Thai Xmas

[Mav]

Is Christmas day such a bid deal for your average Thao family like it is in Farangville......does all the family get together for a big lunch, booze up and afternoon nap, or is it just another "up to you" type day for them?

[Nicke]

As I am aware of this mean nothing to Thais, but they know about it since shopping centers decorate for Christmas.

Originally Posted by Mav

Is Christmas day such a bid deal for your average Thao family like it is in Farangville......does all the family get together for a big lunch, booze up and afternoon nap, or is it just another "up to you" type day for them?

[geespot]

Originally Posted by Mav

Is Christmas day such a bid deal for your average Thao family like it is in Farangville......does all the family get together for a big lunch, booze up and afternoon nap, or is it just another "up to you" type day for them?

Hmmm

Thailand is a buddist country. Christmas means nothing other than entertaining us farangs. Also u cant count new year in the same equation, their new year being Songkran in April

G

[JayBee]

Thais know that Xmas is a big farang holiday and they love to help us celebrate, since, as you know, Thais always love a party!

One Christmas day I asked a BG I was with if she understood what Christmas was about. She said something about a man in a red suit with a cute little red hat named Santa. "Christmas mean Santa day, Yes?"

I said, "No, not really. That is just something made up for children. Christmas is Christ's birthday." Looking at me just a wee bit like a little kid who has just been told there is no Santa Claus, she said, "Who he? He no Santa?" It seems she had never heard of anyone named either Christ or Jesus.

So I told her the story of how on Christmas day Baby Jesus was born in a stable with the animals and how he grew up to be the God of the farangs(didn't want to confuse her by saying he was King of The Jews), but how because that didn't go over to well with the government, things went poorly for Jesus and he ended up getting nailed to the cross unitl he gave up the ghost."

She thought that it was quite a strange story, and at the end of it, she was confused by the part about the crucifixion. "What you mean, cross?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face. So I explained with my fingers the shape of a cross and then pantomimed the part about the crucifixion, pretending I was hanging on a cross.

Suddenly her eyes lit up and she smiled a smile full of Christmas cheer. "Oh, oh, I know," she exclaimed excitedly, "I know Christ. He man on necklace farang ladies wear!" She said she had seen many farang women wearing necklaces with a cross pendant, which sometimes even had the form of a man attached to it. It had seemed a little bizarre to her, and she had wondered about it. Now two mysteries were solved at once, the mystery of why farangs celebrate Christmas and the mystery of why farang women wear such odd jewelry!

All that heavy thinking had made her quite thirsty, so with that I ordered another round and we got down to the serious business at hand - celebrating Christmas day!

JayBee

[Mav]

Originally Posted by JayBee

Thais know that Xmas is a big farang holiday and they love to help us celebrate, since, as you know, Thais always love a party!

One Christmas day I asked a BG I was with if she understood what Christmas was about. She said something about a man in a red suit with a cute little red hat named Santa. "Christmas mean Santa day, Yes?"

I said, "No, not really. That is just something made up for children. Christmas is Christ's birthday." Looking at me just a wee bit like a little kid who has just been told there is no Santa Claus, she said, "Who he? He no Santa?" It seems she had never heard of anyone named either Christ or Jesus.

So I told her the story of how on Christmas day Baby Jesus was born in a stable with the animals and how he grew up to be the God of the farangs(didn't want to confuse her by saying he was King of The Jews), but how because that didn't go over to well with the government, things went poorly for Jesus and he ended up getting nailed to the cross unitl he gave up the ghost."

She thought that it was quite a strange story, and at the end of it, she was confused by the part about the crucifixion. "What you mean, cross?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face. So I explained with my fingers the shape of a cross and then pantomimed the part about the crucifixion, pretending I was hanging on a cross.

Suddenly her eyes lit up and she smiled a smile full of Christmas cheer. "Oh, oh, I know," she exclaimed excitedly, "I know Christ. He man on necklace farang ladies wear!" She said she had seen many farang women wearing necklaces with a cross pendant, which sometimes even had the form of a man attached to it. It had seemed a little bizarre to her, and she had wondered about it. Now two mysteries were solved at once, the mystery of why farangs celebrate Christmas and the mystery of why farang women wear such odd jewelry!

All that heavy thinking had made her quite thirsty, so with that I ordered another round and we got down to the serious business at hand - celebrating Christmas day!

JayBee

lol......nice story JB......it quite funny trying to explain farangland to Tg's.....makes you wonder sometimes that they must think farangs are all off their head !

[Coolhand]

A friend of mine was in Japan a few years ago, and she was going round the shops, which were all decorated with lights, baubles and trees. It was then that she saw a wooden coss with Santa Claus being crucified. I don't think they had quite got the right idea!

[geespot]

Different subject but same idea

Me & Gf were watching a film on TV about the haulcaust. I asked did she know what the film was about. She had no idea about the 2nd world war, makes u wonder what they are doing in Thai schools re historical events.

G

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by JayBee

I said, "No, not really. That is just something made up for children. Christmas is Christ's birthday." Looking at me just a wee bit like a little kid who has just been told there is no Santa Claus, she said, "Who he? He no Santa?" It seems she had never heard of anyone named either Christ or Jesus.

So I told her the story of how on Christmas day Baby Jesus was born in a stable with the animals and how he grew up to be the God of the farangs(didn't want to confuse her by saying he was King of The Jews), but how because that didn't go over to well with the government, things went poorly for Jesus and he ended up getting nailed to the cross unitl he gave up the ghost."

Except for the fact that Jesus was not actually born at Christmas at all and its mostly just the roman catholic churches desire to co-opt pagen ceremonies (re the sun god's rebirth easily adapted to the son of god who gets born and reborn) as a way of assimilating another culture in N Europe..

But hey why would we let facts get in the way of a party

[Allybabba22]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Except for the fact that Jesus was not actually born at Christmas at all and its mostly just the roman catholic churches desire to co-opt pagen ceremonies (re the sun god's rebirth easily adapted to the son of god who gets born and reborn) as a way of assimilating another culture in N Europe..

But hey why would we let facts get in the way of a party

What?? How do you make that out?? He was born on the 25th Dec, Sure thats the whole point of christmas, Or have you got a time machine and can prove otherwise, And if you have can I have a shot because I would really like the lotto numbers for next week

[LivinLOS]

How We Came to Celebrate on December 25th

Another question is always asked, "Why December 25th? We know Jesus was probably born sometime between April and November. - after all the scripture says that shepherds were watching their flocks in the fields?" Recently, I was seated at a table with hosts of a major television program. The question of the date of Christ's birth arose and I was told in no uncertain terms that Jesus was born on the 15th of Tishri (Sept/Oct) which is the feast of Tabernacles, or Hebrew "cukkah", (pronounced 'sook-kaw'). Although this is a real possibility -- I must tell you after hours of searching Matthew Henry, Halley's Bible Dictionary, Compton's Encyclopedia, The American Book of Days, the 12 Volume Interpreter's Bible, Holman's Bible Dictionary, Revell Bible Dictionary and volumes on Christian Sites on the World Wide Web, all definitely state, "we do not know when Jesus was born, or even what year." (Although he had to be born sometime between 4 and 8 BC due to Herod's reign and death which is known from archaeological records.) While it is accepted that Jesus was born in the small town of Bethlehem a few miles south of Jerusalem, there is no certain information on the date of his birth, not even of the year (see Jesus Christ). One reason for this uncertainty is that the stories of his birth, recorded in the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke, were written several decades after the event. And for several centuries the Christian church itself paid little attention to the celebration of Jesus' birth. The major Christian festival was Easter, the day of his resurrection. Only gradually, as the church developed a calendar to commemorate the major events of the life of Christ, did it celebrate his birth.น

Till about the year 250-300 there was little celebration of Christ's birth, other than a solemn memory. His death and resurrection were all important to new Christianity. As the church spread around the world, it encountered the Roman/European festival of the Winter Solstice. This was a day of great festivity in the pagan world. Because there was no knowledge about the date of Jesus' birth, a day had to be selected. The Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Rite churches within the Roman Catholic church chose January 6. The day was named Epiphany, meaning "appearance," the day of Christ's manifestation. The Western church, based at Rome, chose December 25. It is known from a notice in an ancient Roman almanac that Christmas was celebrated on December 25 in Rome as early as AD 336.1 In about 547 A.D. St. Augustine was sent by Pope Gregory the Great as the first official missionary to England. He followed an edict from the Pope, "If the religious customs of the people are not evil in origin, they should be blended into Christianity." (This is scriptural read Acts 15:19-20). The early church had a real problem with this all important festival of the SUN God. The church in the Holy Land had begun to observe January 6th at the birth of our Lord. The Austrian church observed May 20th. Still other parts of the church observed March 25th.

In 625 A.D. central leaders of the church decided since people were going to celebrate the re-birth of the SUN on December 25th -- the church would really celebrate -- the most important birth, the birth of the SON of God. It took a little time but Christianity prevailed. Although two customs, the Yule long, and kissing under the mistletoe still remain from the pagan days, most every other custom we have today comes from Christ's birthday.

[LivinLOS]

Dont forget that most scandiavian countries celerate on the 24th along with much of Germany Poland etc.. Food and gifts..

Holland has a Sinta Claus and Black Peter day early in the month (12th ??)..

One alternative theory is its to do with the Roman God Mithras whos festival was on the 25th.. Interestingly enough the current Vatican City is built over the old temple to Mithras.

Its a hodge podge of ideas and dates.. Certainly not the actual dates of his birth over 2 millenia ago..

[Allybabba22]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Except for the fact that Jesus was not actually born at Christmas at all and its mostly just the roman catholic churches desire to co-opt pagen ceremonies (re the sun god's rebirth easily adapted to the son of god who gets born and reborn) as a way of assimilating another culture in N Europe..

But hey why would we let facts get in the way of a party

Exactly So You dont know that he was not born on that day and thats what your statement says, And I have been brought up my whole life to believe he was born on the 25th so its to late to tell me any different now, Dont get me wrong im not really a religous person but I was put through learning all that crap in my little cathalic school and I dont want anybody to tell me now it was all for nothing

So I guess that also means I wont be getting those lotto numbers then

[alibaba]

Hey LivinLOS,
Did it also tell you in your books that J.C. was English.

[Whazzzup]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Dont forget that most scandiavian countries celerate on the 24th along with much of Germany Poland etc.. Food and gifts..

Holland has a Sinta Claus and Black Peter day early in the month (12th ??)

Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolaas) is celebrated on the 5th of december in Holland and the story goes that Santa Claus is is a copy of our Sinterklaas. He was a Bishop from the village of Myra in Turkey. According to the legend he saved his village from hunger and brought three children back to live.

Back to the colonial ages Dutch immigrants took Sinterklaas from Holland to America and over here he became Santa Claus. Early 1900's the americans moved the date to late december. From America this celebration went back to Europe again and now we clever economical Dutch get presents twice in december.

I'm sure someone else (Jaybee for instance) has a different version of the story. Also interesting to know what the Scandinavian BM's have to say as he comes from Lapland in his sled every year. After all I am Dutch, so this version sounds pretty good to me

Another thing Santa Claus used to be green, but thanks to Coca Cola he wears a red dwarf suit now.

Oooh yeah Merry Christmas to you all.

[JayBee]

Originally Posted by Whazzzup

Sinterklaas (Saint Nicolaas) is celebrated on the 5th of december in Holland and the story goes that Santa Claus is is a copy of our Sinterklaas. He was a Bishop from the village of Myra in Turkey. According to the legend he saved his village from hunger and brought three children back to live.

Back to the colonial ages Dutch immigrants took Sinterklaas from Holland to America and over here he became Santa Claus. Early 1900's the americans moved the date to late december. From America this celebration went back to Europe again and now we clever economical Dutch get presents twice in december.

I'm sure someone else (Jaybee for instance) has a different version of the story. Also interesting to know what the Scandinavian BM's have to say as he comes from Lapland in his sled every year. After all I am Dutch, so this version sounds pretty good to me

Another thing Santa Claus used to be green, but thanks to Coca Cola he wears a red dwarf suit now.

Oooh yeah Merry Christmas to you all.

First off, J.C. is believed to have been born in the year 6 B.C., which came to be on account of changes in the calendars when centuries later, the system of keeping calendars was changed from a lunar system to a solar system, and this account s for the 6 years discrepancy.

It is also probable that he was not born in Bethlehem, because his family lived in Nazareth. In the Gospel of Mark, it says that Joseph took his family to Bethlehem because Augustus had declared that each family go to the city of his forefathers to be recorded in the universal Roman census. In fact there was no census that year and it wasn't until quite a few years later that there was a census and it is unlikely that people had to travel to their ancestors' birthplace to be counted. In fact, it is unlikely that Joseph was from the house of David at all, but because Mark was trying to convert Jews to Christianity, it was important to link Christ to the House of David, because the Bible said that the messiah would come from the House of David, which was the House of kings, ans generally gave Christ more importance and credibilty and made it was more believable to Jews that the savior would be born to a historical and great family. Christ was a Nazarene, never said anything other than that, and was known in his time as the Nazarene. He was most likely born in Nazareth.

Nobody knows which day he was born on, especiallly since they did not have the same months or annual calendar, and the years weren't necessarily based on revolutions around the sun, not exactly, anyhow. But December 25 was a good day to pick since it was the traditional pagan holiday for winter solistice, and you are not going to make your religion popular with the pagans if youi tell them, "Hey, guys, no more of those pagan parties on Dec. 25th anymore." So they just made it a Christian party!

In Pennsylvania, where I grew up, on Dec. 6, we celebrated St. Nick's Day(AKA Santa Claus), which was also around the beginning of Advent. Then we celebrated my Grandfather's birthday on Dec. 17th, then my Mom's birthday on Dec. 21, then Christmas, then my parents' anniversary on Dec 27, then my father's birthday on Dec 28, (Day of the Holy Innocents- BTW Innnocents was my father's middle name, a fact that he hated), then NY's eve and NY's day, then my other Grandfather's Birthday on Jan 3, and then the day of the Epiphany on Jan 6, which we were told was the day on which the 3 magi came bearing gifts to give to the Christ child.

JayBee

[Gumleaf]

My sister .. the whacky astrologer .. has always said Jesus was a "Libran" .. which would put him being born somewhere in September/October.