Some things to consider about Christmas

[staggeringman]

I have seen some Victorian type Father Christmases in green but thought that the red suit went back before Coca Cola's time. How long has Coke existed then?



If reindeers can fly then coke as been around for years!!

[vorlon24]

Coke has been around for awhile - they were founded in 1886, but Sundblom wasn't commissioned until 1931

[Bazf]

A shortened version about old St Nick.
English Father Christmas became part of the greater European Santa Claus in the 1950's. But until then he was quite a different character. His origins were steeped in the Viking lore, brought by these people when they conquered Britain in the 8th - 9th centuries. Although the Celtic Christians were brought in line with Roman practice from a decree at the Synod of Whitby in the 7th century, Christianity was still somewhat isolated from mainstream Europe. Many of the images in the Saxon churches were Byzantine in style not Roman. Even after the Norman invasion in 1066, when the Normans effectively wiped out all the early imagery and replaced it with Roman style, still oaths were commonly sworn "By God and by Odin". Things changed only slowly.
The Saxons welcomed King Frost, or Father Time, or King Winter. He would be represented by someone, given a fine hat or crown to wear and brought to their firesides.
In England in the Middle Ages, a parish would hire an actor, or often a cleric from another parish, to dress in disguise, and visit homes to see how people were doing. Maybe someones children were sickly because they had no food, or a widow was not managing now her husband had died - He would report back to the Parish priest, who would keep an eye on the situation.
Father Christmas was banned by the Puritans under Cromwell in the mid-17th century. He went 'underground' along with Minced Pies, Christmas games and the like.
In the 18th century, he began to appear in the Christmas plays of itinerant players. In the middle of the play, he would appear, heavily disguised, shouting his challenge, "In comes I, Old Father Christmas. Be I welcome or be I not - I hope that old Christmas will never be forgot!"
By the 20th century, he was a common figure in most Department Stores the length and breadth of the British Isles. He was often austere looking still, and he would ask children questions about their prayers, their reading, writing and arithmetic. If they had been naughty, he would tell them they must improve or he would not visit them at Christmas. But most people over the age of 50 will still refer to him as 'Father Christmas'.
After WWII, there was a great deal of American influence, and that, together with increasing advertisements by the Coca-Cola Company in the British press, changed the image of Father Christmas permanently. Now, he is always fat, always jolly, never admonishes children about whether they are good to their parents, or questions them on their catechisms and schoolwork. He is just a 'Jolly Elf', who goes by the name of Santa Claus, which as everybody knows, is the popular nickname of Saint Nicholas - Santa - Saint; Claus - diminutive for Nicholas.

[WillowTheWhisp]

I'll still refer to him as Father Christmas.

I like some of the older green clad images which are starting to become popular again. Let's reclaim our own Father Christmas and let the American have Santa. Come to think of it I've got a green clad one which is a sweetie container. There is something very appealing to me about the Yuletide and King of Winter image rather than an overgrown pixie.

[Acrylic-bob]

To understand the origins of Christmas you first need to understand that Christmas is a religious festival. Then you need to understand that all religions develop as a way of coming to terms with the often inexplicable facts of existence.

The modern Christmas, which takes place at the end of the year, is a synthesis of a bewildering assortment of religious traditions going back through the mists of time to the origins of human civilisation. It is relatively easy to appreciate that Christmas marks the turning of the year. It is the forms and rituals surrounding it that can be difficult.

Our celtic ancestors inherited a body of religious traditions developed from the ancient civilisations which migrated from the Indus Valley. Chief among these traditions was the idea of a Mother Goddess who was responsible for for all fertility and growing things, She required annual fertilisation and so took a consort at the beginning of each year following the sacrifice of the previous incumbent. This tied the understanding of religion into the cycles of the year and the mystery of how life could spring from apparent death. The crops in the field produce seed and then die, the seed is scattered on the ground and hey presto springs back into life. Powerful Magick! Along with this idea comes the very basic human need to understand the nature of death and seek reassurance that it is not the end of existence. If the seeds that we harvest can spring into new life after death then, ipso facto, so will we. A lot of money has been made, and continues to be made, by explaining and attempting to manipulate this basic fact of life.

Back to Christmas. The Celts split their year into eight main parts corresponding to the celestial cycle of equinoxes and solstices. The two which concern us here are Samhain 31st October, and Yule 21st December. Samhain (pronounced "sow-en" or "sav-an") was the old Irish New Year, the beginning of the dark time, and a "twilight" period between both the years and the seasons. The name likely means "summer's end," although there is some debated about this among the more linguistically inclined; it does indeed mark the transition from summer to winter. Like twilight and all in between times, it was (and is) a time when our world was very near the Underworld and the Otherworld; when we and those who inhabited the other two worlds could travel between them, whether we wanted to or not. It is a time when the Sidhe, the Gods and the Ancestors might come visiting and should be offered proper hospitality; food, drink, a place to rest. Or the time when those less kindly had to be held at bay or destroyed.
This is the time when cattle and sheep where brought in from summer pasture, all but breeding stock being killed for winter food and to make fewer mouths to feed. The last fruit was picked, except that which would be left for the Sidhe, and the grain was already gathered and had been processed for fodder, flour, and beer. Fishermen put up their boats and stored their gear. Debts would be paid up. Young people who hired out as farm or herder help would return home, as would the warriors of the not-totally-mythological Fianna and any Bards or poets traveling about would find a household to attach themselves to. Many of the people would begin preparing for the long, dark winter of living almost constantly indoors in often crowded conditions. Farmers and other workers would be preparing to change their summer occupation in for one of logging, gathering wood for the next year (giving it a year to dry), much as their descendentss would well into the 20th century.
The festival itself would be celebrated with bonfires, feasts, and animal sacrifices (which would be the killing of the livestock for the feasts and to be cured for later) at large gatherings as well as smaller local ones. The Gods, Sidhe, and Ancestors would be welcome and fed in ritual, as they would be by individuals at home and hall. Divination would be important, for not only was this a major turning point in the year but such things would be easier with the nearness of Otherworldly help. The fires of the old year would be extinguished to be replaced by new ones.
Story telling started at this time and in many chieftains' halls it was mandatory that a story be told every night during the dark half of the year --from Samhain to Beltaine. After all, except for an occasional hunting expedition and the fixing of weapons and tools, there wasn't a lot to do at this time; while temperatures in the British Isles are kept relatively mild by the Gulf Stream it is dark most of the day during the winter months. Undoubtedly, not being driven by "Christian work ethic," the need for capitalistic gain, or artificial lighting people slept a lot through the winter.

When the Romans arrived they brought with them their own traditions to mark the end of the year, the Saturnalia. which began the middle of December and ended on January 1. The celebration would include big festive meals, visiting friends, and the exchange of good-luck gifts called Strenae (lucky fruits).
The use of Evergreen plants was also an important feature of the Saturnalia and is probably a convenient juncture to introduce the idea of Sympathetic Magic. Holly is a plant associated with lightening. I am afraid that lightening may strike my house. If I plant a holly tree near my house the lightening will recall it’s association with Holly and seek that rather than my house, thus I am protected; a crude form of Insurance. That in essence is Sympathetic Magick, like attracts like. Similarly if I wanted my children to grow up strong, I would choose names and symbols for them that had associations with the qualities I desired for them, and so on through every aspect of life.

The use of evergreen plants in religion is symbolic of life continuing after death. When all the other trees have lost their leaves the evergreen endures and reminds us that there is life beyond death and encourages hope that the world will come back to life again.

The early Christians understood that it would be an uphill struggle to ban and replace the ancient cycle of festivals, so engrained were they. So they adopted them instead and placed their own interpretation on them. In doing so they made much use of the associations and symbolism of sympathetic magic. The berries of the Holly represent the blood of Christ. The spines remind us of the crown of thorns etc.etc.

The Yule log is a Scandinavian import, coming from the north of Europe where the sun would actually not rise above the horizon for many days. It is easy to see how important it was to keep the hope alive that the world had not ended and that the sun would eventually return. So a log was kept burning through the dark part of the year. It was accompanied with rituals to encourage the return of the sun and also decorated with sun symbols. The origins of the modern Christmas Tree, a decorated and illuminated evergreen, are clear.

[JohnW]

Very interesting A-B! Where do you get all this stuff from?

[Acrylic-bob]

I am cursed with a lively and enquiring mind.

[ANNE]

What is Christmas ?
Christmas is a time of good will to all men.
Who said anything about women ?
What should Christmas be about ?
Happyness,goodwill,magic,peace.
What is Christmas ?
To a lot of people it's a Sad,cold,miserable,costly and lonley time.
A time to give, a time to cry a time to say goodbye.
A time for thugs,theives and con men to do there worsed.
I wonder if the world will ever get the Christmas magic back.
Or will it be banned along with the fire works.

[steveo]

does santa have to be corgi registerd now with all the new regulations that are coming in???????

[Steven]

Originally Posted by lettie

Did you know that Santa is unable to remember all of our names, so we all have our own special Christmas name. Click here to find out yours..


http://www.bbc.co.uk/derby/fun_stuff...er_names.shtml

My name is Lucky Kissy-Elf

[Acrylic-bob]

Adolf Hitler's special Christmas name is...
Squelchy Brandy butter-Baubles

I should imagine that it is kind of hard to maintain the aura of all encompassing evil with a name like that.

[Acrylic-bob]

But not nearly as tough as poor old Ghengis Khan...

Wriggly Dancing-Bum
One wonders how that would have gone down with the Mongol hordes. Hmmm..."Quick run for the hills, Wriggly Dancing-Bum and his men are coming!" Nah, doesn't do it for me.

[vorlon24]

Some more along the same lines:

Saddam Hussein - Scrummy Dancing-Elf
Osama Bin Laden - Fuzzy Dancing-Punch
George Bush - Cutie Holly-Bum

And Paul McCartney - Frosty Monster-Sprout

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

Adolf Hitler's special Christmas name is...
Squelchy Brandy butter-Baubles

I should imagine that it is kind of hard to maintain the aura of all encompassing evil with a name like that.

I'm Giggley Brandy Butter-Cracker and Busman is Squelchy Scrooge-Bum - together we could have produced a Squelchy Brandy butter-offspring. Now that is scary!!!!

[mez]

mine is tumbleflump dancing crackr, they got the dancing right he he