Christianity and HP

[grebniew2004]

No: HPFGUIDX 112256

> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, macfotuk at y... wrote:
> > How is it that Hogwarts always celebrates Xmas? (see also 
> > http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2002/apr2002p10_969.html) Jews 
> > don't. Muslims don't. Why should wizards? especially when 
> > historically the church saw wizardry as devilish? (Satan =
> > opponent of God the father of JC). 
>
Snow: 
> As to why the HP books celebrate specific religious holidays but 
> don't attend a full-blown, church going Christian behavior, my 
view 
> is the same as in the real world, which is that people are 
> celebrating the holiday as nothing more than the politically 
correct, 
> Santa's coming, buying frenzy holiday and not for the actual 
> religious reasons the holidays were meant to represent. 

Moonmyyst:
Looking at this from the perspective of a witch (wiccan) - many of 
the christian
holidays are based around holidays and celebrations that were 
already in existance at the time christianity was being spread......
IMHO this is another case of the christians taking a 
holiday/celebration and adapting it to their beliefs.

Me:
I believe we often adapt our traditions -- if not our beliefs -- to 
those of society around us. For instance, when children are exposed 
to Hannukah in public school, they sometimes take to lighting 
candles with non-Jewish families at home (in a couple of cases I 
know of). As a Jew, I notice that many, many North American Jews 
give gifts at Hannukah; originally, the Jewish tradition was to give 
a few coins or "gelt" to the children -- the giving of gifts, or 
even setting up "Hannukah bushes", comes directly from the proximity 
of this holiday to Christmas. My daughter's best-friend is Muslim, 
and she loves putting henna-designs on her hands during Eid al-Fitr.

In HP novels, JKR writes from her own cultural background. As well, 
it makes sense that Christmas -- which has a date relating it to 
earlier pagan beliefs -- is adopted as a convenient and fun 
celebration by the WW. With inter-marriage between wizards and 
muggles, this holiday makes perfect sense in England. It would be 
interesting to know what holidays wizards from other countries -- 
such as those from Africa who we saw at the Quidditch World Cup -- 
celebrate. No doubt they would represent the different cultural 
milieu in which these wizards are immersed....

Orly, who is already cooking for the Jewish High Holidays