Happy Non-Denominational Winter Holiday Everybody!

[Ommy]

I like how this went from being an all accepting topic to a religious debate wow

Anyways, to be on topic I am celebrating Christmas this year

[Rajikaru]

Actually this topic was originally just me ****posting because I saw a topic about jewish christmas holidays.

[EvilPinkamina]

Can't expect good comments in a poop-post.

[Jeffery Mewtamer]

Considering that Jesus was a Jew, it's actually kinda weird how few Traditions Christianity has maintained from its Jewish forebears. Don't know how seriously Jesus would've celebrated Hanukkah, but it's my understanding that Jesus and the Apostles were celebrating Passover when they gathered for the Last Supper. Though perhaps that would be more appropriate to a Easter thread.

Anyways, might I suggest celebrating the Birthday of the Father of Modern Physics and the Inventor of Calculus? Especially since Isaac Newton was actually born on December 25th(As I understand it, a late December date is at odds with most common variants of the Nativity Story and what we know of the climate in that part of the world circa that point in history).

As to Triert's comment about Commercialization, while I don't think anyone can rationally deny that commercialization has had an impact on the holiday, I'm not convinced Modern Christmas is purely the product of such. "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" probably better known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas", the poem that codified, if not invented, the Modern Santa Claus, was first published 190 years ago, and to this day forms a large portion of what many think of when they think of Santa Claus if not the holiday in general. Granted, a 2014 retelling would probably have Santa filling the stockings with iPhones and Nintendo 3DSes instead of handcrafted wooden toys, but I think it far to say that it's a cultural aspect that predates widespread commercialization.

[Palmpoa Commander]

あぼーん！

[Jeffery Mewtamer]

^I'm well aware of Early Catholicism's practice of assimilating pagan traditions in their efforts to convert Pagan Europeans to Christianity, and that some of those pagan influences are dominant in how many people celebrate many "Christian" holidays, among believers and non-believers alike.

[SonicBoom]

Seeing as it was brought up, today's modern portrayal of Santa came from Coca Cola commercials.

[Ommy]

I didn't know that, that's neat. TIL

[Jeffery Mewtamer]

@Sonic Boom: I don't know when Coca-Cola started using Santa as their spokesman, but considering that "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" was first published 60 years before the founding of the Coca-Cola Company, I'm not sure how much Coca-Cola can be fairly credited.

To quote the passage of the poem that describes Santa Claus:

He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack:
His eyes — how they twinkled! His dimples: how merry,
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laugh'd when I saw him in spite of myself;

The most significant detail shared by most modern depictions that I can think of that is omitted from the above passage is that the coloration of Santa's suit is left to interpretation.

And as I understand it, Saint Nicholas's association with the color Red can be traced back to the Dutch character of Sinter Klaas, which some scholar's believe to be the direct predecessor of the North American Santa Claus, if not earlier.

[Tallkat Vantas]

All I know is, im in it for the gifts.

[SonicBoom]

Coca Cola used Santa in a commercian and that's where the modern appearance of santa, with the red and white suit comes from. I am aware of the poem that came before, but the modern and popular and SPECIFIC symbolic look of Santa came from Coca Cola.

[Ivogoji]

^That's 100% myth. The popular image of Santa is considerably older than any of Coca Cola's advertisements. The red and white outfit dates back to the 17th century, if not earlier.

Even in small details, most of Santa's familiar characteristics were firmly established in the public mind long before the Coca Cola company existed. Case in point, this White Rock mineral water ad predates the coke ads by close to twenty years: