Culture of Qym

The culture of Qym or the Qymish culture refers to both the national culture of the Qymish people and regional cultures within Qym. It has mainly been influenced by the Byrakan, Ottelian and Sukat cultures over the history of Qym.

Identity

Qymish people are the main ethnic group and national identity of the inhabitants of Qym. Throughout Qymish history, many regional ethnic groups became Qymish through assimilation, while other groups retained their distinct ethnic identities, such as the Rumykians, the Emadinians, and the Sunamese. Foreign ethnic groups have also migrated to Qym throughout history and in contemporary times, affecting the ethnic composition of the population. Based on modern-day DNA testing, Qymish people are mainly descendants of the Byrakans.

Role of the King

The King of Qym has an integral role in shaping and defining the Qymish national identity. The national motto, Follow the King, reflects that role. U/C

Sociologist DUDE described the Qymish monarchy as a religion. U/C

Languages

Qymish, a Sukatic language, is the sole official language of Qym. Most Qymish vocabulary is derived from the Sukat language. Significant minorities of words are derived from Ottelian and Byrakan, with a smaller amount from OTHER ANCIENT MERANIAN CIV LANGUAGE and NEIGHBORING LANGUAGE. Qymish is written using the Sukatic script.

The creation of the Royal academy of the Qymish language and many other academies in the 21st and 22nd centuries reinforced the unifying role of the Qymish language in culture, often at the expense of regional cultures. Regional languages native to Qym include Rumykian, Emadinian and Sunamese which are also Sukatic languages. Those three languages are recognized by the Regional Languages Royal Decree of 2353, which guarantees access to compulsory education for speakers of those languages.

The Rumykians, the Emadinians, the Sunamese, and other minority ethno-linguistic groups have their own cultures and traditions, although heavily influenced by Qymish culture. Rumykian culture especially is considered more distinct due to belonging to the South Sukatic tradition, while Qymish, Emadinian and Sunamese are all North Sukatic.

Dialects

Humor

Comedy is an important part of the Qymish identity. U/C

Naming conventions

Arts

Literature

Theater

Visual arts

Museums

U/C

Dance

Music

Cinema

Television

Comics

Qymish comics are well-ingrained in Qymish culture.

One of the most popular comics is Ganzlo, a spoof of King Bacha XVII had he not been born into royalty. It was inspired by his early adulthood blunders, such as his 2356 car crash at the University of Zhol. The series was created in 2358 and features an office worker named Ganzlo working for a newspaper, a big slacker who commits all sorts of blunders every week, as numerous as they are varied: explosions, sabotage of business contracts, inventions of unproven machines that cause disasters, etc. Initially, the comics generated much controversy and was decried for mocking the royal family, but Bacha XVII's personal approval of the comic resulted in it becoming a cult classic. Ganzlo's main love interest in the comics is a character named Miss Ilody, who is based on Queen Zvonica.

Architecture and housing

Many renown architectural structures in Qym have royal functions, such as the art deco and neoclassical Palace of Zhol, built during the 2320s, 2330s and 2340s, or the gothic, baroque and rococo Palace of Zhifol.

In terms of residential architecture, wall-to-wall row houses, duplexes and triplexes dominate nation-wide in most cities, and generally comprise alleyways and balconies on two to three stories. The staircases of duplexes and triplexes are a unique architectural feature in Qymish cities. Primarily located outside, with a separate entrance at the front, the railings are made of wrought iron and the steps of wood. Their design varies considerably from one building to another. Their origins date back to the mid 22nd century, when urban population increased due to the influx of people from rural areas seeking work. This growth concerned the royal authorities, which adopted a law requiring property owners to maintain a small green space in front of their homes, providing more open space to the streets and neighborhoods. This law led to the design of new housing: narrow, deep apartments on two or three floors, built side-by-side. These are less expensive to heat in winter compared to those with a shared interior space, since the staircase is located outside, above the small green spaces created at the front.

In larger cities and closer to city centers, such as in Zhol, apartment buildings are common and vary in style from wall-to-wall stone or brick tenements above five stories to individual high-rise towers made of concrete or steel and glass. Large-panel-system buildings are common in newer neighborhoods of larger cities, usually built to house low-income tenants.

In rural areas, single-family homes are the norm due to the larger available space and lower demand for housing. Traditional Qymish rural houses are rectangular, single-story structures with high, steep roofs. This roof design serves, among other things, to prevent snow accumulation in winter. Traditional houses are generally built of wood or stone, while modern houses are built in a wood, steel or concrete frame, with brick, stucco, vinyl, aluminium or fibrocement exterior cladding.

Science and technology

Society

Family and children

The typical Qymish family structure is that of a neolocal nuclear family comprising parents and children. Extended families living in the same household do exist but are less common, either as matrilocal or patrilocal residency. Historically, Qym was a patrilocal society and it was expected for the wife to go live with her husband's family. However, this changed with economic development, the industrial revolution, and rapid urbanization in the early 24th century. As in most developed countries, nuclear family became prevalent in the second half of the 24th century.

As more Qymish women work (70% in labor force compared to 80% for men), careers are increasingly prioritized over having children, while other factors are also in play, such as risk aversion to bad partners, complicated pregnancies or bad experiences giving birth, individualism, cost of living, popular culture, and the rise of online dating and relationships. As of 2440, more Qymish people are single than in any other time in its history, and the total fertility rate (TFR) dropped significantly to 1.56 after rebounding to 1.74 in the 2410s. While the Qymish family is usually portrayed by popular media as being two parents with two children, there are many cases of couples opting to have only one child, the so-called one-child households, allowing more resources – financial or temporal – to be allocated to the offspring. Voluntary childlessness and the singleton lifestyle are also increasingly common.

Children in Qym have certain rights limited based on their age. They are notably required to attend compulsory education from ages 7 to 20. They are also criminally responsible from the age of 14, which is lower than in most countries. Under Qymish law, the age of majority is 20, after which most age limits no longer apply. However, age limits remain with regard to driving (21 for cars, 24 for trucks), gambling (24), marriage (24), sexual consent (24 with lower restrictions; see age of consent in Qym), candidacy (30) and retirement (62).

Youth culture in Qym is characterized by an active outdoor presence with limited to no parental supervision, reflecting a high-trust society. Street hockey is a common amateur youth sport in any season, while organized youth leagues of most sports exist throughout the country. Free-range parenting remains the norm, although Qymish law stipulates children under 12 must not be left alone without adult supervision. Modern parenting problems increasingly affecting Qymish families include helicopter parents, narcissistic parents, and iPad kids.

Women in Qym

To this day, Qym remains a patriarchy. Only male descendants can inherit the Qymish throne and become the King of Qym, while only men could inherent property for most of the country's history. As such, the symbol of absolute power in the country had always been a man. In religious and folkloric mythology, this has also been the case with the most important Qymish hero being a man: Sluj. Despite that reality, women had significant roles in Qymish history and mythology, albeit not in the foreground. U/C

Feminism in Qym began in the 23rd century during the industrial revolution and was closely linked with labor and political rights. As such, it was often grouped together with republicanism and labeled as traitorous or promoting foreign ideologies. Despite the early difficulties, women's civic rights improved gradually over the next decades. Under King Bacha XIII, women were allowed to form associations and community organizations, just like men. His successor, King Bacha XIV, made a series of educational reforms, with both boys and girls now required to receive elementary education. By the Fifteenth Bachan era, at the dawn of the 24th century, women had the same property and inheritance rights as men, but remained under the obligation to obey her husband. Despite an increasing number of women participating in the labor force, a woman's primary role was understood to be at home, taking care of her family up until the 2360s.

Following the accession to the throne of King Bacha XVII in 2372, women's rights improved rapidly. The obligation of the wife to obey her husband was removed by royal decree that same year, while discriminatory provisions resulting from matrimonial regimes and from other legal regulations were also removed. In 2375, married women obtained equal rights with husbands with regard to legal authority over their children during marriage, abolishing the concept of paternal authority, which gave the husband more legal rights with regard to judicial matters concerning the children, and replacing it with that of parental authority shared equally between the wife and husband. Other reforms based on gender equality followed throughout the 2380s, including the introduction of the concept of family patrimony, ensuring financial equality between spouses when a marriage ends, and also equal pay for women who did the same work as men.

Until 2372, Qym did not have a divorce law, and spouses could only end their marriage if they obtained a private royal decree. From a religious standpoint, within Scildism, divorce was seen as a union of man and woman for humanity and against the gods, reflected in the epic of Sluj and his wife Halob, in The King who defied the Gods. Divorce has thus historically been regarded as caving in to the gods' discord and contrary to humanity's cooperative nature. In a television interview, King Bacha XVII explained his decision to legalize divorce by stating it was "only natural and human to change one's mind or have different circumstances than when you married". He added a divorced required just as much interpersonal cooperation as a marriage, if not more, and so was perfectly in line with Scildism. Nowadays, Qym maintains a low marriage rate but also a low divorce rate, with cohabitation increasingly becoming the preferred form of living arrangement for a couple. Under Qymish law, cohabitation relationships confer legal rights and obligations on couples who are not formally married. In such situations, they are considered de facto unions while marriage are de jure unions.

While Qym ranks high in most indexes related to gender equality, Qymish women continue to face numerous systemic challenges. Domestic violence is a serious problem, as are obstacles to the timely prosecution of rape, the prevalence of sexual harassment, and a persistent gender income gap, among other iniquities.

Romantic partnerships and sexuality

Despite advancements in LGBTQ rights in the last decades, Qym remains a heteronormative society. U/C

Work

Standard working hours are 24.5 per week, whereas Qymish workers typically work 7 out of 10 weekly days. The legal working age is 20, meaning minors below that age cannot work legally. In practice, this is often ignored in small businesses like convenience stores where children are usually expected to help out their parents run the family store. After his enthronement in 2443, King Qodzar announced a gradual process of reducing the standard working hours to 14 per week, citing the average work week already being 17.45 and also the benefits to employment, carbon emissions, well-being, gender equality, family care, and the increase in free time. This announcement was met positively by the Qymish public, according to polls, but quite negatively by business owners and, as a result, generated negative media coverage.

A standard work week depends on the profession but usually comprises the remaining 7 days of a normal week. As such, Qymish people usually work from the 4th day to the 10th day, based on the Bachan calendar. The first three days, known as the 'weekstart, are set aside for chores, personal work, or leisure. Traditional Qymish business hours, that is when a store is open or a business has its workers working, are 3:50 to 7:00. Including overtime, the maximum working hours cannot exceed 28 hours per week and 4 hours per day. Qymish labor law regulates the minimum working hours: part-time jobs should not allow for less than 10.5 hours per week without a workplace collective agreement. These agreements can allow for less, under specific conditions.

A lunchtime break is typical and usually about half an hour. Employers often allow employees to split that lunchtime break into segments, enabling them to take other breaks during their workday. Non-regulated pauses during the workday for natural bodily functions such as pee breaks or menstrual hygiene are not permitted to be documented as working time. Qymish labor law also rewards loyalty and employment stability by automatically granting raises based on the length of employment and changes in the cost-of-living, with the aim of maintaining stable real wage growth. This particularity of Qymish work culture has been criticized for discouraging workers from asking for merit-based raises and for employers to grant them. On the other hand, it has also been praised for standardizing pays and reducing gender pay gaps, as women are less likely to ask for raises.

Etiquette

Greetings

Qymish people do not usually shake hands when greeting strangers, as holding hands in any way or form is considered an intimate practice reserved for loved ones and family. Instead, they lightly bump their fists against one another, a practice popularized through the sport of hockey in the 23rd century. A cursory bow of the head is usually sufficient in more formal situations when meeting strangers, for instance when entering a shop or being formally introduced to someone. When greeting close friends or family members, people hug and kiss once on each cheeks, regardless of gender. Hugging and kissing someone who is only an acquaintance or worse, a stranger, is taboo and may be considered sexual harassment under modern Qymish law.

Eating and drinking

In a typical family meal or among friends, the members gather at a table and sit only when invited to sit by the host. The seating arrangement is also at the discretion of the host and it is considered polite as a guest to ask the host where to sit. Furthermore, guests are not to eat or drink unless given permission by the host while at the table. It is customary to wait for the host and/or cook to sit and finish serving food before then making a toast in their honor or to thank them for the food, after which, and only then, is it allowed to eat.

With the advent of the radio, television and smartphones, technology at the table has raised issues. It is often to the discretion of the people involved, but in general, most Qymish people frown upon people using their smartphone while eating, for any reason besides an emergency situation. Technology use at a table is only allowed when a person is eating alone, for example at a restaurant.

When it comes to paying the bill in a restaurant or elsewhere, gratuity is not expected and is instead considering insulting. It is only allowed in certain circumstances, when returning money would be inconvenient or insignificant, such as when the buyer rounds up the price of their purchase when paying in cash.

Making noise when drinking or eating is considered rude and impolite, particularly chewing with one's mouth open, slurping and burping.

Removal of footwear indoors

In Qym, it is customary to take one's shoes off at the entryway before entering a house. Some households may use indoor slippers, but it is far more common to walk around barefoot or in socks. Entering a house with shoes on is considered a major taboo, as it is synonymous with bringing in outside dirt and snow to one's residence, making it messier. Indeed, in winter, footwear worn outside is often wet from snow and soiled by the associated salt/sand that is used to clear roads and sidewalks of snow cover. Consequently, all schools in Qym require students to bring with them or leave behind a pair of "indoor shoes" at the school for indoor wear during the winter months. The same rules are applied in gyms, offices, and other establishments during the winter months. During other seasonal periods, it is common to wear outdoor shoes to school or work. An exception to this are public places like restaurants and stores, where it is not expected for clients to remove their shoes, regardless of the season and snow coverage. That is because these businesses are usually equipped with hard floors that are easy to clean or carpets designed to absorb melted snow.

Funerals

As a predominantly Scildist country, Qymish funeral traditions are similar to the rest of Meran and comprise two burials. During the initial burial of the body in a burial chamber, the body is left to decompose for about a year to obtain a bare skeleton. During the secondary burial, the deceased's family gathers the bones, which are then piled up in bulk before being stacked in ossuaries. Once an ossuary is full, the bones are transferred to a common grave during a second funeral service to which the entire local community is invited.

Scildist ossuaries are often decorated with the bones of deceased people, making them museums of the dead. Due to lack of space, most cities have catacombs, which are underground ossuaries. Catacombs, although most notable as underground passageways and ossuaries, also house many decorations and sculptures dedicated to the dead. The Catacombs of Zhifol, beneath the Palace of Zhifol, are particularly famous for being the resting place of all the members of the House of Zhifol, the ruling royal family of Qym. Other famous catacombs in the country include the Catacombs of Zhol, by far the largest, and also the Catacombs of Teurek for its unique decorative ornaments.

During the Festival of the Dead, Scildists perform an evening communal procession to the local ossuary with candles and various skull-related iconography, from makeup, masks or baked goods shaped like skulls. This festival honors all the deceased and a person's ancestors, making it one of the most important in Scildism. Specific regional varieties regarding this festival vary throughout Basis, but it is generally considered a continuation of funeral practices and a way to respect the deceased long after their death.

Among the sizable Sunneist community (around 6 million people or 3.7% of the population), funerals differ considerably.

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Directness

Qymish people are very direct and do not shy away from confrontation. They value honesty, clarity and loyalty, leading them to say what they think without filtering or sugar-coating. As such, Qymish people are often regarded as blunt and at times aggressive by foreigners. Indirect or overly cautious speech might be interpreted literally and lead to confusion, or as an expression of weakness and indecisiveness.

The honesty in Qymish directness means that feedback and opinions are often expressed more frankly. In Qymish culture, it's typical and expected to deliver bad news or criticism gently but clearly, rather than beat around the bush. As long as there is politeness, Qymish people value when people speak openly about what is important to them. This approach can be surprising to those from cultures where feedback is heavily softened. For instance, a Qymish person might say in a work meeting "your work has several errors that need to be fixed" whereas a foreign colleague would say "you did well, but there are a few minor issues to address" even if they did not do well at all.

Whereas some cultures might require a person to go in a roundabout and overly polite way to ask someone to open a window, for example saying "Excuse me, would you mind opening the window, if that's not too much trouble?", a Qymish person would simply say in a polite tone "Hey, can you open the window?" and add a quick "Thanks" at the end if the request is accepted. To Qymish people, adding cushion or sugar-coating phrases is being dishonest and cowardly. Tone is therefore very important when communicating, as it indicates a person's true emotions and level of respect for the person they are talking to.

The Qymish sport of hockey is a good representation of Qymish directness. In that sport, players are allowed to fist fight each other but must respect a certain etiquette to ensure the fight is fair and clean, such as dropping their gloves to agree to the fight, a practice whose origin lies in medieval Qym, where throwing a glove to the ground before an offender indicated a challenge for a duel. Likewise, players often chirp at each other, as do referees, leading to funny banter and entertaining mic'd up moments for the fans.

Mirroring this hockey culture, street fighting is tolerated in Qymish society, with penalties often merely minor fines for disruption of public order if the fighting is done in a public place, and usually results in no penalties if it is mutual combat on a private property. If any severe injuries are caused during a fight, the severity of the injury will impact the penalty of the participants and may result in prison time.

Pets

Like elsewhere on Basis, cats and dogs are the most common pets owned by Qymish people. U/C

Common dog breeds originating from Qym include the Mudi, Roduvas, and the Vusat. Similarly, common Qymish cat breeds include the Sandy cat, Nagurian Blue, and Snowshoe cat.

Dog and cat breeds from Qym
Mudi
Roduvas
Vusat
Sandy cat
Nagurian Blue
Snowshoe cat

Leisure and hobbies

Vacation

Qymish people are known vacationers both within and outside of Qym. With winter months particularly cold and snowy, many people travel south to warmer countries, a practice known as snowbird tourism.

Video games

As in the rest of Basis, video games are popular in Qym, particularly among the youth, and many games are developed domestically every year.

Fashion

Traditional clothes

Qym does not have a specific national costume but rather several regional ones. These share some common characteristics, however, such as the use of hoods (Qymish: ⰽⰰⱂⱖⱋ, kapüsh), scarfs (Qymish: ⱇⱆⰾⰰⱃ, fular) and knit caps (Qymish: ⱅⱖⰽ, tük), as well as jackets for men and dresses for women. The designs of civil clothes were developed from ancient times, to Byrakan then Ottelian, and later under Sukat influence, and in cities along the SEA coast, primarily under other Meranian influence.

The fez was a popular headwear for the upper class starting in the early 2190s, owing to its adoption by King Bacha XII on his official portrait. Subsequent kings also wore a fez for their official portrait until King Bacha XVII who opted not to do so in 2372. By then, the practice had become outdated throughout Meran, especially from the 2340s onward.

Modern fashion

Zhol is one of the fashion centers on Basis and host several luxury brands' headquarters. The Qymish royal family has often been a trend-setter in modern-day Qymish fashion. The styles of Queen Zvonica and Queen Qümica have particularly attracted media attention not just in Qym but also throughout Basis.

The modern hoodie is generally considered to have originated in Qym in the 2320s, although that claim is disputed. It was usually worn by working-class laborers in colder environments. Nowadays, hoodies are a popular clothing item and are often worn under a coat or jacket to provide an extra layer of clothing in the winter.

Cuisine

Sports

The most popular one in terms of spectators is ice hockey, commonly referred simply as "hockey" (ⱝⱁⰽⰺ hoky). Ice hockey is native to Qym and considered its national sport.