Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Canadian traditions offending you



What is happening to Canadians and Canadian Traditions??

 Why is it our Tradition that has been in place since the day I could remember now falling apart? First there was the whole Christmas and everything about Christmas that offends people. How the heck does Christmas offend people? You ask. Let’s take a look at that first. The Christmas tree; It’s a tree in which humans decorated in lights, tinsel, bulbs, popcorn, empty beer cans, pots and pans or whatever else you want to decorate it with. It is not really a symbol of any Christianity as I didn't see a big ole pine near the manger when Christ was suppose to have been born. It was just brought in by the Christians.  So what, make the tree what you want it to be, don’t be offended by what you think it represents.

 Wait, here is an exert from Wikipedia “The custom of the Christmas tree developed in early modern Germany with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and possibly the 15th, in which “devout Christians brought decorated trees in their homes”. It acquired popularity beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century. The Christmas tree has also been known as the “Yule-tree”, especially in discussing of its folkloristic origins”

It’s a tree that is decorated. I get it! It was brought in by “devout Christians”. I get it! Who cares it’s a tree. I am not a “devout Christian” nor do I even believe in God, Christ or Jesus. I still love the Christmas tree. To most like me, it is shiny, bright and tradition. It is something that looks awfully pretty and a place I can put all the wonderful and not so wonder gifts under. To me it is a symbol of my family as every year we find one new decoration that we each like and hang on the tree. The Christmas tree is what you make it out of it, in your family. If it goes against your current religion, you do have the right not to put up a tree. Better yet put one up and decorate it with your religious beliefs. Hang whatever you want off it. Like IPod's, DNA strands, old records, pictures of your pets, hair clipping from family members whatever you chose in the end is your choice. Now if you want to hang dead bodies I would personally rethink that as that will only end up getting you arrested and thrown in Jail. Nor would you be considered a sane person if you did this either lol. Save the hanging of dead bodies in trees for Halloween and only fake ones. 
   
Christmas wasn't even really a christian holiday. Well OK it was adopted by Christians as the time of Christ’s birth but really this date is unknown. Some say Christ was born in the summer, some say fall, while some say December 25th, who cares. Some say it is a pagan ritual for winter solstice.  Does it all really matter? It does to people who are Christians but for those, like myself, it is just a time for everyone to be happy, or at the very least pretend you’re happy.

Does Santa offend people to, a red/white suited, overweight, long white bearded old guy who flies around giving gifts to all kids around the world on his pulled reindeer sleigh, who only asked for a glass of milk and a cookie at each stop? Grasping for straws aren't we?

 Christmas is a time to give gifts to those you love and gifts to those people you appreciate, showing them you’re grateful for all they do in your life. It is also a time for family to get together, as let’s face it we can’t always do during the rest of the year. Spend Christmas the way you want to spend it, take a holiday, catch up on some well deserved sleep, eat a ton of food, do what makes you feel happy just don’t try and change it for everyone else. Christmas has become commercialized and thrown in people’s faces but use that to your advantage as well. With Christmas specials, discounts and even holiday packages, no sense in trying to change it because you don’t believe in Christmas.

Now let’s take Halloween, the most dreaded time of the year, scary right?! Hahaha really?, but it is a fun time of the year. I have never met anyone who actually worships the devil on this day. I have never been invited to a satanic gathering. I have however been invited to a Halloween costume party but the scariest thing that has ever happened was getting your entire make up ruined by bobbing for apples. Come on people. Halloween is for kid and adults to dress up and have fun. Collect candy; wear costumes you would normally never wear for fear of being arrested any other time of the year.

The word Halloween is a shortening of All Hallows’ Evening also as Hallowe’en or All Hallows’ Eve, Halloween has its own origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced “sah-win”). The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Samhain was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and prepare for the dreaded winter months, The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. Because we all know Evil is mean and nasty and doesn’t care if you have enough to eat over the winter months.
Halloween has evolved; it is your time to evolve with it by giving out candy to those cute little kids. Pretend to be scared when a zombie walks up to your door asking for candy instead of your brains. It’s when they ask for your brain then you will need to be scared.  A time to pretend for one evening that you’re someone you’re not or they are someone they are not. I usually pretend I am not home (J/K). I mean who really can be offended by giving kids candy, well unless you’re one of those that will sit on your lawn yelling at kids to get off it. How can giving candy to all those kids really offend you? You’re just punishing parents by hopping their kids up with enough sugar to cause a 24 hour sleepless night for the parents. Who wouldn't find that enjoyable? Especially for those of us that don’t have little kids anymore mauhahahahaha. Even dentists enjoy it because after those little kids’ teeth rot they get an increase in business.

 You do not have to partake in it but don’t make it so others can not enjoy the one night a year that they can pretend to be someone else.  Who really does it harm? Not me, not you and not the children/adults that partake in the one night a year tradition. It is not even originally about religion so get over yourselves. It is just a time of year we all can be silly. Get silly with it.

Now it seems we have people who want to change the red poppy to a white poppy because they find the red poppy glorifies wars. WTF do you mean it glorifies wars? It is a symbol of respect for those that fought and died for our country. It is a symbol of peace for without the remembering those that fought and died we would not remember that is was war that gave us peace in the end. It’s a time to be grateful to those that put themselves on the line, to give us peace, freedom and tradition.

 I can see how it offends some non Canadians as those people were most likely at the brunt end of the war fighting against freedom, free speech, The rights of every man, woman and child, dictatorship and so on. I cannot see how it offends any Canadian citizen who was born and raised in this country.

 Yes, I know we have a lot of foreigners that are now officially Canadian citizens. Do they not realize that Canada would not be a country they would even want to come live and be part of without the sacrifices of those that fought and died to keep Canada free? I don’t see a lot of Canadians heading to parts of the world where freedom is just a dream. Where you have one guy who will dictate to the country what people have the right to say, how they have the right to live, or even if they have the right to be alive! Oh sure, other countries (not all) look to our armies when there in injustice in the world and need help but find our red poppy offensive when they come to Canada. Students who think because they are more educated believe war is un-necessary and we should forget those who fought and died or even want the army to be disbanded because “hey, without an army we would not be able to go to war”.  They are right without an army we would not be able to go to war; we also would not be able to defend our freedom as Canadians either. Yet, I do see a lot of foreigners wanting into our country because they do not like what is happening in the country they are originally from. Want to be a Canadian then follow our traditions and laws, don’t try and make our country what your country was or still is. If you’re in the need of your countries tradition than go back and fight for that country instead of trying to change Canada. It is not like Canada won’t let you celebrate your tradition don’t try and deny Canadians from celebrating theirs.

Who really thinks that if only we had peace talks with Hitler he would have stopped trying to take over most, if not all of Europe. He would have stopped the mass genocides because a few elegant words made him see the right path to take. No; only removing him from power made it stop, it took most of the world’s help to stop him. It had to be done with armies; in return it had to be done with force. If only one side had weapons and the other side had words and white poppies who would have won?  

So damn rights the Red Poppy means something it is not even just a tradition it is a symbol of freedom, it is a symbol of rights, it is a symbol of peace, and it is also a symbol of those that gave and those that are still giving to make this country what it is today. Take that away and what was it all for? Right now we all could be sitting with a dictatorship as a leader, you could be hiding in fear for your religious beliefs, the color of your skin, the color of your eyes, being killed because you want an education, a job, a home, less taxes, better medical care as well as many other freedoms you feel you deserve as a human being including freedom of speech.

So think before you want to change someone else’s tradition in this country. If it doesn't end up with a firing squad on your front lawn threatening to kill you or your family, if it doesn't force you to partake in the events, if it is not mandatory with threats of death, is it really hurting your religion, sense of humanity, your honor? Think before you open your damn mouth. Use some common sense. Try and be part of your (this) country not against it. (OK, we are not discussing any other country besides Canada here and our own freedoms we hold dear to this country, this country alone). Discussing the rights and wrongs of other countries is a whole other topic I am not getting into.  Show respect for all traditions, whether they are yours or not, If in no way shape or form does it take away an individual’s rights who does it hurt in the end. That’s right no one!!! Again this is about common sense, something we all should use more often than not. Respect this country and all its tradition don’t change us because you feel offended find something you like about our traditions and join in.

References

"...I won't let it happen. I won't... I won't let this world exist without me!"

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Thanks for posting! But remember try to have some manners.. Don't make me delete your comment cause your socially inept. Plus all posted comments can be used against you. *wink*