230: These (human) holidays are CANON in 2185

0:00 [SPEAKER_05]: I'm Commander Sheppard, and this is my favorite lorecast on the Citadel. [SPEAKER_07]: Welcome to the Mass Effect lorecast. [SPEAKER_07]: I'm in seven the legend. [SPEAKER_04]: And I'm Genesis. [SPEAKER_04]: Join us. [SPEAKER_07]: As we explore along tides of light. [SPEAKER_07]: And through shows of dust.

0:30 [SPEAKER_07]: To see where this lore began. [SPEAKER_04]: And consider where it may go. [SPEAKER_07]: Specters welcome back to a new year of the Mass Effect lore cast and I am your host in seven the legend joining me as always is my wonderful co-host Genesis and Genesis this is also an anniversary for you being on the show.

1:11 [SPEAKER_07]: I'm not being on the show but rather being in seat two. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, a full year under my belt of co-hosting the Mass Effect lorecast and it feels good. [SPEAKER_04]: I can officially say that at the kickoff of this episode my heart rate is a little bit elevated, but nowhere near the 150 beats it was the first time I went live with ya.

1:32 [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, that was a fun one. [SPEAKER_07]: So speaking of fun ones, we have a fun episode in store for everyone today and this is one that you point it out to me and you did most of the prep work here So I'll let you go ahead and introduce it for everybody [SPEAKER_04]: So it's all about the holidays.

1:53 [SPEAKER_04]: It's a happy new year, happy one year. [SPEAKER_04]: Let's go with a happy human holidays episode. [SPEAKER_04]: I had no idea that there were six celebrated holidays that were Earthborn that are now spread throughout the galaxy. [SPEAKER_07]: We do love our holidays and it's glad to see some, uh, I almost at Earthic and to quote Futurama, good to see some earthic and traditions celebrated far and wide.

2:18 [SPEAKER_07]: Uh, so this should be some earbleach, uh, perhaps some much needed earbleach for everybody as we start off this new year. [SPEAKER_07]: This comes to us from the Cerberus Daily News Network. [SPEAKER_07]: This is a unique arc of stories that are not about horrible corruption or death or anything like that.

2:39 [SPEAKER_07]: So here we go. [SPEAKER_07]: We get the first dispatch here that begins. [SPEAKER_07]: Many human planets and colonies celebrate Saint Valentine's Day today. [SPEAKER_07]: A holiday theme around romantic love in the greeting card industry. [SPEAKER_07]: Prospective or a established mating partners exchange love notes with one another and some ad gifts of cut flowers, jewelry, or sugary confections in the hopes of receiving sexual favors.

3:10 [SPEAKER_07]: I mean, yeah, kind of, we're being honest. [SPEAKER_07]: That's probably what's inspiring most of the gifts. [SPEAKER_07]: Anyway, industry insiders estimate over 2 billion valentine messages will be sent this year on Earth and an additional 5 billion throughout the human colonies. [SPEAKER_07]: The holiday is rapidly spreading among the Asari and Volus who embrace its unusual mix of commerce and reproduction.

3:48 [SPEAKER_07]: Volus embracing an unusual mix of commerce and reproduction, okay, I can see the the volus being all about the commerce And the assaurier there for the reproduction What if it's vice versa You know what volus have to make volus babies somehow. [SPEAKER_07]: I imagine that looks a lot like a Newton's cradle [SPEAKER_07]: Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding

4:42 [SPEAKER_04]: Yes. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_04]: Back to a CD hotel room. [SPEAKER_07]: Oh god. [SPEAKER_06]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_06]: I bought chocolates for you along with a take off my suit and slip into something more. [SPEAKER_06]: Sexy. [SPEAKER_04]: Still gathering information on how to add what flowers.

5:08 [SPEAKER_04]: to this scenario. [SPEAKER_07]: I feel like they would look like Zoidberg without his shell. [SPEAKER_04]: That's very flabby and probably accurate. [SPEAKER_07]: Gully flabby. [SPEAKER_07]: They would probably look like you know that fish that dwells in super deep water and when you bring it up out of the water it looks like a blob.

5:31 [SPEAKER_07]: I think it's called a blob fish. [SPEAKER_04]: It is called a bloodfish. [SPEAKER_07]: That's maybe that's what they look like. [SPEAKER_04]: Anyway, I have a sticker of one right there. [SPEAKER_07]: I'd prefer never to see one mating, uh, so, okay. [SPEAKER_07]: So we know that even though it's a hallmark holiday, Valentine's Day is still being celebrated across the Milky Way.

5:52 [SPEAKER_07]: And in fact, it's more popular throughout alien space than human space. [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, I'm sorry, wait, five billion throughout the human colonies. [SPEAKER_07]: Okay, so that makes a lot more sense. [SPEAKER_07]: Still extremely popular on earth. [SPEAKER_07]: There's 11 billion people on earth, right?

6:10 [SPEAKER_04]: I think so, yeah. [SPEAKER_07]: So 11 billion, we have to assume that like at least, at least two billion are kids, and at least two billion are elderly. [SPEAKER_07]: So 7 billion total actually that means that valentines day is kind of not as popular as you might expect 7 billion adult population in honor of [SPEAKER_04]: Roo, well, I also guess no, seven, two billion valentine messages, so that's like shooting your loved one and I love you message, where the people on earth are probably the ones going out to dinner doing all the things like that, while you're sending out messages for people who aren't with you on earth.

6:56 [SPEAKER_07]: There you go, yeah. [SPEAKER_07]: And throughout the human colonies, five billion, wow, that's nuts. [SPEAKER_07]: because, of course, most of humanity's population is on Earth and the Citadel. [SPEAKER_07]: So, that's crazy. [SPEAKER_07]: All right, so... [SPEAKER_07]: Even though it's a hallmark, actually, you know what?

7:15 [SPEAKER_07]: I think it's status as a hallmark holiday has probably helped it survive. [SPEAKER_07]: The fact that it's not kind of rooted in sentimentality, it's rooted in, according to server-staley news, a romantic love and exchanging love notes, cut flowers, jewelry, or sugary confections, for sexual favors.

7:43 [SPEAKER_04]: That's the way I look at it. [SPEAKER_04]: That's what it's there for. [SPEAKER_04]: I like Valentine's Day. [SPEAKER_04]: I don't always celebrate it. [SPEAKER_04]: Or if I do, I go out for like a dinner or something like that. [SPEAKER_04]: I don't need lavish, but I like Valentine's Day.

7:54 [SPEAKER_04]: It's a good reminder. [SPEAKER_07]: Can you imagine the cultural faux pas that might happen with inter-species relationships? [SPEAKER_07]: If one is an alien and one is a human, an on Valentine's Day, right? [SPEAKER_04]: Oh yeah, yeah, okay aliens consent is still key just because you buy me chocolates doesn't mean that you're going to get something out of it.

8:16 [SPEAKER_07]: It's not a wonder one and the same goes for the opposite way right like if you're a human and you're giving the chocolates to an alien like doctor Michelle doctor doesn't mean that you're going to get anything in exchange. [SPEAKER_04]: Exactly, Garish is spoken for dammit. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, yeah, exactly, twice over with Shepherd and Tally.

8:44 [SPEAKER_04]: Exactly. [SPEAKER_07]: All right, so what's the next human holiday that's celebrated throughout the Milky Way? [SPEAKER_04]: The human holiday of Passover. [SPEAKER_04]: Now, today marks the human holiday of Passover, commemorating the liberation of slaves through the power of an omnipotent deity.

9:04 [SPEAKER_04]: Humans of the Jewish religion celebrate with a special meal of unloved bread, wine, bitter herbs, and the meat of a young herd animal. [SPEAKER_04]: During the meal, an ancestral story is recited about the flight from their presses and the miracles that saved the Jewish people and gave them law.

9:25 [SPEAKER_04]: Songs, prayers, and a ritual reading of questions designed to educate the young [SPEAKER_04]: Judicians differ on whether or not other species are allowed at the meal. [SPEAKER_04]: One rule says the presence of non-Jews makes the meal impure, but another rule says that all who are hungry should come and eat.

9:50 [SPEAKER_04]: The second view has dominated in recent years, and small businesses have sprung up that specialized in making dextro amino acid-based foods for Italian and Korean participants. [SPEAKER_07]: Hmm, here's another situation where I can see some cultural focus happening. [SPEAKER_07]: Uh, like, can you imagine the same couple who had problems celebrating Valentine's Day?

10:19 [SPEAKER_07]: One of them wants to bring their partner home to their family. [SPEAKER_07]: and it they're celebrating Passover. [SPEAKER_07]: Perhaps their family members are not feeling good about sharing a table with a Turin who the humans were just at war with 26 years ago. [SPEAKER_04]: Mm-hmm. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, there's definitely a lot of, and especially with the rules of the Torah and things like that, it's hard to follow all the rules because some of them are contradictory.

10:51 [SPEAKER_04]: And so the, you know, maybe your family doesn't go by the rules. [SPEAKER_04]: Like non-Jewish people are not allowed to sit at the table during high holidays. [SPEAKER_04]: might be extremely offensive. [SPEAKER_04]: But then also, it seems like there are Jewish people out there who are willing to take interns and Koreans who may want to convert, which that would be also like a whole [SPEAKER_04]: How would they celebrate some of the things especially with there's a lot there can be like ritual face washing and ritual feet washing things like that We're and I mean obviously they can veil and hide their hair They do that already, but you know, there's there's a lot of interesting rules and laws in the Torah that would be difficult for alien species to follow

11:52 [SPEAKER_07]: I'm not at all surprised that small businesses are taking advantage of the new market, the new, unique market that they can sell a lot to. [SPEAKER_07]: But yeah, you're right, the Dextro Amino Acid-based food for Turian and Corian participants that is simultaneously kosher. [SPEAKER_07]: that is a very unique market and it also implies that there are terriens and coriens who are perhaps converting.

12:23 [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, I think it's really interesting. [SPEAKER_04]: I never would have thought about things like that. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, so that's that's pretty cool. [SPEAKER_07]: I'm also thinking though, can you imagine how taboo it would be if a human being converted to an alien religion? [SPEAKER_04]: Oh.

12:41 [SPEAKER_04]: That would be interesting to talk about and learn about because we unfortunately don't get a lot of information about a full religious model in scope within Mass Effect or an alien race, because to have it to have a defined religion, you have to have an origin story, a deity, either a monotheistic or a plural, and then the story of the creation and what rules you're supposed to follow in order to get to some form of an afterlife.

13:09 [SPEAKER_04]: and we don't get all of those pieces for one singular religion. [SPEAKER_04]: We get some of it through things, things talking about the deities that he prays to, but we don't get the rest of the story there. [SPEAKER_04]: So it would be interesting to find out more and see if we can get a fully established religion.

13:28 [SPEAKER_07]: I wonder how Passover works for people on different planets. [SPEAKER_07]: You know, like, when do you start celebrating at the appropriate date on Earth or technically the appropriate date on whatever planet you're on? [SPEAKER_04]: So, we actually get a little bit more information on how things like that works when we talk about Ramadan, which is the next holiday to talk about.

13:53 [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, okay. [SPEAKER_07]: Okay. [SPEAKER_07]: So, this means that we now have confirmation that each of the Abrahamic religions [SPEAKER_07]: are still represented in the mass-fact universe, okay. [SPEAKER_07]: So the next dispatch tells us, quote, Sunset Tonight, makes March the beginning of the human holy month of Ramadan on Earth.

14:12 [SPEAKER_07]: Until the next moon, over 2.7 billion Earth humans, and 2 million in the colonies, will abstain from eating, drinking, or having sexual intercourse during the daylight hours. [SPEAKER_07]: But boy is this sun goes down now. [SPEAKER_07]: Giving to the poor or feeding them while breaking fast in the evening is encouraged, along with praying and reading from a holy book.

14:36 [SPEAKER_07]: Humans in the colonies will base their fasting timetable off of visual sighting of the largest crescent moon. [SPEAKER_07]: Planets with no moons or extreme photo periods follow Earth's timetable. [SPEAKER_07]: There it is. [SPEAKER_07]: There we go. [SPEAKER_07]: That's what we're talking about.

14:51 [SPEAKER_07]: Those who are traveling more than 64 kilometers are exempt from fasting, but they must make up the days later with fasting or buying the poor in evening meal. [SPEAKER_07]: Humans in non-geosynchronous orbit are considered to be traveling at all times. [SPEAKER_07]: So non-geosynchronous orbit means that they're orbiting, but they're not saying over the same location over Earth.

15:16 [SPEAKER_07]: That's what non-geosynchronous orbit means. [SPEAKER_07]: So I suppose for some space stations, humans would not have to celebrate Ramadan for fasting because it doesn't share a link with this spot on Earth. [SPEAKER_07]: I'm not familiar with the tenets of Ramadan enough to speak on this.

15:40 [SPEAKER_04]: So I think that it's they're considered to be traveling at all times, but so therefore they are exempt from fasting, but once their day is over, then you know, you should still fall of the tenants. [SPEAKER_04]: You should, uh... [SPEAKER_07]: Yes, I see, because if you're traveling, the idea is you're spending more energy, yeah, um, okay.

16:01 [SPEAKER_07]: So, so Islam is still being observed and Ramadan celebrated on earth and in the colonies, um, although it appears to be much more prevalent. [SPEAKER_07]: on earth than in the colonies. [SPEAKER_07]: I wish we had the same numbers for Passover, we cannot really compare it. [SPEAKER_07]: But 2.7 billion earth humans, 2 million in the colonies.

16:25 [SPEAKER_07]: Apparently Saint Valentine's Day, far more popular than Ramadan in the colonies. [SPEAKER_04]: That's Canada. [SPEAKER_04]: You know, I also don't know a lot about ramen on. [SPEAKER_04]: I too know that if you're pregnant, you're exempt from everything. [SPEAKER_04]: You can still drink water during the day if absolutely necessary.

16:52 [SPEAKER_04]: And then to take any form of medication that you're required to take. [SPEAKER_04]: I remember having a very interesting conversation with somebody about the rules on that. [SPEAKER_07]: The rules here following the timetable are really interesting to me, because like we're talking about space and time, go hand in hand, so the planets with no moons [SPEAKER_07]: are following Earth's timetable.

17:19 [SPEAKER_07]: So there's some planets that just simply don't have a moon, but not like the moon itself is critical to the observation of Ramadan. [SPEAKER_07]: So they base it off of seeing the largest crescent moon. [SPEAKER_07]: But if you don't have a moon, what do you do? [SPEAKER_07]: Well, I guess you have a timetable that follows Earth's timetable.

17:37 [SPEAKER_07]: Maybe there's like a specific clocks that always show the lunar cycle and time on Earth, the current one. [SPEAKER_07]: That would be useful in this situation. [SPEAKER_04]: That would actually be really interesting. [SPEAKER_04]: I think so, I'm trying, I'm racking my brain, I should have done more research ahead of time.

17:56 [SPEAKER_04]: So I could speak on it. [SPEAKER_04]: It has something to do that once you can see the moon in the sky, then that is when your the holy time begins. [SPEAKER_04]: And so you either have to set your clock to when it is officially [SPEAKER_04]: or when it is official night sky time in order to do it, I watched this, I watched a Muslim TikTok or all the time and I'm just trying to recall everything that she says.

18:30 [SPEAKER_07]: It's, yeah, I would love to hear from some of our listeners if you are a Muslim or you're more familiar with Ramadan than we are. [SPEAKER_07]: Then maybe you can correct the server stagally news on anything that it got wrong. [SPEAKER_07]: But it is pretty interesting that each of the Abrahamic religions still exist are still adhered to by millions and millions of people in the mass effect.

18:54 [SPEAKER_07]: universe. [SPEAKER_07]: Very cool because we get in the codex confirmation that Catholicism is still around. [SPEAKER_07]: And in the shadowbroker deal, see, because it talks about how Cerberus actually arranged to the assassination of Pope, I can't remember the name now. [SPEAKER_07]: I know the replacement was Pope Leo the 16th, who's the same Pope that we have now, which is super creepy, but I wonder who the elusive man is then, you know, maybe someone in power right now.

19:27 [SPEAKER_07]: Okay, well, we have more, we have more holidays to talk about when we get back from the midbrake, but we do have kind of a long midbrake, so let's hop over there and we'll be right back. [SPEAKER_02]: We have beef, bacon, we have beer. [SPEAKER_02]: The foods of my people. [SPEAKER_00]: Young men have funny ideas of what a story are like.

19:49 [SPEAKER_00]: I blame the extra net and computer games. [SPEAKER_08]: Rex, shepherd, grunt, shepherd, Rex. [SPEAKER_08]: Right. [SPEAKER_07]: All right. [SPEAKER_07]: And here we are in the middle of the show where we read out your five star reviews on Apple podcast or your comments on Spotify this week.

20:09 [SPEAKER_07]: We do have a new comment on Spotify from Doc No Mercy, who was commenting on the episode where we talked with our patrons about one thing we would change in the lore. [SPEAKER_07]: Now, Doc No Mercy says mass effect to red wedding colon the Citadel after party is going to be wild. [SPEAKER_07]: That would be pretty wild, probably not nearly as fun.

20:31 [SPEAKER_07]: I think fun would probably not be the right word there. [SPEAKER_07]: Also, he says also with the Cerberus and Drombra, what if what if the elusive man sent the other arcs to set up and prepare everything with the intent there would be some level of failure, weakening them for Korra to enact a sort of coup and take control of everything.

20:57 [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, so that's kind of where my mind was, you know, she was stuck in in line to become the pathfinder and I'm pretty sure Alec could have died in a million different ways in a very foreign land. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_07]: Well, that's, hopefully we get some clarification on the new game that will come out whenever, who knows when this coming out, we don't.

21:22 [SPEAKER_07]: But we have a pop quiz for you, Genesis. [SPEAKER_07]: Today, I have a voice line for you. [SPEAKER_07]: Now, I think you already know what this one is. [SPEAKER_07]: I didn't try to go with the hardball one for today. [SPEAKER_07]: I just tried to go with a fun one. [SPEAKER_07]: But why don't we go ahead and listen to it [SPEAKER_05]: My personality matrix can predict what the real commander shepherd would say with 7% accuracy.

21:46 [SPEAKER_07]: All right, I'll play a one more time. [SPEAKER_05]: My personality matrix can predict what the real commander shepherd would say with 7% accuracy. [SPEAKER_07]: Okay. [SPEAKER_04]: That is the shepherd VI in Mass Effect 3 down in the refugee holding area. [SPEAKER_07]: Bingo, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, b

22:15 [SPEAKER_04]: Like, I wanted it to be in my cabin and I was like, I was disappointed when I convinced the guy to give me a copy. [SPEAKER_04]: I was like, okay, what do I do with this now? [SPEAKER_04]: And it's a nothing burger and that made me sad. [SPEAKER_07]: Do you know how funny it would have been to have it in your cabin and then like, it cycles through a bunch of lines that are like jokes and at the end?

22:35 [SPEAKER_04]: It says, you should go. [SPEAKER_07]: Or, you know what, I would have loved to have had a two parry vending machine in my cabin. [SPEAKER_04]: I would have stuck Commander VI in the cockpit and haven't bugged the shit out of Joker all day. [SPEAKER_07]: Oh my god, that would have been amazing.

22:59 [SPEAKER_07]: Have the Commander Shepard VI have Edie manipulate the Commander Shepard VI to say whatever she wanted. [SPEAKER_07]: That would be so funny. [SPEAKER_07]: To play pranks on Joker. [SPEAKER_07]: Oh my gosh, that would have been amazing. [SPEAKER_07]: All right, well, good job getting the pop quiz correct.

23:22 [SPEAKER_07]: I promise next one that I do. [SPEAKER_07]: I'll have a harder one for you. [SPEAKER_07]: But next week, you're gonna be quizzing me. [SPEAKER_07]: So, [SPEAKER_07]: Alright, we also have new patrons, three new patrons to shut up. [SPEAKER_07]: Day, James and Ryan, thank you all so much for signing up.

23:38 [SPEAKER_07]: And day, signed up for the Tier V support level, the Shepard level. [SPEAKER_07]: So thank you day as well as our other Tier V patrons, Buds Buds, Buds, Buds, Unfortunate Benefactor, William, Superfly 440, Red Robot, Lieutenant Tocino, Kira C, Edboy, and, of course, day. [SPEAKER_07]: I already mentioned, all right, let's get back with the rest of the show.

24:00 [SPEAKER_03]: After time and drift among open stars, a long tide of light and through shows of dust, I will return to where I began. [SPEAKER_01]: Celery and reproduction different, very little, sex-trot. [SPEAKER_01]: If intended to try human, would try you. [SPEAKER_01]: Ow, my bakeries! [SPEAKER_07]: And that voice line reminded me that Celeryians probably don't celebrate Valentine's Day.

24:22 [SPEAKER_04]: That's valid. [SPEAKER_04]: I could see how a specialized meeting holiday is not really for them. [SPEAKER_07]: What from what we talked about with salarian mating rituals? [SPEAKER_07]: I would think that if a salarian were gifted chocolates or flowers in exchange for anticipated sexual favors, that they might think of it as, like, wow, you think, like, my breeding dowry is that cheap?

24:51 [SPEAKER_07]: Like, they might be extremely insulted that you only got them flowers, that you only got them chocolates. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, no, this thing needs to be contracted out. [SPEAKER_04]: There's negotiations to be handled. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, you can not sweet talk a salarian with a flower, too.

25:09 [SPEAKER_07]: They'd probably find it to be flippant. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, all right. [SPEAKER_07]: Well, we have some not-so-romantic holidays in store. [SPEAKER_07]: In fact, this first one that we got to talk about is a spooky one that has somehow survived into the Mass Effect universe.

25:25 [SPEAKER_07]: I guess aliens like being scared to, on Genesis? [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, so let's get into Halloween. [SPEAKER_04]: Don't be surprised to find your human friends in a costume today, as large portions of Earth and its colonies celebrate the holiday of Halloween. [SPEAKER_04]: Originally a day of the dead in which masks were worn to scare off evil spirits, Halloween evolved into a secular holiday with popular activities such as carving fruit.

25:58 [SPEAKER_04]: wearing costumes. [SPEAKER_04]: And the curious custom of children going house to house begging for food. [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, all right. [SPEAKER_07]: Who wrote this? [SPEAKER_07]: Who wrote this? [SPEAKER_07]: There's an alien who wrote this one. [SPEAKER_04]: right? [SPEAKER_04]: It's the biggest night of the year for the candy industry.

26:20 [SPEAKER_04]: 25% of their annual sales are typically purchased for the purpose of being distributed on Halloween. [SPEAKER_04]: That I believe. [SPEAKER_04]: This year's hottest selling costumes include zombie Huerta, Lily Tanigas, and Death Hunter. [SPEAKER_07]: I'm not sure I understand that second one, but zombie Huerta's hilarious.

26:47 [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, this one looks like an assari name, Lily, L-I-L-I, and then the last name is T apostrophe N-I-G-U-S. [SPEAKER_07]: I'm not going to lie when I was reading through then. [SPEAKER_07]: I read that. [SPEAKER_07]: I there was a serious hold up moment. [SPEAKER_07]: I was like, wow, server stately news.

27:08 [SPEAKER_07]: What the hell are they talking about? [SPEAKER_07]: Maybe maybe CDN needed to really copy proof that one. [SPEAKER_07]: But zombie Huerta is really funny because for those of you who don't know how [SPEAKER_07]: where to was the president right president on earth of the North American states.

27:24 [SPEAKER_07]: I want to say just top my head. [SPEAKER_07]: I can't remember it was the countries that the country or group that of countries that includes current day Canada United States, Mexico. [SPEAKER_07]: So I wanted to say present where to had a stroke right while in office and then became legally brain dead, but but not fully dead [SPEAKER_07]: for President Huerta, right?

27:52 [SPEAKER_07]: And my memory, this is totally, I read through that like story arc for Huerta years ago and have not revisited it. [SPEAKER_04]: know that sounds right um that's the when talking to the hospital desk clerk and the person who's talking to them is having that debate on whether or not where they're still alive because his memories were shifted to secondary person remember remembering right right and and it was a stroke right there was the catalyst and then like he started slurring words [SPEAKER_07]: Sorry, that there was really low for it to be picked there.

28:36 [SPEAKER_07]: So yeah, that actually happened. [SPEAKER_07]: So zombie Huerta is a funny costume if not like an awful joke. [SPEAKER_04]: right? [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, a lot of Halloween costumes definitely do that. [SPEAKER_04]: I also looked up Lily and it's from Make It Look Real, the Lily-T-Nigastory.

28:55 [SPEAKER_04]: And a sorry word musical comedy, romance, espionage, [SPEAKER_04]: Y-W-N-B-W-I-P-F-M. You would not believe what's in this fucking movie factor. [SPEAKER_07]: What the hell? [SPEAKER_04]: I, this, I, this is the lower buddy. [SPEAKER_07]: We got to cover that at some point. [SPEAKER_07]: I don't know.

29:31 [SPEAKER_07]: I guess that joke will remain over my head for now. [SPEAKER_04]: So, uh, it launched its Oscar buzz with a, you would not believe what's in this [SPEAKER_04]: Okay. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_04]: Probably not. [SPEAKER_04]: I think that there's anything else on this. [SPEAKER_07]: Probably not freaking.

29:51 [SPEAKER_07]: Okay, so you know what's interesting about this, these details by Halloween, that it specifies that humans are the ones who are really still celebrating this. [SPEAKER_07]: It doesn't sound like [SPEAKER_07]: aliens are celebrating this. [SPEAKER_07]: Maybe hardly at all. [SPEAKER_07]: Although, there are aliens depicted in human Halloween costumes.

30:16 [SPEAKER_04]: Hmm. [SPEAKER_04]: That. [SPEAKER_04]: Hmm. [SPEAKER_04]: Okay. [SPEAKER_07]: That's a bit problematic, isn't it? [SPEAKER_04]: It is. [SPEAKER_04]: Are we offended by human face? [SPEAKER_04]: I don't know. [SPEAKER_07]: That sounds like leather face, Texas chainsaw masquer. [SPEAKER_07]: Um, I wouldn't be, uh, not I wouldn't be.

30:37 [SPEAKER_04]: Um, no, especially if we're dressing up as aliens as well, you know, I am not in a sorry. [SPEAKER_04]: And, but I would have to dress up like that if that's the costume that I picked for that. [SPEAKER_04]: It's also, it's a weird one if you really think about it. [SPEAKER_04]: It was a holiday that was based on a superstition to void off evil spirits.

30:57 [SPEAKER_04]: And if your culture doesn't even believe in an evil spirit type, this holiday makes absolutely no sense. [SPEAKER_04]: So I could see why aliens don't celebrate Halloween. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, yeah, I can see like certain aliens being like, you know, completely befuddled at like, you know, but what is the point?

31:18 [SPEAKER_07]: Why are children dressing up and begging for food? [SPEAKER_04]: Why is it okay? [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, stranger danger don't hate candy from strangers and yet here honey, go across the street and ask for some candy. [SPEAKER_04]: It just doesn't make sense. [SPEAKER_07]: Can you imagine being a human family living in a neighborhood on the Citadel where it's all aliens?

31:40 [SPEAKER_07]: And you want to celebrate Halloween, but like no one has candy. [SPEAKER_04]: knock on the door and they give you like a a pace tube. [SPEAKER_04]: This is all I got for you again. [SPEAKER_07]: Trick or treat, then the battalion opens the door. [SPEAKER_07]: My god, never mind. [SPEAKER_04]: Your costumes are really scary, mister.

31:59 [SPEAKER_07]: Dog away. [SPEAKER_07]: They or like an L core opens the door, you know, sincerely. [SPEAKER_08]: I am sorry that I do not have sweet treats for you, little human. [SPEAKER_04]: Oh, thank you, you've got how much candy and L-core would grab out with their massive hands. [SPEAKER_04]: I would go to that house.

32:23 [SPEAKER_07]: They're like fist applause. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, exactly. [SPEAKER_07]: they would only have King size candy bars. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, so also funny that this one has survived perhaps because of its lack of sentimentality, that it's just a commercial one that's fun, and maybe that's one of the other reasons that it survived.

32:46 [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, that in some adults are really obsessed with Halloween, it's gonna survive. [SPEAKER_07]: Well, some are honestly obsessed with Halloween in the whole aesthetic and, you know, the day the dead day core and that kind of thing and other adults use it as an excuse to dress up like Certain industry workers So That's what some adults do mainly those around the ages of 18 to 21 [SPEAKER_04]: I mean, you're talking about movie actors, right?

33:18 [SPEAKER_04]: Or maybe industry? [SPEAKER_07]: Yes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is specifically what I was getting at. [SPEAKER_07]: So, all right, so it looks like we go back to a pretty important cultural holiday that comes up next with the human Hindu holiday of Dolly. [SPEAKER_07]: Um, we get a dispatch from Cerber Staley news that says it begins tonight, a festival of lights celebrating renewal, a new financial year, and the triumph of good over evil.

33:47 [SPEAKER_07]: For five days, celebrants hang traditional candle lamps called Diaz outside their house to celebrate, or to, I'm sorry, to guide good fortune to them or celebrate the gods victory over darkness. [SPEAKER_07]: on starships where open flames consume needed oxygen, Diaz are typically replaced with an LED display outside the practitioner's cabin.

34:10 [SPEAKER_07]: Dewali is also a time for exchanging gifts, eating sweet foods, bathing with oil, and lighting firecrackers. [SPEAKER_07]: Though often celebrated, secularly, the holiday is not without its spiritual side. [SPEAKER_07]: Observant humans use the days to contemplate the inner light or, quote unquote, soul that transcends the physical form.

34:32 [SPEAKER_07]: So, I like this because it's showing us that a very critical cultural holiday has survived all those hundreds of years, and that for many, though not often, it is still celebrated in a spiritual way. [SPEAKER_07]: That spirituality has not ceased, despite the exploration that humanity has accomplished.

35:01 [SPEAKER_04]: Hinduism is still alive. [SPEAKER_04]: That's great. [SPEAKER_04]: And Diwali is such a beautiful holiday. [SPEAKER_04]: It's like this big festival of lights and you go around and they can be colored or they can be like this pure white flame and it's so pretty decorating the lamps and that's kind of where like the bathing with additional oils comes from is you know it's supposed to be lamp oil but [SPEAKER_04]: That's not really used as much anymore.

35:33 [SPEAKER_04]: It's all about essential oils and things like that now. [SPEAKER_04]: And the lighting of firecrackers is combining that light and sound together to continue to ward off the evil spirits. [SPEAKER_04]: And then the pure light is to invite the good in. [SPEAKER_04]: And I also love the fact that there's accommodations for, you know, don't lighten open flame on your Starship, please.

35:58 [SPEAKER_04]: It is okay to use LED lights instead. [SPEAKER_07]: Now, I'm not too familiar with this holiday, but I wonder if the holiday of Holy has survived as well, the festival of colors, people might recognize that from the very vibrant photos that come out from Holy every year. [SPEAKER_07]: Lots of, is it, I forget what the dust that, what does the dust made out of?

36:25 [SPEAKER_07]: That's always thrown about, people are covered in the colorful dust. [SPEAKER_04]: It's a powdered dye, it's a clothing dye, basically. [SPEAKER_04]: You would use it, or it can be a form of chalk, or it can be a lot of different things, but generally it's a clothing dye and a powdered form.

36:45 [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, so I wonder if that one has survived, because I've always loved seeing the photos and the videos that come from holy over year. [SPEAKER_04]: I missed holy by, yeah, I missed holy by three days [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, that's a bummer. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, that's a bummer. [SPEAKER_07]: I wonder how long it takes to get that powder out of your hair?

37:10 [SPEAKER_04]: Oh, it takes forever. [SPEAKER_04]: And even when I was there, people still had it in their hair. [SPEAKER_04]: And you could still see a lot of it on the streets and the sidewalk houses, things like that, all still had colors all over the place. [SPEAKER_04]: So it was really cool to walk around still.

37:28 [SPEAKER_07]: That's a holiday that I think a lot of aliens would get behind. [SPEAKER_04]: just for the sheer visual aesthetics of it and the joy of being able to safely throw things at your friends, you know. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, yeah, there's that too. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_07]: All right, well, I think we've got the, uh, I don't want to say like, I don't want to say biggest, right?

37:54 [SPEAKER_07]: But we have the most prominent holiday in Western culture that we still have yet to talk about. [SPEAKER_07]: they still celebrate Christmas in the mass fighting games. [SPEAKER_04]: Yep, we will wrap up the episode and wrap up the year with Christmas. [SPEAKER_04]: Today marks the human holiday of Christmas, celebrating the birth of the semi-divine teacher prophet Jesus in Earth's Christian tradition.

38:22 [SPEAKER_07]: Okay, so I'm gonna stop you right there and I'm gonna tell [SPEAKER_07]: then there are many Christians who are going to listen to this show and go hold on. [SPEAKER_07]: Did you just describe Jesus as a semi-divine teacher prophet? [SPEAKER_07]: They're probably going to take issue with that.

38:47 [SPEAKER_07]: That's just how it's written in Cerberus Daily News. [SPEAKER_07]: So go ahead, Genesis. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah, everything I'm about to write is not my own words. [SPEAKER_04]: The holiday is commemorated through omnipresent music in public areas. [SPEAKER_04]: Hello, areas. [SPEAKER_04]: Lavish gift giving to relatives and loved ones.

39:09 [SPEAKER_07]: Sometimes true. [SPEAKER_04]: The cutting and decorating of trees placed indoors. [SPEAKER_07]: Originally a pagan tradition. [SPEAKER_04]: and the hanging of flexible foot gear, near fire pits. [SPEAKER_07]: Nice. [SPEAKER_07]: They missed the candy and the candy in the foot gear. [SPEAKER_04]: I love that phrasing so much.

39:32 [SPEAKER_07]: Oh yes, deck the halls with Bows of Holly and flexible foot gear. [SPEAKER_04]: Hmm. [SPEAKER_04]: While all of the above practices are secular, more religious humans attend a prayer service either on the night before or during this day. [SPEAKER_04]: The holiday spirit is traditionally shared with others by wishing for peace on earth and goodwill towards men.

39:57 [SPEAKER_04]: Once considered universal, that greeting has since been replaced with peace and goodwill towards all creation. [SPEAKER_07]: The war on Christmas continues. [SPEAKER_07]: I'll be damned. [SPEAKER_07]: I am completely being facetious, by the way, for everyone that cannot tell. [SPEAKER_07]: I am almost certain that the author is making a joke about the alleged war on Christmas.

40:29 [SPEAKER_07]: So, I had a thought while you were talking about this. [SPEAKER_07]: If there was a Turian or a Corian who was celebrating Christmas, do you think that their stockings would have like split toes? [SPEAKER_04]: Um, I mean, yeah, probably. [SPEAKER_07]: Corians would definitely wear socks because, and don't ask me how I know this, but Corians do indeed sweat.

40:54 [SPEAKER_04]: Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they wear socks. [SPEAKER_07]: But I think that that's, it's aren't socked. [SPEAKER_07]: Like sweating is the primary reason why we wear socks, right? [SPEAKER_07]: Because without socks, we would get a lot of blisters, a lot of like bad diseases with our feet.

41:11 [SPEAKER_07]: We could have constant athletes' foot if not, you know, turning into something worse. [SPEAKER_04]: You've known me for six years. [SPEAKER_04]: Have you ever seen socks on my feet? [SPEAKER_07]: Fair, but you wear shoes that it works with. [SPEAKER_07]: Like, like you couldn't wear every type of shoe [SPEAKER_07]: Pretty much to you.

41:31 [SPEAKER_07]: You wear snow boots without socks. [SPEAKER_04]: I hate socks. [SPEAKER_04]: I hate the feeling of fuzzy on my feet. [SPEAKER_07]: Okay, I'm learning something today. [SPEAKER_04]: Actually, but it's a second. [SPEAKER_04]: I work like you buy my feet in one episode. [SPEAKER_07]: Oh, yeah, you're right.

41:46 [SPEAKER_07]: So redder button chat here says socks are primarily to prevent friction against your shoes, which caused blisters. [SPEAKER_07]: As a medic, I understand the importance of socks and changing them off. [SPEAKER_07]: And yes, and the United States military definitely learned the importance of that during World War [SPEAKER_07]: when countless soldiers develop trench foot.

42:05 [SPEAKER_07]: So hopefully everyone say a prayer to whatever deity or anything you believe in for Genesis's feet that she doesn't get trench foot. [SPEAKER_04]: Okay, so snow boots. [SPEAKER_04]: Yes, but that's because I'm cold. [SPEAKER_04]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_04]: No. [SPEAKER_07]: I figured. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, I've said if it's like super, you know, I see or wet and cold outside.

42:25 [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, you definitely need that. [SPEAKER_07]: And anyway, good luck with your trench foot since you are in the trenches in Portland, which is still a war zone, right? [SPEAKER_04]: Absolutely still a war zone. [SPEAKER_04]: Yes, very much so. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_07]: Well, uh, I guess that does it for the holidays.

42:41 [SPEAKER_07]: Um, and we also know that Aileen celebrates the Earth New Year. [SPEAKER_07]: That's a separate story. [SPEAKER_07]: That's a separate arc of stories that I think we've already covered. [SPEAKER_04]: Because we talked about the dropping of the New Year's ball that was stolen. [SPEAKER_07]: Yes, by none other than Roland Quarn.

42:56 [SPEAKER_07]: So, I can imagine a lot of aliens listening to Christmas music and having no idea what it means, what any of it means, because it's getting translated for them in a real time with their omnitools, right? [SPEAKER_07]: And they're like jingle bells. [SPEAKER_07]: or uh, there is a reindeer who has an apparent brain tumor.

43:29 [SPEAKER_04]: Dashing through this, how do you explain dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh? [SPEAKER_04]: because take all those words individually, like, dashing through the snow. [SPEAKER_04]: Okay. [SPEAKER_04]: What is snow? [SPEAKER_04]: I've never heard of snow. [SPEAKER_04]: How would it explain to me the concept of snow through a one horse?

43:50 [SPEAKER_04]: What's a horse? [SPEAKER_04]: What's a horse? [SPEAKER_04]: In slay, we're talking about slaying people, we're killing people. [SPEAKER_04]: What is this doing to the people? [SPEAKER_07]: This is a terrible horse. [SPEAKER_07]: Yes. [SPEAKER_07]: How was this festive? [SPEAKER_07]: Also, who was Santa, and is he an old man or a baby?

44:12 [SPEAKER_04]: How does his nose do such things? [SPEAKER_04]: I don't understand. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_07]: Why do humans decide to put lights on an extremely flammable outdoor plant and keep it in their homes? [SPEAKER_04]: Why did you bring your outside tree inside? [SPEAKER_07]: think there's something psychologically wrong with these humans.

44:39 [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, if you can think of any other Christmas traditions that maybe aliens would not understand, we'd love to know. [SPEAKER_07]: Let us know in the comments, and I'm sure we'll have a great time in those comments. [SPEAKER_07]: uh... but yeah this has been fun this has been like a fun refresher for which holidays have existed uh... through to twenty one eighty five at least and which ones are celebrated uh... for humans which ones are celebrated for humans and aliens in which ones are perhaps just celebrated only for humans you know it seems like like aliens really only have hopped on board saint valentine's day [SPEAKER_04]: Possibly, but they did join in on Passover, so that's another one.

45:24 [SPEAKER_04]: Okay, good for them. [SPEAKER_04]: But yeah, Valentine's Day is definitely probably going to be the most celebrated throughout all the species. [SPEAKER_07]: It won't last one about Santa and Christmas. [SPEAKER_07]: How did the children and the colonies, what are the parents and the colonies to other children like, yeah, Santa's like beaming across space and FDL right now.

45:49 [SPEAKER_07]: His sleigh has become just a rocket ship. [SPEAKER_04]: His slate can totally travel through Mass Effect Relays. [SPEAKER_04]: Are you kidding me? [SPEAKER_04]: Or maybe now Christmas is like, it doesn't happen in one night. [SPEAKER_04]: Or Santa has to ship them through normal means. [SPEAKER_04]: He's still on earth.

46:10 [SPEAKER_04]: So you'll get your gift from Santa through the mail. [SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, or can you imagine a future myth busters where they're like, okay, we're going to launch. [SPEAKER_07]: 18 loose reindeer at this Mass Effect relay, and we'll let you know how practical it is for Santa to travel this way.

46:33 [SPEAKER_07]: Maybe it's like some aliens that like don't understand the whole like it's a myth, but don't say it's a myth because it's fun for the kids. [SPEAKER_07]: Maybe as an alien's don't understand that they end up committing some kind of atrocity, the ASPCA gets involved. [SPEAKER_04]: Alright, you heard it here, do not shoot live animals into space and definitely not into mass-effect relays.

46:55 [SPEAKER_04]: Things will go very, very poorly for everyone involved. [SPEAKER_07]: Rood off the red nose, reindeer, boosh, alright, and with that, let's wrap up the episodes tonight. [SPEAKER_07]: Genesis, what are you going on until next week, how can people get ahold of you? [SPEAKER_04]: And so I am always on the discords.

47:15 [SPEAKER_04]: I am Genesis with a J. [SPEAKER_04]: You can also catch me on my two other shows. [SPEAKER_04]: The two girls, one ship podcast, where we analyze, rate, and review all that the world of video game romances has to offer. [SPEAKER_04]: We are currently talking about Detroit become human. [SPEAKER_04]: And on my other show, the cyberpunk lore cast, where we explore the foundations of the past, to the state of Night City today and the news, the future for all things, cyberpunk.

47:42 [SPEAKER_07]: Hell yeah, sounds good. [SPEAKER_07]: All right. [SPEAKER_07]: And I am considering streaming either this week or this weekend. [SPEAKER_07]: I am, I have been like really, really sucked back into magic the gathering lately. [SPEAKER_07]: So that's like what I've been doing my spare time because I'm also like, and I think you'll get this as like a parent.

48:04 [SPEAKER_07]: I've been actively pushing myself to go and socialize. [SPEAKER_07]: And playing tabletop magic like at local card shops is one of the lowest maintenance ways to do so. [SPEAKER_07]: So yep, you know like you know when you have a kid your world goes from out here to [SPEAKER_07]: just really narrow.

48:25 [SPEAKER_07]: That's what your world is and it starts to open back up. [SPEAKER_07]: And that's where I am right now. [SPEAKER_07]: So I'm trying to open my world back up not become this weird hermit who never associates with anyone besides his family and then develop these really weird behaviors and mannerisms that I do out in public and people like, wow, what the hell is wrong with that weirdo.

48:46 [SPEAKER_07]: So [SPEAKER_07]: Anyway, that's where I am right now. [SPEAKER_07]: So, excuse me, if I'm not streaming as much as I have in the past, I am working on it, and I'm just trying to really find the right game to stream. [SPEAKER_07]: So, anyway, if people want to get a hold of me, you can find me on any social media at in 7 a legend.

49:06 [SPEAKER_07]: If you add me on Twitch, or I'm sorry, if you add me on Steam, or Xbox or anywhere, just send me a short note to let me know that, hey, I'm a listener in the lorecast. [SPEAKER_07]: That way, I know [SPEAKER_07]: who you are and you're not a Russian bot. [SPEAKER_07]: So with that, we should go.

49:22 [SPEAKER_07]: Take care everybody. [SPEAKER_07]: Thanks for listening to the Mass Effect War Test. [SPEAKER_07]: Reach out to us on Blue Sky, Twitter, Discord, Patreon, or email us at Mass EffectLoreCast at gmail.com. [SPEAKER_04]: Join us next week for more lore, same space, same time. [SPEAKER_04]: Or check out our live streams at twitch.tv slash Mass Effect WarCast.