Traditions

Stu999

Stu999

Stu999

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Traditions often make little to no sense or are a hangover from the past when there wasn’t much in the way of scientific understanding.

Are there any odd traditions that you carry on with even though you realise they’re a bit odd?
 
JBuk said:
Santa has his birthday the same day as Jesus ? I never knew
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It's actually the birthday of the sun god. Dies natalis sol invictus, the birthday of the invincible sun. Which was part of a heavily Romanised version of a Persian religion. So I'm guessing it was originally the birthday of Mithra, but that is a guess.

There have been attempts to come up with the actual birthday of Jesus, but there's almost no information. It didn't matter to early christians - what mattered to them was his death, not his birth. There aren't any solid records at all, only religious texts edited and approved by religious authorities later. Which, of course, said only what those authorities wanted them to say. Midwinter is unlikely for several reasons. Romans didn't do a census in midwinter because it was more practical to do them when the weather was better. Lambs aren't born in midwinter. Sheep aren't left out overnight during winter. That sort of thing.


As for me, I do have a mild aversion to the number 13. I realise it's a bit odd, but I'm not immune to social conditioning. I can't think of anything else off the top of my head.
 
Mr Badger said:
And the Easter Bunny.
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That came later, after christianity conquered Rome and expanded far enough northwest to conquer and absorb the cultures that associated the spring solstice with a fertility deity that was associated with a bunny. Which was a hare rather than a rabbit, but that's an unimportant difference.
 
Stu999 said:
Traditions often make little to no sense or are a hangover from the past when there wasn’t much in the way of scientific understanding.

Are there any odd traditions that you carry on with even though you realise they’re a bit odd?
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I saw a quote the other day and its kinda true "traditions are just peer presure from dead people"

Drinking milk be it (cows, goats or camels) from another species is a pretty weird "tradition" when you think about it.
 
Stu999 said:
Traditions often make little to no sense or are a hangover from the past when there wasn’t much in the way of scientific understanding.

Are there any odd traditions that you carry on with even though you realise they’re a bit odd?
Click to expand...

I hate greetings cards, and have stopped sending them. They make no sense anymore. I can text, speak to, video call anyone at anytime and have something in the palm of my hand that can send them any joke, picture or sentiment I can think of.

We really don't need to send tons of cardboard around the world anymore to send a message.
 
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