Well, I've been to a handful of formerly communist countries (been to Poland about ten times, once in Latvia and once in Lithuania, plus I know my way round the Eastern part of Germany quite well by now), and the funny thing is, people in these regions (with the exception of Eastern Germany) aren't quite sure what's worse, capitalism or communism. A surprising lot of Polish people I've talked to would actually rather be communists again than capitalists, even though they don't really believe in neither.
On another note, what ARE the origins of the easter bunny? I remember wondering about it as a kid and asking a priest. I also remember his answer neither making much sense nor being very memorable.
Ok here are the answers to my posed comments.
1. Yep Coke
2. The Easter Bunny is based off of the Pagan gods, one of them (name escapes me) was the god of fertility, spring, and rejuvination. During the same time that we would normally have easter there were week long festivals where Eggs would be hidden around a village. Finding one of these Eggs was considered a sign from said deity that your family would be blessed with a birth or some other form of fertility. Christians adopted some of the ritualistic festival, as it was in their culture, but changed it to reflect a more harmless (in the eyes of the Elders) meaning. Capitalist America has made it into yet another marketting gold mine. So there you go. Everyone probably knows why Christians practice Easter (if you don't um... and happen to be a Christian... um.. ask your pastor/reverand/preacher/type dude).
3. Valentine's Day is named, Yes from a Martyr, the Catholic Church posthumously (they are big on that) named him a Saint. You see Valentine was killed for being an open practicioner of the Christian Church and one of the ways he got a message out to his people was through a note of love and devotion to God. Basically the trend caught on, later as time passed the holiday no longer really stood for what the Catholics originally intended... I would tell you what he is Saint of but I will admit i havent got the foggiest Idea.
4. St. Patrick's day is basically the Irish celebration of their most famous Saint, maybe their only... not sure on that. He was the Saint that drove the snakes out of Ireland (supposedly, but hey there arent any snakes in Ireland...). Originally people would simply get a day off from work and basically attend a special meeting of Church... but the Irish we know love to drink... and a day off from work meant church, then straight to the pub for the average Irish man...
The pinching thing I have no idea what bleeding idiot started that, Im 1/4 Irish and i Hated that crap... As for the getting Drunk, well yeah that is probably the best way the Holiday was remembered... cuz i mean come on a few hours of church then like 8 at the pub? what did I goto church!??!
Anyway again the capitalist have made it into another way to get money; green beer (and I quote my irish friend George on this one 'Why in the hell would i want to drink GREEN beer, much less GREEN AMERICAN beer.') pins, and just about every other peice of crap they could think of.
Hope someone has learned something. Btw I am not completely anti-capitalist I just dont like how much control the rich of this world have over our society... I am not a sheep (thank God for that too... I know too many scotsmen to be safe as a sheep) and I dont follow others well.
And to you Urban, would you as a priest want to admit that one of the Church's holiday's has a pagan idol in it? (well to most people.. easter bunny = easter...) It's just not a good subject. Though I will be the first to admit, the main reasons i know about Easter's origins as well as Valentines was the preacher at my mom's church.
Red Mage Dragon Tiamat
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something we have in common, huh?
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yes the irish can drink (green beer? that'll just you vomit green and does anyone want that?) you every adult has found memorys of st.patrick's day... no wait they'll be too druck to remember but the good news is they have an anti-hangover pill so drop it in your beer before you drink so you won't be so sick the day after and unless I find a girl before the 14th I will say that I hate valentines day
Lol. you have never seen Bud Light's and Coor's Light's marketing Idea? Green Dyed Beer. You piss green for 2 days, probably the most entertaining part. As for why George wouldn't drink the Green Beer... He has Standards. If the Beer doesn't have a taste so strong that you can only drink the first beer with this look of (gawd that stuff is stout), or if it is some, and I quote, 'Watered down, pansy, Horse Piss.' That is his, and most of the Irish males view of American Beer... and I fully agree... Killian's Irish Red is the best beer I can easily get my hands on, Shiner Bock (made in Shiner TX [it is german country TX]) is the second best. both of those beers put the 'premium' American Beers to shame. Heck Heini is crap really, haven't tried fosters yet, Guinness is gooooooooooooood but I can't get the right type here (prefer Irish Imported, It is so much different than the Canadian crap we get). So Ill stick to my Killian's, Oh that and homemade Mead.
Red Mage Dragon Tiamat
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