tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13358611.post113452369529915402..comments2023-10-25T14:20:11.408-05:00Comments on RHOBLOGY: Basket O' Kitties, or My Wife Is So Smart!Rhologyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14245825667079220242noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13358611.post-1135053709348524052005-12-19T22:41:00.000-06:002005-12-19T22:41:00.000-06:00I was surprised myself at how we were able to expl...I was surprised myself at how we were able to explain most everything. Obviously, some details were thrown out (such as the visit of the shepherds) but you do what you can do. And you can accomplish a lot w/ some visual aids, a chalkboard, and two people willing to do funny voices and act silly.<BR/><BR/>As for Christ-mas being whatever you want it to be, I invite you to try making the Japanese Emperor's Birthday whatever you want it to be. Or how about Ramadan? Or Rosh Hashanah? If not, why not?<BR/><BR/>I am curious why you think changing the date of celebration of a particular event necessarily dilutes the meaning of the event. <BR/>Just a note, also - your description of "all the fun and inclusive things about Christmas" is a bit self-serving. You say you want to celebrate ONLY the parts of Christmas that you want to. Given that attitude, it's not hard to guess how Christmas arrived at its general dilution to begin w/ - people started rejecting the hard stuff about Christ-mas (ie, that it's the Birth of the One True God in flesh Who came to save you from your wretched self) and took only what they liked. Picking and choosing only what *I* like is not "what ____ is about." That is the definition of "What I like to celebrate." <BR/>Besides, couldn't I use your logic against itself and just say that I want to pick and choose ONLY the conservative traditional elements of what the Christmas celebration generally has become to commemorate? <BR/>As for whether Japan might not have ANY Christ-mas w/o the fluffy commercialised morass it has mostly become, I'd say that Japan might just be better off w/o it. Then the holy-day would be more easily presented as a first-time celebration of the birth of a Jewish baby in Israel, rather than prying the idea of a Savior out of Ho-Ho-Hos and Jingle Bells that are already hard-wired in.Rhologyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14245825667079220242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13358611.post-1134651097930176082005-12-15T06:51:00.000-06:002005-12-15T06:51:00.000-06:00If your Japanese is already good enough to explain...If your Japanese is already good enough to explain "why Jesus came" to a bunch of elementary schoolers, you need to tell me how you're studying. I tried to explain the origins of american thanksgiving to kids last year, and it did not get across.<BR/><BR/>Personally, I think that christmas is about whatever you want it to be about; it stopped being all about Jesus the moment ancient christians coordinated it with pagan winter festivals as a means of christianizing said pagans more easily. And from that point on, virtually all the fun and inclusive things about christmas, things that have helped it spread all over the world in one form or another, have been the pagan traditions that would not go away; christmas trees, christmas decorations, magical reindeer and benevolent spirits of giving and goodwill. I have nothing against the stories of the christian tradition as part of the mix, but if that was all there was to christmas, Japan would not even have the little bit of christmas that it does.<BR/><BR/>MaxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13358611.post-1134556518091318432005-12-14T04:35:00.000-06:002005-12-14T04:35:00.000-06:00What's funny is, now in the States it's almost as ...What's funny is, now in the States it's almost as if Santa has switched sides. Once the figurehead of the commercialization of Xmas effort, now some people (e.g., Coca-Cola) will not use his picture because it has religious connotation! (I'm not sure if it's just because he's associated with CHRISTmas or if it's also because he is SAINT Nicholas.) This goes along with the rampant "Happy Holidays" decorations in some stores (they won't say "Merry Christmas"). I'm not saying Santa is exactly my homie now, but somehow I feel less animosity towards him since he's enduring persecution...strangely enough...for the sake of Christianity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com