[HPforGrownups] Re[2]: Not So Secular Potterverse

Alexander lav at tut.by
Mon Jan 28 10:51:19 UTC 2002


No: HPFGUIDX 34209

  Greetings!

> Lord Cassandra AKA Cassie wrote to us:

Iac> Also, many of the traditions of Christmas and Halloween
Iac> are taken from pagan rituals. The most recognizable
Iac> example is the putting of presents under the tree
Iac> during Yule. Halloween, from what I understand-is
Iac> majorly pagan and American. Correct me if I'm wrong, of
Iac> course...

Iac> ~Cassie~

  There are some carnaval traditions for Christmas in Russia
but they have been long forgotten. Carnaval is also a
frequent part of New Year celebration, though an unnecessary
one (large and "organized" celebrations usually are made up
as a carnaval with all that dressing-up etc).

  Here in Belarus we too have the tradition to put the
presents under the tree, only that it happens for the New
Year celebration (that is, the night between Dec 31st and
Jan 1st), but we also have holidays for _both_ Catholic and
Orthodox Christian Christmasses! :) Not because everyone is
both Catholic or Orthodox, but simply because both religions
cover a large enough percent of population to their demands
to be met at governmental level. And I must say that even
though my family is not Catholic under any approximation, we
still celebrate Catholic Christmas, out of the spirit of
friendship to our Western neighbours, but without any
religious context... :)

Sincerely yours,
Alexander Lomski,
(Gryffindor/Slytherin crossbreed),
always happy to throw weird ideas into the community.

    The truth is such a convenient thing that there is no
    reason to exchange it for a lie. One can make pretty
    much anything of it without that.
        Danny.
        (Sergey Lukyanenko, "The Boy And The Darkness").






More information about the HPforGrownups archive