On cultural differences--Santa Claus

[Warpy]

I often get into trouble in religious discussions for telling people nothing in the world sounds crazier than someone else's religion. Here is a quasi religious example, good old St. Nick. It's also pretty funny:

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[Arugula Latte]

1. Listening to this has become a holiday tradition in my house.

“Listen, you might want to pack a few of your things together before going to bed. The former bishop of Turkey will be coming tonight along with six to eight black men. They might put some candy in your shoes, they might stuff you into a sack and take you to Spain, or they might just pretend to kick you. We don't know for sure, but we want you to be prepared."

[progressoid]

2. For us too.

It never fails to bring a smile during the holidays.

[onager]

3. Thanks! And Czech this out...

Missionary Dave Hein, describing his problems evangelizing in the highly atheist Czech Republic:

Since coming here, I have become increasing dissatisfied with the concept of Santa Claus...For all the faults Santa Claus has, at least we can poke fun of him for what he is – a tool of modern corporate America.

Czech Christmas means that a flying invisible Baby Jesus delivers presents. Czech children have a similar feeling of letdown upon discovering that it is actually not Baby Jesus but Mom and Pop who are putting the presents under the tree. The result is that I can read journals from my students that say "I believed in Jesus as a child" in the same way an American lad might bashfully remember believing in Santa Claus.

So if I tell Czechs I am a Christian, it is not something that smacks of intelligence to them. At worst, I am mocked in the way one might mock an adult who insisted on Santa Claus existing. At best, I may receive a pained expression of wanting to believe but wondering "how in the world do I believe in Santa Claus all over again, only this time as a personal God?"

http://atheism.about.com/b/2004/08/05/czech-republic-missionaries-having-trouble.htm

[Warpy]

4. Too funny!

One set of grandparents did the presents thing on Twelfth Night, Jan 6, because that's when the Three (lost) Wise Men finally stumbled into the stable, giving gifts they undoubtedly found appropriate (but no nappies or proper crib).

I vaguely remember an old German poem that had St. Nicholas knocking on the door to deliver his presents which made a lot more sense then descending via a chimney that was undoubtedly in use in December.

I can see how having baby Jesus deliver the presents would have kids disbelieving the whole business the first night they woke up and caught their parents putting the bicycle together next to the tree.

I often relate my skepticism to my having pulled the beard off a department store Santa when I was two. My mother tried that crap about Santa's helpers but even at two i knew that was a load.

[BillStein]

5. I always wondered about the magi's gifts

Like the xmas carol, "Do You Hear What I Hear":

A child shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold

Huh? How about a freaking blanket????

[onager]

6. Don't get me started on "The Little Drummer Boy..."

How do you soothe a newborn infant? By banging on a drum, of course.

Whenever I hear that one, I always imagine Mary saying: "Kid, I'm trying to get this baby to sleep. And if you hit that thing one more time, I'll break it over your Him-damned head."

So for grumps like me, here's the heartwarming Xmas classic, "The Annoying Drummer Boy."

I know you're poor, and not too bright/But can't we have a silent night? LOL...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=36Hhj9bh-WQ