(no subject)

[can_be_more]

Explain this holiday to me now, please. You know the one. The one with snow and trees and overweight men in bad suits with worse facial hair. I'm new! I don't know these things!

Comments

[chasingangela]

The fat guy was supposedly a saint at some point, Saint Nicholas. And he, like, gave money to poor women, or something, so he got associated with giving gifts. And somehow people started saying his name Santa Claus.

I have no idea why any of this is related to the Jesus part.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

He was a bishop. I think.

[chasingangela]

Right, but there are a lot of bishops who became saints, right? Why does he get to be the one associated with Christmas? Is it just because of the stuff for the poor people?

I almost wish I was religious and knew this stuff.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Right. Lots of them.

Well, I heard he did the reverse-burglar bit and threw gold down chimneys? But I don't know where the stockings come into it. And I don't know, maybe he did it for Christmas?

I used to know this stuff, but then I left the convent. Yay.

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Shoes. You have to put your shoe at teh chimney and he fills them with candy.

[can_be_more]

Um. Why?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_wespryce/]

Some peasant maidens were about to be sold into prostitution by their father. Saint Nicholas stepped in and gave them dowries so that they could be married instead.

It's all about the propagation of the patriarchy, really.

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Yes. *snatches Saint Nicholas who has nothing to do with christmas and everything with december 6 and runs very far away*

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

*thumbs through New Testament* Jesus was a bishop? I must have missed that part.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

He was the first Bishop. Kind of.

And Sinterklaas was a bishop.

Although I really have a hard time seeing a bishop as a B & E guy.

[jarodpretends.livejournal.com]

Well, sure. The hat would fall right off the first time he tried to climb through a window.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Although not as bad as if he'd been Pope at the time.

Which does bring up the question, why does the bishop get to be a saint? What was up with the pope? Was he slacking?

[can_be_more]

What's the Jesus part?

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

The whole 'Christmas' idea comes from the birth of a guy named Jesus. He was either the child of God, or a prophet, or a nutjob, depending on your point of view. Was born in weird circumstances. See what Tara and Cally were saying.

Anyhow, he became the figure of the still dominant religion on Earth at this point in time.

[can_be_more]

Oh, okay. You all worship the baby.

Do you know how it fits into the cola salesman?

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Well, the baby grew up and became this saviour type. So yeah, they all worship the baby, essentially. Me? Not so much. I'm not from around here.

As for the cola salesman, I think what Tara was trying to say is that the holiday has become extremely corporate, and that Santa is an emblem of that.

[chasingangela]

The baby is Jesus. Um, the savior, in the main religion in this part of the world. Christmas is supposedly his birthday, even though the shepards must have been freezing their asses off to be out at night at this time of year. So in theory, the holiday is about him, even though it's really mostly about buying stuff anymore.

And as for the whole big Jesus story ... um, is anybody here religious? Because I am so not, so I'm not going to try to explain him.

[can_be_more]

We buy stuff for a religious baby's birthday and give it to each other?

[chasingangela]

Yes. That. Exactly.

*realizes this makes no sense*

...oh, just sing a carol. It's fun! Really!

[ten-and-chips.livejournal.com]

Not for the baby. For each other. But other than that, yeah.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

It's based on the fact that when Jesus was born, three wise men came to see him, bringing gifts of gold, frankensense and myhr.

Or at least that's what I've always understood.

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

OMG Do not compare Santa Claus with Saint Nicholas. Santa Claus is a cheap fraud of Sinterklaas!!

*flails and has heartattack*

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

*blinks* Okay. Cam has a thing about Sinterklaas. Ask him about it.

*points to Cam-Wolf*

[chasingangela]

*Joins Parker in standing by Cam inquisitively, as she would also like to know about Sinterklaas.*

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

ZOMG. It's my player who's on her soapbox.

Sinterklaas is a tradition based on a catholic saint who rescued kids from being chopped up by a butcher and sold as meat. But it's a kids holiday really that's got a life on his own.

In december, he comes from Spain to the low lands by steamboat. Then, on the night of 5 to december 6 he visits every child who has been good. He's got a big book with all the children's names in it and whether they were good that year or not. He also has heaps of servants who are all black with coal, because of course they go through the chimney to deliver the presents. Oh and he also has a horse that can walk on the roofs.

Basically, kids write him a letter (and you leave your shoe and sugar or a carrot for his horse at the chimney) and give him a wishlist and he brings toys, marzipan, chocolate and mandarins as presents.

So err yes, Santa Calus is a rip off of him, but he's not Sinterklaas. Because Sinterklaas is way cool and has his own day and christmas is when you get presents from your family. Sinterklaas is all about the kids and waking up to find treasures in front of the chimney.