2020 eff yeah

[Kchrpm]

Oh the irony with being OK with Christmas and its Christian origins.

Christmas is the result of Christians co-opting the traditions and festivities that many Pagans already participated in as part of a celebration of the winter solstice. As Neil deGrasse Tyson put it, cultures around the northern hemisphere could tell that the Sun's peak kept getting lower and lower in the sky, until late December when it started to rise again. They celebrated this rise in their own way, and Christians decided that saying "you should thank Jesus for that" was a great way to spread Christianity. Which is why most of the traditions around Christmas don't make any sense when compared to the rest of Christianity (see also: Easter).

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-une...as-traditions/

So it's taken back from Christians and turned into a celebration of modern Western culture: loud, consumer-focused, and seemingly ceaseless. And I love it.

And yes, Thanksgiving is now just an excuse to have a big family meal, and to say what you're thankful for. The origins have effectively zero meaning to the modern American.

[Tom Servo]

And here I thought I was just pointing out the continued obsession with Alex Trebek despite not knowing who he is, and that nothing about Thanksgiving or Christmas is 2020-specific, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Crazed_Insanity]

Everybody hurts... after all, 2020 for sure has caused a lot of pent up frustrations...

It’s good to let it all out now so that hopefully we can make a better 2021!

Trebek actual has a pretty awesome thanksgiving message for everyone, recorded before his death...

Anyway, history is definitely important, but I think it’s also important for us to have a grateful mindset regardless which day it is...

[Yw-slayer]

You should not need a reason to be good to each other, do nice things for others and enjoy time with friends and family.

I agree!

Here's the thing - they don't know that it marks the beginning of hundreds of years of genocide, slavery, and pillage. I mean, at this point most adults have been made aware of the facts, but those facts don't live in their heads like buckle hats and turkey's made in the outline of a child's hand. Plus, you should never underestimate the ability of the average person to be unconsciously racist by buying into ideas like "There really weren't that many indians anyway," and "Well, all the indians are gone now, so it's not my fault and my ancestors weren't even the ones who killed them."

Also, "The First Thanksgiving" is one of those 'sticky' stories that children learn early because it has a 'good' message and nobody wants to be in the business of explaining genocide to first-graders. That kind of indoctrination lasts a long time and is difficult to shake unless you've got a real interest in getting rid of it.

That’s sad and hilarious. The more sensible approach would be for it to not be celebrated at all, given that the usual question asked by young children is “Why do we celebrate X day?” The answer should not be sugar-coated bullshit. But by now it’s far too late since it seems most of the population has been indoctrinated (or just doesn’t care) and the tradition is far too well-entrenched, at least within the North American continent?
Another point is that I find it odd in the extreme that it is purportedly relied on or celebrated outside the continent, even if it’s just to sell crap. At that point it basically becomes “Shoving down my throat” level, which I reject.

[quote]I usually celebrate this weekend by getting together with a bunch of friends, eating, and cutting checks to indigenous-run charities, but then we're a bunch of anthropologists who do things like land acknowledgements when teaching. [quote]

That’s cool.

... the continued obsession with Alex Trebek despite not knowing who he is, and that nothing about Thanksgiving or Christmas is 2020-specific, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I know who he is. The Jeopardy dude, right?

As for Maradona – is it really that important or another “Fuck 2020” moment that he died? Yes, he was a good footballer, but so what? He was also a cheat, and never admitted it. That sort of bullshit represents a lot that is wrong with football and its star players, although nowadays it's usually done by way of ridiculous play-acting (I'm unsure why that hasn't been stamped out, especially at an elite level).

Nothing about Thanksgiving or Christmas is 2020-specific per se. However, being slammed with Thanksgiving/Christmas rubbish in my inbox (much of which begins with the usual Hallmark crap like "In times like these we are even more thankful for... BUY OUR CRAP" or "In times like these the season becomes even more important… BUY OUR CRAP") or in the malls reminds me that we are entering what is, for me, the worst part of an already bad year.

I've celebrated it because I was born on it.

The food is amazing, so I've just associated it with my birthday.

This is a fair way to approach it.

Our biggest shopping day of the year is Boxing Day, which I am sure that Americans have almost no awareness of. It’s the day after Christmas, and people have to make the difficult choice of either going out to try and grab a bargain (usually with no pre-planned idea of what they want to buy) or sitting in front of the TV and watching the cricket.

That’s also a holiday here. My understanding is that it's also the actual day on which gifts are opened, not Christmas day. But the approach in North America seems to be different.

Oh the irony with being OK with Christmas and its Christian origins. Christmas is the result of Christians co-opting the traditions and festivities that many Pagans already participated in as part of a celebration of the winter solstice. As Neil deGrasse Tyson put it, cultures around the northern hemisphere could tell that the Sun's peak kept getting lower and lower in the sky, until late December when it started to rise again. They celebrated this rise in their own way, and Christians decided that saying "you should thank Jesus for that" was a great way to spread Christianity. Which is why most of the traditions around Christmas don't make any sense when compared to the rest of Christianity (see also: Easter).

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-une...as-traditions/
So it's taken back from Christians and turned into a celebration of modern Western culture: loud, consumer-focused, and seemingly ceaseless. And I love it.

I don't think there is any irony in my approach. When I say "OK with celebrating Christmas" because of the religious angle, I mean the (generally speaking) more religious approach of marking it as the day Jesus was born by way of praying, including with one’s family (and in church if they think that way) if they are of a similar belief. That's all fine. I only dislike the religious stuff if it’s forced on me, including by implying I am going to die, go to hell, and/or am inferior because I don't do the same. Fortunately for me, most if not all people I am in contact with, and who actually celebrate or would like to celebrate the religious aspects of Christmas do not force it on me. Other loosely religious-related parts I can also see, if not necessarily enjoy, as a form of art/expression of culture e.g. choir singing. It is similar to how I will visit interesting cathedrals/churches when on holiday, as I would with any interesting place of worship.

Things such as Santa/Elves/Christmas Tree/Mistletoe/Presents/Christmas lights I classify as non-religious associated rubbish (same with Christmas turkey and brussel sprouts, because they are overrated and taste like shit and hence fall into the “don't force that crap on me” category). However, most of the time that rubbish is inescapable as it is deployed as a means of selling crap to people. That said, Christmas pudding and honey-glazed ham are good food, so they get a pass as they are not rubbish.

I can maybe see how taking advantage of pagan-turned-allegedly-Christian traditions to make it 2 months of some bullshit bacchanalian jinglefest is actually sticking it to… the Christians? Not that that’s necessarily my aim (except for the holier-than-thou ones, who like I said I have very little contact with, and even then I’m not going to engage in it in order to make a point as that comes uncomfortably close to cutting off my nose to spite my face). It is also not my aim to loudly celebrate Western culture. But I suppose where you are, and with your media, there's even less opportunity to escape from it. So it makes sense to embrace it and use it in your own way. For me, I just can’t be bothered. Hence I just wear the Slayer Christmas sweater if it’s cold enough for me to do so.

And yes, Thanksgiving is now just an excuse to have a big family meal, and to say what you're thankful for. The origins have effectively zero meaning to the modern American.

Which brings us back to how it is both sad and hilarious given how and why it started, and has continued till this day.

[Tom Servo]

As for Maradona – is it really that important or another “Fuck 2020” moment that he died?

I was going to write up a whole thing up about how being a gatekeeper on other people's grief isn't a good look, but I'm also realizing that that should be common knowledge. So, why bother?

[Rare White Ape]

[JoshInKC]

That’s sad and hilarious.

Yeah, it is ... Not great.

I'm a huge advocate for drastically restructuring how america does education and society as a whole (but sadly, I won zero votes on november 3 - Maybe 2024 is my year!), so you're not going to catch me defending it - I'm just explaining how it is.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Has there ever been a nation who paints itself in a negative light in pursue of the truth?

I don’t believe America will be the 1st nation to do that and nor do I believe CCP will do that. I cannot bad mouth the chinese virus but it’s fine to bad mouth America’s hypocritical thanksgiving? Why the amazing double standards?

I don’t believe we need to be get that real with elementary school kids, but college educated people ought to keep these controversies in mind.

Still, I believe it’s a good idea to be thankful and grateful for all the things that still work for us even in 2020. If you don’t want to celebrate it or if you don’t want to watch jeopardy, we still live in the free world, you don’t have to. Nobody is really shoving that down people’s throat. Don’t blame people’s stupid herd mentality as if somebody is actively shoving turkey down your throats.

[Rare White Ape]

Has there ever been a nation who paints itself in a negative light in pursue of the truth?

The USA paints itself in a negative light every day. The funny part is, it's not because of its pursuit of the truth.

I don’t believe America will be the 1st nation to do that and nor do I believe CCP will do that. I cannot bad mouth the chinese virus but it’s fine to bad mouth America’s hypocritical thanksgiving? Why the amazing double standards?

The "Chinese virus" (why do you still call it that?) is an outward accusation, while the genocide of Native American people in an inward issue, and is much harder to deal with. Every citizen including yourself has a responsibility to address this.

I don’t believe we need to be get that real with elementary school kids, but college educated people ought to keep these controversies in mind.

You will be amazed at how many of a person's most closely-held beliefs are formed in their early years of life. I am still working to dismantle many of the things I knew to be true when I was a kid. Try getting older university students to suddenly accept the truth, especially when it is of no benefit to the leaders of your society. This is why educating kids about difficult histories is important. To give a contemporary example, you learned about the Nazis during WWII in school, which are generally accepted facts to everyone. Now imagine what German school kids have to learn. Now apply that knowledge to the 500-year-old history of European settlement in the Americas, an event that you and your family directly benefit from today.

Still, I believe it’s a good idea to be thankful and grateful for all the things that still work for us even in 2020.

That's good. Now be grateful to the ones who have suffered to allow this. And, now be grateful to the ones who still suffer TODAY, which YOU can do something about, while you sit there in your nice air-conditioned home in a nice neighbourhood with plush carpets and a nice driveway, and do NOTHING about.

If you don’t want to celebrate it or if you don’t want to watch jeopardy, we still live in the free world, you don’t have to. Nobody is really shoving that down people’s throat. Don’t blame people’s stupid herd mentality as if somebody is actively shoving turkey down your throats.

I'd like to see someone trying to stuff turkey down your throat, but that video will never surface. Instead I am left to consider those people who's culture never considered roast turkey on a specific day of the year having to deal with 300 million Americans gallivanting about the place like it is theirs.

Now I can't talk. My ancestors slaughtered hundreds of thousands of Aborigines during the 'building' of my country.

[Crazed_Insanity]

I seriously think white folks have gone mad, either become extremely overtly racist or becomes extremely ashamed of themselves. This isn’t healthy.

Can you talk or can’t you talk because of the aborigines? If you’re serious about can’t talk, then stop talking.

Look, Your ancestors’ sins shouldn’t cause you to become mute or be shameful of the color of your skin. You want to right wrongs, you could do it without making all white people as bad guys trying to erase history. Yeah, Americans and aussies did some bad things for sure, but was it all bad? It was pure evil that made US and Australia what it is today?

Likewise, I think I can call it a Wuhan Chinese virus without feeling shameful about my genetic heritage... that’s where it started. There’s no need to make it a racist virus either.

Look, nobody knows exactly what happened during the 1st thanksgiving. We don’t even know if they had turkey! We also still don’t know how the heck this coronavirus came about...

There are multiple angles to every story. People can read the same bible and come up with different conclusions...

Who is closest to the real truth? Nobody knows!

So just chill and enjoy thanksgiving and COVID19 while we can! Be thankful that we’re still alive! If we think our ancestors/countrymen did wrong, just make sure we won’t repeat their mistakes. Maybe they did the best they could..., but we can still try our best to avoid the same mistakes... but just don’t think we need to be so cynical about a national holiday.

Can’t be cynical about a chinese virus but okay to be cynical about thanksgiving and Christmas and all white people in the past? Com’on. Something is out of whack.