It's all got utterly nothing to do with religious beliefs or any klnd
of genuine commitment. The Japanese love it, for all the wrong
reasons. Merely rampant ritual of the worst kind with a steady decay
into the most plastic iconography available, all reinforced with
tawdry, shallow sentiment. Apparently the suicide rate escalates
dramatically in the Christmas week.
Chanukah - no problem but I have been assured that it was a minor
festival that was ramped up so that another group could be co-opted.
Certainly it passes pretty much unnoticed here. Eid-al-Fitr gets in
close this year too.
I really quite enjoy Passover with my son's in-laws each year. Nice,
slightly solemn with serious meaningful ritual - and the food's better.
And the European tradition is a goose anyway - a magret de oie or a
serve of confit would do me just fine. I know this great little place
in Bergerac....
Andrew Fildes
afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 05/12/2007, at 10:36 PM, Stephan Van den Zegel wrote:
> To be fair, I like the reaction of Andrew... I'm fed up with the
> Christmas
> music... and as an atheist I don't see any reason for me (to be
> forced) to
> participate...
> But I'm open minded, and all religious or cultural positives
> traditions can
> be interesting and pleasant (well not for the turkeys... il y a
> toujours un
> dindon de la farce)... let's just see that they are not commercial
> issues.
>
> So happy Hanoukah, Joyeux Noël... Happy AÎt... for those who in
> the deep
> feeling of their beliefs need a special occasion to think about
> peace...
> But don't say it's universal, don't be oeucumenistic, don't sell it
> to me...
> and beware of fakes... (and if there is a good meal, I ready to
> share with
> you... I'll bring wine...)
>
> 4) Uncommercial alternatives ?
> By the way, my "peace in the world" days would probably be the
> following :
> - May 1st
> - June 21th or December 21th
> - July 19th ...
> And July 14th because I hate prisons...
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