Sunday Morning Rant.

nzl-g3user wrote in post #2381340
Don't make me hurt you As long as you don't think that we all run around in grass skirts then ya fine

Darn. I would have liked to see you in one.

I am actually quite offended by how offended you all are about this. It is politics. Leave that to the politicians, let's live as humans shall we.

Claire wrote in post #2381349
Darn. I would have liked to see you in one.

I didn't know you had a wish to be blind

Claire wrote in post #2381279
I am horribly offended you have A-ha in that sentence! They're Norwegian! But then again, you did that on purpose, eh?

Yes

Dave, I know you too well. At least you didn't say Aqua or Lordi. hehe

BeccaNH wrote in post #2380290
We actually had a boycott happen at our office this year because we had to have a "Autumn Party" instead of a "Christmas Party".

Given the history of christmas, calling it an Autumn Party is actualy quite ironic.
It is orginaly the Pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice, hence the feasting and drinking.

Something I plan to be doing plenty of, while spending time with Family.
I think I will find it far more enjoyable than sitting around whining like a Pom



And Australia used to be part of New Zealand, but we had to cast them adrift when they refused to play nice in the Cricket.

Moppie wrote in post #2381482
Given the history of christmas, calling it an Autumn Party is actualy quite ironic.
It is orginaly the Pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice, hence the feasting and drinking.

Something I plan to be doing plenty of, while spending time with Family.
I think I will find it far more enjoyable than sitting around whining like a Pom



And Australia used to be part of New Zealand, but we had to cast them adrift when they refused to play nice in the Cricket.

Isn't the real date of the birth of Christ sometime in March? I think the early church decided his birth would be celebrated on the 25th as that was closer to the pagan winter solstace (December 21st) and could pretty much take over from that.

To the pagans, there being little else to do in the depths of winter, celebrating the solstace with eating and drinking made a lot of sense - it raised the spirits as they knew from that date the nights would get shorter and the days longer.

rhys wrote in post #2382328
Isn't the real date of the birth of Christ sometime in March?

Someone will say I'm wrong, but it's April 6th.

The original celebration in the winter was the Roman celebration to Saturn, the Saturnalia. When the Roman Empire turned to Christianity it saw that it was futile to try to outlaw the holiday so it just changed the name and it became a Christian holiday rather than deprive the Romans of their holiday. Bread and circuses, you know.
Throughout history cultures have evolved and changed, adopting ways and local celebrations to survive.
I grew up in a family that believed that the celebration of Christmas and all "Holy days" were a violation of Christ's teachings, yet I celebrate Christmas.
I do not question those that choose to Celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Ramadan, or the phases of the moon. I also recognize that the prevalent beliefs in a given location probably should not be challenged with impunity.
Live and let live.

rhys wrote in post #2382328
Isn't the real date of the birth of Christ sometime in March? I think the early church decided his birth would be celebrated on the 25th as that was closer to the pagan winter solstace (December 21st) and could pretty much take over from that.

To the pagans, there being little else to do in the depths of winter, celebrating the solstace with eating and drinking made a lot of sense - it raised the spirits as they knew from that date the nights would get shorter and the days longer.

Any dates to that are purely conjecture. Noone knows for sure, just lots of guesses based on many completely different theories.

saravrose wrote in post #2380418
what a union jack?..

It's what you use when you have a flat tire (tyre) on your union.

Wow no one been torched yet?

UK - every person on the island's an immigrant if you go back far enough, If I remember right the welsh were first to settle followed by the gaelic populating scotland & Ireland, Rome came years later, the germanic peoples moved across the water in 400AD (ish) to settle, then the french (norman) invasion went from 1066. (if it had not been the normans the vikings would have likely won majority as they were invading the same year, King harold (saxon) succesfully repelled a viking army in the north then marched his army non stop to battle, in sussex to try repel the normans. This has left the south of uk with a predominant saxon (germanic) population and the midlands/north with predominant viking population, a mixture of norman sprinkled through both. If anyone really cares

My history teacher would be proud, she thought i was asleep half time.

The stuff I dug up on christianity a while ago was also interesting (if accurate) Rome was in a state of flux, many religions warring with eachother, internal political intrigue etc so constantine the then emperor offered these religions a shed load of gold if they could get along, so they got together and all agreed on one tale of events from their own stories/faiths hence christianity was born, one state religion and Rome was at peace.

I wasn't there in person to verify this story (I was busy populating UK) So how accurate it is I have no idea.

And finally the last spanner in the works, Santa was invented by coca cola, or at least the santa we all know. Commercialism made perfect.

rklepper wrote in post #2382881
Any dates [re Jesus' birthday] are purely conjecture. No one knows for sure, just lots of guesses based on many completely different theories.

Problem #1; no headstone or tomb.

Carzee wrote in post #2383142
Problem #1; no headstone or tomb.

WOT ... you mean that grotto at Disneyland aint so? Maaaan ... and I spent out for the tshirt and tee-towel and everything