"Why Celebrate the Holidays?" (freethoughtvlog #56)

[Ruuber2]

Wanneer komt de volgende vrijzinnige lezing? Ik geniet er elke keer weer van :)

[Cornampoo]

Agreements are always artificial.

[Borisvdham]

@Cornampoo True

[TheJam1192]

I find it amazing that almost all cultures, old and new, have had a form of "Christmas".

[Borisvdham]

@TheJam1192 Yes, but its not very strange. It has to do with the time of year. During this period in december the sun is turning back, so in all cultures the 'feast of the returning light' is celebrated. The Romans called it 'Saturnalia', the Germatic cultures "Midwinterfeast'. The Solstice now is celebrated with Xmas. ;-)

[TheJam1192]

@Borisvdham Yes, I watched your vlog last year on should atheist celebrate Christmas. :) It is interesting thought that cultures who are in climates that have almost always warm weather even have/had a special December holiday, such as the Inca in South America and in Hindu cultures.

[MrBrownstone423]

oh yea and forget about the kids when their friends are showing what they got i guess your kids are just out of luck

[RajTamil]

Your right, I should just buy your stupid book and bar myself from celebrating and having fun for no reason.

[Borisvdham]

@RajTamil Well, first, its not my book but that of Hannah Ahrendt. En second, the point is that its so very good to celebrate a holiday like Xmas, and others, because we need a reason to have fun.

[TheJam1192]

@RajTamil Missed what he actually said much?

[Borisvdham]

@TheJam1192 ;-)

[AlainG80]

Happy Hitchmas Boris!

[Borisvdham]

@AlainG80 Thank you!

[winterstellar]

I don't celebrate christmas, not at all. On new years eve I buy some fireworks, because I like fireworks, but that's it.

[Borisvdham]

@winterstellar But the vlog is about the idea of a holiday. That we need them.

[eaglebullshit]

Wow...het wordt eens tijd dat ik me ga verdiepen in de werken van Hannah Arendt. Ik was een paar maanden geleden al in contact gekomen met deze naam en wat ik ervan als op wikipedia trok mij zeker, maar nu heb ik helemaal zoiets van "toch maar eens binnenkort op zoek gaan naar een mooi werk van haar!".

Ik wens jou ook hele fijne feestdagen toe Boris, ga zo door met die vlogs, ze zijn heerlijk verfrissend om te zien en zet aan tot denken op een compleet nieuwe manier!

Groetjes, Halbe

[Borisvdham]

@eaglebullshit Dank! Ik ga ze ook in 2012 maken, zolang maar genoeg mensen blijven kijken. De link met de 'eilandjes' en Kerst en andere feestdagen is iets van mezelf.

[eaglebullshit]

@Borisvdham Haha, dat begrijp ik, maar het is wel degelijk van toepassing op feestdagen, het ís nou eenmaal een vorm van collectieve afspraken, ongeacht in welke context er sprake is van collectieve afspraken :-).

[DennChooch]

geen steenkolen accent zoals de meeste politici. bravo! haha. in alle serieusheid; ik ga je videos beter bekijken, desondanks dat ik niet echt gek ben van de D66.

[Borisvdham]

@DennChooch Ze zijn ook niet als D66-promotie. Maar juist voor bredere inzet. Wat kan vrije mensen binden, juist uitstijgend boven partijlijnen.

[MenneBeats]

In het Engels? Zo-zo Boris, kapsones gekregen?

[Borisvdham]

@MenneBeats Yes, english. En dat doe ik al een tijdje hoor, kijk maar op freethoughtvlog punt com. Ze worden redelijk goed bekeken in oa. Amerika, en het vrije denken is toch grenzeloos ;-)

[MenneBeats]

@Borisvdham Oh, leuk! Het is ook best interessant.

[Borisvdham]

@MenneBeats dank!

[MADELIE6]

Ja dat maakt het leven ook wel wat fleuriger .

[Borisvdham]

@MADELIE6 inderdaad

[LordAssortedBits]

Hm... When I wrote those last two posts the point I originally tried to make was that it wouldn't hurt if we'd get more in touch with the world we're a part of, but I got into an entirely different train of thought. But hey, this is a video on "free thinking", eh? ;)

I do wonder if this "occupy movement" is the start of what "the new devotion" & protestantism was to the roman-catholic church.

(For the record: I consider myself a social-liberal (guess who got my vote!), but a euro-skeptical one.)

[Borisvdham]

@LordAssortedBits Thanx for the vote ;-) I think we have to create new islands in the future too, and we have to be ready to leave old islands also. I, however, don't think the Occupy-movement is strong enough and creative enough to change te world. Most of them (in Holland) are the classical anti-system guys, who live in their own world without any fullgrown idea or strategy. But we will see ;-)

[LordAssortedBits]

@Borisvdham Yeah, it's sad that the movement here in the Netherlands attracts a certain group of people, while the initiators over here were/are cultural entrepeneurs (and not "leftish jobless scum", unlike the people who flocked to it later).

But I'm not looking at the Netherlands, even in it's weakened state the change has to occur in the US, since there lies the problem: a huge rift between the poor and the rich and the middle class being almost destroyed in all but name.

[MxSheep]

if they're just an agreement why concentrate them at the end of the year and why not create these islands on moments people need them.. (more spread over the year)? the fact that these holidays are more than just agreements (for a lot of ppl) make them inflexible. Therefore they don't function as well as they could do and give people rest and give an oppertunity for celerbration on moments the people need them most.

[LordAssortedBits]

@MxSheep Because they're interconnected natural cycles such as seasons. I'm not sure where the midsummerfestivities in the Netherlands have gone (or autumn, since halloween isn't that popular either), but easter and christmas are clearly connected to spring and winter.

I think all major religions can be traced back to (proto-)people being impressed by nature. Too bad those religions (including socialism and capitalism) disconnected the "western civilisations" from nature. 1/2

[LordAssortedBits]

@MxSheep Even though socialism and capitalism are socio-economical philosophies, in my opinion they share a lot of characteristics with religions: a silent majority, a very vocal, fanatical minority and lots of rituals and regulations (and flawed executions of the theories in reality). I'd love to get rid of those (and other) "religions" as well.

My apologies for this liberal use of the word "religion", but I can't think of any other word which covers the current zeitgeist. 2/2

[Borisvdham]

@LordAssortedBits Although there is not a real difference between an ideological idea and a religious idea. So in that sense, we agree. But, again, I think traditions in general can be good as well. As long as you can escape from them without punishment.

[Borisvdham]

@LordAssortedBits I think you are too negative. Its true that Xman and Easter are having a kind of natural link. But all kins of traditions and religions added something to that. Easter and Xmas use 'heathen' traditions like the 'tree' and the 'egg' to celebrate this moment. I think thats fun. Again: as long as you are not forced to join, its ok.

[Borisvdham]

@MxSheep Well, they started as days on moments that people realy wanted some 'light'. Xmas f.e. is and old tradition because of the dark december months. People wanted a feast of light.

[haretone]

Wat zonde van dat zware Amerikaans / Nederlandse accent! Vooral die zware S klanken (stemloze medeklinkers) vallen op waar het stemhebbende medeklinkers moeten zijn (Z klanken).

[Kisarez]

'Cherish the islands' : exactly my thought. These artificial agreements outgrow their meaning of just 'free days' to the extent that people and nation maintain common ground and improve their interconnectedness.

[Borisvdham]

@C32347K17732 If you watch the video you will see that my opinion is that those holidays are not more than a promise, but that they are promises that are needed in our world.

[Withamask]

@C32347K17732

Voor jou is kerst blijkbaar heel erg verbonden aan religie. Ikzelf, ovetuigd atheist, vier met overgave kerst zonder dat daar religie bij komt kijken. Voor mij is kerst een feest van licht, samenzijn en lekker eten. Kerstvakantie is dus voor mij gewoon de vakantie waar kerst in valt en niet perse gerelateerd aan religie ;)

[Borisvdham]

@Withamask ;-)

[nlgoofy89]

Zo had ik er nog niet over nagedacht.Wat opvalt, is dat de feestdagen door de jaren heen het zelfde zijn gebleven. Zo reed Wodan voor de middeleeuwen al over de daken in de winter wat later Sinterklaas geworden is, en eieren die we nu met Pasen terug zien, zijn al eeuwen een symbool voor de vruchtbaarheid en nieuw leven. Het christendom kon hier alleen komen als de feestdagen niet werden afgepakt. Dus hebben ze er een ander verhaal aan gemaakt en gebruiken van het feest gelaten voor wat het is.

[Borisvdham]

@nlgoofy89 Vorig jaar heb ik rond kerst een lezing gehouden dat idd de zonnewende (die eind december er van nature is) altijd al reden was voor feest. Dat deden de romeinen al, maar ook al eerder. Dus van nature willen mensen het woelige jaar indelen met vieringen om wat houvast te hebben.

[MADELIE6]

ja haha waarom eigenlijk

[Borisvdham]

@MADELIE6 Nou, in de video zeg ik dat ze juist wel gevierd moeten worden. Ze geven zekerheid en overzichtelijkheid.

[koos1981]

Let's quit celebrating at all! Gay pride inclusive

[Borisvdham]

@koos1981 We should keep on celebrating. It makes our world more fun, and safe.