How come this is tradition?

[MBergman]

Okay so here's the idea:

Yesterday, I found myself asking why we eat christmas ham. To clarify, in Scandinavia it's a tradition to have a big "Christmas ham" to eat, kind of like turkey and thanksgiving in the states. Anyways I figured it must have come from somewhere and i decided to find out.

It did not take me to long to find out that it comes from Norse paganism, and it was a sacrifice to Freyr, the God of farming, weather and fertility the sacrifice in question was a boar and was done to gain favour from him during the approaching new year.

So where am I going with this? Basically I'd thought it be kind of fun if to get some more origins of traditions shared. So you have an tradition you're not sure of why, I dare you to find out and share it, if only for poops and giggles.

 

[Cherry Cola]

A long time ago Santa fought with the evil Master Pig who tried to conquer the earth. But Santa defeated him and in a huge explosion, hams rained all over Scandinavia.

Since then we eat it every Christmas. The end.

[sub]This origin story is more awesome than the other one[/sub]

 

[Jadak]

Celebrate Christianity with a tribute to Freyr, I love it.

 

[MBergman]

A long time ago Santa fought with the evil Master Pig who tried to conquer the earth. But Santa defeated him and in a huge explosion, hams rained all over Scandinavia.

Since then we eat it every Christmas. The end.

Yeah..I'm pretty sure that is non-canon though. ^^

 

[Cherry Cola]

A long time ago Santa fought with the evil Master Pig who tried to conquer the earth. But Santa defeated him and in a huge explosion, hams rained all over Scandinavia.

Since then we eat it every Christmas. The end.

Yeah..I'm pretty sure that is non-canon though. ^^

They always go with the most boring story as canon.

Like how the Exile was really a woman in KotOR 2. Or how you have to be good at the end of almost any Star Wars game ever.

Stupid canon.

 

[Kollega]

Dude, we have a tradition to eat herring under beets for New Year. And i have absolutely no friggin' idea how this is a tradition. But it's tasty, so who cares?

 

[Alex_P]

To clarify, in Scandinavia it's a tradition to have a big "Christmas ham" to eat, kind of like turkey and thanksgiving in the states.

Christmas ham is popular in the US, too. Not quite iconic like Thanksgiving turkey, but you'll get, like, TV and radio ads specifically for luxury hams to buy for Christmas Eve.

-- Alex

 

[MBergman]

Like how the Exile was really a woman in KotOR 2. Or how you have to be good at the end of almost any Star Wars game ever.

Stupid canon.

Well as you now, righteous females will always prevail!

To clarify, in Scandinavia it's a tradition to have a big "Christmas ham" to eat, kind of like turkey and thanksgiving in the states.

Christmas ham is popular in the US, too. Not quite iconic like Thanksgiving turkey, but you'll get, like, TV and radio ads specifically for luxury hams to buy for Christmas Eve.

-- Alex

Oh, I didn't know that. I thought it was a Scandinavian thing, but now I know!
Cheers!

 

[Sun Flash]

I always wondered why us Scots got completely rat arsed around this time of year, after looking into it I have discovered there's nothing else to do. Merry Christmas Mr Liver!

On a similar note, there is a fair of sorts that happens in my town (imaginativley named the "ferry fair" being in Queensferry) and as part of that, a guy gets dressed in a suit of burrs and walks through the place, stopping at every pub to get free wiskey. Looked into it and it's a pagan ritual dating back to the 1600s.

There's also the Loony Dook which I'll be partaking in this year, it's suicidal, considering it's going to be around freezing point on new years day.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Queensferry

 

[Trivun]

Read Terry Pratchett's "Hogfather" for the answer.

[/thread]

 

[Julianking93]

I've never known there to be a Christmas Ham.

I thought that was for thanksgiving.

 

[Communist partisan]

nothing is better than pigeon for christmas and I'm not christian but it's still a loved holiday from mine side so I still celibrate it^^ So christmas is much inspired by ortodox events than i celebrate it cos' my hole family are ortodox not beacose pigeon have anything to do whith ortodox events but it's tasty and that's important!

 

[Distorted Stu]

The whole mistletoe thing. I never understood why we must kiss under neath it, only at christmas.

 

[Crofty]

In blighty it's a christmas turkey. The real origins of the American thanksgiving turkey is they stole our idea and then made up a completely new holiday just so they had two excuses to eat it.

Disclaimer: the second sentence of this post is meant in good humour and should be taken as such.

 

[El Poncho]

Read Terry Pratchett's "Hogfather" for the answer.

[/thread]

I watched the movie this morning

 

[bioshockedcriticjrr]

TRADITIOOOON. TRADITION. da-da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da... screw it just the first song from Fiddler on the Roof

 

[cleverlymadeup]

Celebrate Christianity with a tribute to Freyr, I love it.

actually most Christian "traditions" are just pagan festivals with the word Saint SomethingorOther stuffed in there for good measure

in fact the whole Christmas thing is just the story of Mithras, down to the dying and being resurrected after 3 days

 

[MBergman]

The whole mistletoe thing. I never understood why we must kiss under neath it, only at christmas.

That's hilariously another tradition of Norse paganism origin. The story is found in that link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistletoe#Kissing_under_mistletoe_at_Christmas

There's also the Loony Dook which I'll be partaking in this year, it's suicidal, considering it's going to be around freezing point on new years day.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Queensferry

Okay, that's my new goal in life! It's seems totally awsome!

 

[Distorted Stu]

The whole mistletoe thing. I never understood why we must kiss under neath it, only at christmas.

That's hilariously another tradition of Norse paganism origin. The story is found in that link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistletoe#Kissing_under_mistletoe_at_Christmas

There's also the Loony Dook which I'll be partaking in this year, it's suicidal, considering it's going to be around freezing point on new years day.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Queensferry

Okay, that's my new goal in life! It's seems totally awsome!

Hahah that Mistletoe story is actully sweet. I know why im kissing under the tree now, i thought it was just a lame excuse for people to avoid the christmas lonelys!

 

[MBergman]

Hahah that Mistletoe story is actully sweet. I know why im kissing under the tree now, i thought it was just a lame excuse for people to avoid the christmas lonelys!

Some have pretty cool stories behind them, though that weakness totaly sucks!