November 16, 2010
February 16, 2010
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras, another date many do not think of as religious. But, once again, it is.
The name Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday." This is the day before Ash Wednesday, when it was traditional to eat a large meal of rich and fatty foods before the ritual fasting of Lent. This morphed over the years into a celebration of unrestrained release. Masks and costumes were worn to hide the identity of those celebrating, allowing celebrants to let loose the day before Lent, doing things they never would in their normal life.
My Mardi Gras was spent with friends, wearing beads and having a good time. I finished off the ice cream in my freezer, and meant to go buy another pint to have before tomorrow but ran out of time. We had a lot of fun, interesting conversations, and a bit of American Mardi Gras crazy tossed in. Traditional, in both the religious and not-so-religious way.
The name Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday." This is the day before Ash Wednesday, when it was traditional to eat a large meal of rich and fatty foods before the ritual fasting of Lent. This morphed over the years into a celebration of unrestrained release. Masks and costumes were worn to hide the identity of those celebrating, allowing celebrants to let loose the day before Lent, doing things they never would in their normal life.
My Mardi Gras was spent with friends, wearing beads and having a good time. I finished off the ice cream in my freezer, and meant to go buy another pint to have before tomorrow but ran out of time. We had a lot of fun, interesting conversations, and a bit of American Mardi Gras crazy tossed in. Traditional, in both the religious and not-so-religious way.
February 15, 2010
Nirvana Day
So, very little information on this one. So little, in fact, that I will just post what the Wikipedia entry says.
So, pretty interesting stuff. I love how this is the day Buddha died, but it is not focused on the death as much as the joy of his escape from mortal flesh. A very positive view of death.
So, no real celebration in the manner I am seeking. No special practices or dietary restrictions or anything. Still, a cool holiday that I made sure to tell people about throughout the day.
Parinirvana Day, or Nirvana Day is a Mahayana Buddhist holiday celebrated in East Asia. By some it is celebrated on 8th of February, but by most on 15th of February. It celebrates the day when the Buddha is said to have achieved Parinirvana, or complete Nirvana, upon the death of his physical body.[1] Buddhists celebrate the death of the Buddha because they believe that since he was Enlightened, he was free from the pain of physical existence.
Passages from the Nirvana Sutra describing the Buddha's last days of life are often read on Parinirvana Day. Other observances include meditation and visits to Buddhist temples and monasteries. Also, the day is a time to think about one's own future death and on the deaths of loved ones. This thought process reflects the Buddhist teachings on transience.
Some Western Buddhist groups also celebrate Parinirvana Day.
So, pretty interesting stuff. I love how this is the day Buddha died, but it is not focused on the death as much as the joy of his escape from mortal flesh. A very positive view of death.
So, no real celebration in the manner I am seeking. No special practices or dietary restrictions or anything. Still, a cool holiday that I made sure to tell people about throughout the day.
February 14, 2010
Valentine's Day
Interestingly enough, this is indeed a religious holiday. I know how shocking this must be to many of you. I know many of my Christian colleagues were unaware.
Originally, the holiday was created by the church in the year 496 AD. It was meant to be a celebration of love and affection between intimate companions. It was named after two saints, both named Valentine. Over the years, confusion among the general population confused the stories of the two saints enough where it was difficult to tell the differences between the men. In 1969, the celebration was officially removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints.
It is interesting to look into the saints that the holiday was named after. Neither was originally concerned with love or affection, as much as stories of sacrifice. It is not until Chaucer mentions Valentine's Day in the poem "Parlement of Foules." Before Chaucer, the holiday was a feast honoring the tow similarly named saints. After, it was connected to love and affection.
I, for my own celebration, did nothing. I have a habit of being single on Valentine's Day, so generally just do my normal thing. I worked, received some cards, and ate candy. Not that I wouldn't love to have someone special to share the day with, but you live with what you have.
Originally, the holiday was created by the church in the year 496 AD. It was meant to be a celebration of love and affection between intimate companions. It was named after two saints, both named Valentine. Over the years, confusion among the general population confused the stories of the two saints enough where it was difficult to tell the differences between the men. In 1969, the celebration was officially removed from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints.
It is interesting to look into the saints that the holiday was named after. Neither was originally concerned with love or affection, as much as stories of sacrifice. It is not until Chaucer mentions Valentine's Day in the poem "Parlement of Foules." Before Chaucer, the holiday was a feast honoring the tow similarly named saints. After, it was connected to love and affection.
I, for my own celebration, did nothing. I have a habit of being single on Valentine's Day, so generally just do my normal thing. I worked, received some cards, and ate candy. Not that I wouldn't love to have someone special to share the day with, but you live with what you have.
February 12, 2010
Mahashivratri
The Great Night of Shiva, a festival of fasting and worship of the Lord Shiva from Hindu faith. I found a couple of stories as to why this day is the one in which Lord Shiva is worshiped. They vary from it being his favorite day to it being the day he saved the world from destruction at the request of his wife (Parvati). There is also a story I found about Lord Shiva drinking up a great poison that was created during an event known as the "churning of the ocean." This poison was so strong that it turned his throat blue from the heat of it. A snake was found and wrapped around his neck, cooling his throat off. I did not see how this connected with the celebration, but it was a pretty cool story so I thought I would mention it anyway.
The proper celebration of this is to offer Bael leaves to Lord Shiva, as well as an all day fast and an all night vigil. There is also mention of Ganja being used in spme places.
I, having no access to a lingam (let alone ganja or bael leaves) had to make do with merely mentioning the day to those I spoke with and offering Lord Shiva my devotion for the day.
A quick note here. I have not been able to properly celebrate any of the Hindu holidays very well at all. Due to a combination of lack of proper materials and lack of information on the proper activities. I would dearly like any feedback on how to remedy this situation. I feel bad not having the ability to properly celebrate any of these, and would like to fix this before the year is out.
The proper celebration of this is to offer Bael leaves to Lord Shiva, as well as an all day fast and an all night vigil. There is also mention of Ganja being used in spme places.
I, having no access to a lingam (let alone ganja or bael leaves) had to make do with merely mentioning the day to those I spoke with and offering Lord Shiva my devotion for the day.
A quick note here. I have not been able to properly celebrate any of the Hindu holidays very well at all. Due to a combination of lack of proper materials and lack of information on the proper activities. I would dearly like any feedback on how to remedy this situation. I feel bad not having the ability to properly celebrate any of these, and would like to fix this before the year is out.
February 2, 2010
Candlemas/Imbolc
Sweet, 2-for-1. Let's see what what we have here...
Candlemas
Candlemas is also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. This is the day when Mary went to the Temple in Jerusalem to purify herself 40 days after giving birth. According to Jewish tradition, a woman who gave birth to a male child was considered unclean for 7 days. She was also supposed to spend three and thirty days "in the blood of her purification." After those 40 days, the woman needed to make a trip to the temple to receive ritual purification.
Upon presenting Jesus at the temple, they encountered Simeon the Righteous, who had been told by God that he would not die until seeing the Messiah. Simeon then prayed the prayer later known as the Canticle of Simeon, which told of Jesus' redemption of mankind.
The name Candlemas comes from the Western tradition of priests blessing beeswax candles and passing them out to parishioners for use in the home. This is also the day that Christan greenery was to be taken down, because failing to do so would result in death. It is also considered a bad omen to hear a bell toll on this date, signifying the death of a friend or relative. It is also believed that good weather on this date will mean a difficult resulting winter, and vice versa.
Imbolc
Imbolc is tied in with the end of winter and beginning of spring. It is a festival of light, fire, and purification. It is associated with teh goddess Brigid (Celtic goddess of poetry, healing, and smithcraft). This is also the day that people would watch for serpents and badgers to come out of their burrows to see what the weather for the following months would be like.
Traditionally, a cornhusk doll representing Brigid would be made by the unmarried women of the household prior to the holiday and given its own bed to sleep in. On January 31st (St. Brigid's Eve) the women would stay up all night tending to the doll. The following day the young men of the village would come to the houses and ask permission to enter. They would have to treat the women and dolls with respect while at the house.
Brigid is said to walk the earth this night, so it is customary to leave a piece of cloth outside to be blessed. The head of the household will smother the fire and smooth the ashes. The following morning, the ashes are checked for signs of being disturbed (showing Brigid was there). All cloth left out the night before is now considered blessed to have powers of haling and protection.
My Celebration
So, not much in the way of celebrations for this. A feast for the Christians and blessings for the pagans. No feasting, though I did actually buy myself something to eat while I was out and about today. No clothes left out for blessing, and no fire to spread the ashes from. I could have left something out to be blessed, but don't know how safe it would be to do that without fear of someone stealing my blessed cloth. Sad that I have to be this untrusting.
I do find it interesting that the two religious holidays falling on this date are very closely related, and directly led to the Groundhog Day celebrations we all know and love.
Candlemas
Candlemas is also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. This is the day when Mary went to the Temple in Jerusalem to purify herself 40 days after giving birth. According to Jewish tradition, a woman who gave birth to a male child was considered unclean for 7 days. She was also supposed to spend three and thirty days "in the blood of her purification." After those 40 days, the woman needed to make a trip to the temple to receive ritual purification.
Upon presenting Jesus at the temple, they encountered Simeon the Righteous, who had been told by God that he would not die until seeing the Messiah. Simeon then prayed the prayer later known as the Canticle of Simeon, which told of Jesus' redemption of mankind.
The name Candlemas comes from the Western tradition of priests blessing beeswax candles and passing them out to parishioners for use in the home. This is also the day that Christan greenery was to be taken down, because failing to do so would result in death. It is also considered a bad omen to hear a bell toll on this date, signifying the death of a friend or relative. It is also believed that good weather on this date will mean a difficult resulting winter, and vice versa.
Imbolc
Imbolc is tied in with the end of winter and beginning of spring. It is a festival of light, fire, and purification. It is associated with teh goddess Brigid (Celtic goddess of poetry, healing, and smithcraft). This is also the day that people would watch for serpents and badgers to come out of their burrows to see what the weather for the following months would be like.
Traditionally, a cornhusk doll representing Brigid would be made by the unmarried women of the household prior to the holiday and given its own bed to sleep in. On January 31st (St. Brigid's Eve) the women would stay up all night tending to the doll. The following day the young men of the village would come to the houses and ask permission to enter. They would have to treat the women and dolls with respect while at the house.
Brigid is said to walk the earth this night, so it is customary to leave a piece of cloth outside to be blessed. The head of the household will smother the fire and smooth the ashes. The following morning, the ashes are checked for signs of being disturbed (showing Brigid was there). All cloth left out the night before is now considered blessed to have powers of haling and protection.
My Celebration
So, not much in the way of celebrations for this. A feast for the Christians and blessings for the pagans. No feasting, though I did actually buy myself something to eat while I was out and about today. No clothes left out for blessing, and no fire to spread the ashes from. I could have left something out to be blessed, but don't know how safe it would be to do that without fear of someone stealing my blessed cloth. Sad that I have to be this untrusting.
I do find it interesting that the two religious holidays falling on this date are very closely related, and directly led to the Groundhog Day celebrations we all know and love.
January 30, 2010
Tu B'shvat
Happy New Year!
Sort of...
Today is the Jewish New Year of the Trees. It coincides with the flowering of the almond trees in Israel.
The name is derived from the Hebrew date the holiday falls on. It is the 15th day of the month Shvat. The Tu part of the name is for the 15, which is represented by the numbers tet vav (9 and 6), since it is against Jewish tradition and rabbinic laws to use the letter numerals for 10 and 5 together. This rule is because these (yud for 10 and hey for 5) together from the abbreviation for the name of God, which is strictly forbidden. Instead, 9 and 6 are used to represent 15.
The customs for this date are to plant trees and eat dried fruit and nuts (especially figs, dates, raisins, carob, and almonds). In the Kabbalistic tradition, the order in which you eat the fruits and nuts is important. Eating them in the proper order is said to create a connection with the Tree of Life, and thereby closer to God. With each serving of fruit or nuts, you are supposed to drink white and red wines or grape juices, progressing from white to red with a drop of white in it.
The proper order is:
So, the first holiday that I could in some way celebrate without much difficulty. I went to this site and ordered some supplies. Most of them were for later holidays, and will not be talked about until later in the year. One thing I got, however, was a fruit and nut tin. It was designated kosher, so that was good, and had some hazelnuts and a variety of fruit in it. I took this to my job and shared with coworkers, while explaining what the celebration was. I was not fortunate enough to get the right mix to eat the Kabbalistic seder, but that's a possibility for next year if I plan ahead better.
Also, I avoided eating pork, despite the fact that work was offering some really tasty looking pork chops. It seemed fitting.
Sort of...
Today is the Jewish New Year of the Trees. It coincides with the flowering of the almond trees in Israel.
The name is derived from the Hebrew date the holiday falls on. It is the 15th day of the month Shvat. The Tu part of the name is for the 15, which is represented by the numbers tet vav (9 and 6), since it is against Jewish tradition and rabbinic laws to use the letter numerals for 10 and 5 together. This rule is because these (yud for 10 and hey for 5) together from the abbreviation for the name of God, which is strictly forbidden. Instead, 9 and 6 are used to represent 15.
The customs for this date are to plant trees and eat dried fruit and nuts (especially figs, dates, raisins, carob, and almonds). In the Kabbalistic tradition, the order in which you eat the fruits and nuts is important. Eating them in the proper order is said to create a connection with the Tree of Life, and thereby closer to God. With each serving of fruit or nuts, you are supposed to drink white and red wines or grape juices, progressing from white to red with a drop of white in it.
The proper order is:
- Fruits and nuts with hard, inedible exteriors and soft edible insides, such as oranges, bananas, walnuts, and pistachios.
- Fruits and nuts with soft exteriors, but with a hard pit inside, such as dates, apricots, olives and persimmons.
- Fruit that is eaten whole, such as figs and berries.
So, the first holiday that I could in some way celebrate without much difficulty. I went to this site and ordered some supplies. Most of them were for later holidays, and will not be talked about until later in the year. One thing I got, however, was a fruit and nut tin. It was designated kosher, so that was good, and had some hazelnuts and a variety of fruit in it. I took this to my job and shared with coworkers, while explaining what the celebration was. I was not fortunate enough to get the right mix to eat the Kabbalistic seder, but that's a possibility for next year if I plan ahead better.
Also, I avoided eating pork, despite the fact that work was offering some really tasty looking pork chops. It seemed fitting.
January 26, 2010
Jesus Christ and Reading Lists
So, today was a bit of a big day for me. No holidays this week, but I did keep busy with the project. I went shopping for some books to supplement my celebrations. Prior to this, I had a handful of books of religion. Now I have a lot of books of religion.
My collection includes:
Books I still need are:
So, yeah, decent start but far from enough. I seems that it is difficult to find non-Christian religious books in a mainstream bookstore. I am sure I could special order somewhere, but I have not really had the inclination to do so yet. I likely will, at some point.
In other, more entertainment than religious news, I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar tonight. It included the original actor to play Jesus in the movie version back in the 70's. Man, does he still have a great voice. A little disconcerting to see a young cast with a 60 year old Jesus, but it was still a great show. One of my all time favorite musicals, and full of a lot of my favorite songs. Now I have to pull out my CDs of the original cast to listen to. Also want to find a copy of that movie. That was my introduction to the show so it has a special place in my heart.
One thing that I have always been struck by is how in this show, Judas is not really a bad guy. He has good intentions, that sort of spiral out of his control. It is very interesting, and has influenced my own personal view of Judas and his part in the story in general. I also find that this play is much like Shakespeare's Othello in that the play is named after one character (Jesus/Othello) but really more about a different character (Judas/Iago).
Anyhow, great fun.
My collection includes:
- Bhagavad-Gita
- Buckland's Book of Witchcraft
- Dhammapada
- I Ching
- King James Bible
- Koran
- Megilah
- New Oxford Annotated Bible (for the Apocrypha)
- Pocket Book of Zen
- Principia Discordia
- Satanic Bible
- Tao Te Ching
- The Analects of Confucius
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Religions
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eastern Philosophy
- The Teachings of Buddha
- Tibetan Book of the Dead
- Torah
- Upanishads
Books I still need are:
- Chang Yung
- Hsiao Ching
- Kojiki
- Li Ching
- Mishnah
- Shih Ching
- Shinto
- Shuh Ching
- Talmud
- Any other books I am unaware of so far...
So, yeah, decent start but far from enough. I seems that it is difficult to find non-Christian religious books in a mainstream bookstore. I am sure I could special order somewhere, but I have not really had the inclination to do so yet. I likely will, at some point.
In other, more entertainment than religious news, I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar tonight. It included the original actor to play Jesus in the movie version back in the 70's. Man, does he still have a great voice. A little disconcerting to see a young cast with a 60 year old Jesus, but it was still a great show. One of my all time favorite musicals, and full of a lot of my favorite songs. Now I have to pull out my CDs of the original cast to listen to. Also want to find a copy of that movie. That was my introduction to the show so it has a special place in my heart.
One thing that I have always been struck by is how in this show, Judas is not really a bad guy. He has good intentions, that sort of spiral out of his control. It is very interesting, and has influenced my own personal view of Judas and his part in the story in general. I also find that this play is much like Shakespeare's Othello in that the play is named after one character (Jesus/Othello) but really more about a different character (Judas/Iago).
Anyhow, great fun.
January 14, 2010
Makar Sankrant
So, first holiday of the year. This is a Hindu festival recognizing the transition of the sun from one celestial sign (Sagittarius) to another (Capricorn). According to the article I read, most Hindu holidays are based on the lunar calendar, but since this is a sun festival it is based on the position of the sun and therefore remains on January 14 all the time.
There are a handful of beliefs tied in with this holiday. One is that this is the day Surya (the Sun) visits the house of his son Shani(Saturn). The father and son do not get along, but take this one time every year to see each other. As such, it is a representation of the father/son bond. It is also said that this was the day that Vishnu ended the terror caused by the Asuras (Hindu deities commonly portrayed as demons). He buried their heads after finishing them off. This makes the day one of ending negativity as well.
Traditional celebration of this day seems to entail cleaning out the old the day before, followed by focusing on the positive and new. The handing out of sweets also looks to be important. Brothers traditionally give gifts to their married sisters as a sign of filial love. The most common form of celebration is prayer to Surya and flying colorful paper kites.
My form of celebration was pretty poor. I did not have access to a kite, nor the time to fly one. I also do not have a married sister. I pretty much stayed up later than normal so I could watch the sun rise. Not the best start for the year, but this was a celebration that not only snuck up on me, but also tends to not work with my work schedule of swing/graveyard shifts.
Hope the rest of the year goes a little better.
There are a handful of beliefs tied in with this holiday. One is that this is the day Surya (the Sun) visits the house of his son Shani(Saturn). The father and son do not get along, but take this one time every year to see each other. As such, it is a representation of the father/son bond. It is also said that this was the day that Vishnu ended the terror caused by the Asuras (Hindu deities commonly portrayed as demons). He buried their heads after finishing them off. This makes the day one of ending negativity as well.
Traditional celebration of this day seems to entail cleaning out the old the day before, followed by focusing on the positive and new. The handing out of sweets also looks to be important. Brothers traditionally give gifts to their married sisters as a sign of filial love. The most common form of celebration is prayer to Surya and flying colorful paper kites.
My form of celebration was pretty poor. I did not have access to a kite, nor the time to fly one. I also do not have a married sister. I pretty much stayed up later than normal so I could watch the sun rise. Not the best start for the year, but this was a celebration that not only snuck up on me, but also tends to not work with my work schedule of swing/graveyard shifts.
Hope the rest of the year goes a little better.
January 1, 2010
A Beginning
Welcome one and all to a year long experiment I am attempting for 2010. I decided that for the entire year, I will be celebrating as many of the major religious holidays for as many major religions as I possibly can.
A bit of background is in order to explain this. You see, i am by nature not a religious person. I was once Christian, in the sense that I occasionally went to church (Episcopal, if you care to know) and believed in God. When I hit my teen years, I began to question my beliefs (as many teenagers do). I just never really came back to a belief in God. For a long time, I considered myself an atheist, but as I have grown older this has shifted more to agnostic. In recent years this shift in belief has once more eased up to become a belief in some higher power, but not in any single religious faith.
Despite this lack of "faith," I have had a deep fascination of religion for a long time. I have done a little bit of comparing of different faiths. Nothing deeper than a surface glance. Along the lines of a Complete Idiot's Guide to Religion. A quick glance at everything, without a deeper understanding.
A few years back, I saw the movie "The Order." This movie, for those unaware of it, deals with a Catholic priest who ends up encountering a man who claims to be a Sin Eater. Sin Eaters, according to the movie, are able to take the sins of others onto themselves to ensure passage of the sinner into Heaven. The act of taking the evils of one person, so they may find redemption despite the unusual edicts of the church intrigued me. I liked the idea of allowing an otherwise good person to be forgiven a sin that (in my mind) should not be a sin to begin with. Mainly, I was thinking of things along the lines of homosexuality. I see no reason a person should not be allowed eternal bliss because of a fluke of their birth. So, I went online and researched sin eating. It turns out, the historical examples were more for medieval villages without access to a priest than the movie version. But, in my searching, I found out about the Universal Life Church. This is a California-based church that offers ordainment online. So, I got myself ordained. partially as a joke, but also so that I could indeed forgive sins and get people into heaven.
Over the years, I have also bought a handful of books regarding religions and philosophy. A bible here, book by Plato there. Along the way, i took a couple philosophy classes (mostly Ethics and Logic related). Philosophy of Religions was probably the most interesting, and most pertinent to this project. Most of these books have been piled up, and left unopened for years.
Jump ahead to the end of 2009. I was trying to come up with a good resolution for the new year. I always try to usual "work harder, save money, eat better" stuff everyone tries. I also always fail at it within days. So, I thought that this year I would try something different. I would do something fun, interesting, and lacking in guilt if I happen to fail. Thinking on my book collection and eclectic tastes, I decided I would try a two part resolution. I would celebrate every religious holiday, and I would try to write about it all. This would jump start my stalling writing hobby as well as enrich me by teaching me about the beliefs and practices of others.
This blog will be my journal of what i learn during this journey, as well as anything that may tie in with my study of religion over the coming year. Who knows, I may actually learn something about myself.
As a final note, the religions I am officially looking to are: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Paganism, and (just for fun) Discordianism. All holidays I have chosen were listed on GodWeb. I only chose the holidays listed for the year that specifically had links to a page describing the holiday in more detail. I chose all of the linked holidays, regardless of significance (the thought being that if it had a page of its own, it was important and if it did not have such a page it was worth ignoring for now). All information I am using for celebrations is gleaned from Wikipedia I do realize the fallibility of this source, but it is convenient.
I am open to any communications from actual practitioners of the religions I have chosen (as well as any I have neglected) as to any information I have missed. I especially welcome information on the reasons for the celebration as well as proper rituals and practices to go with the holiday or festival.
A bit of background is in order to explain this. You see, i am by nature not a religious person. I was once Christian, in the sense that I occasionally went to church (Episcopal, if you care to know) and believed in God. When I hit my teen years, I began to question my beliefs (as many teenagers do). I just never really came back to a belief in God. For a long time, I considered myself an atheist, but as I have grown older this has shifted more to agnostic. In recent years this shift in belief has once more eased up to become a belief in some higher power, but not in any single religious faith.
Despite this lack of "faith," I have had a deep fascination of religion for a long time. I have done a little bit of comparing of different faiths. Nothing deeper than a surface glance. Along the lines of a Complete Idiot's Guide to Religion. A quick glance at everything, without a deeper understanding.
A few years back, I saw the movie "The Order." This movie, for those unaware of it, deals with a Catholic priest who ends up encountering a man who claims to be a Sin Eater. Sin Eaters, according to the movie, are able to take the sins of others onto themselves to ensure passage of the sinner into Heaven. The act of taking the evils of one person, so they may find redemption despite the unusual edicts of the church intrigued me. I liked the idea of allowing an otherwise good person to be forgiven a sin that (in my mind) should not be a sin to begin with. Mainly, I was thinking of things along the lines of homosexuality. I see no reason a person should not be allowed eternal bliss because of a fluke of their birth. So, I went online and researched sin eating. It turns out, the historical examples were more for medieval villages without access to a priest than the movie version. But, in my searching, I found out about the Universal Life Church. This is a California-based church that offers ordainment online. So, I got myself ordained. partially as a joke, but also so that I could indeed forgive sins and get people into heaven.
Over the years, I have also bought a handful of books regarding religions and philosophy. A bible here, book by Plato there. Along the way, i took a couple philosophy classes (mostly Ethics and Logic related). Philosophy of Religions was probably the most interesting, and most pertinent to this project. Most of these books have been piled up, and left unopened for years.
Jump ahead to the end of 2009. I was trying to come up with a good resolution for the new year. I always try to usual "work harder, save money, eat better" stuff everyone tries. I also always fail at it within days. So, I thought that this year I would try something different. I would do something fun, interesting, and lacking in guilt if I happen to fail. Thinking on my book collection and eclectic tastes, I decided I would try a two part resolution. I would celebrate every religious holiday, and I would try to write about it all. This would jump start my stalling writing hobby as well as enrich me by teaching me about the beliefs and practices of others.
This blog will be my journal of what i learn during this journey, as well as anything that may tie in with my study of religion over the coming year. Who knows, I may actually learn something about myself.
As a final note, the religions I am officially looking to are: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Paganism, and (just for fun) Discordianism. All holidays I have chosen were listed on GodWeb. I only chose the holidays listed for the year that specifically had links to a page describing the holiday in more detail. I chose all of the linked holidays, regardless of significance (the thought being that if it had a page of its own, it was important and if it did not have such a page it was worth ignoring for now). All information I am using for celebrations is gleaned from Wikipedia I do realize the fallibility of this source, but it is convenient.
I am open to any communications from actual practitioners of the religions I have chosen (as well as any I have neglected) as to any information I have missed. I especially welcome information on the reasons for the celebration as well as proper rituals and practices to go with the holiday or festival.
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