Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Happy Holidays!!!
What's with people who are upset by the saying "Happy Holidays!!"?
You know the type: "Uh, uh, buddy I like to say MERRY CHRISTMAS!! None of that Happy Holidays crap for me!!" they might say.
Why are these people so upset? You know "Happy Holidays" includes, a fortiori, the idea of Christmas, it's just a bit more inclusive in the event that the interlocuter doesn't celebrate Christmas. And what's wrong with that?
You know being inclusive is nice and. . . uh. . . rather. . . how do say? Oh yeah: CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!
How could men who've never seen light be enlightened?,
Moses
|
What's with people who are upset by the saying "Happy Holidays!!"?
You know the type: "Uh, uh, buddy I like to say MERRY CHRISTMAS!! None of that Happy Holidays crap for me!!" they might say.
Why are these people so upset? You know "Happy Holidays" includes, a fortiori, the idea of Christmas, it's just a bit more inclusive in the event that the interlocuter doesn't celebrate Christmas. And what's wrong with that?
You know being inclusive is nice and. . . uh. . . rather. . . how do say? Oh yeah: CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!
How could men who've never seen light be enlightened?,
Moses
Another Side of Bob Dylan
Yet another reason to love the blogospher: A right wing Dylan blog.
He smoked my eyelids,
And punched my cigarette,
Moses
|
Yet another reason to love the blogospher: A right wing Dylan blog.
He smoked my eyelids,
And punched my cigarette,
Moses
A Gentleman Says What He Means. . .
Here is an excellent post on "dishonest words". . .
The lies she cried,
Moses
|
Here is an excellent post on "dishonest words". . .
The lies she cried,
Moses
Originally posted here last year 12/26/05 (I can't link to individual posts, so this is my way of linking to it, you can look it up though). . .
Boxing Day
Today is Boxing Day one of my more favorite sort of obscure holidays. The origins of Boxing Day are unclear although the theories include:
Centuries ago, merchants would present their servants food and fruits as a form of Yuletide tip. Naturally, the gifts of food and fruit were packed in boxes, hence the term "Boxing Day".
In feudal times, Christmas was a reason for a gathering of extended families. All the serfs would gather their families in the manor of their lord, which makes it easier for the lord of the estate to hand out annual stipends to the serfs. After all the Christmas parties on December 25, the lord of the estate would give practical goods such as cloth, grains, and tools to the serfs who lived on his land. Each family would get a box full of such goods the day after Christmas. Under this explanation, there was nothing voluntary about this transaction; the lord of the manor was obligated to supply these goods. Because of the boxes being given out, the day was called Boxing Day.
In Britain many years ago, it was common practice for the servants to carry boxes to their employers when they arrive for their day's work on the day after Christmas (26 December). Their employers would then put coins in the boxes as special end-of-year gifts. This can be compared with the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses. The servants carried boxes for the coins, hence the name Boxing Day.
In churches, it was tradition to open the church's donation box on Christmas day, and the money in the donation box were to be distributed to the poorer or lower class citizens on the next day. In this case, the "box" in "Boxing Day" comes from that one gigantic lockbox in which the donations were left.
In Britain because many servants had to work for their employers on Christmas day they would instead open their presents (ie. boxes) the next day, which therefore became known as boxing day.
Marxist historians find evidence for "perpetuation of class difference" theory in what superficially seems to be Boxing Day's one direction of giving--i.e. from the rich lords to the poor croppers. They are right in observing that equality and respect are only found if there is a proper exchange of gifts. Looking only at quantifiable material value, they are right in finding inequality between the lords and peasants and justified in seeing reactionary and class-repressive origins for Boxing Day.
Ha ha ha!! You can read about all of this and more by clicking the link above.
Happy Boxing Day!
And when I wake up in the morning,
To feel the daybreak off my face,
Moses
|
Boxing Day
Today is Boxing Day one of my more favorite sort of obscure holidays. The origins of Boxing Day are unclear although the theories include:
Centuries ago, merchants would present their servants food and fruits as a form of Yuletide tip. Naturally, the gifts of food and fruit were packed in boxes, hence the term "Boxing Day".
In feudal times, Christmas was a reason for a gathering of extended families. All the serfs would gather their families in the manor of their lord, which makes it easier for the lord of the estate to hand out annual stipends to the serfs. After all the Christmas parties on December 25, the lord of the estate would give practical goods such as cloth, grains, and tools to the serfs who lived on his land. Each family would get a box full of such goods the day after Christmas. Under this explanation, there was nothing voluntary about this transaction; the lord of the manor was obligated to supply these goods. Because of the boxes being given out, the day was called Boxing Day.
In Britain many years ago, it was common practice for the servants to carry boxes to their employers when they arrive for their day's work on the day after Christmas (26 December). Their employers would then put coins in the boxes as special end-of-year gifts. This can be compared with the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses. The servants carried boxes for the coins, hence the name Boxing Day.
In churches, it was tradition to open the church's donation box on Christmas day, and the money in the donation box were to be distributed to the poorer or lower class citizens on the next day. In this case, the "box" in "Boxing Day" comes from that one gigantic lockbox in which the donations were left.
In Britain because many servants had to work for their employers on Christmas day they would instead open their presents (ie. boxes) the next day, which therefore became known as boxing day.
Marxist historians find evidence for "perpetuation of class difference" theory in what superficially seems to be Boxing Day's one direction of giving--i.e. from the rich lords to the poor croppers. They are right in observing that equality and respect are only found if there is a proper exchange of gifts. Looking only at quantifiable material value, they are right in finding inequality between the lords and peasants and justified in seeing reactionary and class-repressive origins for Boxing Day.
Ha ha ha!! You can read about all of this and more by clicking the link above.
Happy Boxing Day!
And when I wake up in the morning,
To feel the daybreak off my face,
Moses
Monday, December 25, 2006
Bittersweet Symphony
I hate to make my first post in two months with such bad news but. . .
James Brown is dead.
He was great.
Papa's got a brand new bag,
Moses
I hate to make my first post in two months with such bad news but. . .
James Brown is dead.
He was great.
Papa's got a brand new bag,
Moses
