12/05/09 [Xmas #2] - Sorry, Virginia...

[Naldru]

What did he say about Laplanders?!  

To use the Jeopardy format

The answer is:  Laplanders

Where did the concept of Christmas reindeer come from?

*****  *****

Regarding the existence of Santa Claus

(Insert Twilight Zone music here)  Tonight we present, as a cautionary tale, a story entitled  The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus, written by Ogden Nash.

The legalistic approach taken by the judge in A Miracle on 34th Street - It is a crime to deliver mail to anybody except the addressee.  Since the mail to Santa Claus is being delivered to somebody, there must be a Santa Claus for it to be delivered to according to the United States Postal Service.  If the United States Postal Service recognizes the existence of Santa Claus, the court is hesitant to disagree unless there is strong evidence to the contrary.

The religious agnostic approach - I am unable to determine as a matter of certainty the existence or non-existence of Santa Claus.  I see no reason not to act as if there was a Santa Claus if it makes people happy and improves the world.

[thegayhare]

I gotta say, not liking Jyrass right now. I have a friend who pulled something similar on a small scale and ALMOST spoiled Santa for a mutual friends kids.

The differance here is that Deebs is Jyrras's daughter.  He gets to decide how best to raise her and jyrras is a scientist, he probabley thinks that it's better that she knows the truth rather then lieing to her even if it's a well meaning lie.  It's his dision on how to raise his own daughter. just like it was not your friends place to try the same.  tose weren'y his kids it's not his place.

[Lucheek]

Doesn't Jyrras know that a good father daughter relationship is built on deception and lies? Nothing good will come from his truth telling and fact saying.

My parents felt the opposite, they never let us be disillusioned by letting us believe in Santa or the other stuff like the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy.  I think I came out being quite normal, aside from the fact that I tend to be a rather boring person if you ever meet me in RL.

...Urge to refrence Miracle of 34th street risiiiiing

[Zedd]

Believe me Amber will have to resort to using deep fried sandwich bread for the taco shells

[Prof B Hunnydew]

What?  I am sure if they have tacos in Germany, Canada has Taco Bell products in the grocers' shelves....PBH

[Sunblink]

I feel like such a bad person because of it, but watching Jyrras strike down all of Deebs's questions from off the top of his head amused me to no end. In fact, I laughed like a hyena.

[Attic Rat]

I loved this strip - but only because I'm a Christian and am really fed up with Santa stealing Christmas every year..!!!

[LionHeart]

It's the Grinch who steals Christmas, not Santa...

[Castle Pokemetroid]

Tim Allen? Seriously?

Has he now become one of the "ledgends" of christmas?

We've got Santa, the Grinch, Scrooge and the spirits of past, present, future, and now Tim Allen. Maybe a few more, but I don't recall.

[TheAuldGrump]

Jyrras got the Dreamcrusher Perk in Fallout 3, didn't he? 

The Auld Grump

[Janus Whitefurr]

<--- satisfied he wasn't the only person who promptly approved of Jy's logical take on the whole thing.

[Sienna Maiu - M T]

The Roorat seems sad ... guess there is a story about his own christmas spirit taking a dent lurking in the back. 

Jimmy Neutron springs to mind.

[urthdigger]

Jyrras is just saying that because he knows he's on the naughty list for some things he's thought about Dan. And Abel. And Dan AND Abel.

[Hanii Puppy]

Άγιος Νικόλαος δεν είναι η τουρκική - Άγιος Νικόλαος είναι η ελληνικά.

It's only the modern area where he was from that's in modern turkey; the Turkish kingdoms only started to encroach on Anatolia during the Byzantine period.

While one of my stronger character traits may be "Grammar Nazi", "History Nazi" is right up along there <.<

[ChaosMageX]

I loved this strip - but only because I'm a Christian and am really fed up with Santa stealing Christmas every year..!!!

So then I'm assuming you root for Jesus when he and Santa do combat every year?

[Chakat Blackspots]

I loved this strip - but only because I'm a Christian and am really fed up with Santa stealing Christmas every year..!!!

So then I'm assuming you root for Jesus when he and Santa do combat every year?

Hehe, I would too if that were to actually ever happen.

[Mao]

I dislike this thread, but only because this holiday was designed originally to trample another holiday.  I wish folks would stop trying to ruin the Winter Solstice celebrations.

[ChaosMageX]

I dislike this thread, but only because this holiday was designed originally to trample another holiday.  I wish folks would stop trying to ruin the Winter Solstice celebrations.

IIRC, the original pagan Winter Solstice celebrations in ancient southern Europe usually involved drunken violent parties that made frat boy parties look like little girl tea parties.  That's a whole lot of partying right there.

[Amber Williams]

Pfft. Everyone knows that if anything is going to trample another thing, its going to be me trampling everything else.  I wish folks would stop trying to ruin the Amber rules everything celebrations.

[Mao]

IIRC, the original pagan Winter Solstice celebrations in ancient southern Europe usually involved drunken violent parties that made frat boy parties look like little girl tea parties.  That's a whole lot of partying right there.

I'd be interested to know your source for that.  Sounds like the propaganda that was used as a tool to try and stamp out the celebration in the first place.  It's amazing the steps that were taken, from creating their own holiday next to it to slandering and even outlawing it at one point.

Pfft. Everyone knows that if anything is going to trample another thing, its going to be me trampling everything else.  I wish folks would stop trying to ruin the Amber rules everything celebrations.

Put them big ol' stampy boots on your scrawny little chicken legs and get to trampling.  I could use the laugh.  We'll call it Ambmas.  It'll consist of a 4day stretch in which we all draw art and wangst in blogs/newsboxes.  It'll kinda be like an artists appreciation week or Nanowrimo, just only 4 days long.  In the end, everyone will give gift art to one another in an attempt to console the other one's wangst.

[Naldru]

I believe that you are referring to Saturnalia when you discuss pagan holidays as predecessors of Christmas.

By the way, this is Amber's world and she can stomp if she wants to.

[ChaosMageX]

I believe that you are referring to Saturnalia when you discuss pagan holidays as predecessors of Christmas.

By the way, this is Amber's world and she can stomp if she wants to.

Ah sweet, they'd set out a couch in front of the temple.  I think in some places setting a couch out on the front yard is still a holiday tradition, or at least a red-neck tradition.

Also, Amber's talk of stomping things as a holiday tradition makes me think of Robot Chicken's Weasel Stomping Day.

[Mao]

I believe that you are referring to Saturnalia when you discuss pagan holidays as predecessors of Christmas.

By the way, this is Amber's world and she can stomp if she wants to.

That's one of many.  See here.

[Attic Rat]

I dislike this thread, but only because this holiday was designed originally to trample another holiday.  I wish folks would stop trying to ruin the Winter Solstice celebrations.

Go ahead and celebrate Winter Solstice. It's December 21 this year.

[Mao]

I have only one thing to say to you.  Oh no you didn't.  Also.. I plan on educating any kid I raise will be instructed in the same manner as Deebs is being.  It's better they know the truth, imho.

[Sienna Maiu - M T]

What is this "truth" of which you speak?

[Chakat Blackspots]

What is this "truth" of which you speak?

The fact that Santa doesn't exist, except in his case, he'll also include Jesus in that since I believe he's probably pagan?

[Attic Rat]

Well, it was fun, but I think we've worn out the joke.
The Santa Claus we all know was invented in 1822 in America. That's 187 years ago. Kids like him, he doesn't resemble the original Bishop Nicholas of Myra (then part of Greece, in the year 325, now part of Turkey) in the slightest, and he gives militant Christian-haters something silly to talk about this time of year, so... Merry Christmas to all!

[Mao]

What is this "truth" of which you speak?

The fact that Santa doesn't exist, except in his case, he'll also include Jesus in that since I believe he's probably pagan?

Incorrect on the saying that I make any assumption about Santa and Jesus.  I don't know.  I generally don't state as fact things I can't prove.  I will tell the child what I know, and encourage it to figure it out for itself, and maybe make new discoveries to further what I know, to improve upon it, as my parents did for me.  This will give the child the freedom it needs to grow and think critically.  I won't lie to it, nor force my views on it.  I will do my best to answer any question it has and to try and make sure it's happy, healthy and safe.

As for me being pagan?  In a sense.  As you can see, I'm very cautious in what I choose to believe and use as fact in my life.  I like to give things careful consideration and am quite happy to call the phrase 'I don't know' a core of my line of thinking.  As such, in the case of the mysticism and gods and such that comes attached to most any religion, I state the only truth of the of the matter that I can honestly claim:  I don't know.  Now that I've cleared the air on that, yes.  I do otherwise follow druidism.  I have a great respect for a life path that pays attention to the world we live in and strives to live in harmony with it.

I hope that answers your questions and corrects your false assumptions.

[Scow2]

I am really offended by the claim that Christmass "trampled" another holiday, when it was actually a preservation of the Pagan tradition adjusted to be compatible with Christianity... The proto-Catholic Church created the Christmas celebration so Christians could join the Winter Solstice celebrations while remaining true to Christ. Once the Church outnumbered the Pagans, it was a way for the non-converts to keep their traditions mostly intact while still following the new faith. Evangelism without compulsion is not wrong. Spanish-style inquisitions on the other hand, are.

*kicks soapbox out from under himself to prevent further ramblings*