Culture of St. Gelta

The following page regards the culture of St. Gelta. St. Gelta claims to be, albeit disputedly, the most cultural province in Jonathia. A "nation of purple and fire", St. Gelta holds the largest cultural celebrations in the country every Independence Day, with reports of up to 4 million people observing the holiday every year. Much of St. Gelta's culture is derived from the cultures of Lolland and Canadia. When Arizaia invaded the area around 912 AD, they attempted to force their culture on St. Gelta. This attempt, however, failed, and except for the language, there is rare instances of Arizaian influence in Geltan culture.
== Flag ==
The current flag of St. Gelta was adopted on the 6th of February, 1857, which is referred to locally as Flag Day. It features a white torch on a purple background, with the year 1729 written on it, likely referencing the finding of gold that year, leading to a mass mining spree, as more ore and minerals were found in the area.
Referencing the flag, a flaming torch was erected outside of the St. Gelta provincial council building in Gelta City in 1929. This torch is a popular tourist spot, and has led to many incidents involving clothing being set aflame.
== Colours ==
St. Gelta's main colours are purple, white, and yellow, with black as a secondary colour. The use of purple, the colour most commonly associated with the state, was influenced by the yoyleberry, the latter being native to the province. White refers to clouds in the sky, as St. Gelta often faces rainstorms around September and February. The origin of how yellow became associated with St. Gelta, however, is unknown, although some Geltans suggest it may have something to do with the abundance of yellow flowers in the area, however other sources say otherwise.
Black, St. Gelta's only secondary colour, references the night sky, proven by the poem Sang du Jonathien (Blood of the Jonathian), written in 1942, where the fifth paragraph reads;The land of the torch cherishes the night sky,It's dark and black gloom matches the pupils in their eye.Raise the flame, we do, and light up our view,The artificial stars we formed glow our purple avenue.
== Clothing ==
The Geltadrotsch (Geltan for Geltan dress) is a purple and yellow dress worn by Geltans during cultural events. GeltadrotschenPlural of Geltadrotsch (Geltan). are notably used at celebrations on local holidays, where they are mainly used at dances and prayers.
Geltadrotschen consists of the following;
* Purple straw hat - While this is optional, it is common for hats to be worn by women. The hat often contains a purple flower with yellow petals.
* Geltsyott (English: Geltan shirt) - A purple shirt with white sew lines, and a yellow square at the top of the shirt.
* Black gloves - Black gloves were not part of the original dress, but became popular from the 1760s onwards.
* Either or both:
** Black or purple woolen pants
** Purple/yellow striped skirt
* Black or white shoes/high-heels - Optional.
== Food ==
St. Gelta's culutral food is quite abundant.
Fritwraps are a burrito-type food. Fries, locally known as chips or frites, are put into a rolled-out dough or bread, with squirts of tomato ketchup, mustard, and/or mayonnaise. The dish is quite popular among tourists, who see it as a combination of a taco/burrito, fish and chips, and a hot dog.
A yoylecake is a large cake made of yoyleberries, covered in purple and lime icing, as well as a yellow frosted lining and large chocolate chips on the top and, on occasions, the sides. Rumours circulated in Commolacia around the 21st century, where it was told that yoylecake, as well as yoyleberries and yoyleberry-based products as a whole, can turn people into metal. While this claim has since been proven false, it spread rapidly around the 2010s on several social media sites.
Puffy cake is a cake-like waffle made using cake batter instead of regular waffle batter. It became increasingly popular in the 1950s, when restaurants across St. Gelta began serving the pastry. There exists a long debate over the origin of Puffy cake, with Canadia also claiming ownership. However, the oldest existing recipe, dating back to 1896, originates in St. Gelta.
== Languages ==
St. Gelta speaks English and French, as well as a local language, Geltan. The Geltan language is part of the Amacan family of languages.
== Rivalry with Northern Province ==
Historically, St. Gelta is at odds with the Northern Province, the latter of which became increasingly obvious as the Premier League started. Tensions between citizens of the two provinces began to heat up, until St. Gelta managed to win the 2020 Premier League, breaking the Northern Province's unusually long streak of winning all football matches it played.
== References ==
Category:St. Gelta
Category:Cultures
Category:Jonathia
Category:St. Geltan culture
Category:Jonathian culture