www.oneballmedia.com/2013/11/04/swinging...mbrance-day-exposed/

Quite interesting actually...I tend to view all such ceremonies, Christmas not the least, in a similar fashion. Although I may not be aware of ulterior motivations or ritual meanings, my brain at this point does at least realise that I may be partaking in something I don't quite fully understand.

A good rule of thumb for me is to ask myself 'why am I doing this'? If the only answer I can come up with is 'because every body else is/I always have done' or 'it's fun' I catch myself. I am particularly suspicious of events tagged as 'tradition' anorl for this very reason.

Unfortunately, most other people I meet do not allow themselves to think this way for one reason or another. We could have a really interesting thread about it if folk could just let go for a minute and actually discuss it, but I've been there before and it all went a bit tits up.

So, I'll just be over here....watching.

I am the same Ab.

If anything will make me do the opposite it is the "but you HAVE to, it's tradition" line.

My ex used to drive me nuts at xmas for example, (well, most other times too but that's a longer tale), each year she'd buy a jar of cranberry sauce, take one spoonful out for her plate, (no-one else could stand the stuff), then the jar would get tossed.
She didn't particularly like cranberry sauce but it was traditional!
Seriosuly WTF!?

Maybe I should have raked the internet to find a tradition for drinking bleach or drain cleaner.

I feel blessed that I don't have to participate in the ritual that is christmas this year.

feather wrote:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia#Human_sacrifice