Happy thingy

[Brian Gaff]

Now I know we inherited Halloween from the Americans, but it seems they are now attempting to force Thanksgiving back on us. By tradition, we do not have holidays or celebrate this, unless very religious, so I rather get annoyed when folk start sending cards for it. Gowd I give up. I am going to start a celebration one can celebrate any time. Its called, the non committed day. Thus if a day does not have any meaning whatsoever you can wish people a happy one. Brian

[Road_Hog]

Since it has pagan roots, it pre-dates America by some time.

[Andrew May]

Sending cards? Even the Americans don't send cards, or didn't seem to when I lived there. I was actually quite impressed. It was one occasion that seemed to be non-commercial. Just get together with the family for a good meal and celebration. Based on Harvest Festival wasn't it?

[Adrian]

We most certainly did import all the pumpkin/demanding-sweets-with- menaces/costume bollocks, though.

Isn't Thanksgiving just Harvest Festival, though?

[Tim Watts]

On Thursday 28 November 2013 16:53 Adrian wrote in uk.d-i-y:

"Guising" has it's roots in scots/welsh/manx/irish culture going back to the

16th century according to Wikipedia:

which is where the americans got it from.

When I was a kid, the english would pretty much just haves some spooky stories and maybe dress up in the home.

Pretty much, as I understand it. Sounds like another occasion of forced get togther with people you hate :)

I have no idea why they seem to basically eat Xmas dinner for it though?

[Adrian]

They probably can't figure why we eat Thanksgiving dinner for Xmas.

So what do 'merkins tend to do for Xmas?

[S Viemeister]

AIUI, the pumpkins were an American adaptation of the Scottish/Irish turnip lanterns, as they are much easier to carve.

Yes.

[alan]

The American owned companies operating in the UK such as Asda and Amazon are pushing 'Black Friday' - the USA equivalent of the Boxing day sales.

[tim......]

and a happy unbirthday to you, Brian

tim

[Scott M]

Not a lot: they're back at work on Dec 26th (Boxing Day doesn't exist there.) AIUI Thanksgiving is the bigger of the two celebrations.

[DerbyBorn]

S Viemeister wrote in news:bfpdahFik5bU1 @mid.individual.net:

I think we should be more honest about Christmas and have a Winter Holiday

- but during the holiday, Christians can celebrate the birth of their Lord. Others can be less hypocritcal and eat, drink and be merry without pretending to use a religeous festival.

[alan]

Isn't it to celibate the date that the native American Indians showed the clueless founding fathers how to live off the land?

[The Medway Handyman]

We could call it 'Winter Solstice'.

[The Natural Philosopher]

International piracy day.

[Bob Henson]

Or Yule - which is what it was originally before the christians adopted it.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Burn an art student and have a proper M?draniht

[news13k]

... are you perhaps referring to International Talk like a Pirate Day?

Sept 19th, iirc

#Paul

[harryagain]

And beg the turkey's pardon. What a load of contrived bollix.

Sad bastards.

[harryagain]

Shortly before ethnically cleansing them?

[soup]

No we didn't. All hallows eve was celebrated by the pagans LONG before America was even thought of. What we do seem to have inherited from them is the concept of "trick or treating" rather than "guising" to 'celebrate' this.

Brian Gaff wrote: