The twelve days of christmas...

[Roy]

Very likely so. We are lucky to have separation of Church and State wherein the State respects the Churches.

I have had encounters with people from the Middle East, where there is no separation. For them, ALL laws are religious laws. This causes them to think, because we have both separation and freedom of religion, that they don't have to obey any laws of state. Scary!

[pickel]

BBA: January 6th.. the day the wise men arrived in Bethlehem...a coincidence maybe???? http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Joel Kleppinger]

I find it saddening the things that have been done in the name of "Christianity." There's no way anyone in England would have had Theological problems with the meaning of such words, but they would have gone off because it came from a Catholic. :-/

I concur, Roy. Having a government that doesn't concern itself with involvement religious life is certainly a blessing. Certainly, religious people in government was not intended by "seperation," but government in religious life definitely was.

[BBA]

The funny thing is that is NOT the day the wise men arrived in Bethlehem...nor is December 25 the date Christ was been born on.

If the article is correct, It all seems like exagerated superstition making the schedule of daily life...and those darn Catholics ( http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif ) are responsible for having to give gifts on Christmas...due to the song "The 12 days of christmas" as brought to life out of evading violance from the British church.

Isn't life funny http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[BBA]

<A HREF="http://www.uselessknowledge.com/explain/12days.shtml" TARGET=_blank>
The Twelve Days of Christmas are the twelve days between Christmas Day, December 25, and Epiphany, January 6.
</A>


Funny...I wonder if that is why the vote is due in congress on Jan 6?

[pickel]

Does it really make any difference EXACTLY what date all these events took place. Are we agreed that they did take place???? The way I was taught and will always believe that when the Wise Men saw the star, they hopped on their camels and it took then almost two weeks to get to Bethelehem on I 101. They delivered their presents , gave homage, then cut out back to their kingdoms.
And I still beleive there is a Santa Claus( existentially speaking) Christmas , in essence, Is the abstract of abstracts. If you believe , you feel. And that's what it's all about! Merry Christmas one and all http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Roy]

I don't think "those darn Catholics" picked December 25 as a date to celebrate Jesus' birth.

Whoever did set that date did so to allign it with the Winter Solstice (12/21), a time when the "Pagans" partied.

I think Christmas should be in August. It's the only month without a holiday, and the advertisers have no excuse to promote gift buying. Of course, we would continue getting down for the Winter Solstice. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif

[BBA]

Roy...I didn't say anything about the catholics picking Dec 25 for christmas.

I was referring to the practice of gift giving was out of the acting out the song the 12 days of christmas which was created to be able to remember the catholics religion without jeopardizing catholic lives to religious persecution by the British. ( as explained in the article on the link I gave...)