Culture of Excelsior

The culture of the Excelsior Republic is heavily influenced by the culture of New York City, as well as German, American, British, Italian, and Brazlian culture. Excelsioran culture places a heavy emphasis on secularity, as well as food and the local culture of Brooklyn, New York, where Excelsior is located. Excelsioran culture is highly developed and consists of multiple cultures, languages, and traditional foods. The Excelsioran Department of Conservation, led by Secretary Joshua Schnurman, is responsible for cultural protection and setting cultural standards.

Food and cuisine

Wild boar ragu, the national meal of Excelsior.

Most Excelsioran cuisine stems from Brooklyn-Italian cuisine, however Excelsioran cuisine features much inspiration from other cuisines as well. Most Excelsioran meals are variations on classic meals of Brookylnite or Italian cuisine, however many meals considered "Excelsioran" are simply meals from other cultures which have been unchanged by Excelsioran culture and are simply commonly consumed and celebrated in Excelsioran culture. The natioanl dish of Excelsior is wild boar ragu. The dish was chosen with little care by President Silas Wurnbash as a suitable national meal and has little cultural connections to Excelsior, with it being rarely eaten in Excelsior at all. A more common meal and often alternative to the national meal is bolognese, and Italian meat sauce pasta commonly eaten in the areas surrounding Excelsior in Brooklyn. The meal is a staple of Excelsioran cuisine and is often eaten as a common Excelsioran dinner. Most Excelsioran variations consist of adding more tomato to the sauce and cooking for longer periods of time, as well as using egg noodles as opposed to normal pasta. Pasta itself is a common Excelsioran staple meal and can be eaten as a side to most dishes, much like rice or potatoes in other cuisines. It is often served with a pesto sauce, most commonly in Invictus. New York style pizza, a staple of New York cuisine, is a very popular Excelsioran food usually eaten for lunch. Variations using different types of dough are often found in Grandsia and eaten later in the day. Excelsioran cuisine is heavy on spices such as basil, oregano, and black peppercorns. While Excelsioran cuisine is heavily influenced by Italian cuisine, it is influenced by other cuisines as well, such as Brazilian cuisine and American cuisine. Brazilian Churrasco with chimichurri, as well as pão de queijo and feijoada are all popular Excelsioran dishes from Brazilian cuisine. American foods like cheeseburgers and specifically New York style hot dogs are also popular Excelsioran dishes. Commonly consumed ingredients in Excelsior found in many dishes include Parmesan cheese, cucumbers, and green apples. Excelsioran cuisine is also traditionally meat-heavy, specifically in chicken, pork, and beef. In terms of fish, Salmon is quite commonly enjoyed by the Excelsioran populace, usually with a small salad or potatoes. The chicken and pesto sandwich is the national meal of Excelsior and clam chowder, popular in New York City, is the national soup.

Original Excelsioran dishes

Excelsioran cuisine also includes dishes, or special variations of dishes, which can only be found in Excelsior. Strawberry salad, invented in Grandsia in 2020, is an example of one such meal, being a salad consisting of romaine, strawberries, parmesan cheese, and green apples. Another original Excelsioran dish is the common dessert of Grandsian mint ice cream, a variation of mint ice cream made with fresh mint leaves and unsweetened chocolate. Other dishes which take no influence from other cuisines but are often eaten in Excelsior are sometimes considered to be original Excelsioran dishes, including the snack of green apples and parmesan cheese.

Sweet potatoes, a Grandsian staple food.

Regional cuisine

There are also many regional Excelsioran dishes, concentrated in certain regions of Excelsior. Most regional meals come from the Grandsian Constituent Republic. Sweet potatoes are one of the most popular foods in Grandsia and are often utilized as a staple food such as rice or potato. Grandsian lasagne is also a popular Grandsian meal native to the Grandsian prefecture of Camellia. In New Codak, the capital of Grandsia, mint ice cream is a popular snack food and is often prepared fresh with mint grown in the Capitol Gardens. Townsville also has a distinct regional cuisine, placing emphasis on bananas and plaintains.

Cooking as a hobby

Cooking as a hobby is a popular pastime for many Excelsioran citizens. Excelsior has held cooking competitions in the past and many Excelsiorann citizens know how to cook and cook for fun. Most often, Excelsiorans will also create new meals or variations of Excelsioran meals, or make meals from other cuisines.

Dress

A T-shirt and jeans, a common default Excelsioran outfit.

Common Excelsioran dress is influenced heavily by urban fashion, as well as american clothing and German dress. Most Excelsiorans wear simple clothing such as a t-shirt. Excelsioran dress is also influenced by the dress of New York City, including hoodies and jeans, as well as common colors in New York fashion, such as black, navy, white, and ivory. In the Grandsia Republic of Excelsior, dress us known to be a bit more formal, usually consisting of clothing like bermuda shorts, polos, corduroy pants, and khakis. Traditional Excelsioran dress can also include clothing such as German-Bavarian trachten vests, usually worn in Grandsia. Prior to 2021, Grandsian wear usually consisted of outfits such as this, or highly formal outfits such as suits, but Grandsian wear has become more casual during 2021 and 2022. Long-sleeved button down shirts are popular in the winter, as well as hats and full winter clothing for Excelsior's cold climate in winter. Excelsioran wear includes both warm weather and cold weather clothing for the volatile climate of New York City. Government officers such as Chancellor Nicolas Caiazzo will occasionally wear more formal wear for government proceedings.

Holidays

Excelsior recognizes 18 national holidays.

Holiday	Date	Purpose
MicroWiki day	12 January	12 January, the day Excelsior got a MicroWiki page, was designated a national holiday in 2022.
Gapla day	12 January	Gapla day celebrates the first friendly diplomatic contact made with the Federated States of Gapla, as Excelsior's foudning was inspired by Gapla.
Constitution day	6 March	Constitution day celebrates the ratification of the Excelsioran constitution.
Federation day	6 April	Federation day celebrates the Excelsioran April reforms and its transition to a federation.
Dylanland Sucks day	8 April	Dylanland sucks day celebrates Excelsior's victory over Dylanland in the Excelsior-Dylanland War.
Prisoner of War and Veteran's Day	9 April	Prisoner of War and Veteran's Day celebrates Excelsioran veterans and the actions of Silas Wurnbash as a "POW" in the Excelsior-Dylanland War.
Chancellor's day	23 April	Chancellor's day celebrates Nicolas Caiazzo, co-founder and first Chancellor of Excelsior.
International Worker's day	1 May	International Worker's day celebrates workers' rights and the labor movement.
Pride day	1 June	Pride day celebrates Excelsioran LGBTQIA+ individuals and the LGBTQ rights movement.
President's Day	29 June	President's Day celebrates first President of Excelsior Emma G., and founder and President Silas Wurnbash.
America Sucks day	4 July	America Sucks day celebrates Excelsioran sovereignty and "Excelsior superiority" over the United States of America
Election day	14 July	Election day celebrates the opening of voting for the first round of Excelsioran national elections.
Duckland sucks day	6 August	Duckland sucks day celebrates the Excelsioran victory over Duckland in the Forest war.
Founder's day	27 August	Founder's day celebrates Nicolas Caiazzo and Silas Wurnbash, the founders of Excelsior, and the foundation of Excelsior.
Independence day	28 August	As Excelsior's most major holiday, Independence day celebrates Excelsior's declaration of independence and formal establishment.
Halloween	31 October	Halloween recognizes and observes the tradition of Halloween.
Indigenous People's day	24 November	Indigenous People's day denounces the holiday of Thanksgiving and celebrates the indigenous people who were killed as a result of colonialism.
New Year's eve	31 December	New Year's eve celebrates the end of the year.