Seasons Greetings from a non-believer

[LONDONER]

Even as a non-believer it doesn't stop me wishing those who do believe, my best wishes for the Season. Here's my slightly irreverent take on the subject.

[LONDONER]

Do your seasonal wishes only extend to those who believe in Christ?

No, to anyone prepared to receive them, but this "season" is Christmas so in general it is direceted at Christians.

[meridannight]

well...oranges remind me of Christmas. so....





happy oranges!

[Beaux]

How can you not believe in Christmas? It's EVERYWHERE, on the TV, on the radio, all the work parties! I promise you, Christmas is a REAL holiday!!!
~Beaux

[trywait]

How can you not believe in Christmas? It's EVERYWHERE, on the TV, on the radio, all the work parties! I promise you, Christmas is a REAL holiday!!!
~Beaux

maybe in the cooler months when its wintry. but if its summery, yikes!

[MikeW]

No, to anyone prepared to receive them, but this "season" is Christmas so in general it is direceted at Christians.

That is SO wrong. The SEASON is WINTER and the HOLIDAY is THE WINTER SOLSTICE. Always has been always will be. It's the damn Christians who appropriated it and turned into a birth of Jesus thingy. The Bible doesn't say anything about the BD of Jesus at all, so far as I understand.

Because the event was seen as the reversal of the Sun's ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, in cultures which used cyclic calendars based on the winter solstice, the "year as reborn" was celebrated with reference to life-death-rebirth deities or "new beginnings" such as Hogmanay's redding, a New Year cleaning tradition. Also "reversal" is yet another frequent theme, as in Saturnalia's slave and master reversals.

The Christmas carol In The Bleak Midwinter refers to the Winter solstice in its title.

The pagan Scandinavian and Germanic people of northern Europe celebrated a twelve-day "midwinter" (winter solstice) holiday called Yule (also called Jul, Julblot, jólablót, midvinterblot, julofferfest). Many modern Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas tree, the Christmas wreath, the Yule log, and others, are direct descendents of Yule customs. Scandinavians still call Yule "Jul". In English, the word "Yule" is often used in combination with the season "yuletide" [5] a usage first recorded in 900. It is believed that the celebration of this day was a worship of these peculiar days, interpreted as the reawakening of nature. The Yule (Jul) particular god was Jólner, which is one of Odin's many names. The concept of Yule occurs in a tribute poem to Harold Hårfager from about AD 900, where someone said "drinking Jul". Julblot is the most solemn sacrifice feast. At the "julblotet", sacrifices were given to the gods to earn blessing on the forthcoming germinating crops. Julblotet was eventually integrated into the Christian Christmas. As a remainder from this Viking era, the Midsummer is still important in Scandinavia, and hence vividly celebrated.

Sol Invictus ("The Unconquered Sun") was originally a Syrian god who was later adopted as the chief god of the Roman Empire under Emperor Aurelian. His holiday is traditionally celebrated on December 25, as are several gods associated with the winter solstice in many pagan traditions.[6]

See.. the thing is this. In the northern hemisphere, the 21st/22nd is the SHORTEST day. BUT, for the next three days, the sun appears to rise IN THE SAME SPOT on the horizon. It isn't until the 25th, that the sun is "reborn"... that is, begins its annual migration from its sunrise point, northward to the summer seasons.

[thawoods]

Happy Holidays to you!

~thawoods/woodsie/woody

[Insertnamehere]

Oh Christianity and christmas...2 of my least favorite things in the world.

Merry f*cking holidays y'all

[matty7]

I Love Christmas Londoner so ill except your best wishes for the season ...enjoy the holiday season yourself too buddy
Alto - please don't turn a simple thread about wishing best wishes for the holiday season into some kind an anti religious thread against other faiths , with all the killing in the name of so called religion recently Its made me sick to the pit of my stomach about it all- enjoy Christmas if you celebrate it and hope everyone else just gets along

[LJay]

Io Saturnalia!