A Christmas Rabbit-hole.

26 comments on “A Christmas Rabbit-hole. ”

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1. Keepcalmcarryon 1

   23 December 2017 at 9:16 am

   It’s all pretend but the sentiment doesn’t have to be.
   Merry Christmas
2. gsays 2

   23 December 2017 at 9:26 am

   Hey cheers Bill, good wishes to you and yours.
   I enjoy your contributions, shifting Christmas to may be the most radical one yet!
   Please keep up the good work, planting seeds.
   • Bill 2.1

     23 December 2017 at 10:22 am

     Thank you gsays.
3. ropata 3

   23 December 2017 at 9:49 am

   A new midwinter holiday at Matariki is a bloody good idea.

   Agreed Christmas in summer is a pain in the arse, our family does a big hangi afterwards, and to me that feels more special.

   I’m so goddamned burned out I have been useless at work for the last couple of weeks. Looking forward to a break.
4. The Fairy Godmother 4

   23 December 2017 at 10:24 am

   I think the saddest thing is the way it has been commercialised. It’s all about buying things. Children are being trained to be little consumers expecting lots of often rubbish plastic toys, these break or are discarded within days and land up in landfill. . I wouldn’t mind if the old traditions were there be they the Christian story of the birth of Jesus or the St Nicholas tradtion of giving practical useful gifts such as warm boots to poor children or the bacchanalian tradition of feasting and being merry.
   • Stephen Doyle 4.1

     23 December 2017 at 3:24 pm

     True, I’ve asked a class of Year 8s why we celebrate Christmas, and usually less than a quarter can tell me. Easter is even worse.
5. KJT 5

   23 December 2017 at 10:35 am

   So. The “office party” is obviously a continuation of Bacchanalia.

   Unfortunately the tradition of “tell no tales” was, not continued. 🙁
6. Shona 6

   23 December 2017 at 10:55 am

   As a foodie I would love to be able to eat hot rich food at the right time of the year. When it’s cold and everyone is miserable and in need of a big feed. Compliments of the season.
7. weka 7

   23 December 2017 at 11:00 am

   Totally on board with this. I see lots of stressed people at the end of the year then having to get even more stressed buying lots of stuff they often can’t afford, and spend time with people they may or may not want to spend time with when burnout or needing a break. The pressure to have a good time is strong too. I like some of the ritual around Christmas, but it is totally something designed for midwinter. We should be doing something at this time of year that helps people relax and unwind.
8. Draco T Bastard 8

   23 December 2017 at 11:55 am

   I think we should have a weeks holiday at both times. Celebrate both Matariki and the Summer Solstice.
   • Incognito 8.1

     23 December 2017 at 1:00 pm

     I second that motion. Those in favour of the motion, say “aye”.

     Edit: and all shops closed, of course.
     • weka 8.1.1

       25 December 2017 at 12:09 am

       Hang on, no-one’s suggesting we don’t have summer holidays! Just that we don’t do the big feast thing in mid summer, but in mid winter where it belongs.
9. Peter 9

   23 December 2017 at 1:27 pm

   I do not care what they call it Jewish Muslam Christian Hindu the more the merrier so long as we get of work.
10. The Pink Postman 10

    23 December 2017 at 1:34 pm

    Its the best perhaps only time to buy turkey .As lovers of turkey we buy a couple get
    the butcher to cut them into four put them in the freezer ,Result hot turkey in
    winter ,the correct time to eat turkey.
11. Rosemary McDonald 11

    23 December 2017 at 2:13 pm

    Don’t do christmas, never have….have no sympathy for those who put themselves through it. Saying that as she recovers from a mis timed trip to pak ‘n spend….

    But, any excuse to play a bit of Tull….
12. mary_a 12

    23 December 2017 at 4:57 pm

    Celebrating Matariki makes far more sense and besides, it has some spiritual, as well as cultural bearing for NZ.

    Those who want to celebrate Christmas can do so, without involving the whole country. Also, stop making it so damn commercialised. Same goes for Matariki, keep it personal and spiritual. No need to promote either as commercial festivals.
    • Anne 12.1

      23 December 2017 at 7:05 pm

      …it has some spiritual, as well as cultural bearing for NZ.

      So true. I don’t recognise it as a religious sentiment but rather something that comes from deep within. More and more Pakeha – including me – have come to regard Maori heritage as part of our heritage too. My English parents brought up 5 children in NZ and now we have as much Maori blood in the family as we do English.

      We have evolved enough to make Matariki an annual official celebration.
13. SPC 13

    23 December 2017 at 5:14 pm

    Nothing wrong with having a (the summer) holiday at this time of year, a population wide respite within the annual school/university break.

    A little unconvinced by the expert opine mentioned.

    “Generally accepted research has placed the nativity to somewhere between 3BC and 1AD. Using the St Matthew’s Gospel as a reference point, Mr Reneke pinpointed the planetary conjunction, which appeared in the constellation of Leo, to the exact date of June 17 in the year 2BC.”

    If one ignores a birth during King Herod’s reign (37-4BCE), and regards a planetary conjunction as a star. Why not the sun, it is at least a star, or a full moon – specifically the term standing star does not refer to a planet at all, and never has. Any Matariki tradition waka navigator could tell you that.
    • ropata 13.1

      24 December 2017 at 9:12 pm

      FYI the Hebrews regarded planets as “wandering stars”, so a planetary conjunction is a possibility. The tradition says the wise men followed “a star” not the moon or the sun.
      • SPC 13.1.1

        24 December 2017 at 9:35 pm

        Sure, the “seven” planets wandered in the sky, but I am not sure how one follows them to a place (latitude or longitude) on earth such as Jerusalem (and from there Bethlehem).

        If it is a very rare planetary event then this in April 6BCE fits better – the sun and moon, Jupiter and Saturn aligned in Aries, while Venus was in the constellation Pisces (note this was in the age of Aries, the age of Pisces was the age to come).

        An event of this kind is extremely rare; not for another 16,000 years.

        If relevant, a birth between 7BCE and 6BCE (note the 2 years between April 6BCE and King Herod’s death in early 4BCE) is indicated, with 6BCE being the first Passover of a new born.

        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3995250/The-Star-Bethlehem-NOT-star-Researcher-claims-light-sky-actually-unique-planetary-alignment.html

        PS the sun is a star. The wisdom of magi can refer to the tradition of Persia, such as why someone was called yellow camel (for seeing the sun as just another star).
        • ropata 13.1.1.1

          24 December 2017 at 9:48 pm

          Since we’re speculating, another possibility is a divinely inspired atmospheric effect 😇
          • SPC 13.1.1.1.1

            24 December 2017 at 9:54 pm

            Zoroaster was associated with riding a (yellow haired) camel while following stars. Maybe the magi were passing around some strong weed …
            • Robert Guyton 13.1.1.1.1.1

              24 December 2017 at 10:14 pm

              It goes without saying…
            • ropata 13.1.1.1.1.2

              27 December 2017 at 12:06 am

              Or possibly (cool pic)

              pic.twitter.com/nUactJMgQe— Lionel (@LionelMedia) December 26, 2017
14. Robert Guyton 14

    24 December 2017 at 8:05 pm

    Thanks, Rosemary.
15. Paul Campbell 15

    25 December 2017 at 4:15 pm

    In our house we celebrate xmas, the capitalist holiday of buying things for small children, our family tradition includes putting up a decorated xmas tree and tying a $20 to the top to remind us what the holiday is really about … Years ago when we lived in the US we would put the tree out with the $20 still in place for a homeless person to find

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