Christmas Answer #1

Yesterday we put up our Christmas decorations. I knew my husband, a well-known Grinch, was gone for the afternoon, providing us the opportunity to get out the tree (fake, pre-lit) and all the other festive items. My son, who is 7 years-old asked me a lot of questions about the Christmas traditions that I could not answer. Why do people put an angel or a star on top of their tree? What is "Noel"? Why Santa Clause? Why put out colored lights and decorations at all?

I don't like answering his questions with "because we have always done that." We are not particularly religious, so I want to give him satisfying answers that are based on fact, tradition, and not stories that were hijacked by a particular belief and changed to satisfy those beliefs. So I'm doing a little bit of research and would like to share some of my findings.

By the way, we were completely done and had everything cleaned up by the time my husband came home. He said, "A Christmas Bomb went off while I was gone." But I know that deep down he really likes the colored lights. In fact, he slept in the living room last night with the tree on the entire time.

Christmas Answer #1: Why December 25th?
Before I try to answer that question, we have to learn a little about Winter Solstice. A solstice occurs twice a year, whenever Earth's axis tilts the most toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to be farthest north or south at noon. The winter solstice, which happens around December 22nd or 23rd, is when the days are the shortest of the entire year, and the nights are really long. At least that's true for the Northern hemisphere. We have to remember that in the Southern hemisphere, it's the opposite, and that Christmas time happens during their Summer!

A very long time ago, people became afraid that the nights would become longer and longer, and the sun would disappear altogether! They would especially be afraid at the time of the Winter Solstice. However, the wise people would notice that by December 25th, the days were getting longer again! Then it was time to celebrate the return of the sun.

Many cultures and religions have celebrations around the time of the Winter Solstice. For example, the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah, or the Muslim holiday of Ramadan.

But for the answer of Why December 25th for Christmas? Here's the short answer: No one really knows the day that Jesus was born, but they suspect that it was probably in the Fall. Early Christian church leaders selected December 25th because this was already the date recognized throughout the Roman Empire as the birthday of various Pagan gods. So, basically, it was already being celebrated for the birth of some gods, why not their god, Jesus? Eventually, when Christianity became more popular, they dropped the other gods and focused on Christianity's one god.

References:
Religious Tolerance.org from Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance: http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_sel.htm
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice

Thursday Thirteen #52

13 Great and Not-So-Great Things about Staying at Home

Since my sudden dismissal from my employment (I'd rather not talk about it right now!), I have decided to become a Stay-At-Home-Mom. After two weeks, here are my thoughts:

1. I still have to get up, but I don't have to shower and put on makeup. Instead, I have to get everyone else up and going.



2. I do a lot more cooking now: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I even make a lunch for my husband to take to work.



3. The house will get and remain cleaner now that I have the time. But because of #2 above, I have more dishes to wash--and no dishwasher.



4. I can devote more time to the garden.



5. The kids love that I'm home. But that also means that I have to figure out what to do with them.



6. I thought that being home would give me more time to listen to NPR. I was wrong. My local NPR station suddenly switched to a Christian station, but until they get their programming together, they are playing CHRISTMAS MUSIC. YUCK! I can't seem to get other NPR stations either. So I'm in an information blackout.



7. My need for high-speed internet access is painfully apparent. I can only use dial-up and that's about 28.8 or 32 bps.



8. I don't have TV either, but that doesn't seem to be a problem, yet.



9. My dog seems to love having us around all the time. But now he insists on going in the car to pick up my son from school.



10. My 2-year-old can now concentrate on potty training.



11. I know I'll miss "adult" interaction with the people I used to work with. Now I spend my day arguing with my 2-year-old or talking to the dog. The cat just ignors me.



12. I'll also miss the unconventional work environment I was in, especially the three office dogs and three office cats. One of the last things I did at work was a disciplinary hearing with the boss and I had a cat butt in my face.



13. Naps in the afternoon. Ahhh.

Thursday Thirteen #32

13 Things That I Want Everyone To Know

1. A rabid bat can bite you while you’re sleeping and you wouldn’t know until you die of rabies.



2. Accidentally putting metal in a microwave will not destroy the microwave. In the late ‘70s, I accidentally put a stick of margarine in the microwave, not thinking that the outside covering was foil. The light show was spectacular! As far as I know, that microwave is still running.



3. Curses or blessings cannot be passed through e-mail. How many times have you received an e-mail that says “pass this on to 5 people or you will . . . ?” I am not afraid of ignoring those sort-of things.



4. Elmo is voiced by Kevin Clash, a 46 year-old African American man. It always makes me feel good to know that there are some adults, just like me, who haven’t lost touch with their inner 4-year-old.



5. Gilbert Gottfried actually does the voice of the AFLAC duck.



6. Halloween does not have anything to do with Satan. Some people believe that Halloween is a prime recruiting season for Satanists and therefore poses a considerable chance for children to convert. If you look at it simply, it is a secular holiday where children dress in costumes and go door-to-door trick and treating for candy. I have never experienced a Satanist prostletizing Satanism. In fact, I have experienced the opposite: Christians prostletizing Christianity.



7. In the song, “Blinded By the Light,” by Manfred Mann (1976), the lyric that sounds like, “Wrapped up like a douche, you know the roamer in the night,” is actually “revved up like a deuce, Another runner in the night.” A “deuce” is a 1932 Ford Coupe, as in “Little Deuce Coupe.” Now you know.



8. Jell-O is not a salad. Sorry Mom! It’s a dessert.



9. Jesus was not born on December 25th. Starting about the eighth century, Christians began to discourage pagan or secular celebrations and to make up a Christian meaning for the celebration. The most common times for celebration are the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Christians then assimilated those celebrations into Christmas and Easter.



10. Podcasts do not require an iPod in order to listen to them.



11. Sushi does not mean “raw fish.” I don’t like fish. But I will eat sushi. That’s because I like sushi that does not include fish. Sushi is a type of food that has seaweed, rice, and an inside. While that inside is usually fish, it can be all kinds of other things. I love Inari: sushi rice filled into deep fried tofu bags.



12. When a kid says they are feeing sick, as in “going to throw up,” believe them and immediately act accordingly. As a child that was prone to car sickness, I can attest.



13. You do not need to stop when making a right turn. Unless there is a stop sign.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants