My group's game session got bumped to tomorrow, Halloween! I feel like I should try to attempt something in the spirit of Halloween. Does the Forgotten Realms have a holiday that is similar to a "day of the dead"?
The group is already in the Mere of Dead Men (playing through Horde of Dragon Queen) so it should already have a spooky vibe, but I'm sure they'd love to hear stories or something lore-related. If not, I'll just have them encounter a vampire or something!
The Feast of the Moon seems the closest. A summary from the Forgotten Realms wiki article:
The Feast of the Moon [...] was an annual festival occurring between the final night of Uktar and the first day of Nightal -- traditionally marking the onset of winter. It was also a time to celebrate and honor the ancestors and the respected dead. Folk blessed their ancestors' graves and performed the Ritual of Remembrance. People also gathered to tell stories of the deeds of their ancestors and of the gods until deep into the night, until they merged and become legend. This was a time to hear of past heroes, great treasures, and lost cities.
In Faerûn, battles were typically fought between harvest-time and the coming of winter. This meant that most of the fighting usually occurred in the month of Uktar. The timing of the Feast of the Moon—after recently slain soldiers had joined the ranks of the dead—was thus practical, if sadly ironic.
Trolltide is not exactly spooky, and this one is specific to Waterdeep. But there are kids in masks, tricks, and treats. From the Forgotten Realms wiki article:
On this day commemorating Waterdeep’s victory in the Second Trollwar, children run through the city acting like trolls, banging on doors and growling, from highsun till dusk. Home and shop owners are expected to give the children candy, fruits, or small items. Those who give no treat can expect to become the target of a trick at sundown. This mischief typically takes the form of “troll scratchings” at doors and windows. Those with more malicious intent sing screechingly in the wee hours, and hurl raw eggs at windows, signs, and the heads of those who try to stop them. Have some candy on hand or some sweet rolls, and all will be calm where you live.
or
Liar's Night (Volo's Waterdeep Enchiridion, page 25)
Liar's Night was a holiday celebrated in Waterdeep on the 30th day of Marpenoth... Liar's Night was celebrated by donning costumes or glamers to disguise one's self and pretend to be that which they were not... The celebrations began in the evening when people placed candles into gutted pumpkins or gourds that had faces carved into them... Tricks, pranks, and even pickpocketing were common on this night; thus tradition had people filling their pockets with candy in lieu of money.
