'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Holiday'

Urbane Guerrilla · 12-26-2005, 05:11 AM

I understand the greater prevalence of gift-giving on Hanukkah to have been the influence of the Christian Christ Mass and the traditions that have grown up around it -- the Yule log and the Christmas tree are sort of competing traditions -- in a sort of cultural cross-pollination. A once rather minor holiday is becoming a bigger, grander affair. Evolution in progress, please design intelligently if at all.

My Jewish mother-in-law, rest her soul, did me the favor of teaching me correct pronunciation of the holiday even when it got spelled Chanukah. We never did get around to discussing a heroine, a tent peg, and that general, though. The mallet wouldn't have gotten the job done, or was she determined to nail the guy to the spot? At first I thought that was the Judith story... oh well. Something else to put on the reading list.

Other holidays are getting a cross-pollination, too. American-style Halloween celebrations with costuming and hijinks are becoming more and more popular in Mexican Day of the Dead, and of course Day of the Dead stuff is all over southern California anyway. All parties concerned are amused. The Halloween influence is being taken south by Mexicans returning after a stay up north, and by families with relatives on both sides of the border, which is a very frequent occurrence.

12-26-2005, 05:11 AM	#11
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	I understand the greater prevalence of gift-giving on Hanukkah to have been the influence of the Christian Christ Mass and the traditions that have grown up around it -- the Yule log and the Christmas tree are sort of competing traditions -- in a sort of cultural cross-pollination. A once rather minor holiday is becoming a bigger, grander affair. Evolution in progress, please design intelligently if at all. My Jewish mother-in-law, rest her soul, did me the favor of teaching me correct pronunciation of the holiday even when it got spelled Chanukah. We never did get around to discussing a heroine, a tent peg, and that general, though. The mallet wouldn't have gotten the job done, or was she determined to nail the guy to the spot? At first I thought that was the Judith story... oh well. Something else to put on the reading list. Other holidays are getting a cross-pollination, too. American-style Halloween celebrations with costuming and hijinks are becoming more and more popular in Mexican Day of the Dead, and of course Day of the Dead stuff is all over southern California anyway. All parties concerned are amused. The Halloween influence is being taken south by Mexicans returning after a stay up north, and by families with relatives on both sides of the border, which is a very frequent occurrence. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course. Last edited by Urbane Guerrilla; 12-26-2005 at 05:36 AM.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)