The Christmas 2009 Thread

Maes said:

Before that, we had gone skeet shooting with my father (basically we went to a landfill and tossed glass bottles in the air and tried to shatter them with our Baikal O/U shotgun).

Sounds like a good candidate for the ghetto thread :D

Super Jamie said:

Sounds like a good candidate for the ghetto thread :D

It surely was the least glamorous way possible of spending the last day of 1999 ;-)

In regards to presents, I basically don't want to be given anything anymore. The only thing I asked for was some underwear, socks, maybe a new t-shirt or two, and new razors for my mach 3. I always find it much more difficult buying for others.

I've been kicking around the idea of heading back to church after a few years of neglecting it. We'll see how that pans out.

Also one of my girlfriends wants me to go to a family gathering on Christmas but odds are I'm going to end up blowing that event off.

destx said:

I don't hate Christmas like I used to, but this seems relevant:

Giant burning Santa picture

I'm really excited. I mean, I didn't think Ghostbusters III started filming until next year at the earliest!

Ralphis said:

In regards to presents, I basically don't want to be given anything anymore. The only thing I asked for was some underwear, socks, maybe a new t-shirt or two, and new razors for my mach 3. I always find it much more difficult buying for others.

I can never think of a damn thing to get other people. I know if I tried, I'd end up getting something they hate or already have. Luckily, I trade lists with my mom and sister, so we always have stuff to get each other for Xmas. For the rest of my friends, I bake them cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. They don't seem to mind that that's all I give them. :D

This:

Including myself, it seems we have a lot of atheists that enjoy Doom/on this forum. I wonder if its coincidental

Unfortunately for me, when I was 16 my house burned down 3days before Christmas, and my (former) favorite holiday season has just been ruined since. I never understood if it was that traumatic event or the fact that im just getting older, but it just isnt the same anymore

I used to hate holidays, especially Xmas because I was an atheist and for other reasons. Then I had one year when my friends and I got together and carved pumpkins on Halloween, then that Xmas we decorated ornaments and cookies. I then realized that we're possibly the only group of friends who get together and party by doing crafts. It was then I knew I was lucky to have such friends and discovered what true love really is. Sappy music. Roll credits.

My life is weird, yeah.

Creaphis said:
Know what? A similar thing is happening to me in relation to church, and it makes even less sense. Back when I was little, church was just a boring waste of time - some meaningless thing to be endured. Once I got a little older I started consciously trying to be a Christian, but was always too conflicted by my doubt to enjoy church, and I certainly couldn't find it transcendent. Now I've grown up a bit more, and I'm atheist, and am fully at peace with my view of the universe, therefore I can now go to church and listen to songs and sermons in peace, and therefore find them much more moving and otherworldly than I ever did before.

You might find this sketch appealing.

A small amount of money. The only thing I have asked for in the past few years, and most likely the only thing I will ask for in the following. It is probably the best gift you could give someone anyway, after all it is the means to acquire whatever you truly want. Other than love of course.

Danarchy said:

I used to hate holidays, especially Xmas because I was an atheist and for other reasons.

What's religion got to do with Xmas? It's just a holiday and a time to enjoy yourself. You don't have to be a socialist to enjoy the May Day / Labor Day holiday, after all. (etc.)

I must say that I find it silly to see Christmas trees called "Holiday trees" and Christmas tree decorations called "Holiday tree decorations". I also find it odd that this de-religionization of Christmas seems to have taken a much greater hold in the USA than in less religious places such as the UK and other northern European countries. What's next, getting rid of the Pagan names for days, months and planets?

Just to be clear, I am an atheist and I love Christmas!

I like Christmas because I get a bunch of free shit. I know, I am a terrible person.

Anyway, I asked for a PSP 3000 so I can hook it up to my TV.

Grazza said:

It's just a holiday and a time to enjoy yourself. You don't have to be a socialist to enjoy the May Day / Labor Day holiday, after all. (etc.)

Yeah. Just look at all of us in the U.S.A. We aren't Irish, but we celebrate the shit outta St. Patrick's day. Shit, some even have St. Practice day. Then you've got Mardi Gras. Oh, and Cinco De Mayo. What the fuck does that have to do with the United States? NOTHING. We're drinking, though!!!

Basically, we're out to steal all of your holidays, world.

No matter how much I try to stem the tide I get like 83 presents every Christmas. It's mental. I keep telling my mom not to burn so much money on it. On the other hand, I did buy here a computer in 2007... hehe

Now Christmas has become the multi-Christmas for me. There will be Christmas at mom's, Christmas at grandpa's, Christmas at Dad's, Christmas at mom's boyfriend's parents' farm, and Christmas at ex's house. lol I haven't even figured out how many friends wanna have parties. I got an e-mail about one today and my other friend started a discussion about having a party. I told him to make that a New Year party instead.

And then dad and I have birthdays just before Christmas... gah! We're just gonna buy each other some booze and hang out drinking it.

Grazza said:

What's religion got to do with Xmas? It's just a holiday and a time to enjoy yourself. You don't have to be a socialist to enjoy the May Day / Labor Day holiday, after all. (etc.)

That's pretty much my point.

And basically, I was very 'Rip-the-System' several years back and thought that Holidays were a tool of the government and shit, and that they were trying to impose Christian beliefs on us.

Ha... even in my most staunch atheist days when I hung out almost exclusively with atheists and the punk crowd, I held out a love for Christmas... mostly for nostalgic reasons... I never really did fit in with most of those kids, anyways.

As a kid I used to get very cool presents that I liked during Xmas: mostly LEGOs, books and other toys. Now I only get crap like STR8 eau de cologne or scarfs which I have no use for. Meh.

Danarchy said:
And basically, I was very 'Rip-the-System' several years back and thought that Holidays were a tool of the government and shit, and that they were trying to impose Christian beliefs on us.

Pft, that was a while back, before it became Christmart!

Personally, I prefer holidays that do have a more direct meaning to me, rather than the ones that end up being an excuse for a get together or a day free from work.

This Christmas for me is going to suck compared to last year due to less money for gifts. As much as he works P/T now (needs F/T), he still fucked this household over that occurred in July.

Sometimes I really wish I had a different father in his place, such as his friend.

Grazza said:

What's religion got to do with Xmas? It's just a holiday and a time to enjoy yourself. You don't have to be a socialist to enjoy the May Day / Labor Day holiday, after all. (etc.)

Yeah exactly. I was talking to my landlady/roommate the other day and asked her we were getting a Christmas tree and she said nah and then gave this reason: "I'm Jewish." Pfft, what? It's not like she's practicing. I tried to explain that I don't believe in Saturn or whatever deity lies at the pagan roots of all this but she wouldn't hear it.

myk said:

You might find this sketch appealing.

Thanks, I will read this.

Lemme seee.... the shape of the Xmas trees comes from Egypt, the legend of Saint Nicholas (or Saint Basil, in the Balkans and Eastern Christianity) from Scandinavia/Turkey accordingly, and the guy in the red dress was invented by Coca Cola in the early 20th century. Only Mussolini had the balls to ban Xmas and New Year's eve as "un-fascist", leaving only La Befana standing (Epiphany). Probably because she was clad in black...

Maes said:
Only Mussolini had the balls to ban Xmas and New Year's eve as "un-fascist",

I haven't been able to find anything confirming that, are you sure? He had confrontations with the church, but that sounds like something that would have annoyed too many people of different classes and kinds.

leaving only La Befana standing (Epiphany). Probably because she was clad in black...

The fascists could well have favored this legend because of the pagan origins and its Italian character. In many places the 6th, and placing gifts in the shoes of children, is dedicated to the three Magi of middle-eastern origins, instead, which clashed with fascism's nationalist policies.

myk said:

I haven't been able to find anything confirming that, are you sure? He had confrontations with the church, but that sounds like something that would have annoyed too many people of different classes and kinds.

Well, he was hanged by an angry mob.

EDIT: Actually, upon further research, apparently he was shot, then hung, then stoned by an angry mob long after he died. Not that it changes my point. :P

The specific timing of Christmas also comes from hedonistic religion/myths. For instance, Jolablot from the Scandinavian Aesir (We actually still call it Jul in Sweden)

The timing of Christmas does come from earlier religions, which themselves may have taken it from even earlier rites, although the timing ultimately comes from the winter solstice.

Danarchy said:
EDIT: Actually, upon further research, apparently he was shot, then hung, then stoned by an angry mob long after he died. Not that it changes my point. :P

Well, he was captured and shot by commies, who tend to be atheists. Not to say his policies didn't annoy various Catholics.

The fascists might have threatened to boycott Catholic celebrations at one point or another, but they even managed to solve the Roman Question, which ratified Catholicism as the official religion of Italy, and tended to ally themselves with the church against (international) socialism.

I'm afraid the the size of il Duce's testicles has been exaggerated!

The certain thing about Mussolini and italian fascism is that they banned all sort of "foreign influence", be it neologisms, literature etc. even festivities and proper names: e.g. english names were "italianized", and characters like Santa Claus (which was neither Christian proper, nor Catholic, and first of all, not 100% Italian) were also banned.

They encouraged however local and national folklore, and so put a special meaning on the aforementioned Befana (there's a page in Italian, see if you can handle it).

It doesn't seem like they banned foreign literature in general. What I read is they mainly banned Marxist literature and critiques of fascism, and later also segregated Jewish writers (complying with Nazi policy.) They also centralized and controlled cultural activities in ways to make society more "Italian" and "masculine," marginalizing and replacing other practices and uses, as a form of censorship and indoctrination.

I'm going to try to do all my Christmas shopping on Amazon this year. We'll see how it goes.

I did all (well, most) of my christmas shoplifting this year. My honey asked me what I wanted for christmas and I told her to get me something doom related. She doesn't know a whole lot about Doom because I don't like to boast about something I know everything about so she can sit there and go "uh huh. uh huh. uh huh." but I'm anxious to see what she'll get me :DD Anything Doom-related from her will hit a soft spot for me.

Lucky for me she doesn't think I'm a loser for it. She went with me to get my Doom tattoo and she thought it was sexy.

40oz said:

IAnything Doom-related from her will hit a soft spot for me.

Beware. She may "learn" about doom from watching cybie videos on youtube, and await you with a BIG surprise.