It's Christmas!
I got the tree out tonight. Missy the cat gave it about five minutes before she wrastled one of the wee decorations to the ground and chased it out into the hall. So we know where we're going from here, don't we?
It's not much of a tree and I don't know why I even bother since I'm an atheist, except that it's a great symbol of paganism and a bit of an 'up yours' to Christians who have taken over pagan burial grounds to build churches on, pagan symbols to make their own (like the ankh being made into the crucifix) and pagan traditions being taken over, like - well, Christmas.
One of many reasons I liked living in Islay in the 70s and 80s was that some pagan traditions survived. So Hallowe'en was for grown-ups, not for children. The adults got dressed up and only on the 31st of October (All Hallows' Eve - Samhain) and when there were bonfires, they had nothing to do with Guy Fawkes and lots to do with keeping the darkness at bay in Celtic terms. Do people still celebrate the Old New Year in January in the Hebrides?
When I moved to Giffnock in 1997, I was delighted to see that Jewish traditions also continued, so the whole family got dressed up for Purim and came to visit older relatives in the wee enclave where I lived. I don't see this now - too many have moved away - and I miss it.
I hope everyone is having a great December.
Myself, I'm looking forward to the solstice on the 21st. I hate the dark. This past week or so, it's been dark here at half past two and I'll go through my annual routine of counting from now on: by the end of January, we'll have 40 minutes more of daylight. But meanwhile, glad yule to all!
It's not much of a tree and I don't know why I even bother since I'm an atheist, except that it's a great symbol of paganism and a bit of an 'up yours' to Christians who have taken over pagan burial grounds to build churches on, pagan symbols to make their own (like the ankh being made into the crucifix) and pagan traditions being taken over, like - well, Christmas.
One of many reasons I liked living in Islay in the 70s and 80s was that some pagan traditions survived. So Hallowe'en was for grown-ups, not for children. The adults got dressed up and only on the 31st of October (All Hallows' Eve - Samhain) and when there were bonfires, they had nothing to do with Guy Fawkes and lots to do with keeping the darkness at bay in Celtic terms. Do people still celebrate the Old New Year in January in the Hebrides?
When I moved to Giffnock in 1997, I was delighted to see that Jewish traditions also continued, so the whole family got dressed up for Purim and came to visit older relatives in the wee enclave where I lived. I don't see this now - too many have moved away - and I miss it.
I hope everyone is having a great December.
Myself, I'm looking forward to the solstice on the 21st. I hate the dark. This past week or so, it's been dark here at half past two and I'll go through my annual routine of counting from now on: by the end of January, we'll have 40 minutes more of daylight. But meanwhile, glad yule to all!
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