Sir Darius the Clairvoyent

The christmas/soltice celebration in your culture

Recommended Posts

So, some sort of marking around these days, is very common around the world, most notable is of course Christmas. 

But with so many traditions accross time and space, i am sure there is a lot of variation between different celebrations. 

I invite you to share how your tradition marks these holiest of days, and merry christmas to all.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, not MY tradition but that of the culture I am surrounded by :

 

The usual decorations, trees , presents  and family gatherings . usually some type of abundant meal  - either traditional or Aussie style (if its hot , this year seems like a cooler Xmas between some very hot weather ) , maybe cold chicken, ham, seafood salad . or if really hot , maybe the meal is picniced to the beach or some other place .  The morning usually starts with present exchange in the home or within the extended family . 

 

Then there is the alcohol consumption , the family fights, the motor vehicle accidents  .....    I better stop there . I used to work in a public hospital  and at Christmas time , you would not believe what happens .... even over the Christmas Day 'feast'  ! 

 

Me ?  I live in a 'tourist area '  and although its great 85% of the time, at tourist times I stay home and  hunker down away from it all . I also avoid the roads and especially the main ones - its down right dangerous out there this time of year .

 

I would partake of the traditional Christmas feast, if a cooler day, as  I dont mind that . However as a single person living alone, why bother .  Last year I had a great one . I was driving back from a friends place on Xmas eve , past the golf course and near the club was a collection of vintage cars on display so I stopped to look . Then I got hungry and went into the club to check out their menu . Oh -O ! A huge banquet was underway , I picked the wrong day .... until the waiter returned with 2 huge full Christmas  meals  and deserts on a tray . The  Chef started going off at him for counting there numbers wrong and 'wasting food ' , so I ....

 

" I'll give you ten bucks for one ."   he hesitated but then " Go on then ! "    and then another  old lone codger sitting on a beer ; " I will too ."    - so we had Xmas lunch together .

 

image.png.61e8bc85ce852be59adfaab7f41df7f6.png

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites


from a post i made on another forum:

Went down a little tirade on gift giving shamans flying trough the air in mid winter, gift giving, goats (alot of goats, everywhere), as well as evergreen plants and, you know, The Dark Lord 👹🐐. 
 

Lets go:

Odin travels the realms of the world tree on his Eight legged horse sleipnir, flying in to unseen realms : )

The mead of poetry is a beverage (entirely with Out any psychoactive ingredients of course) that grants who ever tastes it the gift of poetry and knowledge. often associated with Odin the god of 'possession' via berserker rage or poetic inspiration.

 

 

Etymotolgy of Odin:

From Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz, derived from Proto-Germanic *wōdaz (“rage, manic inspiration, furor poeticus”), from Proto-Indo-European *weh₂t- (“to be excited”). 

 

IMG_0990.thumb.jpeg.df485efcdc461955db3d33255501b2c7.jpeg

Depiction of the cloacked, wandering wise shaman, who travelled the skies on his Eight legged horse. Every mid winter he would organize a feast at his «castle.»  Indulgence was something to celebrate back then. He knew each character as well; and awarded them there after.


IMG_0991.thumb.jpeg.f4089cde1e37f33f1515de02c4347a5c.jpeg

Here you see a nisse (magical creature) dressed in the color of Coke. Even the mushroom picked a matching attire.

 

 


 

IMG_0993.thumb.jpeg.000ee867bd13933b75f9ce22e0d4c846.jpeg

A mistletoe!

 

IMG_1006.thumb.jpeg.4216cde5b58bb786bf644336d5bc8e4f.jpeg

Evergreen trees symbolosing fertility and rebirth at darkest time of the year? Cool, Jesus of Nazareth approves.

 

No, lets move to the Kalash tribe of India:

IMG_0994.thumb.jpeg.4b2c92f44ee7d5152acdb9974cfc3c39.jpeg

These people to decorate with an evergreen plant called Chaumos, every winter solstice. And look, a goat! 

 

The dardic (kalash) goes as follows: the gods and a hunter meet at a mountain, and the gods invites him to a cermony and a feast, where a mountain goat will ve sacrificed in his honour. He is given the meaty tigh bone, witch he devovers. After that, he broke the bone, to reach the marrow.  The gods looked on in horrow and the hunter understood how he had wronged. In a panick he tried to replace the broken bone with a stick, but when the gods revived the goat again, he was limping.

 

This reminds me of something… Lets return to the north for a moment.

 

IMG_0996.jpeg.92b4c9b0c71c73180ebc58938122e839.jpeg

Thor on his goat driven chariot, travelling trough Asgard. Every night he slaughters them, and ever morning they rise again, good as new.

On one of his journey, he stopped outside a farm to rest. He offered the family living there his goats, but on one condition…. Dont break the marrow!

 

But when the god tried to ressuract his goats, he noticed one of them was limping. He furiously demanded answers, and two of the farmers children admitted it, as true it was. To pay him back they travel with him now.

 

 

 

 

……

 

 

 

We seemed to really like goats once up on a time…

IMG_0998.jpeg.3a7c51894d13f1e17cb47846daf47f24.jpeg

Julebukk, a very old and popular decoration in sweden.

 

IMG_0863.jpeg.737a42a5bc9e6d8a08b246e8953fefc6.jpeg

Painting called old christmas (1833), From Robert Seymour,  The Book of Christmas (1888)

 

IMG_1001.png.c931490999fa64913055d5933290a090.png

Oh look, it is our Friend the devil Pan, playing his flute in the lush forrest. Goat leggs and a creature of Trine. Demonic, truly demonic….

 

Because some how these folkelore motiefs… seems to have morfed a little:

IMG_1002.jpeg.de223458b291c0c6364271f80c7ed011.jpeg

the friendly goat Kranpus. I likes to boil children alive in the alps. Very popular with the locals,  but due to thw reformtion, authorties did little… well.

 

IMG_1004.thumb.jpeg.c2c72cf8635a0459fa29ea12c7e04967.jpeg
Nobodys home, i promise!

 

IMG_1005.thumb.jpeg.9a15919206b5b1027611151129b1b096.jpeg

Satan himself, also known as Lucifer the morning star, light bringer. :)


 

well, it was fun looking in to this, hope you enjoyed as well. Dont belive what i way, i am intellectually challenged…. Buuuuut…. I cant help but feel that goats in more nature centered pagan societies had a different feel then the horned one.

 

 

 

Edited by NaturaNaturans
Prooobleøms
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites