from there (mostly mages who did not feel safe there anymore).
One interesting custom the people of Seablossom have is that they will never talk to someone over the threshhold. This is because doing so is considered to bring bad luck. Some even extend this to talking out of windows though this isn't nearly as common.
No one is quite sure where this came from as it's nearly unique to Seablossom.
Now this is not all of the city's culture, just some interesting bits and pieces. I could talk about how the night after they're chosen the new leader of the guard has to say speech and raise a toast before dancing untill dawn or other such things but for now i think this will be it.