I'd be pretty happy with just celebrating the Solstices. "Yay, it's Midsummer" "Yay it's spring" "Yay it's Fall" "boooo it's midwinter and I'm cold". Reduce down to 4 holidays, get rid of all the other BS and give me some pie.
Being a jewish atheist I wouldn't celebrate it even if I didn't have a no fake holiday policy.
Just thought I'd ask. It's pretty secular now, I feel (most of my atheist friends celebrate Christmas), but if you don't have any family that celebrates it, I can understand not doing it.
1) Not really trying to beat the system. I am a bit fed up with the open stigma against people who go to movies or nice places for dinner alone, though that hasn't been a big deal recently. It seems to exist a lot more in the US than around here. 2) Social rituals can be nice, but what I was getting at is that there's no reason to fret if you can't participate in them, which is why I've always been rather indifferent to Valentine's day. 3) Had some killer duck filet mignon in Paris a while back. Shit had a Coca-Cola sauce and was served over a saffron potato puree. Blew my MIND; I've been thinking non-stop about how to cook with soda ever since.
Pretty much this. I'm happy going to do something alone on any day. I enjoy a good valentine's caper as much as the next guy, provided that guy really likes planning and executing capers. But I don't stake much on it, one can spend an evening alone like any other, it's just that you're less likely to call up friends and have them over, since many of your friends may be attached.
For example, I've got a bit of a buzz on, I've been hanging out, watching movies, playing games, smoking my pipe and working my way down a bottle of Railway Shed Timboon whiskey - which is mighty fine, I highly recommend it if you like a good single malt - when I spoke of my plans with friends, they all reacted with pity, but fuck that! Spending an evening amusing myself and drinking good whiskey has nothing to do with Valentines, it's just a good way to spend an evening on occasion.
I enjoy Valentine's day because I get to give the fiance gifts and be creative with it. Of course, I will do this randomly anyway whenever I find something she'd want, or if she's had a particularly bad week at work, or because of reasons. It doesn't really bother me that it's a made up holiday.
For those of you who find that this day causes you a bit more sorrow than other days, I feel for you. I wish you could just ignore the day but apparently that is impossible (I can't find a site without references to it). Go play a video game?
From now on, when people ask me if I have a date for Valentines Day, I will respond that I am taking out a lovely Argentinian lass named Manocita Izquierda.
All holidays are fake and in fact, celebration and happiness in general are just shallow social constructs.
There are real holidays. For example Yuri's night, which commemorates the anniversary of an astonishing human achievement. Or MLK day, which is a memorial for an amazing human being.
For me a holiday counts as "real" when the reason for its existence is something that is worthy of celebration.
All holidays are fake and in fact, celebration and happiness in general are just shallow social constructs.
There are real holidays. For example Yuri's night, which commemorates the anniversary of an astonishing human achievement. Or MLK day, which is a memorial for an amazing human being.
For me a holiday counts as "real" when the reason for its existence is something that is worthy of celebration.
But even those are pretty much arbitrary holydays. Why exactly is Yuri great enough to celebrate I'd rather celebrate Laika.
There is great enough number of astonishing human achievements and amazing human beings that we could probably celebrate something "worthwhile" every day.
Let us not forget the all-important Yell at the Sky Day, as first celebrated by Brother Alex the Fed Up With This Bullshit.
EDIT: But yeah, all holidays are arbitrary. Just, y'know, celebrate things. Make everything a celebration of that thing. Like drinking a beer or eating a really good steak.
All holidays are fake and in fact, celebration and happiness in general are just shallow social constructs.
There are real holidays. For example Yuri's night, which commemorates the anniversary of an astonishing human achievement. Or MLK day, which is a memorial for an amazing human being.
For me a holiday counts as "real" when the reason for its existence is something that is worthy of celebration.
There is great enough number of astonishing human achievements and amazing human beings that we could probably celebrate something "worthwhile" every day.
In keeping with my post, I'm going with Steak Day. Celebrate the glory of steak by eating steak. Remember all those creatures who died to make steak possible.
EDIT: On Steak Day, all steaks are considered equally sacred. Thus, shark steak, pork steak, beef steak, tofu steak - it doesn't matter.
Not a happy one, but I recall that today was the beginning of the firebombing of Dresden. On the other hand, today is the day the first Childeren's hospital opened in London.
NEAR Shoemaker orbits an asteroid. Seriously, how awesome is it that we had a tiny probe launched from a body moving at incredible speeds, traveled incredible distances, and managed to hit at just the right angle to get into orbit?
All holidays are fake and in fact, celebration and happiness in general are just shallow social constructs.
There are real holidays. For example Yuri's night, which commemorates the anniversary of an astonishing human achievement. Or MLK day, which is a memorial for an amazing human being.
For me a holiday counts as "real" when the reason for its existence is something that is worthy of celebration.
There is great enough number of astonishing human achievements and amazing human beings that we could probably celebrate something "worthwhile" every day.
Let's do it! What is today's real holiday?
How about celebrating Herbert A. Hauptman. At least wikipedia makes it seen like his works have been important in mathematics and chemistry. Good enough for you?
As for important events this date is somewhat boring nothing celebration worthy there.
Valentine's day has never really bothered me (since elementary school at least) one way or another. That said, I am celebrating today in my own way by wearing my pinky-pie portals shirt.
2nd or 3rd grade. I lived in Arizona. I gave Valentines to all my classmates and signed it along with blunt observations I made of them. All in all, they probably weren't the nicest or kindest things I could have said and were definitely not taken lightly by my classmates.
I apparently caused such an uproar that my teacher had to call my parents.
Some of this shit is dangerously close to sour grapes, doods. Just sayin'.
Girlfriend went away for a week today, so that's sad. Instead: went out last night. Restaurant was nearly empty! Got waited on hand an foot. Ate a duck steak. Didn't even know ducks had steak on them!
Feelin' pretty good about Valentine's Day. Social rituals are nice; they serve a purpose. You don't need to "beat the system, man" just because you're single. Just be cool about it. Examine how much of this is in your head. I doubt any single person has a line of frenemies coming up to them being all like "oh, you're single on Valetine's day? That's so Sadddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd," because we don't live in a fucking Sex in the City movie.
Dave, just gotta say, I have listened to so much Fast Karate that I am now able to read posts in your voice. It adds an absurd level of clout to anything you say. You could write posts about denying the Holocaust and I would digest that textual chocolate without a second thought.
Also, I will never understand the argument about a holiday being "fake" versus "real". To me, that's like arguing that a movie is fake: Who really cares as long as it works in the end? Holidays motivate people to do things a little differently, maybe think a little bit differently, and avoid repetition, and sometimes they can evoke an emotion or two. I know I don't want to live in the dystopia of "Emotionally-Neutral Seasonal Changing Festival".
Let me tell you all about a little family tradition: Birthday Day. See, in my immediately family of 8 people (including my brother-in-law and other brother's fiance), we have 5 birthdays in December. December's also a super busy month, so everyone comes home for Christmas early, on the 23rd, and we have a big ol' immediate-family dinner of easy to make foods (usually chicken parm and pasta) and funfetti cake. I know for some family members, the day ends up being more enjoyable than the Christmas festivities they precede. Why the 23rd? Because we're all going to be around anyway, so it's convenient. Does that make it a shallow social construct. Yeah, I suppose it does; the 23rd doesn't actually mean anything for any of us Decemberists. But that shallow social construct has spawned some of the most enjoyable family memories in recent years. So fuck you, snarky hypothetical strawman.
*Edit to better convey that I am not yelling profanities at anyone in particular.
I think holidays are mostly about the traditions and emotional context people ascribe to them. People have personal holidays and celebrate them in their own way, like my "Japan Day" March 20th, since I touched down there on the same day both times I moved over. I don't think it is possible to have a festival that is completely "emotionally neutral" because if there are traditions and good memories associated with it, many people would come to view the festival as a real holiday.
Katie and I are going to stay in and make dinner together. I got her a card. That's pretty much the extent of how today is going to go. I don't have an issue with Valentine's Day, but it's just not something I feel like I need to put extra effort into. I put full effort into showing Katie that I love her every day.
Today could be Telephone Day (patent applied for in 1876), Arizona Day (became a state in 1912), IBM's Birthday (1924), or NEAR Shoemaker Day (super awesome, year 2000). It's also Fredrick Douglass' birthday.
For me, I don't really celebrate my birthday, but I enjoy holidays where people dress up and/or take to the streets. Halloween and New Years really bring out the best in New York.
For me, I don't really celebrate my birthday, but I enjoy holidays where people dress up and/or take to the streets. Halloween and New Years really bring out the best in New York.
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Perhaps next year, I'll do something and make chocolates of some sort or cute knitted thing to send to friends and loved ones.
For example, I've got a bit of a buzz on, I've been hanging out, watching movies, playing games, smoking my pipe and working my way down a bottle of Railway Shed Timboon whiskey - which is mighty fine, I highly recommend it if you like a good single malt - when I spoke of my plans with friends, they all reacted with pity, but fuck that! Spending an evening amusing myself and drinking good whiskey has nothing to do with Valentines, it's just a good way to spend an evening on occasion.
For those of you who find that this day causes you a bit more sorrow than other days, I feel for you. I wish you could just ignore the day but apparently that is impossible (I can't find a site without references to it). Go play a video game?
For me a holiday counts as "real" when the reason for its existence is something that is worthy of celebration.
There is great enough number of astonishing human achievements and amazing human beings that we could probably celebrate something "worthwhile" every day.
EDIT: But yeah, all holidays are arbitrary. Just, y'know, celebrate things. Make everything a celebration of that thing. Like drinking a beer or eating a really good steak.
EDIT: On Steak Day, all steaks are considered equally sacred. Thus, shark steak, pork steak, beef steak, tofu steak - it doesn't matter.
Seriously, how awesome is it that we had a tiny probe launched from a body moving at incredible speeds, traveled incredible distances, and managed to hit at just the right angle to get into orbit?
As for important events this date is somewhat boring nothing celebration worthy there.
2nd or 3rd grade. I lived in Arizona. I gave Valentines to all my classmates and signed it along with blunt observations I made of them. All in all, they probably weren't the nicest or kindest things I could have said and were definitely not taken lightly by my classmates.
I apparently caused such an uproar that my teacher had to call my parents.
I was not popular in class after that.
Also, I will never understand the argument about a holiday being "fake" versus "real". To me, that's like arguing that a movie is fake: Who really cares as long as it works in the end? Holidays motivate people to do things a little differently, maybe think a little bit differently, and avoid repetition, and sometimes they can evoke an emotion or two. I know I don't want to live in the dystopia of "Emotionally-Neutral Seasonal Changing Festival".
Let me tell you all about a little family tradition: Birthday Day. See, in my immediately family of 8 people (including my brother-in-law and other brother's fiance), we have 5 birthdays in December. December's also a super busy month, so everyone comes home for Christmas early, on the 23rd, and we have a big ol' immediate-family dinner of easy to make foods (usually chicken parm and pasta) and funfetti cake. I know for some family members, the day ends up being more enjoyable than the Christmas festivities they precede. Why the 23rd? Because we're all going to be around anyway, so it's convenient. Does that make it a shallow social construct. Yeah, I suppose it does; the 23rd doesn't actually mean anything for any of us Decemberists. But that shallow social construct has spawned some of the most enjoyable family memories in recent years. So fuck you, snarky hypothetical strawman.
*Edit to better convey that I am not yelling profanities at anyone in particular.
For me, I don't really celebrate my birthday, but I enjoy holidays where people dress up and/or take to the streets. Halloween and New Years really bring out the best in New York.