|
Post by StealthStyleL on Dec 1, 2016 20:30:54 GMT
So, it's now December, which means Christmas is only a few weeks away. I thought it would be nice if we start to get festive and so I set up this thread for general discussion on Christmas. As long as it is Christmas-related it's welcome here.
What are your favourite Christmas songs? Do you have any Christmas traditions you'd like to share? Maybe some interesting stories. A Christmas picture? Maybe you don't celebrate Christmas, do you do anything else? Anything Thrive-related and Chrismassy?
|
|
|
Post by mitobox on Dec 1, 2016 22:27:13 GMT
Christmas was originally a Norse holiday, right? ... Alright, just read up a bit. The Norse name was "Yule." It seems to have characteristics of rebirth and salvation not dissimilar from Christian concepts, so now Christmas being the modern derivative of Yule makes a whole lot of sense.
The "rebirth" aspect refers to Yule taking place on the winter solstice, when the day is shortest (especially since the Norse lived so far north), i.e. when the current sun goddess dies and the gods are weakest, only for her to be reborn and return the days to their usual length (not without Yule as a form of ritual support, of course). Before then, however, the world is as cold and dark as Hel, which the forces of death and darkness take full advantage of. This is where salvation comes in; Thor comes in and beats the living Belgium out of them all ("holding the line" for the reborn sun goddess), another cause for celebration.
|
|
|
Post by NickTheNick on Dec 1, 2016 22:49:15 GMT
Christmas as we celebrate it is actually most likely derived from the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, as well as the fact that it's near the winter solstice, an almost universally celebrated point of the year.
Almost every major culture in history has had some sort of large festival during winter, and in most of these cases it would be on or around the winter solstice. It's speculated that the reason such diverse cultures all gravitated towards large festivals around this point of the year is because of the common interest of giving some socialization, warmth, and enjoyment to the coldest, darkest point of the year.
In Rome in particular, setting the date of Christmas to approximately the date of the major pagan festival of Saturnalia helped integrate Christian traditions into Roman culture to shift the population from their Hellenic traditions towards practicing Christian traditions.
|
|
RoboTrannic
Spacefaring
haunting deviantart
Posts: 1,005
|
Post by RoboTrannic on Dec 1, 2016 23:00:17 GMT
i would post a video on the science of santa but that would get me banned in a heart beat
|
|
|
Post by Atrox on Dec 1, 2016 23:06:51 GMT
i would post a video on the science of santa but that would get me banned in a heart beat Why..?
|
|
RoboTrannic
Spacefaring
haunting deviantart
Posts: 1,005
|
Post by RoboTrannic on Dec 1, 2016 23:09:20 GMT
YOU DONT WANT TO KNOW
|
|
|
Post by mitobox on Dec 2, 2016 0:05:07 GMT
It feels like the seasons drive a lot of seasons, including Christmas, due to weather shifts (when to grow and harvest), the movement of the stars, etc.
If a planet had an axis not bent enough for seasons, would the resident species have little reason for annual holidays (at least, before the invention of calendars and an era system to commemorate events).
|
|
The_Wayward_Admiral
Spacefaring
The_Real_Slim_Shady
Atrox drew this awesome image of the Keldori!
Posts: 1,011
|
Post by The_Wayward_Admiral on Dec 2, 2016 1:56:09 GMT
Well now I kind of want to know...but I'll let curiosity lie this time.
I think there'd still be a need for annual holidays on a non-season planet. Another important function they serve is providing reprieve from labor, allowing the workforce to build communal bonds and refresh for the next round of productivity.
|
|
|
Post by StealthStyleL on Dec 7, 2016 10:08:40 GMT
I recently found this 1966 Christmas song, a version of Silent Night by Simon & Garfunkel. Now before you say boooring, the interesting thing about this song is that it is played alongside a news broadcast. For me, it has a chilling effect and I think it is worth a listen, even if it is not the best for a Christmas party. Anyway, if you feel like it: m.youtube.com/watch?v=WgYFXCUEL4Y
|
|