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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2016-17


Schwarzbart

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I don't consider myself to belong to any religion though I guess I was born in a mostly Christian society.

 

Anyway, Merry Christmas. I still get myself a Christmas tree and put up some festive decorations. For me it's all about having a good time and enjoying life.

 

That actually reminds me of when I was "working" and got invited to sit down and talk to an older man dressed in very traditional middleeastern clothing, he pointed out and introduced me to his daughters from a distance who seemed to be trying to hide in a corner of the room, who I think were wearing Burkas or whatever they're called, I could only make out their curious eyes who looked like they had never seen another person before.

This was possibly 6-8 years ago.

Anyway, it turned out he was fairly new to Sweden and feelt very lonely and thought it was hard to engage Swedes in casual discourse. I think I mentioned that Swedes generaly don't like to bother people they don't know too well, unless they feel they got something they want/need to talk about.

He seemed to agree with the reason as a possible explanation and and asked for suggestions, we talked a little bit more.

Then he said something about being Muslim and that he thought it was imporant to get along with Christans as they basicly worshiped the same God, some kind of not entierly right argument but close enough.

I didn't think much about it I just casually said, I don't consider myself Christian either.

Then his face and eyes looked shocked and horrified, almost looked like a hint of hatred or despise...

The conversation was pretty much over but at least he seemed to recover his civil manners and didn't go as crazy as that first reaction indicated..

I didn't try to explain my view on the matter.. Not sure if he understood what I was getting at or if perhaps he thought I was a Jew or something. Jew or Heathen, which would have been worse.

If the first line didn't explain it I'm kind of an Ateist but I'm not putting a lot of thought into it, hardly any at all. I consider it a non question that's undefined unless someone else asks it. I never think about it unless someone else brings it up. Kind of like Forest gnomes or trolls or whatever until someone mentions it.

 

Christmas in Sweden is called Jul, so people say God Jul which means Merry christmas loosely translated, God in Swedish means Good not God. So more like wishing someoen a "Good Christmas"..

 

Jul commes from an old traditional feast that the vikings and I gues their predecessors celebrated on the darkest day of the year where they would drink and feast as they wait for brighter days and a new year/season, kind of like a newyears party I guess.

I'm guessing that when the Pope gave some german Chatolic priests some money to buy land up here in the cold north and build churches the celebration of Christmas and Jul/Jula coincided the darkest day tends to be around the 21st of December but measurements wern't that exact in those days I guess they coincided and were accepted, both are about rebirth and hope for the future. While Christ's name never entered the name of the holiday here, the priests made sure it became a christian holiday as Christianity eventually became the state religion.

 

Since old Norse religion had several gods and were very accepting of all gods and religious beliefs people would come visit the chatolic churces to recieve their blessings just as they recieved blessing from those other gods. While the Chatolic priests were somewhat horrified that that the people sought the blessings of other gods aswell they were happy to report to the Pope that they had a few visitors comming to their cermons.

 

In a way it was a very sneaky and smart move by the romans to gain a new taxbase this way that would send money to Rome. Previous clumsy atempts by the old Roman empire had involved sending legions to the swed/viking peninsula that simply dissapeared Only to get a randsom note back telling them they had to pay for their people and peace or they would come down and collect it themselves. Apparently, Rome paid in gold, lots of it. The roman soldiers were later less than impressed when their leaders tried to trick them with lead filled coins and other less attractive currency as they ran out of money to pay their soldiers.

 

The messengers/negotiators must have been very persuasive. Granted, Rome had trouble on other areas of the Empire and other outside threrats and probably didn't want another unknown that had just consumed a few of their legions to strike from the Far north. In the end, the Roman empire pretty much collaped because it ran out of money and wen't bankrupt.. Too many expensive campaign that failed to bring in any loot and failed ones where they decided to buy a peace to in effect buy some more time.

 

Really getting off topic here... Rome didn't really tax their citizens they instead paid them a grain subsidy that they took from conquered areas of the empire to feed their citizens. Their economic model wasn't very sustainable once their war campaigns failed to brign back loot to pay for the armies that held the empire together.

 

That's enough for now... But merry Christamas or whatever to you all :)

 

EDIT: As an aside, I loved reading about history and religion and cultures and all that. Don't have to be religious to read about people and the history of humanity. It's very facinating, sometimes tragic aswell, but it's often best to not get too burdened by the tragic parts of it, it won't make you any happier.

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Merry Christmas to one and all!

 

Santa called, asking about Y2. I think we're getting a bag of coal tomorrow. :)

 

Better work on getting it out before next Christmas then ;) So it won't happen again ;)

 

Think I'll google for a company that delivers coal during the Christmas holidays ;) Thinking they're already closed for the holidays.....

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Better work on getting it out before next Christmas then ;) So it won't happen again ;)

 

Think I'll google for a company that delivers coal during the Christmas holidays ;) Thinking they're already closed for the holidays.....

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Lump-Coal-Naughty-Gift/dp/B005NI79DK

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It looks good, but it's plastic... not real coal.... It should be authentic ;)

I tend to agree. Sadly it's not like you can just find coal anywhere these days. The era when it was a common fuel was almost a century ago. But you know society's hit a new low when you have fake coal for sale.

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Merry Xmas everyone.

 

Albert, atheism is a crime punishable by death in many Islamic countries, and due to the religion including multiple public professions of faith (prayers 5 times a day, fasting during Ramadan, etc) virtually everyone in many Islamic countries at least professes to believe. The old man may well simply have never met anyone who didn't profess to worship a god - some Muslims I have met on the net have certainly been very confused by the idea. So you might want to add confusion/pity to the possible emotions they felt.

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I tend to agree. Sadly it's not like you can just find coal anywhere these days. The era when it was a common fuel was almost a century ago. But you know society's hit a new low when you have fake coal for sale.

 

Could be used for props, I suppose, and these fake coals are most definitely not infused by the tears of children in their creation :P

 

Happy Christmas to everyone..... and Happy New Year SoonTM too!

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