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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Celebrating real holidays virtually]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/03/the-daily-grind-celebrating-real-holidays-virtually/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/03/the-daily-grind-celebrating-real-holidays-virtually/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/03/the-daily-grind-celebrating-real-holidays-virtually/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online/" rel="tag">Lord of the Rings Online</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events, real-world</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-daily-grind/" rel="tag">The Daily Grind</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/imageviewer.html?/info/events/newyears/,images/,2,18,http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/events/newyears/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/07/fireworkssummer.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /></div>
My American sources tell me this is a long weekend for you folks across the pond. Something about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29">independence</a> from Blighty a few hundred years ago. Essentially an excuse to let off fireworks, have BBQs, enjoy the fine weather and skive off work. Good on you. It seems like lots of MMOs are using it as an excuse to take the real celebrations in-game. For example, <a href="http://massively.com/tag/world-of-warcraft"><em>World of Warcraft</em></a> has the <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/events/midsummer/">Midsummer Fire Festival</a> which concludes tomorrow with a bunch of snoozing goblin guards and a whopping fireworks display. Likewise, <a href="http://massively.com/tag/lord-of-the-rings-online"><em>Lord of the Rings Online</em></a> has <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/09/a-complete-guide-to-the-lotro-summer-festival/">one festival</a> with four different names.<br /><br />Given the fact the games are created by humans, it's no surprise the in-game festivals of all our favourite MMOs share a little in common with actual celebrations in real life. However they can also be handy for people too far away to meet up this 4th of July, most often troops on active duty or family members and friends separated by thousands of miles or even continents. So are any of you out there planning to eschew real celebrations in favour of meeting up with your guildies in-game? Are you going to travel around to see the fireworks or, if you play, <em>WoW</em> raid an enemy city. Do you prefer celebrating such events in-game? Do you mark them on your calendar and anticipate them as much as their real world counterparts? Do you wish the developers would expand world festivals to take account of more important holidays?<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/03/the-daily-grind-celebrating-real-holidays-virtually/">The Daily Grind: Celebrating real holidays virtually</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/03/the-daily-grind-celebrating-real-holidays-virtually/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19085908/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/07/03/the-daily-grind-celebrating-real-holidays-virtually/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>fireworks</category><category>fourth-of-july</category><category>in-game-event</category><category>in-game-events</category><category>lord-of-the-rings</category><category>lord-of-the-rings-online</category><category>midsummer-fire-festi...</category><category>midsummer-fire-festival</category><category>summerfest</category><category>world-events</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Smith]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
