***Very OT*** CHRISTMAS ***OT***

"Joan E." wrote in message
oups.com...

Pat P wrote:

We are even more apalled over here, as we no longer have "Christmas"
lights

Speaking of lights, someone synchronized their Christmas house lights
to music. It's really something to see! I can't find a proper link
so, if anyone would like me to send them the file, just email me (my
address isn't munged) and put "Christmas light show" in the subj. and
I'll happily forward it.

Joan

Someone sent it to me - it was very clever, but if that house was next to me
I`d have the Police on them! Talk about NOISY!

Pat P

"Gill Murray" wrote in message
news:%P0lf.847$EB3.297@trnddc09...


Gill Murray wrote:


In the dim and distant past when I was at school, children of different
faiths were excused morning assembly (when the hymns and prayers were
held). Nowadays, I understand that they don`t even HAVE it!

Pat P

I remember I always wished I was a Catholic! I would go running to get to
school before the doors to Assembly were closed ( I still hate to get up
early). The Catholic kids got to wait outside until prayers and the
reading was over, and then go in for the mundane daily stuff!

gillian


Bad form to add to my own post, but I forgot to tell Pat that I actually
found my school Hymnal the other day, with the school crest on the front!

Gillian

You lucky thing - I lost mine years ago. I think that ours had the school
crest on too - a Viking Ship with a beacon on the mast, and the words Vitae
Lampada Tradamus (We pass on the torch of life). That was when it was a
grammar school and uniform was VERY strict. Now they wear what they like.

Pat P

On Mon, 5 Dec 2005 22:03:37 -0500, "Lucille"
wrote:


"Susan Hartman" wrote in message
...
Gill Murray wrote:
Joan,

Cheryl sent this to me. It was a wmv file, and I will try to forward it
on to you!

Gillian


Here's the link on Snopes, so you don't have to email it around:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/arts/xmaslights.asp

There are two different videos of choreographed lights.


Sue


Susan Hartman/Dirty Linen
The Magazine of Folk and World Music
http://www.dirtylinen.com

I saw the interview this morning on the today show. They seem like a great
family. They respect their neighbors and only have the show lit up from 6
pm to 10 pm and they have told everyone that if it annoys them they will
stop.

Lucille

Well that is good to know. A couple of people sent it to me and my
reaction was, kill !

On 12/5/05 9:47 PM, in article , "Susan Hartman"
wrote:

Gill Murray wrote:
Joan,

Cheryl sent this to me. It was a wmv file, and I will try to forward it
on to you!

Gillian


Here's the link on Snopes, so you don't have to email it around:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/arts/xmaslights.asp

There are two different videos of choreographed lights.


Sue




Did anyone else watch the Jingle Bells light show (small link near bottom of
page)? I loved it.

Cheryl

Karen C - California wrote:
Ericka Kammerer wrote:

Why should those who are not
Christian have to sing Christian songs at school?

For the same reason that Miss Alcee made those of us who were not French
sing French songs -- to learn to appreciate another culture.

But:

1) French songs do not involve what many may perceive as
participating in another religion.

2) Miss Alcee made you sing songs to familiarize yourself
with an unfamiliar culture. It'd be a *huge* stretch to
suggest that non-Christians in the US are somehow
in need of more exposure to Christmas.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Brenda Lewis wrote:
The thing that really makes no sense is how many schools change the
lyrics for Christmas songs to avoid offending non-Christian students and
families but think nothing of making the choir sing a full Latin mass
(as written) in the spring for large group contest and the accompanying
local concert. If "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is so offensive,
shouldn't the singing of a piece actually written for use in worship be
even more so? This selective whitewashing is what offends me.

I don't see the point in changing lyrics. I think
there are plenty of great non-religious songs to sing such
that it's completely unnecessary to do so.
As far as singing a Latin Mass goes, I think that
depends on the age of the kids. I think religious music
should be avoided in public school for younger students
who aren't yet of an age to understand how to navigate in
a multicultural world. For older students who are studying
music, of course they should be exposed to the great musical
traditions of all cultures. I think age and purpose makes
a big difference. Similarly, I don't have a problem with
public schools having older students reading religious
texts from various religions in the context of understanding
the importance of those texts within their respective
cultures, but I think it's a very different thing to,
say, start each day with a public Bible reading.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Alison wrote:

Thank you Ericka. I particularly agree with you about the AD/CE bit.
I think that changing the Christmas songs to holiday though is not the
answer. They are still Christmas songs to me.

Well, I don't see the point in changing the words either.
It's not like there's a shortage of great music to sing such
that this is necessary.

What really annoys me and many Jews I know is trying to make Hanukkah
the Christmas analog. Hanukkah is a relatively minor festival unlike
Christmas. Personally I'm all for the secular Christmas stuff - the
goodwill, the giving to charities, the love and understanding in our
families - etc.

Sure, but that hardly needs to be tied to Christmas,
per se, for those who do not celebrate Christmas. I mean,
if there are non-Christians who want to celebrate a secular
Christmas, that's certainly their prerogative (though it's
not one I particularly understand), but it's not like
Christians or those who celebrate Christmas have some
sort of exclusive lock on "peace on earth, goodwill
towards men."
And I also agree about the trying to rationalize
celebrating Christmas anywhere and everywhere by
insisting that it's really about "winter holidays" and,
of course, everyone's got one of *those*. If we were
*really* all that inclusive and respectful of other
traditions, we'd make a fuss over their important
holidays *when they happen*, not just trot them out
at Christmastime as a thinly veiled rationalization
for making a big to-do over the "real" holiday
"everyone" is really interested in. It's sort of
like having four kids with September birthdays and
one with a March birthday (such that the "half
birthday" is in September), and always celebrating all
their birthdays on the day in September
of the oldest kid's birthday. It doesn't take
the other kids long to figure out they're getting
the short end of the stick.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Sure, but that hardly needs to be tied to Christmas,
per se, for those who do not celebrate Christmas. I mean,
if there are non-Christians who want to celebrate a secular
Christmas, that's certainly their prerogative (though it's
not one I particularly understand),

I see no difference in the secular who confiscated Christmas just as the
christians confiscated the soltice.

Dianne










but it's not like
Christians or those who celebrate Christmas have some
sort of exclusive lock on "peace on earth, goodwill
towards men."
And I also agree about the trying to rationalize
celebrating Christmas anywhere and everywhere by
insisting that it's really about "winter holidays" and,
of course, everyone's got one of *those*. If we were
*really* all that inclusive and respectful of other
traditions, we'd make a fuss over their important
holidays *when they happen*, not just trot them out
at Christmastime as a thinly veiled rationalization
for making a big to-do over the "real" holiday
"everyone" is really interested in. It's sort of
like having four kids with September birthdays and
one with a March birthday (such that the "half
birthday" is in September), and always celebrating all
their birthdays on the day in September
of the oldest kid's birthday. It doesn't take
the other kids long to figure out they're getting
the short end of the stick.

Best wishes,
Ericka

--
"The Journal of Needlework" - The E-zine for All Needleworkers
http://journal.heritageshoppe.com

As a non-Christian, I celebrate Yule aka Winter Solstice.

We put up a Yule tree, and we have a Sun Return Wreath which we light a
candle in for each of the 4 Sundays before Yule (yes, we stole the
Advent Wreath from the Christian custom). When we light the candles, we
read a story from a book of myths about the Sun.

I don't reallly understand what the fuss is about -- if I know someone
is Christian, I'll wish them a Merry Christmas, if I don't know a
person's faith, THEN I wish them Happy Holidays. Shouldn't manners
trump political correctness?

Lori Coulson

I don't reallly understand what the fuss is about -- if I know someone
is Christian, I'll wish them a Merry Christmas, if I don't know a
person's faith, THEN I wish them Happy Holidays. Shouldn't manners
trump political correctness?

The voice of reason. Thanks Lori, and a Merry Yule.
Dawne