BBC Focus Magazine

[M Paul Lloyd]

Just wanted to wish you all the very best of Yuletide celebrations and a happy 2012.

[Shadowwolf]

I endorse these sentiments of 'wishing' and 'celebration' that are yuletide in nature

[ChrisH]

Best wishes to all.
Looking forward to some great science stories in 2012.

[Flakkarin]

For you all... a Christmas card made out of plankton! All the best

[M Paul Lloyd]

Thanks, Have a nice one Flakarrin.

[MikeG]

Seasons greetings to all. For those interested in why we celebrate at this particular time of year (since Christs birthday was variously estimated to occur at various dates, including March 28, November 18, and September 11), the answer lies in the Roman festival of the Saturnalia.

In the 4th century CE, Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it. Christian leaders succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians.

http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/ ... lStory.htm

Best wishes to everyone, and here's hoping that the year that arrives, will not prove as interesting, but instead revert to more mundane times.

[Shadowwolf]

As an allegedly Chinese curse goes, "may you live in interesting times."

[M Paul Lloyd]

"may you live in interesting times."

Well............. I'm inclined to think that we may well do just that?
More here.
http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/A807374

[MikeG]

As an allegedly Chinese curse goes, "may you live in interesting times."

Exactly what I was referring to when I wished for a return to more mundane times

[Nails]

Thanks MPL, and all the best to everyone.

Hope you celebrated it as well as we did, cos we love a good pagan festival in our house.....

[Healerman]

Indeed. All the traditional pagan rituals to ensure the rebirth of the Sun have been observed in our home (except for the Yule log...no open fire...the chocolate one seemed to work OK).

Well............. I'm inclined to think that we may well do just that?

I'm inclined to think that we already are.

Well I hope your festivities were fun, and that 2012 will be prosperous and not at all catastrophic.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Actually, from a purely anthropological and therefore hopefully scientific point of view it is interesting to note that christmas, in the Dickensian/Germanic twist on themes of decorated trees and snow and feasting and gift giving, is really starting to catch on all around the world and most significantly in generally non christian countries. The Japanese for example go overboard with christmas lights and actually import snow into shopping centres and such. Of course it does rather coincide with their emperors birthday on the 23rd but any excuse to extend the festivities seems ok I guess. Its not a religious thing obviously but purely a commercially driven phenomena. In years to come I expect historians will point out how the modern global christmas supplanted an earlier christian celebration which in turn was originally a European paegan festival?

[Healerman]

...ans so on, all the way back to the highly controversial creation of the Universe.

Good idea? Bad idea?

What do you think?

[...]

some very interesting christmas messages there. sorry im a bit late with my greetings but i can still wish you all a happy Childermas.

[Lateralman]

Peace and goodwill to the invisible comrades of the ether.

[M Paul Lloyd]