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Post by HerraHirwi on Dec 14, 2005 17:58:19 GMT 2
I guess christmas has been invented by christians. Even if there were similar celebaration in old finland, nothing had a connection to the christian ceremony of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Most of every European cultures had had always the celebration season in the end of the year, which is very logical place considering the end of harvest seasons and becoming of winter. And - naturally - every people and culture have had their own variant of this celebration. Finns had kekri, Vikings had yule etc. Modern Christmas timing comes from the Romans. In Roman Empire was worshipped many gods and deities. One of them was son-god Mithra, which was related to Shemitic god Shamash. Romans adopted this tradition to their own mythology, and thus their own god Saturn, was given a son-god's rebirth-day in December 25, and the celebrations of solstice was given the name saturnalia. Already in that time there were gift-giving, feasting and singing. When the Roman Empire collapsed, and the Christian religion took over, the old celebrations were still in their powers. Christians just gave the new content to old saturnalia and thus 25. December was the birthday of Jesus Christ. And voilá - the Christmas was born! When spreading the new religion to east and north, it was a very common phenomenon, that the old original pagan feasts - just as kekri, were fused in Christmas. And thus the traditions moved on and were mixed between. And thus in the every country you have different kinds of Christmas traditions. Traditions will newer vanish, they just change their outlook. Peoples take impulses in their tradition to other people and give something back too. That's how the culture works.
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Post by Humppaporo on Dec 14, 2005 18:14:01 GMT 2
reading this there seems to be a lingual connection: yule and joulu, is there any or is this another example of 'false friends'?
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Post by HerraHirwi on Dec 14, 2005 18:39:00 GMT 2
reading this there seems to be a lingual connection: yule and joulu, is there any or is this another example of 'false friends'? ¨ They have a connection. Since the Christianity first achieved Sweden, the local yule tradition mixed with Christmas tradition and thus was born Swedish Christmas, jul. And as you know, the Swedes were the ones who brought us the Christianity by conquering our land. And as told before - in the place of kekri there came pyhäinmiestenpäivä and in the place of jul were fused some of the old kekri traditions, and thus the Finnish Christmas, joulu was born. This is the good example, how the culture and tradition works: the economically and technically stronger people infects to other, who fuses in this new innovation something from it's own. And when the new combination has emerged, it will go on in the same way.. In the nutshell: in Finnish Christmas, joulu, we have something from Christianity, something from Rome, something from Scandinavian and something from our own. EDIT: Speeking of kekri or köyri, I read a magnificent book during this night which deals with it: Boris Hurtta - Lumen tuloa ei voi estää ("You can't stop the snow" or something in English). It's one of it's kind of horror books based on Fenno-Ugric myths and our primeval traditions.
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Post by dravenath on Dec 16, 2005 5:33:41 GMT 2
I enjoy the time off work, and the opportunities for drinking
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Post by shewarrior on Dec 20, 2005 17:42:04 GMT 2
I like christmas. I really do. In our family we don't give each other presents or something. When we wake up, and go down stairs, there's a whole table full of food and stuff ^^ It's nice. In our family we give each other presents on "Oud & Nieuw" (how can I say that in english?) Old & New At the last evening of the old year... And at 12 o clock we all go outside to watch the firework... It's bad, there's no snow here. I hope there will be some snow with christmas. 'Cause then I will have "the good christmas feeling" a bit more.. And I like snow
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Post by sfoeznup on Dec 20, 2005 18:13:48 GMT 2
Most of the time i see christmas as a chance to see people, and contact people, who i've not seen a while.. Being with family also. but i've got no special thought behind christmas.. I think that here in The Netherlands that there's to much in one month... first 5 december, and then again, 25 + 26 december. So.. it's not so special anymore. The real thoughts about Christmas has lost his meaning here i think... i can tell a little bit about Jezus, and that kind of stuff.. but which day, why, and how... i realy don't know. I don't see a realy happy time coming now.. only because it's christmas. but that has an other meaning.
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Post by Socke on Dec 20, 2005 18:29:56 GMT 2
"Oud & Nieuw" (how can I say that in english?) Old & New New Year's Eve
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Post by DaveTheRake on Dec 20, 2005 18:35:10 GMT 2
I like very much what has been said so far. I specially feel quite near what Jarkko and Humppi said days ago. Christmas has lost it's soul almost completely for the commercial side of it. And as Jarkko (and many more people I know) thinks, if people feel more positive in Chriostmas, why they don't the rest of the year? This world would be a much better place to live in. But I too think that if people is this way for some days, it's better than if they are never. As the rest of you have said, Chritmas is great for me for holidays, partying and so on, that's the best side for me. In Spain anyway Christmas is different, though I don't know if in the rest of countries is the same, tell me please; in Spain Christmas lasts from 24th December to January 6th the day of the Three Wise Men... and Dave's birthday that's why Christmas is special to me, it's always been a period of time in which I was at home, had great time, it was my birthday and the best day of the whole year took place. In SPain is getting more important day 25, though it doesn't mean so much for me, moreover I hate that fucking fat man sponsored by Coca-Cola and who only knows how to say "ho-ho-ho"... hey man, the wise man are three, they can carry more gifts!!!! The Wise Man has always been an Spanish tradition, I like mixing things from other countries, but not erase your own things, as is happening with the "wise men". My friends say that my father is an "abertzale" of Christmas (abertzale is a word in basque that means radical)... and he really is. Since I'm a kid he always put on the dinner room a big representation of the birth of Jesus; some years ago he told he won't do it anymore, but I insist on it, it would be for me as if another thing of my infancy was gone. Making this takes him a week and a half, so you can guess its big. It's another of those symbols of Christmas that I have. I remember that when we were kids my parents took us to visit my father's uncles and aunts, and then we went in the car to see the Christmas lightning in Madrid. I don't know, I always remind this with happiness, it was maybe a better time, when you're a kid Christmas is better than when you're grown and it looses all its meaning and you see Christmas is money and no more, and the spell is broken. I still like it anyway, never we'll have more partying than those days!!! So, as Jethro Tull said, "Ring Out, Solstice Bells"
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Post by huisgriezel on Dec 22, 2005 21:55:43 GMT 2
I like christmas.. its cosy indeed as said before. with all the lights and such =D Yeh I like it *nod nod* and ofcourse the gifts never a bad thing
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Post by HerraHirwi on Dec 24, 2005 12:18:48 GMT 2
Merry Christmas! Hyvää joulua! Häid jõule! Buorit juovllat Kellemes karacsonyt!
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Post by teuton on Dec 24, 2005 12:21:39 GMT 2
Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noël! Fröhliche Weihnachten! Wesołych Swiąt!
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Xena
Wolfcub
Posts: 21
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Post by Xena on Dec 24, 2005 13:42:49 GMT 2
& KIPPIS, PROST, CIN CIN, JAMAS, SLAINTÉ
wish
XENA & MIKA
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Post by SkogRoar on Dec 24, 2005 13:48:48 GMT 2
[glow=red,2,300] Merry Pine-Day to All, and to All, a Good Night![/glow]
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Post by thyr on Dec 24, 2005 14:01:16 GMT 2
Merry Christmas! Frohe Weinachten! Buon Natale! Beertree!
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Post by janneke on Dec 24, 2005 14:36:15 GMT 2
Merry x-mass and a happy new year to everyone! Wish you all the luck and health for 2006
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