Christmas = Yule

Crucifixion, like it or not, was the standard means of capital punishment in the ancient world:

http://civilliberty.about.com/od/capitalpunishment/ig/Types-of-Executions/Death-by-Crucifixion.htm
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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
After that he came north again to the Firths. Arinbjorn held a great Yule-feast, to
which he bade his friends and the neighbouring landowners. There was there much
company and good cheer. Arinbjorn gave Egil as a Yule-gift a trailing robe made of
silk, and richly broidered with gold, studded with gold buttons in front all down to the
hem. Ari ...[text shortened]... ist friends should have no qualms about celebrating
Christmas, an essentially pagan festival.

I love Yule. It's my favorite heathen holiday. My wife and I just hosted a Yule celebration last weekend. We had over 30 of us silly heathens (as Rwingett would call us) in attendance. It was a lot of fun. We had two kegs of homebrew on tap including a Germany style bock beer and a Coffee Stout (brewed by yours truly). A massive feast was prepared and enjoyed by all followed by a gift exchange. I was amazed by everyone's generosity. Each person wound up with an armload of gifts especially the kids. For us adults the gifts were epic such as candy, cigars, cheese, homemade moonshine, I was even gifted a custom made sparge arm for my homebrew system.

A lot of the time during the night was spent remembering and telling stories about and giving toasts to deceased ancestors, drinking, playing games like chess, good conversation, etc. Some of us hold a tradition of about 20 years running now and staying up until sunrise at Yule. We say farewell to the sun (Sunna) with a toast at sundown and welcome her back with a toast at sunrise. I'm glad to say I made it through the night (with a little help from the coffee stout).

Not everyone in attendance was a heathen/pagan and nor does that matter. So while I agree with Robbie it is a pagan holiday it's one that can and is enjoyed by atheists, christians, etc. Nothing wrong with that as I think the overall concept of spending quality down time with people you care about after working hard all year and feasting, exchanging gifts, drinking, telling stories, etc. are universal and can and should be done by all. We're all human beings after all and while we live in a world were sometimes darkness and evil can seem overwhelming getting together with close friends and family at the winter solstice and celebrating Yule can lift one's spirit tremendously.

Originally posted by Ullr
I love Yule. It's my favorite heathen holiday. My wife and I just hosted a Yule celebration last weekend. We had over 30 of us silly heathens (as Rwingett would call us) in attendance. It was a lot of fun. We had two kegs of homebrew on tap including a Germany style bock beer and a Coffee Stout (brewed by yours truly). A massive feast was prepared and enj ...[text shortened]... and family at the winter solstice and celebrating Yule can lift one's spirit tremendously.

Yeah it struck me, as i was reading through the Icelandic sagas as hardly having
changed at all. If i was a pagan id ask for a sword and give it a name like Odins
avenger and compose poetry to its craftsmanship and design 😉

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
I've never had a paid holiday in my life, damn liberal socialists, always wanting something for nothing 😛

If you want a paid holiday, you will need to get paid job first.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
After that he came north again to the Firths. Arinbjorn held a great Yule-feast, to
which he bade his friends and the neighbouring landowners. There was there much
company and good cheer. Arinbjorn gave Egil as a Yule-gift a trailing robe made of
silk, and richly broidered with gold, studded with gold buttons in front all down to the
hem. Ari ...[text shortened]... ist friends should have no qualms about celebrating
Christmas, an essentially pagan festival.

Listen, just because I may dance around my Christmas tree naked and sing praises to the fertility god for the tree in no way means I'm a pagan!! 😠

Originally posted by whodey
Listen, just because I may dance around my Christmas tree naked and sing praises to the fertility god for the tree in no way means I'm a pagan!! 😠

Your right about that. A Wiccan on crack maybe but definately not a pagan celebrating Yule.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
I've never had a paid holiday in my life, damn liberal socialists, always wanting something for nothing 😛

Actually, it is my religious, conservative, capitalist company that gives me 13 paid holidays per year. 😲

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Actually, it is my religious, conservative, capitalist company that gives me 13 paid holidays per year. 😲

Those bastards!!

Originally posted by Ullr
I love Yule. It's my favorite heathen holiday. My wife and I just hosted a Yule celebration last weekend. We had over 30 of us silly heathens (as Rwingett would call us) in attendance. It was a lot of fun. We had two kegs of homebrew on tap including a Germany style bock beer and a Coffee Stout (brewed by yours truly). A massive feast was prepared and enj ...[text shortened]... and family at the winter solstice and celebrating Yule can lift one's spirit tremendously.

I agree it is nice fun family time for everyone, even the Jews are not excluded. 😏

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Actually, it is my religious, conservative, capitalist company that gives me 13 paid holidays per year. 😲

I only got 10 and I had to work most of them. Never Christmas however.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
After that he came north again to the Firths. Arinbjorn held a great Yule-feast, to
which he bade his friends and the neighbouring landowners. There was there much
company and good cheer. Arinbjorn gave Egil as a Yule-gift a trailing robe made of
silk, and richly broidered with gold, studded with gold buttons in front all down to the
hem. Ari ...[text shortened]... ist friends should have no qualms about celebrating
Christmas, an essentially pagan festival.

That being the case our atheist friends should have no qualms about celebrating
Christmas, an essentially pagan festival.

Well, no, not essentially. Christians who attend services on Christmas hear of the birth of Christ and celebrate the incarnation. It is essentially a Christian feast day. So what if elements of the feast day are borrowed from pagan feasts? Gift-giving is culturally universal anyway, so what really have Christians appropriated or just coincidentally share?

Originally posted by Conrau K
[b]That being the case our atheist friends should have no qualms about celebrating
Christmas, an essentially pagan festival.

Well, no, not essentially. Christians who attend services on Christmas hear of the birth of Christ and celebrate the incarnation. It is essentially a Christian feast day. So what if elements of the feast day are ...[text shortened]... ally universal anyway, so what really have Christians appropriated or just coincidentally share?[/b]

long time no see, i wish that you and yours are well Conrau , the forum has certainly
suffered from your absence, as you can see we are infested with base materialists and
the anti-religious.

it appears to me to be essentially pagan because of its roots, that the church sought to
Christianise it belies the facts, all the elements belong to the North, mistletoe
being sacred to the ancients of the North, decorating of evergreen trees and wreaths
etc that gift giving is universal does not negate these facts, the nativity of the Christ is
a thinly veiled attempt to usurp the real reason why this festival is being celebrated,
everyone knows Christ was most probably born in autumn.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
long time no see, i wish that you and yours are well Conrau , the forum has certainly
suffered from your absence, as you can see we are infested with base materialists and
the anti-religious.

it appears to me to be essentially pagan because of its roots, that the church sought to
Christianise it belies the facts, all the elements belong to t ...[text shortened]... why this festival is being celebrated,
everyone knows Christ was most probably born in autumn.

Does it bother you that Christ has not moved in 2011 years 11 months 21 days
21.5 hours and 2 minutes?

Originally posted by johnnylongwoody
Does it bother you that Christ has not moved in 2011 years 11 months 21 days
21.5 hours and 2 minutes?

not moved? my friend I am living proof of the fact that he has.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
not moved? my friend I am living proof of the fact that he has.

No. I was going to say something smart.

But out of respect for you I shall not.