So I'm going to go to Denver for a long weekend. But now there's snowstorms and blizzards and winds and all that great stuff on the weather forecast for our drive there. It frikkin sucks. It was in the 70s yesterday. Today it's just miserable.
So bring on the happy fun time!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
What do you do if you aren't Irish?
So Saturday is St. Patrick's Day. I've got lots of green stuff, shamrock earrings, green sweater, etc. But I always feel weird on that day because I'm not Irish. Not one drop of blood in me is a bit "green." So why do I care? because my ancestors were immigrants like them? Because of honoring the Saint himself? Because I wanna get drunk on green beer?
Question: Does anyone know the legend of St. Patrick and why his day is important or do they just go out and get plastered like there's no tomorrow? Anyone know about the "snakes" and all that jazz? I do, but I'm a dork like that.
Which also brings up the same question with Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day and other similar holidays. Do people go down to New Orleans just to flash their boobs and get beads, or will they fast and repent for Lent like you're "supposed to" for the next 40 days? Do people get dates for V-Day just to get laid? In that case, it should just be called VD Day. (I'm so original!) They're all Christian holidays, or at least they were once upon a dream.
So anyway to get back on point, when you decide to celebrate these holidays, what really are the intentions? Who says we should celebrate them? It's because of commercialism, I'm sure. Some religious connotations- yeah, supposedly. Possibly some kind of alterior motive (example: Valentine's day= sex, chocolate, and greeting cards), definitely. Which to sum up Original meaning: lost.
Holidays like Christmas and Halloween were brought about because of pagan celebrations way way way back in the day.
Who cares, right? Some historian in a dusty library who reads old books. Religious education teachers who try to put "Christ" in Christmas, or those who actually party hardy the day before Ash Wednesday and then become repentent sinners the next day. Or preachy college students that think they know it all and will debate you about the existence of life itself until the cows come home.
How's about government holidays? We celebrate events in history- 4th of July, Presidents Day, Bank holidays, and so on. Should these be considered in the same way as the "religious holidays" are? We get Christmas "off" of work/school because the government declares it a national holiday- but isn't it a religious one too? So the 4th of July and Christmas are in the same boat?
Ok- So if Jesus and Uncle Sam were in a boat and both fell out and you could only save one, who would you save? Niether- Jesus can walk on water and Uncle Sam is a fictional character (except he exists in the hearts of proud americans, of course).
So really we can owe all this "celebrationism" to those from before and after antiquity. Ancient Greeks, Romans, Druids, Celts, etc. That's funny because the early Christians wanted everything to be anti-pagan, though they modeled so much after pagan customs. So thank you, antiquity. You give me reason to drink green beer and wear goofy earrings, have lots of sex, dress up in costumes, sing carols about snowmen, and flash people for cheap necklaces. Wahoo! (Bacchus would be proud!)
So I will end this rant with something appropriate: "Beware the ides of March."
Same to you, Brutus! Up yours!
Question: Does anyone know the legend of St. Patrick and why his day is important or do they just go out and get plastered like there's no tomorrow? Anyone know about the "snakes" and all that jazz? I do, but I'm a dork like that.
Which also brings up the same question with Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day and other similar holidays. Do people go down to New Orleans just to flash their boobs and get beads, or will they fast and repent for Lent like you're "supposed to" for the next 40 days? Do people get dates for V-Day just to get laid? In that case, it should just be called VD Day. (I'm so original!) They're all Christian holidays, or at least they were once upon a dream.
So anyway to get back on point, when you decide to celebrate these holidays, what really are the intentions? Who says we should celebrate them? It's because of commercialism, I'm sure. Some religious connotations- yeah, supposedly. Possibly some kind of alterior motive (example: Valentine's day= sex, chocolate, and greeting cards), definitely. Which to sum up Original meaning: lost.
Holidays like Christmas and Halloween were brought about because of pagan celebrations way way way back in the day.
Who cares, right? Some historian in a dusty library who reads old books. Religious education teachers who try to put "Christ" in Christmas, or those who actually party hardy the day before Ash Wednesday and then become repentent sinners the next day. Or preachy college students that think they know it all and will debate you about the existence of life itself until the cows come home.
How's about government holidays? We celebrate events in history- 4th of July, Presidents Day, Bank holidays, and so on. Should these be considered in the same way as the "religious holidays" are? We get Christmas "off" of work/school because the government declares it a national holiday- but isn't it a religious one too? So the 4th of July and Christmas are in the same boat?
Ok- So if Jesus and Uncle Sam were in a boat and both fell out and you could only save one, who would you save? Niether- Jesus can walk on water and Uncle Sam is a fictional character (except he exists in the hearts of proud americans, of course).
So really we can owe all this "celebrationism" to those from before and after antiquity. Ancient Greeks, Romans, Druids, Celts, etc. That's funny because the early Christians wanted everything to be anti-pagan, though they modeled so much after pagan customs. So thank you, antiquity. You give me reason to drink green beer and wear goofy earrings, have lots of sex, dress up in costumes, sing carols about snowmen, and flash people for cheap necklaces. Wahoo! (Bacchus would be proud!)
So I will end this rant with something appropriate: "Beware the ides of March."
Same to you, Brutus! Up yours!
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