#49193
12/03/2001 1:02 AM
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There is special language used during this season for Christians. Comments?
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#49194
12/03/2001 3:03 AM
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Well, this morning at church, the children put decorations on the Chrismon tree. For an explanation, you can try http://pws.gamewood.net/~chrismon/Chrismons/
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#49195
12/03/2001 5:46 AM
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There is special language used during this season for Christians.
You mean secret symbol stuff like the "ichthus"? Or "eucharist" or all of the above?
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#49196
12/05/2001 4:16 AM
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I must confess, Anna, I don't know what you are referring to. However, here is an interesting (I think) bit of language trivia.
The Sunday which immediately precedes the season of Advent used to be called "The Sunday Next before Advent". (In the more modern Kalendar now in use, it's the Feast of Christ the King.) From Tudor times (i.e., from the publication of the first Book of Common Prayer in England, 1549) this day was popularly known as "Stir-Up Sunday", from the collect for the day (particular prayer for that Sunday), which went, "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." Thus, the goodwives of the parish were reminded that it was time to stir up their plum puddings and fruitcakes, which they did in the week following so they would have time to age before Christmas.
Thomas Cranmer wrote this on the basis of the collect for the 3rd Sunday in Advent (Gaudete Sunday) in the old Latin liturgy used before the English Reformation, which started, "Excite, Domine, quaesumus, potentiam tuam et veni ..." and which he replaced by a totally different prayer. While the old "Stir up" collect is gone now from Anglican prayerbooks, much to the sorrow of many lovers of the old Elizabethan liturgy, happily the old Latin collect has gained new life; after more than 400 years, it is now back where it belongs, Gaudete Sunday (Advent III), and starts, in the modern English version, "Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; ...", which is an almost literal translation of the old Latin version.
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#49197
12/05/2001 10:28 AM
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What does Gaudete mean?
I once made a plum pudding by a very old recipe--hardest part was finding beef suet.
WW
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#49198
12/05/2001 3:32 PM
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What does Gaudete mean?
Rejoice! (plural imperative)
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#49199
12/05/2001 3:52 PM
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re:What does Gaudete mean?
the third sunday of Advent, the vestments are Pink, (not the somber deep purple) and its supposted to be a time of rejoying-- (as i recall, and this is a dim memory) the gospel message is about John the baptist, who proclaims that the saviour is coming... and it was the only sunday in advent that there was song.. (oh come, oh come Emmanual, and randsom captive israel..)
and as for suet, butchers ususally have it, and grocery store meat departments can get it easily by request. warmed, (melted) and mixed with bird seed, it can be shaped for pretty bird feeders.. (the cold air keeps it stiff enough out side..) and the birds like the extra calories from the fat in the winter.
(avoid sunflower seeds, the shell have a chemical that acts as a herbiside.. the will inhibit anything from germinating.) all the other seeds should be toasted for an hour in a 200 degree oven... or you'll get a nice crop of weeds where ever you bird feeder was hung.. (or cheat, and use rolled oats with suet... rolled oats won't germinate, they are cheap, and left overs can (sans suet) can be served for breakfast!
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#49200
12/06/2001 4:06 AM
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Gaudete Sunday takes its name from the Epistle reading proper for that day, which is Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice! ..." In Latin, this starts, "Gaudete semper in Domino"
The 4th Sunday in Lent is called Laetare Sunday and is similar to Gaudete. The proper liturgical color for Laetare, like Gaudete, is rose, or pink, although rose vestments are rarely seen, since few churches could afford a special set used only twice a year. In Anglican churches, blue vestments are often used in Advent in lieu of violet.
[rant] Helen, the color used in Advent and Lent is not purple; purple is a color proper to Bishops and is more red than blue. What you are talking about is correctly called "violet", which is more blue than red. [/rant]
While I'm ranting, here's another one. I hate it when people, merchandisers in chief, refer to the period from roughly Thanksgiving to New Years as the "Christmas Season". Strictly speaking, (ecclesiastically, that is) we are now in the season of Advent, which begins on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew (Nov. 30) whether before or after, and goes to Christmas Eve. On Dec. 25, we begin the season of Christmas, which lasts exactly 12 days (the 12 Days of Christmas) to Jan. 5 (12th Night) and is followed on Jan 6 by the season of Epiphany.
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#49201
12/06/2001 2:01 PM
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Pooh-Bah
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I hate it when people, merchandisers in chief, refer to the period from roughly Thanksgiving to New Years as the "Christmas Season".
Well said, Byb - as a fully paid-up nit-picking pedant, I thoroughly agree with your rant, and will stand beside you (or even behind you, if the going gets rough !) to support you to the hilt!
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#49202
12/06/2001 2:14 PM
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old hand
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Aw, shucks, whatever became of good old Dies Natalis Solis Invictus? It made much more sense to me.
What would all the merchandisers do with it, do you suppose?
Geoff the pagan
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#49203
12/06/2001 3:26 PM
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Rhu might be right-- in england, the christian church is the official religion.. but here in US, there is no official religion.. So its not the Advent season, any more than it is the Ramadam season..
our "seasons" are secular.. for most of us, "summer" is defined as the period from Memorial day (May 31st, to Labor day-- this is not the Summer as defined by the position of the sun--(which would move summer to apx. June 21 to Sept 21st)
hunting season depends on where you are, and what your are hunting. same too, with fishing season, and if any one is interested, some where, in some thread, are the open dates for frog hunting in CA!
christmas season in US is commercial season.. and to make it even less christian, its usually Holiday season.. after all, Ramadan requires a fast during daylight hours, and family feasts in the evening.. and sunday is the start of hanukkah and merchants want all of these people to come out and shop too, even if they don't give gifts, they are encouraged to purchase new table where, or candles.
all to often the Christ is taken out of christmas, and all that is left is the chi..happy Xmas and have fun shopping..
in Japan, christmas is also celebrated, usually with small gifts for children, and with a "christmas cake" --every one has christmas cake.. the cake is chocolate, cream filled rolled cake, decorated like a log-- a Buche do Noel-- i think is the french name.. like irish soda bread in US for st Pats.. everyone gets a chrismas cake.. and thats about it... in Japan, christmas is a bakers holiday!
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#49204
12/06/2001 3:27 PM
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What I hate is when the term Lent got taken over for the religious period, when it is properly used to refer to Springtime. Do you know that we limped along for a couple of hundred years with no word for Spring because the Christians stole the word for their own nefarious purposes? The song Sumer is i-cumen in, which is obviously a song about Spring to anyone who pays the slightest attention to the lyrics, dates from this period. 
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#49205
12/07/2001 3:22 AM
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I don't know, Helen, that the views of Rhu or any other Englishperson would depend on the fact that the C of E is the state religion in England. Fact is, the percentage of the population which attends C of E services or otherwise gets involved in the church (everyone is by law presumed a member of it) is even more miniscule than the corresponding percentages of US Christians and Jews of all stripes who are active church or synagogue members. Strange that the U.S., which is specifically forbidden to have any state religion or to allow the govt to support any religion, is a far more religious country than any European country, most of which have state religions; but that's not saying much, since the vast majority of USns have no religion or just some vague religious notions which impose no religious practices or duties.
[Rant]Be that as it may, what gets my goat is that Wall St. and Madison Ave. have done a pretty good job of taking over religious holidays, including Christmas and Hannukah (which is not a major festival among Jews), assigning new limits for the seasons, continually introducing new icons and symbols (like talking snowmen, red-nosed reindeer and such ilk), and in general making them over into whatever they think will assist in moving merchandise. If they would just carry on merchandising campaigns for The Holidays and work on more music like "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" and dream up as many secular cutesie-wutesie moose, mice, hippopotami, elves, dancing fir trees, or whatever, and leave our religious traditions alone. What with their continually assaulting our ears in the malls with carols, you now can't convince anyone that We Three Kings of Orey and Tar is not a Christmas carol, or that I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus is not an update of a 13th century sequence antiphon in the Phrygian mode, for Lauds on Christmas Day. Here endeth this year's Christmas rant.
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#49206
12/07/2001 5:31 AM
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addict
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addict
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Red-nosed reindeer and such elk?
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#49207
12/07/2001 7:56 AM
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Pooh-Bah
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>I hate it when people, merchandisers in chief, refer to the period from roughly Thanksgiving to New Years as the "Christmas Season".
The nun who was the headteacher of a primary school that my children once attended took the concept of the "real" Christmas season to it's logical conclusion. She said that there was no reason to put up a crib or any Christmas decorations before the end of term as this was not appropriate in Advent. She went into the school on 24th December and decorated it, so that it was decorated when the children came back on the 5th (ish) Jan, only to be taken down on the 6th Jan, when she arranged Christmas parties. A little strange in these days of mammon but it did make a point to the children.
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#49208
12/07/2001 8:04 AM
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Pooh-Bah
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>We Three Kings of Orey and Tar
Last year I complained about the GAP advert "holidays are here" being inappropriately used here as we have our "holidays" at all times of year but mainly in the summer. Someone pointed out that it related to the "holidays are coming" Coca Cola advert with Father Christmas.
This year the advert is running on TV and I saw it for the first time (my children say that it has been on every year forever, so maybe I have been asleep). So I tried to decipher the song that is being sung. I asked my children what it said and they didn't know and I asked several others. Most people recognise the tune but don't know that it says "holidays are coming" which, as I said before, wouldn't really make sense here. I wonder if our version is different and the have "fuzzed out" the words or if it always sounds like that?
Gaudete
Jo
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#49209
12/07/2001 12:32 PM
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I've been in Singapore just before Christmas a number of times in the last few years. The Singaporeans go crazy over Christmas - well, the trappings, anyway - and decorate the main streets with much more gusto and bravura than anything I've seen in Christian countries.
I asked a Singaporean friend why it was so popular. It appears that it's a hangover from the colonial days when Britain ran the island. It was the longest holiday that Singaporeans got at that time, so they celebrated that rather than the religious basis. Now, of course, the retailers have a field day ...
One of the biggest Christmas trees I've ever seen was set up across the road from the Raffles Hotel in 2000.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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#49210
12/07/2001 12:42 PM
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...roughly Thanksgiving to New Years as the "Christmas Season"...
This year they "crossed a line in the snow" (even though we haven't had snow...yet). In many years past, merchandizers have waited until after Halloween to start thier *images of the holiday season... and about ten years ago it was hinted at but never blatantly *displayed before Thanksgiving... now we have a "major package delivery service" starting the *push in the middle of October... and it's the last time I'll use them.
This means we should be seeing the Easter bunny doing egg deliveries by... oh, say... the day after Valentine's day, no later.
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#49211
12/07/2001 12:55 PM
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Thank y'all for your contributions! Bobyb, yes, what I meant by my rather inarticulate "special language" was exactly whaat you and others addressed. I want to learn more about Advent, the rituals and language associated with it. Meanwhile, from the wonderful "How Stuff Works" site (Max, want to add this to your valuable references link or is it off the mark?), here are the answers to questions on "How Christmas works" -- including "Why do I keep hearing the same songs over and over again?": http://www.howstuffworks.com/christmas.htm
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#49212
12/07/2001 1:58 PM
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Hannukah (which is not a major festival among Jews)
Just another example of God's Sense of Humor; take a holiday for His people, albeit a minor one, but one that celebrates religious purity against foreign influences and schedule it up against what He must have known was to become the major celebration of Mammon, disguised as a celebration of the Birth of the Messiah that His people would not accept.
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#49213
12/07/2001 3:22 PM
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Bob, the way i see it, there are 2 separate and distinct christmas's-- one is religious one, one is secular.
In countries where there is an established religion, there might be some control over the second (secular) holiday, but in a country like US-- there is no control. the two holiday's have very little in common, except that they share a name and date.
I am not very religious, but i don't let the secular holiday interfere with, or effect Christmas.. i actually rather dislike the secular christmas, i think all the hype and focus on material things can only lead to disappointments, and all the pressure to have an idealize, perfect christmas lead to christmas being one of the most depressing holidays.. Like scrooge, i tend to say bah, humbug! to most of the stuff..
when my kids were young, we focused on making christmas presents, as they got older, it took them a while to learn, i actually liked getting homemade gifts, rather than store bought. and we never went into the feeding frenzy of shopping.. if everyone was like me, christmas season would be a huge financial bust..
(ie. this year for christmas, i got my son and his family a supporting membership in a local museum, for the 10 year old son of my D-I-L, i got a package of modeling clay-- since he enjoys making things.. he made me a miniature dog, fashioned after his own a few weeks ago, with clay i had in the house.)
as for the fine difference between advent, christmas and epiphany, well, i am just not that religious.
what upsets me, was coming out of the train station, and hearing Salvation Army (a religous organization!) "bell ringers" singing secular christmas songs!
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#49214
12/07/2001 9:18 PM
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the state religion in England... C of E ... (everyone is by law presumed a member of it)
Bob, are you trying to tell me that every last person in an entire country is presumed to be a member of one religion??? [Eyebrows shooting through the ceiling e] (I can't even touch that 'by law' part...)
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#49215
12/08/2001 6:41 AM
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#49216
12/08/2001 4:49 PM
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I was taught that the 12 Days of Christmas take place Dec 25 through January 6th, the 6th being variously called Epiphany, 12th Night, the Feast of the Three Kings or Little Christmas.
When my sons were young we had a Nativity scene set up and the Three Kings were placed far away and moved every night a bit closer to the "Crib," arriving on the morning of Jan 6th (via Mom magic) That day the boys each received a present brought by the Kings. We had a "favorite" dinner and a special dessert.
This gift aspect very handy if I had not intuited the exact gift they *really wanted for Christmas. What a life saver! And it could be bought at the after-Christmas sale too!
But mostly it is a way to extend the Christmas spirit into the new year. I am always pleased my sons remember that childhood experience when they contact me on Jan. 6th to wish me a "Happy Little Christmas."
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#49217
12/09/2001 2:31 AM
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Pooh-Bah
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Warning long, rambling post, feel free to skip this post>the state religion in England... C of E ... (everyone is by law presumed a member of it) Bob, are you trying to tell me that every last person in an entire country is presumed to be a member of one religion??? A difference between UK and the USA is that the Church of England is an "established church". I can't find an exact short definition of what this means but Google on "England Established Church" to get several versions. I'm sure Rhu can fill us in as you have to wade through a lot of history from Henry VIII onwards to get anywhere. Strangely, the Church of England's own website doesn't give an exact definition of the implications today, even though there are regular discussions about disestablishmentarianism. Since I have not lived through an age when people who were not members of the Church of England were barred from public office it has little impact on daily life, we currently have a Catholic Speaker of the House of Commons, for example, although the accession of a Catholic monarch is still probited by law. http://www.royalreport.com/newscharles1.htmlThe main use that is made of the Church of England by those who are not regular church goers is as a place to get married. We do not have a long tradition of people marrying in places other than churches (or other places of worship)(although the law recently changed), so a CofE wedding is the norm amongst those are baptised members of the the Church of England or those (eg those baptised in another church) who do not choose to follow any other religion. See: "Entitlement to marry. Any person of British Nationality who normally resides in England is entitled to marry in his or her Church of England parish church, provided that (1) the other partner is also of British Nationality and also normally resides in England, (2) that there are no legal impediments of the kind described below [Section 6], and (3) that neither of the couple is a divorcee whose previous partner is still living (the Church of England's regulation on this matter is recognised in law [Matrimonial Causes Act 1965, s.8] - see below, section 10.1). This entitlement applies irrespective of whether either of the couple normally attends church and irrespective of whether either of them has been baptised. It also applies irrespective of whether either partner is a member of the Church of England, or of another denomination (or of none)" http://www.cofe.anglican.org/lifechanges/index.htmlAlthough the Queen is the head of the Church of England, decisions are made by the Synod. Although bishops sit in the House of Lords and are appointed by the Prime Minister (I think) my understanding is that the Church runs its own affairs and the political stuff is just a rubber stamping exercise. I doubt that a Prime Minister would dare to try to get involved in the real process of selecting a Bishop, although there are plenty of conspiracy theorists who dislike any political involvement in the process. Here's some current information: "Almost half of all adults in the UK say they have no religious affiliation, according to a new survey. The decline in religious belief is most apparent in the Church of England which now claims the loyalties of just over a quarter of the population. ... The report found that 48% of people in the UK claim to belong to a religion, compared with 86% of people in the US and 92% of Italians." http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1043000/1043986.stmFrom the Church of England's Website: "Church of England Weddings In 1996 there were 71,000 weddings in Church of England churches*. These comprised 27% of all weddings and 41% of all first weddings. In 1995 there were 80,000 Church of England weddings. Baptised Population It is estimated that over 25 million people living in England today (about half the population) have been baptised by the Church of England." http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/frame_organisation.htmlSorry that I couldn't give a shorter answer! Jo
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#49218
12/09/2001 5:49 PM
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Thank you, Jo, for that wonderfully enlightening post. All very strange to me, but. That reminded me a little of the sideways look I got while examining different denominations of coins from New Zealand. Every last one had a picture of Elizabeth on it, and I said, "Man, you-all really like the Queen, don't you?". Why is that, please? Is it technically considered to be her money, like in Roman times when there was a picture of Caesar on it? Could she ask for it? And while I'm at it, to sort of make this seem like a language post, I have some questions about royal capitalization. Should it be written The Queen, or the Queen, or does it matter? Is monarch ever capitalized? Should I write the Monarch? (Perhaps when it is specific, as in: Elizabeth, the Monarch)?
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#49219
12/09/2001 6:33 PM
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Pooh-Bah
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Jackie, you are getting so good at the minutiae of British culture, soon you'll be a Dame. Here's where to look for correct forms of address and how we shall have to address you in the future - quite an eyeopener! http://www.debretts.co.uk/Once you have that under your belt you'll know more than most Brits! As for the currency. All British coinage has the queen or king on one side and something else on the other. I don't know much about New Zealand coinage, I assume that it must follow the same pattern. Her's the website for the Royal Mint http://www.royalmint.com - You'll have to order your Jubilee coins soon! Jo
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#49220
12/10/2001 1:44 AM
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Jo, thank you for the links. Look what I found under forms of address (note--there's that weird ...arm = ...alm again)  : Ma'am is pronounced Mam (as in spam) rather than Marm (as in palm)
• Interesting pronunciations include:
Althorp - All-trup
De la Warr - Della-ware
Beaulieu - Bew-ly
Le Fanu - Leff-new
Blenheim - Blen-im
St John - Sin-jun
Cholmondeley - Chum-li
Theobald - Tibbald The other site answered another question of mine, about capitalization: throughout the land the accession was declared of the youngest Monarch to succeed to the throne since 1837, when the 18-year-old Princess Victoria became Queen. So, now I know: Monarch is capitalized, at least sometimes. But, should it be, if it is used as a general ref.? As in, "England has had many monarchs"? Signed, Dame Jacqulyn ("Jackie" is simply fah too pedestrian for a Dame...  ) (Oh, this is great fun! But I'll be so glad when the rest of you realize the board's back up, so I won't be talking to myself any more.)
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#49221
12/10/2001 3:47 AM
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Yes Musick, these outrages make you sometimes long for a real old-fashioned Christmas, like those in the Massachusetts Colonies under the government of the Pilgrim fathers, when you could be put in the stocks for taking off work, or singing a Christmas tune (even to yourself), or indulging in any kind of celebration on Dec. 25.
I often wondered if it was just sheer perversity that made the pilgrims and their English counterparts, the Puritans, try to ban Christmas. Then I read a book by Pierre van Paassen, who told of his youth in Holland in a strict Dutch Reformed milieu. The Dutch Reformed Church, like the early followers of John Knox, orthdox Presbyterians, the Puritans and the Pilgrims, was (and still is) strictly Calvinist.
As van Paassen tells it, the Calvinist doctrine was that Christmas marks the descent of Almighty God into that charnel house of corruption and depravity, the human state, and is therefore nothing to celebrate -- only an occasion to contemplate anew the fathomless and almost hopeless depth of wickedness and sin which is the normal state of humans and the goodness of God in deigning to become human so that at least a few might be rescued. A theology which, although logical from the Biblical premises, is pretty repulsive to most Christians today.
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#49222
12/10/2001 11:40 AM
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old hand
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Being a devout and practising agnostic (my science degree and devotion to matters scientific make it impossible for me to personally take on board any hint of creationism or a higher being), I'd like to get the thread back down to a level I feel at home with....
Does anybody remember a parody on the carol "Deck the Halls" by Weird Al Yankovic (or somebody of a similar ilk) called something like "The Vivisectionists' Christmas Party"? The only line I remember was "Deck the halls with parts of Molly".
BTW - any comments about my comment above will be ignored. I will defend anybody's right to have a belief and express it, be it religious, cultural or whatever. Coupled with this is a major problem I have with those that seek to change the religious and cultural beliefs of others. For these reasons I prefer not to discuss politics and religion with friends - and you are all my friends.
stales
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#49223
12/10/2001 12:20 PM
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
BTW - any comments about my comment above will be ignored. Mercy me, son, we had all that settled, ages ago. I don't think you need to worry that anyone here will try to tell you what you "ought" to believe. 
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#49224
12/10/2001 6:24 PM
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
You said: Bob, are you trying to tell me that every last person in an entire country is presumed to be a member of one religion??? [Eyebrows shooting through the ceiling e] (I can't even touch that 'by law' part...)
Jackie:
There's a great deal of Confucian about that, Buddhism our job here to do something other than Hindu people in their understanding? Jew wish to know more? Jain and I will tell you, Friend, and we will Sikh to leave no Mormon (or woman) without an answer. Gnostic left unwhittled, if you know what I mean.
I suspect we'll be Arian on the side of those who lost at Dunker, but if you're Gideon a better understanding, That Sufists for me.
Athanasian, we don't have an established religion here on this side of the pond, Buddhist not a knock against the English, particularly those who tithe at the Orphism. Lutheran Huguenot agree on that principle, and though we disagree with them Bryanite would Quaker to Stundist group by arguing.
Gentoo, the Brahman who went to Parsee with Wesleyan Yogi would be Russian Orthodox would be checking their Unitary Tractians, which is enough to Shaker them up no end.
Eusebian to be asking the right Christians, but perhaps your Jansenism revealing enough Tao get the same questions that Zoroaster Doukhober a quietist Calvin-tage.
Wahabi gun, but Zen I found out that Rosicrucian around trying to Baptist poor correspondent on the head.
(Now, if someone can find a way to use Puseyite without the gutter police's whacking you, let me know.)
TEd
TEd
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#49225
12/10/2001 6:27 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Ma'am is pronounced Mam (as in spam) rather than Marm (as in palm[!])
• Interesting pronunciations include:
Althorp - All-trup
De la Warr - Della-ware
Beaulieu - Bew-ly
Le Fanu - Leff-new
Blenheim - Blen-im
St John - Sin-jun
Cholmondeley - Chum-li
Theobald - Tibbald
And y'all accuse US'ns of spelling funny. Harrumph!®
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#49226
12/11/2001 10:13 AM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,981 |
>For these reasons I prefer not to discuss politics and religion with friends - and you are all my friends.
Oh well, one less person to engage with in a long meaningful/less conversation at parties. I like to stick to religion, sex and politics but then I do like to play with fire hmmm - wonder why no-one talks to me anymore ....
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#49227
12/11/2001 10:39 AM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
During this Advent season, I attended a church musical presentation. I had heard that the presentation was stunning.
Well, I was stunned and confused. It was Buxby Berkley in the sanctuary where, among the anomalies, were two sumo wrestlers in a rock routine, actors dressed as geriatrics doing a walker rock routine, and a glitzy fashion show, to mention three of the low points. It felt to me as though this were a way of appealing to the crowd through secular humor. Very, very strange evening it was...
However, there were a live sheep, goat, horse and camel. They, at least, were natural and exquisitely refreshing.
Very different strokes for different folks,
WW
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#49228
12/11/2001 2:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
There is special language used during this season for Christians. Comments?
He's no Christian, but
in the past weeks my four-year-old has repeatedly asked to watch Frosting the Snowman.
And yesterday, he greeted me with "Hey mom! Look at my peanuts!
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#49229
12/11/2001 6:33 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
jmh - Well, two outa three ain't bad... and "whenever two or more are gathered..." there's a party.
TEd - As a good Pantheist, I *have to agree... except for that crack about Puseyites.
BYB - I think weave now covered *all the extremes... and thanks for the modifier charnel. I'll try to use it sparingly.
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#49230
12/11/2001 6:52 PM
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,661 |
The (first and) last time I went to a Catholic Mass (other than weddings) it was billed as "A Disco Christmas". (I'll let you infer the year.) Other than that, the liturgy seemed so close to the Lutheran "counterpart" that the differences were purely symbolic (all puns intended).
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#49231
01/06/2002 10:38 PM
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,189 |
Today is the Orthodox Christmas Eve, and I thought this would be the appropriate thread to share this. I'm of Slovak descent on my mother's side, and her parent's (whom I never never met) were born in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains in what was then Austria-Hungry, and spoke a Russian-tinged dialect of Slovak. The liturgy of the church they attended, and the one they and my mother and her relatives continued to attend in Perth Amboy, NJ, (St, John's), used a "Church Slavonic" liturgy, which was a sort of Russian/Slovak . Thus we called the Julian calendar (Greek Catholic) celebration of Christmas on January 7, "Russian Christmas." My mother converted to Roman Catholic when she married my Dad, but every year when I was a boy we'd go over to my Aunt Annie's house to celebrate Russian Christmas Eve with traditional ethnic foods like stuffed-cabbage, bobalky (little baked bread-balls mixed with either sauerkraut or poppy-seed 'n' honey), mushroom soup, and roshki (special cookies filled with lekvar, or apricot and nuts). We'd eat dinner, and then sit and sing around the table. And my Uncle Andy, of full-blooded Russian descent, would sing Christmas carols in Russian with my Mother and her relatives, and play his harmonica like the whole soul of ancient Russia was pouring through it. Since this was all so detached from the commercial accoutrements of the Dec. 25th Christmas, I got a sense of what a simple family Christmas was like before all the material clatter. And one thing my Uncle Andy always used to say is, "It always snows for Russian Christmas!" And, you know, 99% of the time throughout my life, he's been right! So now, before, I join my mother for a Russian Christmas Eve dinner she homecooked... bobalky and mushroom soup, and the traditional honey 'n' clove of garlic on bread to begin...I'd like to wish all our Orthodox friends out there a Merry Christmas!
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#49232
01/07/2002 2:36 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
Goodness me ... all these years I have celebrated Russian Christmas and never knew ... and missed all that delicious food. I have always celebrated 12th Night also known as The Feast of the Three Kings, or Epiphany or Little Christmas.
Thank you WO'N for another reason to celebrate.
Today, I have to take down all the decorations and put them away until Dec 2002.
By the way, anyone hear of the superstition that you must take down the mistletoe before Feb 2 or risk bad luck for the year. Why Feb 2 ? Anyone know?
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