How will you celebrate a festival of light?

[Loren Booda]

As the winter solstice approaches, how do you plan to commemorate the return of lengthening days?

 

[check]

I think I'll celibrate by getting a job.

 

[franznietzsche]

Much food, alcohol, and sleep. And then winter quarter starts. Bah.

 

[Smurf]

Sounds good to me, I think I'll do that too!

 

[BobG]

That's a pretty big celebration here in Colorado Springs. We have a "Festival of Lights" parade, biggest parade of the year.

It's almost as cool as the hot air balloon festival we have every year around Labor Day.

 

[relskid]

sitting around, doing nothing, or spending all my free time studying or working.

there's a thin line between those two.

 

[Andy]

Festival of light? Is that one of those festivals where everyone gets their fag lighters out?

 

[Moonbear]

Loren, I love that you phrased it that way. When I was in college, we had a ceremony at the chapel each year that brought together the common theme of all the winter holiday celebrations...light. But, keep in mind, they aren't to celebrate the lengthening of days, but to appeal to the gods to stop shortening them. That's been my understanding, that ancient people feared the days would continue shortening until the sun went out, so had the holidays to appease the gods to ask for the light back.

Anyway, I'll be celebrating Christmas at my sister's house, around a tree decorated in blue and white Hannukah ornaments, seeing if I can win the coveted "favorite aunt" award as I spoil my nephew with a huge pile of presents. The only thing I REALLY miss is that my brother-in-law doesn't eat ham, so we never get a Christmas ham anymore. Ham, I want ham! I live alone, I can't make a whole ham for myself, so I want a Christmas ham! Jews are no good at making traditional Christmas dinners.

 

[Loren Booda]

How scary it must have been for the ancients to anticipate that the Sun might eventually wink out. Now all we need concern with is for the darn thing to go nova!