Alstin

The culture of Urcea has been shaped by geography, by historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups, particularly the influence of Great Levantia, the primary cultural, military, and political force in ancient Levantia. Much of Urcean history also saw the spread of the Urcean people throughout the lands the nation currently inhabits, creating a lasting frontier and settlement character on Urcean culture, particularly with the considerable influence of the Ómestaderoi on modern cultural trends. Urcean culture has also been significantly impacted by the relationship between itself and Sarpedon, particularly Caphiria, and its participation in the Second Great War. Urcea has played an important role as a center of high culture since the 17th century and from the 19th century on, worldwide.

In recent years, the culture of Urcea has been substantially influenced by cultural interaction with the peoples of Crona via Urcea's involvement in The Deluge. In particular, the growing prevalence of "crossover culture" in New Harren has introduced new types of food and music into mainstream Urcean culture, though many social scholars have noted that it will take several decades before elements of Cronan culture are fully embedded in everyday Urcean life. Most prevalent by the late 2010s was the introduction of certain Cronan words as slang in everyday Urcean language.

Heritage

Ethnicity

Main article: Urcean people

The issue of Urcean cultural identity, sometimes referred to as "Urceanity", has long been a topic of discussion, especially among academics. Popular opinion, along with academic consensus, has established a few basic criteria of who Urceans are, especially including a joint Latinic and Gaelic ethnic and linguistic heritage. Many Urceans view neither Adonerum nor Gallawa as their direct ancestral state, and many national historians view Great Levantia with skepticism, although the Royal Institution for National Heritage along with the majority of scholars at the Collegium Scientificum argue that the hybridization of Celtic and Latinic cultures began under the auspices of Great Levantia or earlier, and that the so-called "Latin invasion" of Adonerum and Great Levantia involved a great deal of cultural mixing.

Minority Groups

Although the majority of Urcea being populated by individuals describing themselves as ethnic Urceans, there are other groups in Urcea with similar ethnic origins that retain an individual identity. There is significant debate surrounding most of these groups, especially the Caenish and Gassavelian people; many Caens and Gassavelians, as well as sociologists, consider their identity to be under the umbrella of Urcean ethnicity due to the cultural admixture responsible for creating the Urcean identity. This position is disputed by nationalists in these groups, who are a relatively small minority, as well as historians and sociologists who view the groups to be distinct enough to not be considered an offshoot of the Urcean identity. There are also Ænglish and Latinic peoples, descendants of people who lived in areas acquired by Urcea in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Not included in this listing are Carolines, who are widely agreed to be an extension of the Urcean ethnicity.

Caenish people

Main article: Caenish people

Caenish people are the descendants of Gothic people who migrated out of Gothica to the southern parts of Levantia in the late 3rd and early 4th century. Following initial efforts by Great Levantia to defeat the Caens, they were eventually settled as Foederati in modern Canaery. After further raids and wars, the Caens eventually settled in and rapidly intermarried with the local Gaels and Latins, forming a unique culture similar to that of the Urcean people by the 800s. Incorporated into the Holy Levantine Empire, Caens became increasingly exposed to the culture of other South Levantines such as the Urceans, increasing cultural exchange and integration. The Urcean Crown received Canaery in 1144, though it would remain separately governed for centuries. Despite this, the Caenish nobility increasingly adopted Urcean styles and customs, strengthening the cultural ties between the two peoples. By the time Canaery was fully integrated into the Apostolic Kingdom, there was very little resistance as the Caens and Urceans saw each other as brothers rather than that of conquered and conqueror.

Garán people

Main article: Garán people

Garán people, sometimes also called "Carolines", are the people native to the lands of Carolina, now split into the provinces of Lower Carolina and Upper Carolina. During the collapse of Great Levantia, many Gaelic people were pushed south into modern Carolina by advancing Gothic people, overwhelming local Levantine authorities and creating a large demographic shift away from previously Latinic majorities, especially in the cities. Despite their common heritage, the Gaels in Carolina resisted the advance of Gallawa until they were overwhelmed and added to the new Levantine Empire in the 8th century. Carolina became the center of the Southern Kingdom of the Levantines, when it earned its name. The establishment of the Kingdom saw an influx of foreigners from throughout Levantia as the territory was divided into fiefs, creating a large landowning class primarily of Latinic and Gothic people among others. The noble classes eventually integrated with the mostly-Gaelic peasant class, evolving into the unique Garán culture. The Garáns spoke varieties of Lebhan and Julian Ænglish until their incorporation into Urcea after the War of the Caroline Succession. Many Urcean people relocated to Carolina before and after the war, creating yet another blend of traditions and cultures. The similarity between the Garáns and Urceans lead to a kinship that transcended the loss of the territory during the Second Caroline War, and many locals welcomed the final annexation of the territory into Urcea during the Third Caroline War. Unlike many of the other post-Great Levantine cultures in south Levantia, the Garán retained a mostly Gaelic identity rather than that of a mixed identity or a Latinic identity, despite their common Latinic heritage.

Gassavelian people

Main article: Gassavelian people

Gassavelian people are descendants of Uzdehzani people, Audonian Christian refugees who fled from Audonia during the rise of Islam and the Oduniyyad Caliphate. The relatively small group of refugees founded the Principality of Hištanšahr, establishing themselves as the small ruling caste over the indigenous majority, a mix of primarily Gaelic and Istroyan people with a few Latinic settlements to the northwest. The Kingdom of Gassavelia succeeded Hištanšahr, incorporating the area into the Holy Levantine Empire and breaking down the boundaries of intermarriage between the Uzdehzani and the local gentry and peasant classes. The mixing of these three primary cultures established the Gassavelian people, who, like the Caenish people and Carán people, are considered by some to be related to the Urcean people with a unique Audonian influence. The Uzdehzani people gradually faded away by the sheer weight of demographics, but their influence - and, in some cases, family lineage - remain to this day, giving the Gassavelian people a distinct culture from their neighbors. Urcea acquired the western half of the Kingdom of Gassavelia following the Great Confessional War in the 1500s. Given some autonomy behind local Dukes, the Gassavelians nonetheless were partly integrated into Urcean culture, adopting the Julian Ænglish language of their new Kingdom and abjuring their previous Protestant faith to embrace Catholicism. The integration of ethnic Urcean Ómestaderoi within Gassavelian cities during the Industrial Revolution also played an important role in the cultural interchange that lead to the Gassavelians being viewed as part of the wider Urcean nationality. Gassavelians have held positions of prominence in Urcean society since, and Gassavelia is one of the largest subdivisions of Urcea.

Ænglish people

Main article: Ænglish people

Like the Caenish people, the Ænglish people were descended from Gothic people who settled on the northern mountain region of Great Levantia in a region approximately including northeastern Urcea and the southeastern portion of the United Kingdom. The Ænglish people are relatively closely related to the people of the United Kingdom. Loosely recognized as foederati but mostly keeping to themselves, there was no unified Ænglish realm but rather a network of petty kings recognizing the loose suzerainty of a high king. The Ænglish embraced the Christian religion of Great Levantia in the late 5th century. The Ænglish were conquered by King Conchobar of Gallawa in the mid 8th century and were organized as the Ænglish March in the Holy Levantine Empire, a name that would remain associated with the territory even as it was elevated to a Kingdom in 1278. Many of the Ænglish in northern Angla embraced Protestantism while the southern minority - those in closer proximity to Urcea and Carolina - retained their Catholic heritage. The Protestant-dominated Kingdom of Angla was destroyed in the Nordmontaine War, and several decades later part of the territory was assigned to Urcea at the end of the Great Confessional War. Like Gassavelia, the Ænglish were governed with some autonomy by local Dukes until the territory was reorganized in the 19th century into Ænglasmarch. Unlike most of the other minority groups, the Ænglish do not see themselves as part of the Urcean people but nonetheless view themselves as a distinct culture of Urcean Ænglish, who pride themselves on their Catholic faith and history of military service to Urcea. Many ethnic Urcean Ómestaderoi played a role in the cultural interchange during the Industrial Revolution which accelerated the integration of Ænglish people. Also unlike the other minority groups, the Ænglish integrated into Urcean society with somewhat ease due to the common language and religion they share, though the Ænglish of Ænglasmarch has differences from Julian Ænglish.

Derian people

Main article: Derian people

Derians, the native people of the Deric States, historically integrated into the identity of the Urcean people as Urcea expanded eastward into lands traditionally part of the Kingdom of Dericania. Despite this, the Derian identity survived in parts of Eastvale and Burgundie. Surveys have suggested that anywhere from 10% to 25% of people in Eastvale view themselves as Derians. The majority of Derians in Urcea, however, are immigrants from Dericania from the last century; many Derians resettled in Urcea as refugees during the Second Fratricide. The Derian identity of the descendants of these refugees has been waning in the last few decades, and the number of Urceans identifying themselves as Derian people as opposed to Urcean people has declined precipitously since 1980.

Nysdrine people

Main article: Nysdrine people

Nysdrine people are descendants of Urceans or other Levantines living in Crona, or ethnically native Cronites adhering to Levantine religion and culture in Crona. Most Nysdrine families in Urcea originated in New Harren and immigrated to Urcea since its foundation in the 19th century, but the Nysdrine population in metropolitan Urcea and its overseas possession has been increasing dramatically since The Deluge and the exposure of Levantine culture to an increasing number of native peoples of Crona.

Language

Urcea has had a somewhat diverse linguistic history, beginning with the earliest Latin-speaking peoples spreading throughout the land in the period beginning ca. 950 BC. Latin was the sole official language of state in Great Levantia. Gradually, the Latin of the ruling class began to mix with the language of the conquering Celts and Gaels, resulting in Urcea's first native language, Lebhan (roughly meaning "of the city", as in "language of the city", referring to Urceopolis), developed, and was the primary vulgar language for nearly a thousand years. It was eventually adopted alongside Latin as language of government in the 900s, though it replaced Latin even in government documents. Latin remained prevalent, however, in the Church and in learning (as it was controlled by the Church).

Lebhan is still considered to be the cultural language of Urcea despite its widespread use in some areas of the historical Holy Levantine Empire, so much so that some foreign scholars occasionally incorrectly refer to it as "Urcean". It has since been primarily replaced by Julian Ænglish. Many historians and scholars once believed the language came to Urcea during the High Middle Ages and especially during the Saint's War through the influence of mercenaries, merchants, and the neighboring realms of Angla - this model was called the "Replacement Theory". Modern scholarship, however, has indicated that some form of proto-Ænglish or Ænglish hybrids were in use in rural parts of Urcea well before the Saint's War. The majority of modern historians have replaced the "Replacement Theory" with the "Organic Theory" - namely, that Ænglish and Lebhan "grew up together", so to speak, in different parts of the country, and that increasing social and economic integration lead to the formation of Julian Ænglish, which is unique because of the distinct influence Latin and Lebhan had on the language relative to other versions of Ænglish. Whichever theory may be the case, in time, the Ænglish language became the default language of commerce for traders to use, particularly in regards to trade with the other states of the Holy Levantine Empire. The further reign of the House of Julio-Angloise and the influx of Ænglish refugees following the Nordmontaine War accelerated the acceptance of Ænglish as the government language of the Kingdom. It is the primary language spoken today, though some pockets of Lebhan still remain, especially in the Ionian Highlands.

In the southeast is the region of Gassavelia, a semi-autonomous part of the Apostolic Kingdom, wherein a type of Romance Audonian, the Gassavelian language, is spoken, which is the third most spoken language in the Kingdom.

Naming conventions

The Urcean name is, typically, a complete name usually consisting of a given name, commonly referred to as a first name or Christian name, and a (most commonly patrilineal) family name or surname, also referred to as a last name. The majority of Urceans under this naming convention also have a second given name, referred to as a middle name. Most Urcean names either derive from Gaelicized Latinic (such as Luciás and Patrick), Hebrew (David, Daniel), Istroyan (Nicholas), or Ænglish (Edward) origins. Urcea's variety of given and surnames are a result of millennia of cultural blending between Gaelic, Gothic, Latinic, and Christian influences, producing names which are neither entirely Gaelic or Latinic. The traditional naming system evolved organically throughout the history of Urcea, with surnames evolving as family names to differentiate people within different Estates. By the 16th century, the naming system was functionally standard among all people throughout the country besides optimates, who retained just their given name, though some privilegiata retained the name of their noble dynasty as a surname.

The notable exception to the traditional naming scheme is that of the tria nomina system, introduced in the middle of the 19th century during the Romantic period as a hearkening back to the naming conventions of Great Levantia. The tria nomina adopted the traditional naming system by transforming the surname into a cognomen and introducing the name of one's estate as a nomen. The system was widely adopted by optimate families and the heads of the Estates of Urcea, but saw relatively little penetration into middle or lower class Urcean families, and the system was ordered abolished by the 1890s. Many families retain their tria nomina names today, most especially the members of House de Weluta. During the early 20th century, many former freemen who became prosperous "new men" under the restoration adopted "false tria nominas" in order to appear higher class; these names became hereditary. Perhaps the best known individual with such a "false tria nomina" is James Cossus Reed, who served as Chancellor and Temporary President in the 2010s.

Folklore

Much of Urcea’s best known folklore descends from the cults of various Saints and the legends associated with them. The best known legend comes from the medieval period, when supposedly spectral apparitions of Saint Julius I would ride through a commune, and whosever home he stopped at should assume responsibility as the “lead man” in the commune for a year. These legends were later refined to the supposed season of “Juliustide”, ranging from late October to early November. It is commonly assumed that Election Day in Urcea is the first Tuesday in November as a descendant of Juliustide. Many modern historians and scholars have supported this connection to the earlier folklore tradition.

Festivals and Holidays in Urcea

Main article: Public holidays in Urcea

Holidays are a major part of Urcean cultural and religious life and are directly tied into the Catholic Church's liturgical calendar, although several non-religious holidays exist as well. 34 major holidays are observed on weekdays throughout the year, some of which are holy days of obligation and other feast days. On the event of a weekend holiday or feast, weekday observances of holidays are typically observed on Tuesday following the actual date of the holiday or feast.

Holidays in Urcea are divided into three classes, depending upon the significance of the holiday. The three classes determine what level of observance is required, and was implemented in 1934 in order to decrease economic disruption. Holidays of the 1st Class, which include holy days of obligation among other holidays, are days in which the entire nation - with the exception of the Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea - is expected to observe. Holidays of the 2nd Class, which include major feast days, are primarily observed by employers in such a way that employees have a choice of which 2nd Class Holidays they will not work on, typically up to six per year (a figure ultimately determined by the industrial guild an employer is in). Holidays of the 3rd Class, which primarily include lesser civic holidays, are dependent upon guilds which vote to observe them.

The most prominent non-religious holiday is the King's Birthday, celebrated on different days depending on the birthday of the reigning Apostolic King of Urcea. Celebrations typically mirror independence day festivities of other countries, as patriotic themes mingle with typical, seasonally appropriate relaxation activities, such as boating. The second most prominent non-religious holiday is that of Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. The holiday, which recalls the historic event of Prince Niall's flight to the highlands during the Second Caroline War, is an occasion for the nation to give thanks to God for the deliverance of the nation, but also for the blessings given to families and the country as a whole. Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated as an extended family gathering.

The Feast Day of St. Julius I on April 1st and is an important holiday celebrating national themes, though in recent decades the King's Birthday has supplanted it as the main "patriotic" holiday, and instead it has taken on a greater religious significance.

Social class and distinctions

Main article: Social class in Urcea

Urcea is a relatively class-mobile country without rigid social distinction, though the most common observation is that there are three "soft" classes; a lower or working class, a middle class, and an upper class. Historically, Urcea employed a distinct class system based on property requirements, inheritance, and heredity, and, during the high medieval period, serfdom. Much of the social structure was disrupted during the Saint's War and Great Confessional War, leading to a weakening of the class system and end of serfdom following the latter conflict. Formal class distinctions remained on the books until the end of the Red Interregnum, when they were functionally abolished by King Patrick III during the restoration. Urcea has largely abolished its system of peerage, although it still exists in the form of non-inheritable courtesy titles.

Peerage

Despite being a relatively egalitarian society, Urcea does maintain an extensive system of life peerage, non-inheritable titles granted by the Apostolic King of Urcea. Titles are typically granted as a recognition of merit, both in public service or extraordinary work as a private individual. Many titles are granted to prominent members of House de Weluta who serve in official government functions, and the Custóirs of the Estates of Urcea are almost always granted a life peerage upon their ascension to that role. A life peerage usually conveys a sense of social importance and carries with it some minor privileges, such as the right to be announced at public events such as theatrical showings. In formal ceremonies, a life peer has the right to enter any procession in the highest place of honor and may be seated at the most honorable position unless the King himself or a Bishop is in attendance, in which case the peer has second position or lower as the need presents.

Peerages have a complex historical hierarchy of prestige which was simplified in 1982 to a four-tier system. The four tiers typically correspond to ranks of titles (barons, counts, dukes, and princes or their equivalent), but some more prestigious titles may appear in a rank above their normal tier. Under the simplification scheme, titles which had an intermediary position were always given the lower order of precedence; as an example, viscounts are considered to be of the same dignity of barons. Every Custóir of an Estate of Urcea who holds a title is given the precedence and rank of a duke regardless of the actual level of their title.

By law, only the Apostolic King of Urcea may inherit titles. As a courtesy title, the title of children or close relations of the King - Archduke or Archduchess - does not apply, as the title is less official and instead a social distinction. The last non-life peerage titles were gradually abolished in the 20th century. The Constitutional Settlement Act of 1902 provided that all current holders of a hereditary title, as well as their heirs, were entitled to hold or inherit that title until their death, after which time the title reverted to the Crown. The last hereditary noble in Urcea died in 1978. In many cases, if an individual's ancestors held a hereditary title, an effort is made to grant them that title as a life peerage if they are to receive a title as meritorious recognition.

As a life peerage might suggest, an individual holds the title, honor, and privileges of that peerage until their death, when it is not inherited by their children. A widow, however, may continue to be addressed by their predeceased spouse's title (i.e. "Duchess") and may continue to be received with the honor and dignity of the spouse of a peer until their own death. A title is technically extinguished upon becoming Apostolic King of Urcea to the extent that it it is subsumed into the authority of the Crown. This occurrence is extremely common as the title of the heir apparent - Prince of Halfway - is a life peerage created for each heir; beyond this title it is extremely rare.

Records on peerages are retained by the Household Office for Grants of Title.

Education

Main article: Education in Urcea

Education in Urcea is conducted according to the principles of the Catholic faith as well as classical education. The stated goal of Urcean education according to the Collegium Scientificum is to mold students into more complete people and able citizen-subjects" by "freeing (them) from their basest desires and creating them as individuals capable of self-rule in the most direct sense" and to create a population "free to pursue the intellectual and religious pursuits of their longing in addition to being capable in their duties to state in life" as well as a people "capable of self-governance by means of self-rule". Urcea uses a K-12 system divided into two portions which focus on the seven liberal arts.

First Sextet

The "First Sextet", a period of education which can be roughly equated with "primary education" in other countries, is the first six grade levels (and kindergarten), focused primarily on teaching the trivium. The First Sextet includes the years K-6.

Second Education

The "Second Sextet", a period of education which can be roughly equated with "secondary education" in other countries, is the second six grade levels, focused primarily on teaching the quadrivium. The Second Sextet includes the years 7-12.

Attitudes and worldview

Social ideals

Marriage

Urceans consider marriage to be the cornerstone of civilized society; the country adheres very strongly to the Catholic view of marriage, but also view it through the lens of social ties. As proscribed in Church teaching, marriage is viewed as the natural state and the proper context for relations between men and women as it establishes the unitive and procreative bond through the marital act. Consequently, unmarried people over a certain age - besides clerics and consecrated virgins - are viewed with supreme suspicion. Throughout the 20th century, several rounds of anti-discrimination laws against what Urceans called spinsters were passed, and most studies have shown legal nondiscrimination is now in place, but the social views on the matter have largely not changed. Divorce is illegal; as such, only 1-2% of adults over 18 report having been divorced. A secular physical "separation" of couples is legal as necessary and granted judicially with a relatively low standard of scrutiny. 77% of adults over the age of 18 are married, 10% were widowed, and the remaining eleven percent report never having been married.

Sexual attitudes

Most Urceans view monogamous heteronormativity as a cornerstone of their worldview, and, consequently, non-conforming sexual attitudes are viewed with extreme suspicion, and, in many cases, confusion. Adultery is illegal and relatively uncommon; 11% of men and 9% of women report having committed an adulterous act. Bigamy, polygamy and gay marriage are illegal and are offenses subject to large fines. In line with Catholic teaching, sexual activities - referred to commonly in Urcea as the "marital act" - is viewed as a unitative and procreative action between man and wife. Non-marital sexual relations - either of the aforementioned adulterous nature - is viewed by Church teaching and social mores as an abuse of human faculties. Similarly, masturbation is condemned by society given that it is considered a selfish act and an abuse of the human body, given the purpose of the sexual faculties are viewed as being for unitative and procreative purposes.

Virginity as well as voluntary celibacy are highly prized values in Urcean culture. Consecrated virginity for religious purposes is uncommon in Urcea, but the country nonetheless has the world's highest percentage of consecrated virgins relative to its Catholic population. A 2015 study yielded that there may be as many as ten million consecrated virgins in Urcea, comprising approximately 0.70% of the country's total population.

Children and parenting

Given the common view of family and marriage as the cornerstone of society, parenthood is viewed as a high moral obligation for every member of the laity (excepting consecrated virgins) and the rearing of children is viewed as a sacred trust and responsibility. Consequently, children are viewed as the "prized possession" of each family given the importance of family continuation. Urceans view catechesis as part and parcel of "correct" parenting and child rearing, and often times children are well educated in the basic tenets of the Catholic faith by the time they enter school age.

Race

Views on race vary among Urceans, but most Urceans view the matter an as issue of science rather than of culture or ethnic differences. Given the longstanding Urcean cultural norm of viewing the world through the scope of religion - dividing peoples based on the creeds they adhere to - race has rather decidedly been viewed as a mostly unimportant distinction between peoples. Consequently, the notion of a "white" or an "Audonian" (in the case of Gassavelian people) kinship or identity is extremely muted and exists primarily on the margins, as nationality and faith are viewed as the primary characteristics defining an individual's background and identity. Racial discrimination has never been common in Urcea nor has there ever been extensive examples of institutional discrimination based on race by the Government of Urcea or local governments. Discrimination in Urcea does and has existed, but race has not largely been included in such examples.

Housing

Main article: Housing in Urcea

Politics and statecraft

Role of government

Urceans tend to view government within the context of St. Paul's Romans 13. Based on the Letter to the Romans, Urceans view government and governing authorities as ordained by God based on the view that all authority ultimately descends from God. The view St. Paul espouses - that authorities are "servant(s) of God for your good...for the authorities are ministers of God" - is the basis on which Urceans view government as a critical force for ensuring the common good. This view does not necessarily mean all Urceans endorse what could be called a "big government" policy program, but it does mean that most Urceans of every political persuasion have an implicit trust in the government based on their own point of view. More conservative, smaller-government oriented Urceans - such as the members of the National Pact - believe the government's responsibility is to be a just mediator tempering the invisible hand of the market and ensuring no one actor abuses the market at the expense of Urceans. More social-oriented political groups, such as the Solidarity Party, believe the government has a more direct responsibility in ensuring the common good. Political and social commentators have noted that Urcea's political dichotomy is relatively unique as all major parties acknowledge the responsible and guiding hand of governmental authority even though they disagree on its proper application. Consistent with these beliefs, Urcea employs policing by consent.

Urcea is well known for its relatively expansive understanding of the role of government in public morality, but this application of moral laws derives from the Urceans' understanding of the relationship between man and the state. As the organic outgrowth of society, there is usually widespread support for implementation of moral laws within society. Consequently, things such as adultery, sodomy, and abortion are not only illegal but punishable by severe fines. Most Urceans throughout the political spectrum either support moral codes or at least have no opinion on them besides the far-left part of the spectrum represented by the Social Labor Party which actively calls for the creation of something resembling a free marketplace of subjective morals and social ideals.

Consistent polling indicates that most Urceans do not believe their country is a "democracy" nor describe their country's values as "democratic" despite relatively high scores from international observers for regularly-scheduled free and fair elections. While Urceans do generally believe that a country having elections is an important value, democracy as a standalone concept is viewed negative and with suspicion and is often used as a disparaging term in Urcean society in a way meaning mob rule. Many Urceans instead describe their electoral system and participatory government as "shared commonwealth" which express "commonwealth values", which are often used by both academics and politicians. These two terms and their shared concepts often poll highly among Urceans across the political spectrum.

Role of monarchy

The Apostolic King of Urcea is viewed by the nation as something of a father figure; the analogy has often been used that he sits at the head of the national family, using the analogy of a family dinner. An ancient peasant tradition long referred to the King in this way rather than as "King"; for example, "Father Riordan", leading to many folk tales and medieval songs presenting stories about "Father Lucás" or "Father Leo". While the monarchy has lost some of its constitutional authority in the last century and a half, a vast majority of Urceans consistently poll support for the Apostolic King. Studies have shown that a vast majority of Urceans "genuinely believe" that the Apostolic King is a kind of representative of God himself; the government's official teaching is that the King is a kind of steward of his inheritance given to him by God. Some foreign scholars have misrepresented this point of view as belief in the divine right of Kings, but even the staunchest Urcean monarchists disavow that position as incompatible with Catholic teaching. Rather, Urceans view the monarch as implicitly entrusted by God with the well being and common good of the Kingdom within the context of Romans 13 as described above. Consequently, the position of republicanism has been extremely unpopular since public polling began; the highest support ever recorded for the abolition of the monarchy came at 12.4% in 1971 following the succession of the fourth son of King Brian IV after decades of childless successions. The 2018 Urcean institutional referendum yielded a 86.4% vote of support for the continuation of the Monarchy.

Role of industry and work

Work week

Urceans enjoy a four day work week, beginning on Tuesday and ending on Friday. The week is viewed as divided into two; those days for rest and holy contemplation (Sunday and the day preceding and succeeding it), and days for one's duty to state in life.

Guilds

Main article: Guilds (Urcea)

Guilds are viewed by most Urceans as an absolutely necessary cornerstone of having an economy, given that guilds are viewed as the primary reason Urcea escaped destructive class struggle during the 20th century.

A minority position views guilds as an unnecessary impediment on economic activity, a view held in both left and right circles. Elements of Urcea's Social Labor Party view guilds as restrictive on the victories labor can achieve while members of the National Pact view them as a burden on Urcean economic potential and a constraint on the possibilities of the free market. Both left and right, these opponents of guilds view them as an impediment to innovation and new entrants into an industry.

Nationhood

Foreign cultures and nations

More Information: Goura's Index of National Attitudes

As a consequence of their joint heritage, most Urceans view most Occidental nations as their cousins. In particular, Urceans view those from Dericania and especially Burgundie and Caphiria, despite the historical geopolitical animosity between the two countries, as "national cousins". Non-Levantines are often viewed with attitudes characterized as either "paternalistic" or "chauvinist" depending upon the point of view of the author.

Philosophy

Man and the State

Urceans eschew the notion of "natural man" in the state of nature, and many view it with suspicion as a "Protestant" or "Masonic" notion. Instead, Urceans view the state merely as an organized extension of civilized society. Although they don't embrace the fascist notion of the State as the highest social good, Urceans do view the state as themselves and themselves as the state. The state is not viewed as a distinct entity from the person or the society, but rather viewed as an organic outgrowth of man as a social animal.

Man and Man

The traditional notion of a brotherhood of mankind is common in Urcea and it is accompanied by the view that achievements should be anonymous for the benefit of man and the glory of God, and for this purpose considerable charitable donations in Urcea are done anonymously. This view of anonymity is often used as a criticism leveled against public figures, as many - both Urceans and those abroad - view the prominence of cultural figures, athletes, and political leaders as contradictory to the Urcean view of man.

Urceanity

Due to the national heritage of Latinic migrants, as well as their early modern successors, the Ómestaderoi, Urceans associate themselves with the pioneer spirit and attitude of frontier life. Consequently, the Urcean model of virtue is that of the pious Catholic smallhold Ómestad farmer.

Kinship

Family Structure

The family in Urcea is usually group consisting of a married pair of a woman and a man (adults) and their children (one or more). These so-called "Nuclear families" typically center on the married couple; the nuclear family may have any number of children. The familial definition in Urcea includes blood children, adopted children and step-children in certain circumstances; for tax purposes, the reason for the annulment of the previous marriage or if it was a separation via death is considered. The family structure of a married couple and their children were present since the 6th century, influenced by church and Royal governments. Outside of the nuclear families exist bonds with extended family, including those within the Estate system. Family is considered the fundamental cornerstone and "basic unit" of society. Extended families consisting of multiple nuclear family units often feel close bond in Urcea especially within the context of their shared estate. Emergent exurban housing attitudes have lead to extended families increasingly living in close proximity, increasing the importance of these bonds in the 21st century.

In the Ionian Highlands, a similar but separate loose clan structure is in use. While Highlanders live as nuclear families, it is often in close proximity to others, and typically first and second cousins are raised together. These smaller clan units retain loyalty to their kinsmen even outside of the direct mini-clan unit, and even in the 21st century a single, distantly-related clan can make up a plurality of dioceses within the Highlands. Accordingly, consanguinity laws (within four degrees) are strictly enforced. Highland clans are known to form local sports teams and leagues with other clans, and though ancient rivalries have mostly subsided, sometimes these matches can result in violence by hooliganism.

Estates

Main article: Estates of Urcea

Urcean families with a lineage in the country typically older than fifty years are part of the Estates of Urcea, a system of kinship ties descending, supposedly, from the period of Great Levantia. These Estates are descended from 25 Latinic families and their wards from Urceopolis and its hinterlands as well as 25 Gaelic families integrated during the Great Levantine period. In antiquity, this served a function similar to the Caphirian tribal system, where groups of individuals were divided for voting purposes. From the 50 estates is derived the Medieval landed gentry class of Urcea, and each estate has a so-called "great house" at its head, with the head of household holding the title of "Guardian (Lebhan: Custóir) of the Estate". Legal estate distinctions were largely abolished by the 18th century, but to this day one's Estate is an important source of identity. The Estates compete in many respects including most prominently in Damselalia.

Cuisine

Food

Urcean culture places an emphasis on readily available and diverse arrays of food in a setting, which has created both the formal tradition known as "Urcean hors d'oeuvre culture" as well as the informal tradition of fast food, which has become an economic force both in Urcea and abroad. While Urceans partake in daily, sit-down dinners like most other places in the Occidental world, "finger food" is the primary way Urceans consume food in social settings. In some parts of Urcea, it is considered rude to invite person one does not know well for a sit-down meal, as the time commitment required is considered to be an infringement on an individual's personal space, and it is also viewed as somewhat forward and presumptive within courtship settings.

Types of food

In terms of ingredient contents, mainstream Urcean cuisine is similar to that in other Levantine countries. Wheat is the primary cereal grain with about three-quarters of grain products made of wheat flour and many dishes use indigenous ingredients, such as turkey, venison, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, squash, and maple syrup which were consumed by Gaels as well as early Latin settlers, and these types of food feature prominently within Latin Heroic Age legends. In addition to wheat, rice and pecans are the minor staple crops of Urcea, with pecans serving as both a delicacy and as a major cooking ingredient. Chicken and beef are the primary types of protein in Urcea, although varieties of pork sausage - ranging from breakfast sausage to hot dogs - are also commonly consumed. Corned beef is among the most popular specific types of beef served, consumed in sandwiches or as breakfast hash. Since the 2020s and the beginning of The Deluge, ingredients and meal types from Urcean territories and protectorates in Crona have entered into popular consumption within Urcea. These cuisine styles are referred to as "colonial cuisine", and colonial cuisine is increasingly creating many variations and derivatives of Urcean cuisine staples established over the course of the 20th century.

Urcean dishes are typically broken down by the meal for which they are intended to be consumed, with few dishes being viewed as socially appropriate to consume in more than one type of meal. Lunch and dinner meals are occasionally considered interchangeable, with lunch items served as dinner with an additional side or with different plating.

Breakfast

As in other parts of Levantia, there are two primary types of breakfast in Urcea. The "breakfast of family" is the most common sit-down meal among Urceans, with several foods that would be largely impractical to eat on a moving basis including waffles, pancakes, and breakfast sausage paired with maple syrup paired with a full fruit. The traditional "breakfast of business", meanwhile, includes a large number of cold cuts, cheeses, small breads, and other similar varieties of easily consumable foods for working people. The latter tradition is thought to have emerged from Urcea's "hors d'oeuvres culture", though many historians believe both types of food originated in Urcean agricultural settings, with the families of manor houses consuming traditional larger, sit-down breakfasts while providing the peasants with a quicker form of food. The "breakfast of business" has a long history in the Urcean workplace, with most employers providing an extensive spread during the first few hours of the workday. In recent decades, employers have attempted to scale back their in-house catering by replacing them with vouchers for emergent fast food restaurants and other providers. These transitions have been heavily resisted by the guilds, many of whom now require some form of in-house catering.

Health conscious Urceans or Urceans unable to devote time to breakfast often simply consume slices of fruit alongside a breakfast beverage. Hash is a very common type of food which is sometimes consumed as the primary food with eggs or sometimes served on the side. Fast food and prepackaged offerings typically take the form of more "on-the-go" variations of these primary foods, including NoWaiter's well known Daddy Hashy. Various biscuits are often included in both full and truncated versions of breakfast. Besides corned beef and sausage, it is usually considered excessive to have large amounts of proteins for breakfast. Bacon is very uncommon for breakfast in Urcean households, and similarly breakfast steaks are considered the realm of the upper class and generally frowned upon within most sections of Urcean society, and even among the wealthy the practice of eating a steak for breakfast has largely declined since the end of the traditional class system.

Both coffee and tea are popular morning beverage options in Urcea, with tea being considered largely a breakfast beverage unlike in many other Occidental countries. Marketing by Urcean industries is largely responsible for making orange juice and milk ubiquitous breakfast beverages, making Urcea's dairy agriculture sector one of the world's largest. Accordingly, many Urceans take large amounts of milk in both their tea and coffee.

Lunch

Coque

Unique to Urcea is the Coque cuisine tradition, a style of cooking which emphasizes slow cooked meats which are traditionally smoked. Likely introduced from Audonia in the 1500s, the Coque style was quickly adopted in the rural parts of Urcea and became associated with traditional lifestyles during the 19th century. Significant regional differences emerged historically between types of Coque, especially with regards to treating meat with either sauce, as is the tradition in southern Urcea and thought to be inherited from Caenish cuisine, or with dry rubs as is more common in the north and especially the Ionian Highlands. Coque, which is traditionally consumed at lunch or at outdoor parties, can sometimes also be served for dinner depending on the plating and type of restaurant.

Hors d'oeuvres

Hors d'oeuvres, commonly known as finger food or appetizers, is a type of food consumed primarily in the hand which does not constitute a full meal when consumed. Within the context of a seated lunch or dinner, these items are served on a plate for a dining group to share. At parties, these items are served in large trays for individual consumption. In Urcea, these are among the most common types of food consumed, and in many formal social functions they are the only types of food served. In addition to solid items, dips are also extremely popular for both sit down and party settings. Consumption of hors d'oeuvres is sometimes considered to be a fourth meal between lunch and dinner. In many bars and restaurants, hors d'oeuvres are served as part of a drink combination package, with customers receiving free and unlimited access to available hors d'oeuvres provided they order a minimum number of drinks.

Most historians believe the popularity of hors d'oeuvres in Urcea originated as partial meal offerings during Catholic days of fasting including and especially Ember days; the practice of replacing a meal with a quick round of hors d'oeuvres is popularly referred to as "embering" with many linguistic scholars agreeing the term originated in Ember days.

Popular hors d'oeuvres include pimento cheese dip and fried ravioli.

Dessert

Dessert is considered almost entirely a sit down course and is typically consumed alongside dinner, but on some occasions dinner can be skipped entirely if large quantities of hors d'oeuvres were presented over a long amount of time. Urceans favor pies of various kinds, with apple pie being an iconic representation of Urcean culture.

Seasonal foods

Urcea has a number of foods consumed only within a certain holiday or during a certain time of year. For example, family-style fried chicken dinners, consumed traditionally on the King's birthday but popular throughout the year, is traditionally consumed with potato-based sides or "Callangrain", a spicy rice-and-sausage side, which has become increasingly popular for holiday and family consumption.

Restaurant types

Fast food and chain restaurants

Urcea's restaurant industry is a major contributor to the nation's urban economies, and among them various kinds of chain restaurants make up a sizable portion of the overall national economy. The Urcean fast food industry, the world's largest, pioneered the drive-through format in the 1950s by combining early innovations in fast food stands, Urcea's predilection towards quickly consumed food, and the wide availability of the automobile. NoWaiter is Urcea's largest fast food chain, and Coria Clux is its second largest. Adjacent chain restaurant types, including fast casual and family casual, are typically grouped with fast food restaurants for social and economic considerations. Despite its social connotations, consumption of fast food is not typically considered to be part of the hors d'oeuvres "meal" but is instead consumed for lunch and, somewhat uncommonly, dinner.

Diners

Diners are a highly recognizable Urcean dining institution. Many scholars believe the Ómestaderoi are largely responsible for creating the nation's first diners in the early 20th century. Throughout the 20th century, many previously new dishes passed into the mainstream enough so that they became part of diner fare by the turn of the millennia. The diner is now more numerous in the country than any other type of restaurant besides fast food chains.

Cowboy buffets

Cowboy buffets are the most common type of buffet in Urcea, with various kinds of simple foods - considered soul foods - available for consumption. As the name would suggest, these buffets often are themed around life on the Urcean frontier and probably do originate from popular Ómestaderoi cuisines from the 19th century, though unlike diners cowboy buffets are typically intended to be a themed, immersive experience. These buffets are often associated with events like children's birthday parties or youth sports team outings, but are considered acceptable for family dinners, especially among working class Urceans.

Plaza clusters

Plaza clusters, so named for a cluster of tables and often referred to as "PCs", is a regional type of restaurant found primarily in older urban parts of Urceopolis in narrow streets and open plazas, though the format has become increasingly emulated nationwide. The PC typically offers a full menu for lunch and dinner of regional foods and is entirely outdoors, with tables and chairs spaced unevenly radiating outward from the storefront where the restaurant's kitchen resides. PCs emphasize the convenience of "fast food" while offering sit-down full meal service by eschewing many of the traditional social mores of dining - such as conversational wait staff - with the expectation that customers will finish their meal within an hour and fifteen minutes or less. These types of restaurants work by having low costs for upkeep of dining rooms and other dining-adjacent facilities while dealing in volume, typically allowing for higher quality ingredients and the hiring of more experienced chefs and line cooks. The PC format is the sole type of restaurant where a gratuity for wait staff is not anticipated.

It is a common misconception in Urcea that "PC" refers to "plaza cafe", and this misconception has factored heavily into many traditional jokes within Urcean humor.

Alcohol

Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Urcea by a significant margin, and per capita consumption exceeds more than fifty liters annually. The most popular kind of beers are lagers, goldwheats and pilsners. The number one selling brand of beer in Urcea is Royal Billion, which it exports abroad. Many of the most popular brands of beer are domestic with hops and wheat grown in the province of Goldvale and brewed elsewhere. Wine, especially wines from southern Urcea and particularly from Canaery, is growing in popularity, and the industry is a major source of economic growth in the Greater Canaery region and parts of Gassavelia.

Portions and sizes

Urceans are known for having very large portion sizes for most of their sit-down meals, and for the presentation of hors d'oeuvres typically large trays with a large variety are made available for consumption. It is not considered impolite in Urcea to go up for second or third rounds of food. Accordingly, leftovers are the social norm in Urcea.

Religion

A vast majority of Urceans are Catholics, which is the official religion of the state. Aside from being a major factor in Urcea's geopolitical dealings, the Catholic Church also proves to be, in many ways, the central organizing structure and focal point in Urcean society. Celebrations of baptisms are usually town-wide, and mass attendance far exceeds most other Catholic countries. Urcea also produces more Catholic priests than any other nation, many of which are then sent to minister overseas in countries with clerical shortages, particularly in Sarpedon but elsewhere as well. Religious toleration is the law and discrimination against other religious groups is forbidden, but is common in everyday elements of society.

The Catholic Church's influence in Urcea is well known around the world, and it has been said that unifying element of the Urcean national culture - which includes many local cultural variation - is the Catholic faith. The Church is also responsible for organizing local governments in the Provinces through the Bishops and Dioceses. The Catholic Church is also headquartered in Urceopolis, and the Holy See resides there, making the Urcean capital the center point through which all Catholics share communion. Several Popes have come from the ranks of the Urcean Bishops over the ages, particularly considering the roots of the Papacy in Great Levantia and Urceopolis, though prelates from many other places in Levantia have sat in the Chair of St. Peter as well. The Catholic faith has been ingrained within many parts of Urcean culture and society, such as Missalpass, the traditional coming of age event within most Urceans' lives.

Outside of Urceopolis and other major cities, the Church will often be the center of small town living in Urcea, with the Priest as a key figure within the community and Sunday Mass as an important social gathering. Church attendance in Urcea is among the highest in the developed world and particularly in small municipalities and rural areas, where the figure approaches 80%; the national average is 66.54% of the population, which includes urban areas which can report as low as 45% to 50% in terms of weekly attendance.

Urcea is the world's largest exporter of Latin Rite Priests, which serve in both missionary capacities as well as in normal clerical duties in other countries with weaker faith engagement among other Catholic-majority states in Sarpedon and Crona. Recently, missionary activity from the Urcean Church has become more prevalent in Crona as well, particularly in the northern areas of the continent.

While post-Conciliar masses in Urcea were once popular in the 1970s and 80s, said in Aenglish as well as in Lebhan in some places, their popularity has diminished and have practically disappeared in Urcea since the end of the 20th century. Since then, the Tridentine Mass has become commonplace in Urcea and the Church has considered making it the Ordinary Form of the Mass within the Kingdom.

The view of Judeo-Protestantism - a conspiracy theory and theological argument that Protestants and Jewish people belong to the same overall religious current - was once extremely prevalent in Urcea but has declined significantly with improved theological education.

Arts and literature

Main article: Arts and literature of Urcea

Media

Video games

Mass production and distribution of the Selectro 1000PC in 1972 brought about the advent of the home computer era, and with it, video games became a new form of entertainment. These early video games were often crude given the technological level of mid 1970s computing, but by 1980 a degree of sophistication saw the rise of early role playing games in addition to space-themed top down games. Unlike many other countries, Urcea did not experience an arcade craze, as the availability of home computers by 1977 for most families made the arcade model a non-starter in Urcea. However, the early 1980s also saw the first widely-manufactured video game consoles. Consoles rapidly gained market share as the technical sophistication of games outpaced the average family's ability to upgrade their computers, such that by 1987, 16-bit consoles assumed the dominant public image of video games. Consoles remained the primary developer of video games until the late 2000s, from which time PC-based gaming has held the majority of the market share in Urcea.

Video games are a major form of amusement and diversion in Urcean culture. A 2015 study indicated the average Urcean spent six hours per week playing video games of some form, a figure which is much higher if all non-players are excluded from the figure. Typical Urcean video games include historic themes or settings. By genre, role playing games are most popular, followed by first person shooters and strategy games.

Sports

Baseball

Baseball has been regarded as the Urcean national sport since the late 19th century, and is by several measures the most popular spectator sport. Many scholars have contested that the game started in Urcea, becoming widely attended during the Aedanicad, though the historical consensus now suggests that the game organically developed all across the southern Holy Levantine Empire. Urcea is a member of every major Levantine baseball association, and the major league Continental Baseball Conference (CBC) has one of the highest average attendances of any sports league in the world. Out of the 32 teams in the Continental Baseball Conference, 10 are in Urcea proper or its two states, Ænglasmarch and Gassavelia; consequently, there are 100 official affiliate minor league teams in Urcea spread throughout ten leagues. The Crown Series, the CBC's championship series, is watched by millions globally and is the most watched event in Urcea each year.

Racing

The second most popular sport is horse racing, which came to Urcea during the 1600s as part of the larger trend of racing in Levantia. Urcea's Hippodrome in Urceopolis is considered one of the premier locations of horse racing in Levantia. The Hippodrome is home to the Nanlucan Memorial Stakes, the second leg of the prestigious Triple Tiara, which is run the first Sunday in May each year. Horse racing in Urcea is governed by the National Urcean Racing Association (NURA), the national affiliate of the Levantine Union Equine Sport Authority.

Football

The third most popular sport in Urcea is gridiron football, which became popular following the end of the Great War. Typically considered Urcea's "second sport" (though racing draws relatively more views in its shorter season), football is typically played in the Continental Baseball Conference's off-season with its first games being played in October and its season ending in mid March. Though football began play in Urcea during the 1900s, the rise in the sport's popularity is traditionally attributed to the return of soldiers of the Royal and Imperial Army, who had grown accustomed to games "faster" than baseball from Sarpedon, such as rugby. Veterans and veteran families began flocking to the sport when baseball season ended; the admiration of veterans among Urcean society led to an interest in seeing the returning soldiers play, giving a massive boost to the sport's popularity. The major football league in Urcea is the Royal Association of Football Clubs (RAFC). Unlike baseball's Continental Baseball Conference, the RAFC is exclusive to Urcea and fields 28 teams divided into two leagues of two divisions each.

Other sports

Collegiate-level football and basketball attract large audiences. Collegiate level sports are governed by the Royal Varsity Athletic Association (RVAA), which set the rules and standards by which college athletics can be played. Collegiate athletes are allowed to be financially compensated by boosters and universities within a regionally adjusted salary cap in order to ensure competitiveness between small and large universities. College football's season runs from September to January, with an eight-team college football playoff played during February. College basketball's season runs from mid-September to mid-March, after which a playoff with 128 teams is conducted.

Various kinds of motorsports are very popular in Canaery without receiving much attention throughout the rest of the country. Caenish culture readily embraced automobile racing immediately following the Red Interregnum, a link that was enhanced by large deployments of motorized units of the Royal and Imperial Army in the Electorate during the Great War. Urcea is a member of the International Racing Federation, but events typically only occur in Canaery.

Music

Main article: Music in Urcea

Symbols

Main article: National symbols of Urcea

Urcean culture places a high value on symbols and ritual originating with its largely Catholic tradition. The Apostolic King of Urcea and Julian dynasty are largely considered to be symbols of Urcea itself, not only in terms of physical depictions but also in terms of nomenclature, with "Julian" serving as a symbolic adjective relating to Urcea. Accordingly, the Julian Throne and Crown Jewels of Urcea and Julian Palace both serve as powerful symbols representing Urcea and symbolizing the continuity of government and social institutions in Urcea. Some of Urcea's other official symbols are also intended to reflect the nation's long history, including both the lion and eagle - the historical symbols of Great Levantia and the Holy Levantine Empire, respectively - as well as cultural mores closely associated with Urcea such as baseball and beer.