Our Favorite Fictional Holidays In Pop Culture

Although plenty of fantasy fandoms use "Yule" in place of Christmas, Harry Potter makes it not an annual celebration but a special dance related to the Triwizard Tournament. It actually takes place on the night of the Winter Solstice, which is today!

As we saw in The Goblet of Fire, the Yule Ball looks like a dream come true, with enchanted decorations and fancy dress robes. But Harry and Ron spend most of the time sulking since the girls they actually like -- Cho and Hermione -- went with other people.

On Freedom Day -- the national dance of which Fry and Zoidberg are demonstrating above -- you're allowed to do whatever you want. Naked hot tubbing? Sure! Beating someone up? Go for it! Eating the Earthican flag? ...No. Not that. In the 2002 episode "Taste of Freedom," poor Zoidberg learns just how limited the Earthlings' freedom is.

The OG of made-up holidays -- for our generation, at least -- Chrismukkah is Seth Cohen's (Adam Brody) amalgamation of his parents' faiths so that all three of them could celebrate together. When they adopted Ryan (Ben McKenzie) into their family he was also allowed to attend the Chrismukkah festivities; later years saw Summer and Marissa invited, too.

But the crowning moment may have been when Ryan's girlfriend Lindsay made this relic for Seth: A yarmuclaus.

In season 4's "Secret Santa" episode, the TGS writers tell Kenneth that they are "Verdukians" in order to escape his strict Secret Santa tradition. When pressed, they explain that Verdukians celebrate Merlinpeen, or the holiday of Mouth Pleasures: You eat a meat-topped pizza and then get your gums flossed by a blonde virgin.

Weird Al Yankovic, who originally conceived of the holiday for one of his albums, joked that Weasel Stomping Day is celebrated on June 31, a day that doesn't actually exist. Seth Green's irreverent stop-motion comedy show Robot Chicken picked up the song and made an animated video out of it, starring their usual action figures and Weird Al in toy form.

As for the actual holiday, participants are expected to wear Viking helmets and hiking boots, spread the ground with mayonnaise, and stomp weasels to death. Most people don't know why it started but go along with the tradition anyway.

Like Weasel Stomping Day, Whacking Day is a celebration beloved by the residents of Springfield, though they have no idea why they bash snakes with any possible blunt object. (Turns out it originated as a way to beat up the Irish. Oops.)

Another Futurama holiday, this one was invented by Bender as long as an excuse to skip work. Along with Robomadon and Robonzaa, of course.

Traditions for Robanukah include doing "the robot" dance move; lighting eight beer bottles in lieu of a menorah, and playing the "droidol" game (which Bender always wins, natch).

OK, this is probably the OG of made-up holidays for most TV fans. Seinfeld writer Daniel O'Keefe incorporated a tradition his father Dan had introduced during his childhood: Festivus, a way to combat the commercialization of Christmas by celebrating on December 23. In place of a tree was an unadorned aluminum pole, and after the feast (meatloaf), participants got to do the Airing of Grievances: You tell everyone how they've disappointed you, then challenge the head of the household to a wrestling match.