Darkest Night

Name in Hyrulean: Od-Toa Dm'ebi

History

Different communities across Hyrule have traditionally held celebrations on the winter solstice, lighting bonfires and spending the night celebrating with family and friends to beat back the dark of the year's longest night. In the years while Zelda I was directing the rebuilding of Castle Town, these celebrations were formalized into an official national holiday, and certain spaces within Hyrule Castle were opened to the general public as a place for merriment.
In the modern-day, Darkest Night is winter's most prominent and widely celebrated holiday, and Hyrule Castle holds a highly anticipated and free-to-enter lottery for citizens to win an invite to the grand Darkest Night Ball in the months prior.

Components and tools

Darkest Night is a time for feasting and warmth, so much thought is put into the preparation of food. Given the season, the availability of certain ingredients has played a large role in the traditional meals.
In rural areas, wild game is the meat of choice, and hunting expeditions are an exciting build-up to the festival itself. Expect to see plenty of venison and rabbit on the table, typically in stews, in meat pies, or served over flavored rice. Hardy root vegetables like turnips, carrots, parsnips, and beets are another star, and one of the most iconic meals of the holiday is a layered gratin-like dish made with sliced root vegetables (and plenty of cheese).
Outside of any sit-down meals, the bonfires present at all Darkest Night celebrations mean that an array of toast-able snacks is an absolute must. There are no marshmallows in Hyrule, but there are apples, sausages, kebabs, and even just bread, often accompanied by jams and preserves.

Observance

As it's such a popular holiday, school is let out for a week and most businesses have a break. This is to accommodate both for travel times and for the tradition of staying up for the entire night, something which understandably disrupts a lot of sleep schedules.
The day of, festivities don't officially begin until the sun begins to go down, and so the daylight hours are spent preparing meals, stacking wood for the fires, dressing any game caught, and receiving guests. When it's agreed upon that the sun is going down, a toast is given and a good-natured prayer is offered to Hylia for protection against the darkness. Then the revelries begin, including dancing, caroling, lots of food, card and board games, spooky stories, and toasting snacks around the bonfire.
The goal is to stay up until first light, and when it comes, it's greeted with cheers and another toast, which are promptly followed by a nap. One of the considerations a host of a Darkest Night party must make is where all their guests will sleep once the party ends, and part of a guest's preparations are bringing their own pillows, blankets, and nightwear. It's considered rude to stay much past midday after this, unless your family or a particularly close friend.