Congratulations - My mum and dad

I do find it noteworthy that the cynics of ukrm seem to have a
universal yet tacit agreement to get all fluffy at this time of year,
despite having just put the boot into Christmas. Apparently not all
religious celebrations are created equal.

 

What *are* you waffling on about?
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Jan 1st, religion, fluffyness, hypocrisy. You know, the usual stuff.
Where would you like me to clarify?

 

Jan 1st and religion, for starters.
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Originally a pagan festival relocated to Jan 1st by the romans and
co-opted by the Catholic Church as ...[googles] the Feast of Christ's
Circumcision or some such rubbish.

 

I can point out purely for myself I have no truck with the religious
aspect of the period, and the accepted turn of the year is something to
celebrate a bit. I don't go so far as to celebrate the shortest day, but
am certainly aware of it and imo, it's much more significant than any
other pagan, religious, pseudo-religious or consumerist bollocks.

 

More significant that your birthday? More significant than any of the
established pagan festivals, Samhain for instance that marks the ending
of the natural cycle ta the end of October? There seems to be many
significant potential end-of-the-year moments so why pick Jan 1st?

 

porl wrote

As good a day as any to celebrate the earth surviving another circuit of
the sun and us still being here to see it. Something all humanity can
share and the calendar is another. A happy coincidence which sounds
like an excuse as fit any other for a week long, world-wide piss up to
me.

 

Yeeeessss....good plan, Steve. For instance, let's put our differences
with the muslim community aside and go on a week-long bender with them.

Oh, hang on....small problem...

 

Oh, right.

Perhaps the targets of your disfavour are unaware of the religious
significance, and, to extrapolate. perhaps they should refrain from
fluffiness every Sunday, and at Easter, Saint's days, etc.

Is this only confined to Christian Festivals?

If you could provide a list, I'm sure they'd be grateful.
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porl wrote

I am up for it but someone else will have to DFV.

Perhaps we can give TOG a sniff at a gold flash to go with his bar?
Lozzo is free, I understand.

Nah it'll be fine, they know how to handle their wimmin proper.

 

I don't pick Jan 1st, it's just convenient to go along with the whole
system. The past 22nd Dec felt much more like NY to me and has been
increasingly so for the past few years. Future years may see me
acknowledging the turn of the year on the winter solstice (as in fact,
is the case), and generally ignoring the conventional timing but it
remains to be seen. Actually, I can give myself two holidays.

That'll work. Yay.

 

I think what you're saying is that if you're comfortable in denigrating
[a] religion then there's no reason for any special behaviour on a
religious holiday, be it Catholic or pagan.

I agree with you.

 

Sure, but more than that you've embraced the concept of New Year's
resolutions (hence your comment to Burnt "I see you've started as you
mean to go on, then") and therefore ultimately the concept that apart
from just being an enforced holiday from work it's a new year; a fresh
beginning. When in fact it's not a new year in any sense apart from an
arithmetical one and a religious one, both ratified 500 odd years ago
by a pope.

So my somewhat laboured and tedious point is that if you don't
celebrate Christmas for its religious status then you shouldn't give a
rat's arse about NYE either. And with the extant state of affairs
worldwide generally ceasing to abate every Jan 1st then its only real
significance is that it marks the day before a lot of people have to go
back to work.

 

Why? You're a Reverend. This is definitely your domain.

 

The Older Gentleman wrote

I am only a humble rev and in case you hadn't noticed you get no
credibility until you are a minor bish at the very least.

and even then it helps if you have family connections.

I disagree; my mission is here, among societies unwanted dregs.

The name on the sign is a bit of a clue I would have thought.

 

Jane and I did the deed 16:00 Christmas Eve last booking before
Christmas. Most of the staff were pissed when we got there.

 

That explains all the mess then - it's the festival of debris.

 

Well if we're being pedantic- and I know you'd think less of me if I
didn't at least try- they may being partying then but as soon as the
clock strikes midnight it's a day away from going back to work for
anyone who lives outside of Liverpool. Until 2010.

 

Thank your lucky stars. I got to change a decent Jack Vettriano
calendar for a bloody Take That one. Thankfully I still keep Kylie in
the study.