JC Denton wrote on Dec 23
rd, 2010 at 2:50pm:
I mean pretending you don't know that a christmas tree is a symbol of christmas. What's your angle, buster?!
The Winter solstice is a pagan celebration, one of the four pagan festivals of the year, inclouding Midsummer (Summer solstice), Beltaine (Spring equinox) and All Hallows Eve, or Halloween (Autumn exquinox). Many other cultures and religions have (or had) festivals at these times, including Hindus, Buddhists, and the Egyptians.
To fit in and play nice, the Christians adapted these festivals to the Christian callendar - just as the Soviets did with festivals like May Day. Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of the baby Jesus, just as May Day, Easter or Beltaine has nothing to do with His death.
These days are important times in the year in agrarian societies, times when harvests are being reaped or planted or in short supply. They also have spiritual importance in the Old Religion - astrologically, All Hallows Eve is supposed to be a good time to contact the dead. Beltaine is supposed to be the time of the year when the "veil between the worlds" is thinnest (and magic - or intention - strongest, hence its focus on rebirth).
Kids can collect chocolates from their neighbours, decorate tree symbols or go on Easter egg hunts anytime they want. The purpose of these festivals, in the way of the Old Religion, was spiritual. See Ecclesiastes about seasons and times under Heaven. The earth has its own rhythms, and heaven its own purpose.
To stick to your "heritage" without even knowing what your heritage is seems to be a tad dumb to me. We no longer live on the land, and most of us are no longer pagan or Christian, or even socialist.
But consumption is required from us like a new form of social contract - otherwise the retail figures will go down, Gerry Harvey will moan, David Jones' share price will drop and the government will panic.
And this is why we still have the Christmas tree, effende: "our heritage".
This is why we have Santa Claus: the comercial artist, Haddon Sundblom, drew him on a Coca Cola poster. Ah, the Spirit of Christmas. He sounds Danish, doesn't he?
So before you tell me to be proud of my heritage, tell me which one you mean: the veil between the worlds or ads for Coca Cola?
Oh for fuxsake, what an insufferable swot you are PB!!! We know you have memorised The idiot's guide to Sociology.