[Nazē.]

Before posting: Crud. I just previewed and realized what a boring post I've just written. Uhh... feel free to skip lines here and there? ;D

But hey, let's talk about tradition. With the close of Thanksgiving, we discussed it in English a bit, and it got me thinking. Tradition is such a major point in many people's lives, but why? It's really a very silly thing; starting as something for a good reason, but ending up a repetitive thing that generations do just because. In many cases, it is even unknown -how- the tradition started, or why. Does it matter? Indeed, the point of tradition is to keep it going, even if there -is- no point; sometimes, it's actually time-consuming, money-wasting, and hated by some.

Enter Thanksgiving, left.

What is celebrated with Thanksgiving? Do people -think- about it? Yeah, the point is to give thanks, blah blah blah. Who really cares, after the (mostly) meaningless words are dutifully said? Who does things to show thanks, without the reward of a huge table-ful of unhealthiness? And then Black Friday! The pointless shopping for Christmas. Now that you're stuffed with all kinds of things that're just waiting to conspire against your heart and body, let's go spend all our money! Whoo!

Enter Christmas, right.

Christmas is such a huge thing that I don't even know what to write without ending up with a novel.

-However-, tradition can be comfort. A cozy feeling of what's left unchanged, in a world of harried lives. A promise. It's nice to look forward to something that's been for years, and know it -will- be for years.

Discuss tradition, why you love it, why you hate it (come on, it's such fun writing angsty lines about how much one despises something ;D), how much it runs our lives, how much it -shouldn't- run our lives, how pointless it can be, and lollipops.

[/longpost]

[Aaron]

-However-, tradition can be comfort. A cozy feeling of what's left unchanged, in a world of harried lives. A promise. It's nice to look forward to something that's been for years, and know it -will- be for years.

Well said. I think that sums up how I feel about the holidays. Honestly, they're just a part of the "drill" now, but they're still a nice time to see family that you are seldom in contact with.

[X Zolon]

Agreed. Though our Thanksgiving is a month earlier, and we don't have this "Black Friday" crap you Americans have, it's just a time ot see family that you never get to see. Part of the routine, blah blah.

And hey, a few days off during the year helps.

[Bobette]

Agreed. Though our Thanksgiving is a month earlier, and we don't have this "Black Friday" crap you Americans have, it's just a time ot see family that you never get to see. Part of the routine, blah blah.

Are you kidding me? Black Friday is one of the most entertaining days of the year. People getting knocked down and trampled over, mothers killing eachother over toys, camping out in front of GameStop from 10pm to 7am the next morning to buy a Wii....


Well, I enjoy it at least.

[X Zolon]

I bought my Wii release day. *Shrug* I love my Wii.



I even put it in my pants.

[Goto]

All the stuff about wii shortages was always quite amusing to me. I walked into a local EB about a week and a half before christmas (it was released a little later over here, early december IIRC), gave them my phone number and picked one up about 4 days later. Nice and easy.

I guess once people start getting a little bit more independence, it can be difficult to find the time or the effort to get together with family. Holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas (we don't have the former here, but the point still holds) for most people provide a moral obligation to keep in touch at least a couple of times a year. The consumerism of Christmas may be a bit painful, but at least it provides an excuse to catch up. After all, who wouldn't want to celebrate a pagan winter festival?

[Neraphym]

I don't participate in these events because they are a tradition, but rather, because I have soooooo much fun spending time with the family. I still celebrate Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and St. Patrick's Day. Because I believe in the stuff they were founded on? NO! Because it's fun! And my family is freakin huge and we do so many awesome things. These days are excuses to do those things we normally wouldn't do. If not for the tradition of Halloween, would you ever get to dress up like a scary monster or, for you ladies, a sexy pirate wench? These aren't traditions, just excuse dates to have parties on. And I love it!

[Ruckus Fox]

Oh...yes, Turkey Day is past. But just wait until X-mas comes. I'll eventually make a somewhat blasphemous post about the true origins of X-mas and what the holiday really means.

Oh...I will.

--Ruckus

[Charlie]

I even put it in my pants.

O_O

Anyway, I don't really get the point of thanksgiving, isn't it something to do with celebrating your ancestors or something ? (What I get from American TV shows anyway). But what happens with people who's ancestors weren't originally from America?

I love christmas, and its traditions, it would just seem wrong to not have them tbh. Weird really, since these traditions have nothing to do with the purpose of the holiday

[X Zolon]

What? My cousin told me to do it when I grabbed it. He's like

"Chris, don't grab your Wii in public. Put it in your pants."

Then I did.