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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 16657
[Culture]
Date Posted:
11/25/2006
9:02:11 am EST
Wvox Stats
Views: 6,502
RSS: 21,295
Comments: 15
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'Give Santa The Sack - He's Not The Real Thing'
Author: Allan Hallin Source: The Scotsman (UK)
Title: 'GIVE SANTA THE SACK - HE'S NOT THE REAL THING'
Germans and Austrians are uniting against a kindly old man who brings joy to children all over the world. Their call: Ban Santa.
Campaigners in both countries claim Father Christmas is an invention of the Coca-Cola company in the United States and should be ditched.
In Austria, "Pro Christkind" - it means "For Christ Child" - want images of the baby Jesus and St Nicholas to replace the white-haired, portly old man dressed in red and white, who they see as symbolic of the commercialisation of Christmas. Their campaign, with a logo featuring a picture of Santa with a red line through him, begins on 2 December, the day before the first Sunday in Advent, at an event where traditional Christmas wreaths are made.
Thousands of "Santa Free Zones" stickers have been printed and pamphlets have been handed out reminding people that the traditional bringer of presents is St Nicholas. There are even kits on sale with stickers to turn chocolate Santas into St Nicholas.
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Community Thoughts: There are 15 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| The Holly King | Nov 27th. at 1:35:35 pm EST
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Deni (Danville, Kentucky) - Email Me - Web
I know Santa as the Holly King, a jolly fat man in a red suit with a long white beard. He comes on Yule and brings presents and we celebrate the returning of the light of the world sybolized by a new born baby (ie. baby new year) .
Jee, when you think about it...
a.) Fat man... red suit.
b.) presents
c.) Christmas Day/Yule
d.) The return of Light
e.) New born baby
hummm... sounds like we are all celebrating the same holiday, doesn't it?
Peace and Love,
Deni :)
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| Cultural Imperialism | Nov 26th. at 7:38:02 pm EST
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Ben'elat (Helensburgh, New South Wales) - Email Me
The problem here is not entirely religious, its also a question of trying to protect the indigenous European Traditions from encroaching Americanisation.
In Germany and Austria Santa Claus (in his original guise as St Nicholas) is traditonally celebrated. However the celebration of St Nick, (who turns up to give good children nuts and chocolates, and gets his offsider Knecht Ruprecht to stick the bad kids into a sack, take them outside and give them a beating) , is celebrated not at Christmas Eve (Germans celebrate and give gifts on evening of the 24th) , but (wait for it) on St. Nicholas' Day (Dec. 6) . Where I lived, the parts were played by local townspeople who actually did go from house to house distributing sweets and schlepping away the bad kids in a sack (or so they said -- of course we were all good kids at Yuletide) .
It is not surprising that religious objections to the commercialisation of the christianised Yule and concerns over the corrosive effects of the Coca-Cola Santa on traditional culture, should coalesce like this.
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| Santa Is Pagan, Through And Through... | Nov 26th. at 12:33:27 pm EST
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Istari (Hazel Park, Michigan) - Email Me - Web
All they need to do is brush up a bit on their history as well as read this most excellent book, "Santa Claus, Last of the Wild men" by Phyllis Seifker.
Father Frost, in all of his forms, is a decidedly Pagan figure, in particular an incarnation of the great heathen god Woden, and has as much right to be included in holiday festivities as anyone!
Check out the book synopsis~
Find More info -- HERE
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| Bah! Hum-Bug!!!!!!!!! | Nov 26th. at 12:49:22 am EST
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Richard Brownbear (North Wilkesboro, North Carolina) - Email Me
So what if the Jolly Red Suited Guy was an invention of a US soda company trying to sell more product?
Jesus Christ was an invention of early Europeans trying to sell more product too! Does that mean Christians should ban Jesus?
This is even sillier than the so-called "war on Christmas" here in the States.
Bah! Hum-Bug! I say!
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| Whether Or Not.... | Nov 25th. at 11:23:06 pm EST
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William (Pictou Landing, Nova Scotia) - Email Me
it's ban Santa, or ban Christ, or ban Harry Potter.... it's still some particular group trying to decide for everyone else what is acceptable.
When are they all just going to be happy with their own beliefs and leave everyone else to theirs?
They just aren't happy until they convert everyone to their way of thinking.
Well I have news for them.... we all have our own brains and can think for ourselves.... so they can piss to hell off!
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| HEY.... | Nov 25th. at 5:49:18 pm EST
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Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
Hands OFF the fat guy! : - P *snicker*
Love to all
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| Depends On Who You Ask. | Nov 25th. at 4:20:17 pm EST
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
The Santa we have been familiar with was a creation of Thomas Nast. It was Coca cola that softened the image from something a little more intimidating. And yes, it was for commercial reasons. I would not be offended, however, by any earlier incarnations. Many other places in the world have their own beliefs- some usurped in recent years by commercial aspects. I feel that there is room enough for any and all. It would certainly make the world a more interesting place.
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| Give Presents To Atheists Day?? | Nov 25th. at 3:13:10 pm EST
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DodiaFae (Rhode Island, Rhode Island) - Email Me
I love it! My brother never mentioned this, but he tends to celebrate "Christmas" with the rest of the family. Now I have something to say to him besides "Happy Yule", "Happy Solstice" or "Happy Festivus" (though he did get a chuckle out of that one. :)
Happy GPtAD! or something....
Anyway, it cracks me up. Every year it's "reclaim Christmas" this, and "take back Christmas" that. While we Pagans happily go about celebrating Yule or Solstice, *usually* without uttering a gripe about all the crass Christmas commercialism that surrounds us. To be honest, I like how easy it makes it for me to go out and buy the many Pagan symbols that have been "borrowed" by Christianity. Like the Holly King, the Green Man, the rebirth of the Sun God (son of God?) by the Goddess figure (the Mary) , the bringing of trees indoors, balls of holly, wreathes (circles) and door swags, Yule logs, the lighting of candles (sympathetic magic to bring back the warmth of the Sun) , Mistle Toe, all the symbols of the running/jumping stags and deer, Stars, Angels (Yes, I do consider these to be Pagan symbols, as well) , hanging globes/balls/symbols from the tree, etc., etc., etc.... I could go on and on.
So let them "reclaim Christmas"... it hasn't stopped most of us from reclaiming Yule, Solstice, or any of the other Pagan holidays that fall at that time of year.
BTW... the comment about wintering the herds... ^_^ Too true... I thought everyone knew by now that Jesus was a Pisces. ;)
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| Don't Give Santa The Boot... | Nov 25th. at 2:08:41 pm EST
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Amtehuti (Queens, Florida) - Email Me
...what other secular symbol can my fiance and I get our Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Pagan families to compromise on??
Seriously, the season no longer HAS a reason. The holidays are about shopping, outdoing your neighboor, and having a great excuse for a holiday. How many actually celebrate a religious event? Even the religious tend to ignore their own faiths and fall into the secular trappings of the season.
Not sure how that's a bad thing. Give everyone an excuse for presents. After all, without Santa, what would Festivus followers and those involved in Give Presents to Athiests Day have to decorate their homes with? :-P
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| Do Your Own Santa | Nov 25th. at 12:35:38 pm EST
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Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - Email Me
I think, this year, I'll do a woman santa, wearing pajamas, as that's what she's doing in Florida.
Is Santa Claus crazy, or does she admit to being Santa?
Saint Nicholas is entitled to wear Red, as an Arch-Bishop, and is said to've wholloped Arius at the Council of Nicea. Whether Santa was actually at that council remains in question. Why not feature Santa as Bitch-Slappin' a Theologist?
Santa remains Santa, whether as a Jolly Old Elf, or as Terror of Nicea, and there's no reason that everyone should use the Coca-Cola Version, just because an Arch-Bishop dresses like a Botle.
Pagans may use Odin, whose day of remembrance is also December 6th, and it's only fair, Ded Moroz has gone back to Paganism.
Arawn
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