Do you think that people know the true meaning behind traditional celebrations?
Quote:
Originally Posted by JAnot
Somehow I don't think that the ceremonial burning of an effigy of a catholic would go down very well here.....
Could be interesting
I doubt many celebrating would even know the story behind Guy Fawkes let alone the fact that he was Catholic. This is also very true of many age old traditional celebrations.
I do get the impression though that the Spanish uphold the traditional elements of their many celebrations and know the true meaning behind what they are celebrating.
Ever wondered what a christmas tree has to do with Christ Nothing in fact there was always a Pagan celebration on 25th of December to celebrate the re-birth of the sun (the 22nd being the shotest day by the 25th a slight increase was noticed). one of the traditions was to burn the old log (yule log) to signify the death of the old year and bring in evergreens (holly and ivy) to signify the new year. in germany they brought in a fir tree and Queen Victorias husband (Albert Saxe-Coburg) brought the tradition over and it caught on.
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Christmas is now a complete jumble of traditions. Those that mac referred to are from the Northern European tradition, from areas where the Romans never conquered ... specifically Germany, in the main, and Scandinavia. Most other aspects of Christmas came from a Roman festival, Saturnalia, which probably borrowed elements from even earlier celebrations.
It was Saturnalia, and its traditions and timing, that the early Christian church used in order to create the celebration of the birth of Christ that has come down to us as Christmas. Once Christianity was adopted as the official religion of the Roman Empire, Christmas was secure as an annual festival.
Saturnalia's gifts to modern Christmas include the exchange of gifts; equality of master and slave/bosses and employees today, I suppose; game playing; and cessation of hostilities. Saturnalia was the original Season of goodwill.
Father Christmas is/was unknown to this Roman tradition. His roots are in the Northern tradition where he was originally an elf dressed in green, as elves always are. The only element remaining of this is the association with Santa's elves, but as Daverock says, let's leave the modern Father Christmas for Jeremy !!
I would like to know why Boxing Day is called Boxing Day
Because thats the day all the Boxes are thrown out ....
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I know that JAnot has strong thoughts on the traditional image of Father Christmas but I'll let him explain that one himself.
The traditional Father Christmas is not traditional - the figure was originally old and thin, and I think derived from The Green Man representing fertility. It was Coca Cola in the 1930s who invented him, and as far as I can see, is as tasteless and stupid as anything imported from those colonies.
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