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How will you be spending Hannukah?


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What is the unpleasant thing it is celebrating?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannukah#Modern_scholarship

 

The violent victory of traditional Jews over the more liberal Hellenistic Jews. The resultant imposition of theocratic barbaric practices, sacrifices and circumcisions.

 

Edit. As Christopher Hitchens puts it in this article, a victory for "fundamentalist thuggery to secularism and philosophy".

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Isn't that an odd question to ask on SF? Judaism is pretty much a closed religion and also there's not many Jews in Sheffield. As a gentile I won't be doing anything, but I wish you a good time on the day :)

 

Sorry I didn't realise that Hannukah is eight days, not just one.

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The winter solstice is a non-Abrahamic, pagan religious celebration.

 

I would say that the winter solstice is just that, the winter solstice, the point at which the days start to get longer again. It has been celebrated by humanity for that reason alone.

 

Whether people want to add other reasons, religious or otherwise, is up to them.

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Not personally, though christmas (or Yule/Winter Solstice) has little to do with religion (other than in name).

 

Yes, and I would add that since we are restricted by the English language that we are brought up to use, we should be comfortable with using the words Christmas or Xmas. It does not mean that we pay any respect to the religious meaning that some apply to the winter solstice period, simply by using a word.

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