Public Holidays

[Agoraphobic]

Re: Christmas

To be fair to Jesus and the bible writers, they didn't make up the Christmas story. It was the Scandinavians after they converted who made up the Christmas story from the Winter Solstice festival, with Santa Claus thrown in.

From the things around I gather, Christmas is a collection of various cultures celebrating the winter solstice. Christianity (and the birth of Christ) became official after European nations adopted the religion, and St. Nicholas (Denmark?) became Santa Klaus, later on the Coca-Cola man when US economic dominance took its place and its makers flopped in sales as a cough mixture.

The story of Jesus has its roots in Ancient Egypt, more than two thousand years before the CE date.

Cheers!

 

[lianbeng]

Taoism has two, the two days of LNY. For those who don't know or don't remember, Taosim laid claim to four, to each of the four seasons. Spring (LNY), Summer (7th month), Autumn (mooncake) and Winter (noodle ball soup). Original Taoists as founded by Lao Tze was based on morals and nature, hence celebrating the seasons. There were no gods and ghosts. It was simply come from nature, live by morals of nature and go back to nature.

lianbeng thought that 7th month is holiday for those "good brothers/sisters"? no?

 

[Agoraphobic]

Re: Rice Balls

Hi Conqueror:

Yes, everything in the past could be faked. Some sources have even claimed that the Brits invented gunpowerder around the same time us Chinks did (but I doubt it.) Some things published in todays's newspapers can be fabricated too!

Ok, winter solstice is winter solstice and today we call it Christmas - nothing to do with Christianity. The pic you posted of those soup rice balls, they're offered during the fifth or seventh month? Do you know whether it has its origins in Tao practice?

Cheers!

Sigh. If it is a made up story then everything else could have also been a fake too. Winter Solstice is in fact British (gotta do with Stonehenge ?) including Bonfire celebration ?

Chinese Winter Solstice or dong zhi 冬至 in Chinese.


As early as 2,500 years ago, about the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), China had determined the point of Winter Solstice by observing movements of the sun with a sundial. It is the earliest of the 24 seasonal division points. The time will be each December 21 or 22 according to the Gregorian calendar.

The Northern hemisphere on this day experiences the shortest daytime and longest nighttime. After the Winter Solstice, days will become longer and longer. As ancient Chinese thought, the yang, or muscular, positive things will become stronger and stronger after this day, so it should be celebrated.

The Winter Solstice became a festival during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) and thrived in the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279). The Han people regarded Winter Solstice as a "Winter Festival", so officials would organize celebrating activities. On this day, both officials and common people would have a rest. The army was stationed in, frontier fortresses closed and business and traveling stopped. Relatives and friends presented to each other delicious food. In the Tang and Song dynasties, the Winter Solstice was a day to offer scarifies to Heaven and ancestors. Emperors would go to suburbs to worship the Heaven; while common people offered sacrifices to their deceased parents or other relatives. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) even had the record that "Winter Solstice is as formal as the Spring Festival," showing the great importance attached to this day.

 

[Agoraphobic]

When LKY dies it's a Tua Pek Kong's Day

I think that is already a Public Holiday in wating, probably with more chamagne $ales than the entire F1 week!

Cheers!

 

[Conqueror]

[video=youtube;0DhxsVy9Pis]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DhxsVy9Pis&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL89D8658166A03FA1[/video]



Oh yeah, I like F1 night races ! The glittering chassis !

 

[HedgeTrader]

lianbeng thought that 7th month is holiday for those "good brothers/sisters"? no?

That's their annual leave 1 month from hell LOL