What does Christmas represent to the WW?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 95237

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "arrowsmithbt"
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Serena Moonsilver"
<serenamoonsilver at y...> 
> > 
> > I've decided to delurk myself to reply to this.  I don't think her 
> > inclusion of Easter or Christmas is particularily religous at all.   
> > Those are the traditional holiday time in England when students get 
> > time off.  It's simple a way of refrencing them that people can 
> > easily recognize and relate to.
> > 


> Kneasy:
> 
> I agree wholeheartedly, particularly as "Christmas" and 'Easter" were 
> blatant take-overs of  popular pagan religious festivals anyway.
> 
> Easter comes from eastre, the vernal equinoctial festival in honour
> of the Teutonic Goddess of the dawn. ...snip...
> 
> Father Christmas originated not from St Nicholas ..., but probably 
> from the old Norse tradition that every mid-winter feast ...snip...
> 
> So, a festival full of the symbols of old magic and another centred
> on the local wise man, also with magical powers. The WW keeps to the
> old holidays, but under their more recent names.
> 
> Kneasy


bboy_mn:

I think you are on the right track. Christmas and Easter are holidays
that were celibrated long before the influence of Christianity, and
similar holidays are still celibrated in non-Christian cultures today.
Most cultures have an end of year gift-giving celebration.

As a further note, I must point out that Christmas has become so
ubiquitous in our world, so universal, that it is pretty much
celebrated everywhere. One could ask why the Japanese celebrate
Christmas when they are mostly Shinto and Buddhist? One could ask why
the average 'western' citizen celebrates Christmas when they never set
foot in church beyond funerals and weddings? 

So, Christmas and Easter pretty much permeate the western world. They
are universally celebrated; schools, shops, and banks close, and every
store has a sale to celebrate. I would have no problem believing that
athiests celebrate Christmas, but as nothing more than end of year
gift giving time. 

>From a historical perspective, that is, a fictional historical
perspective, wizards have frequently been advisors to the King as in
Merlin and King Arthur. And who else has tried to influence and advise
the king? ...the church. A certain amount of wizard persecution was
brought about by a power struggle between church and wizards to
determine who had the most influence on the king. Although, I
personally believe the wizard's part in that struggle was far more
benevolent than the churches. But we must remember that this is
fictional history for the most part.

The point is that there is an overlap between wizards and the church
in European society. It was only when the church started ruthlessly
siezing power that wizards were force to go underground. Given that
there was a time when the King, the wizards, and the church
co-existed, it's not unreasonable to assume some degree of
Christianity amoung wizards. Don't forget the Fat Friar ghost was a
wizard.

Having said all that, I think the answer is much simpler; TERM BREAKS.
These holidays are used as end of term breaks. It has to be difficult
being at a boarding school. My guess is that if the school didn't give
the students end of term breaks to relieve some of the stress, the
school would soon decend into 'Lord of the Flies' like anarchy.

It is by coincidence, and a matter of convinience and tradition that
Christmas and Easter are indeed the term breaks for Hogwarts.

One last point, throughout the books JKR blends the very familiar with
the very strange. This familiarity gives the reader a sense of comfort
as the travel through Harry's world. We are given an endless string of
common reference points to anchor us in the 'sea' of the unknown and
magical. 

One of the problems I had in trying to read 'Lord of the Rings' was
that it existed in a completely unknown and unfamiliar world. I had
such a struggle trying to keep track of all the unusual names,
creatures, and places that it completely distracted me, and prevented
me from enjoying the books. 

Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn