FSMmas/Christmas

[StayThirstyMyAguila]

Yarrr, mateys!

Why do Jewish people and the like so often say, "I don't celebrate Christmas because I don't believe in it!"

You don't believe in happiness? Joy? Giving? How about getting together with family? Oh, you do?

Listen, Christmas is fine to celebrate if you want, even if you're Jewish/anything not Christian. Christmas may have started as a Christian holiday, true. But it has grown to be so much more than that. Non-Christians celebrate it every year, because it no longer represents the birth of Christ. It is now an international, inter-religion time to get together with family, give to others, and otherwise just enjoy being.
I celebrate Christmas, and guess what?
I'M.
NOT.
CHRISTIAN!
Unbelievable, huh?

So stop Bah Humbugging you Scrooges.

"There's a reason we were born with brains in our heads and not rocks."*

Leave thoughts/comments/questions/concerns/thingsyoushouldprobablytellacertified,professiontherapist below!



*First to name that reference gets a cookie and maybe a friend

Arggghh!

[Cardinal Fang]

Those of the Jewish faith have Hanukkah, which this year falls on the same day as Christmas. This, like Christmas, and many other winter festivals that have fallen by the wayside (Saturnalia, Yule) etc place a lot of stock in light, eating and drinking goodies with friends and family, and (in many parts of the Jewish diaspora) exchanging gifts.

Because there is a deeper meaning to all celebrations this time of year. Since ancient times, our ancestors have marked the Winter Solstice. They did it for an number of reasons: firstly, to celebrate the end of the year's work. The harvest was in, the barns full, the animals slaughtered and preserved. This was the time to stop, look back and take stock. The second reason was because they knew they were entering a bleak time of year, where there was nothing to harvest, and where it would be dark, and cold, and where, in all liklihood, not all of them would survive. So, around the time of the winter solstice, they would gather with their family, friends, and loved ones, and celebrate with food, and music and light.

As time went on, these celebrations were called different names - in ancient Rome, it was Saturnalia, in Pagan Scandinavia, it was Yule. Sometimes those festivities were co-opted as part of a religious rite - in ancient Egypt, Ra was worshipped; in ancient Persia, it was Mithras. But the tradition remained the same.

So, if I choose to continue the traditions of my forefathers, and choose to gather with my nearest and dearest around the time of the Winter Solstice, and celebrate with music, feasting and light, I will do. And if I choose, for the sake of convenience, or social cohesion, or because of the sheer impossibility of finding Saturnalia cards, to call this festivity by the name it is currently known as, i.e. "Christmas", I will do that too. Because the reason for the season goes back far longer, and goes far deeper than what we think.

Frankly if any believer gets arsy about a non-believer like me marking this season, or if any militant non-believer tries to castigate me for marking an ancient rite that has been co-opted into a current religion, then I only have one thing to say to them:

Merry Christmas!

CF

[Nef Yoo BlackBeard]

APPEE NOO YERR !

rrr

et gunno B me furd burfday diss yeer

rrr

[Cardinal Fang]

Just past midnight so



Happy ChriFSMas to one and all

CF

[Nef Yoo BlackBeard]

marry burfday too ye
marry burfday too ye
marry burfday deeeeeer jeebus
anna appee nuuuuuu yeeeer rrrr

[buttlicking22]

Those of the Jewish faith have Hanukkah, which this year falls on the same day as Christmas. This, like Christmas, and many other winter festivals that have fallen by the wayside (Saturnalia, Yule) etc place a lot of stock in light, eating and drinking goodies with friends and family, and (in many parts of the Jewish diaspora) exchanging gifts.

Because there is a deeper meaning to all celebrations this time of year. Since ancient times, our ancestors have marked the Winter Solstice. They did it for an number of reasons: firstly, to celebrate the end of the year's work. The harvest was in, the barns full, the animals slaughtered and preserved. This was the time to stop, look back and take stock. The second reason was because they knew they were entering a bleak time of year, where there was nothing to harvest, and where it would be dark, and cold, and where, in all liklihood, not all of them would survive. So, around the time of the winter solstice, they would gather with their family, friends, and loved ones, and celebrate with food, and music and light.

As time went on, these celebrations were called different names - in ancient Rome, it was Saturnalia, in Pagan Scandinavia, it was Yule. Sometimes those festivities were co-opted as part of a religious rite - in ancient Egypt, Ra was worshipped; in ancient Persia, it was Mithras. But the tradition remained the same.

So, if I choose to continue the traditions of my forefathers, and choose to gather with my nearest and dearest around the time of the Winter Solstice, and celebrate with music, feasting and light, I will do. And if I choose, for the sake of convenience, or social cohesion, or because of the sheer impossibility of finding Saturnalia cards, to call this festivity by the name it is currently known as, i.e. "Christmas", I will do that too. Because the reason for the season goes back far longer, and goes far deeper than what we think.

Frankly if any believer gets arsy about a non-believer like me marking this season, or if any militant non-believer tries to castigate me for marking an ancient rite that has been co-opted into a current religion, then I only have one thing to say to them:

Merry Christmas!

CF

That was extremely well written and made a strong point. This is an above A+ explanation for the celebration of modern day Christmas or as it is called in our religion, "Happy Holidays". Have you made any contributions to the Loose Canon? I think this article is well worthy to be included in the Loose Canon. Job well done Cardinal Fang.

[StayThirstyMyAguila]

First, I would like to acknowledge what the guy above me (FSM deny you stringent school wifi!!!!!) said:

Those of the Jewish faith have Hanukkah, which this year falls on the same day as Christmas. This, like Christmas, and many other winter festivals that have fallen by the wayside (Saturnalia, Yule) etc place a lot of stock in light, eating and drinking goodies with friends and family, and (in many parts of the Jewish diaspora) exchanging gifts.

Because there is a deeper meaning to all celebrations this time of year. Since ancient times, our ancestors have marked the Winter Solstice. They did it for an number of reasons: firstly, to celebrate the end of the year's work. The harvest was in, the barns full, the animals slaughtered and preserved. This was the time to stop, look back and take stock. The second reason was because they knew they were entering a bleak time of year, where there was nothing to harvest, and where it would be dark, and cold, and where, in all liklihood, not all of them would survive. So, around the time of the winter solstice, they would gather with their family, friends, and loved ones, and celebrate with food, and music and light.

As time went on, these celebrations were called different names - in ancient Rome, it was Saturnalia, in Pagan Scandinavia, it was Yule. Sometimes those festivities were co-opted as part of a religious rite - in ancient Egypt, Ra was worshipped; in ancient Persia, it was Mithras. But the tradition remained the same.

So, if I choose to continue the traditions of my forefathers, and choose to gather with my nearest and dearest around the time of the Winter Solstice, and celebrate with music, feasting and light, I will do. And if I choose, for the sake of convenience, or social cohesion, or because of the sheer impossibility of finding Saturnalia cards, to call this festivity by the name it is currently known as, i.e. "Christmas", I will do that too. Because the reason for the season goes back far longer, and goes far deeper than what we think.

Frankly if any believer gets arsy about a non-believer like me marking this season, or if any militant non-believer tries to castigate me for marking an ancient rite that has been co-opted into a current religion, then I only have one thing to say to them:

Merry Christmas!

CF

That was extremely well written and made a strong point. This is an above A+ explanation for the celebration of modern day Christmas or as it is called in our religion, "Happy Holidays". Have you made any contributions to the Loose Canon? I think this article is well worthy to be included in the Loose Canon. Job well done Cardinal Fang.

I have to say I heavily agree with him/her/it/other. Very eloquently stated! I have trouble with that; that is, I have the ideas, but don't know how to express them very well. What can I say? I'm not, "perfect", okay? I don't, "use air quotes correctly"; nor do I use semicolons/colons (I can't remember which is which either) properly: but I digress.
Back to the important things: guess what Nef Yoo? It was MY birthday during the Holiday(s)!
Hab'ee berfday ter ush,
Hab'ee berfday ter ush,
Hab'ee berfday deer Nef Yoo BlackBeard, jeebush, and StayThirstyMyAguila,
Hab'ee berfday ter ush!
Finally, thanks for giving me your approximate location Cardinal Fang . Based on your statement , "Just past midnight", my location, and based on that, my inherent time zone, and the timestamp on your post, I can calculate your current location! And then, YOU'LL BE MINE!!! Unless you're on a plane . . . better check all flights in the area just to be safe, and all the flights in the airports THEY land in . . . and all flights leaving the airports THEY land in . . . Did I say that all out loud ? Now all I need is the average climate where you are to find out your latitude . . . do you have summer where you are? Winter? Cross-referenced with the likelihood of an individual in certain areas on that longitude/latitude, I'll narrow it down to the city/town/large lakehouse . . . if only I had your IP this would be so much easier . . .

[Cardinal Fang]

My location remains as always - my dungeon on Viltvodel VI, protected by Attack Slugs and armed to the teeth with comfy chairs.

CF

[StayThirstyMyAguila]

If that is the case, then you must be a bowl of petunias, which is currently thinking, "Oh no, not again.", right? If not, I will have no proof with which to attempt to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

Or is that your cousin I'm thinking of . . . ?

[ItchyPirate]

I don't celebrate Christmas because I don't believe in Christ, and also because I believe a religious holiday shouldn't be commercialized.

As a Pastafarian, however, I do celebrate Holiday, which occurs around the same time as Christmas.

If people want to celebrate family, love, happiness, etc. in December, I take no issue with that, but to my way of thinking those are things that ought to be celebrated throughout the entire year, not just one day per year.

It's just like the "Thanksgiving holiday" celebrated in my home country: why should I wait until one particular day to be thankful? Should I wait until that one day to seek out people that have helped me on that one day just to thank them? No! I thank them immediately! "Thanksgiving" should rightly be named "The First United Statian Feast Day" (or preferrably something shorter that conveys the same meaning - but I'm not quite that creative ).

[StayThirstyMyAguila]

Do I believe a guy named Christ existed? I think he probably did.
Do I believe he died and came back to life? No.
Do I believe he could walk on water? Yes, but only in January.
I celebrate Christmas because I've got family who celebrates it, and it gives me a chance to connect with them. Most of my family lives way out of walking distance, so Christmas is one of the few times of the year I actually get to see them. I don't doubt that there are many people like me who experience the same thing. Christmas also has a higher popularity than Holiday, and therefore is more likely to have funnier cards available. Thus, the FSM is probably cool with people celebrating Christmas, if only for a good laugh.
The idea of Thanksgiving is to slow down, meet up with family, who, all too commonly these days, live a good-sized distance from you. It's also a time to stop and be thankful for what you have. Should we do it all the time? Yes. Do we? No.

Also, Americans just love an excuse to celebrate things. Simple as that. I mean, we have a day to celebrate the guy who discovered the land we don't even live on (Columbus Day, in case you're a Brit/Canadian/Australian).