Ring out the Solstice Bells – The Spirit of Christmas Way Past.

It’s the 21^st December – Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. At this time of year, pre-historic people knew that the year had turned some sort of corner. Though there was more to come in terms of cold and wet – even in more Southern Parts of Europe, there was still a realisation that the daylight was getting longer.

It has been a natural time for celebration and Fire to banish the dark and welcome the longer days was used in many cultures.

The Romans held their Saturnalia at this time with the exchanging of gifts and lighting of candles so when early Christians needed a date for the celebrations of the birth of Jesus this time of the year was rather handy. Some theologians will say that it was very carefully worked out – I will let them carry on with that belief.

Many Christians, of course, will assert that Easter is a more important festival and some of them regret the commercialisation of Christmas. Indeed Christmas has increasingly become more secular and more like the Roam Saturnalia with lots of conspicuous over-consumption.

Oliver Cromwell is often cited as the Miserable Man Who Banned Christmas. This, of course, is not quite true. He was not anti-religious in this. He wasn’t banning Christmas, he was banning the way it was being celebrated and was clear that he found no biblical justification for the way that people over-indulged and failed in their true devotions.

People ask me if I, as a Humanist Celebrate Christmas – without sounding like the Humanists UK Website I say, yes in a secular sense. It’s the time of year to have a midwinter break and I certainly respect others who are celebrating at this time of year – whether they are praising Saturn or observing Hanukkah.

What I do not like is the way in which Christmas is built up into an event that then becomes an anti-climax, a disappointment or a disaster. I have seen family rifts about where the celebration is to be, the arguments about whose turn is it to be with whom, the debt incurred in trying to keep up with expectations and the stress and disappointment when it doesn’t quite come off.

We also now have the absolute bilge that comes out at this time of year about Christmas being banned because we want to pacify minorities and be politically correct. These moaners have often got dubious adherence to Christian values themselves.

One year when I worked for a charity and was responsible for a service supporting disabled children I got sensitive about the annual Christmas Party. Shock Horror we had Muslim Children we were inviting. All of the debates were rehearsed and before we renamed it and I hung up my Santa Suit – I called an Imam. Nice bloke from Bradford.

“Ee lad you do go on”

He was a reet straight Yorkshire-man

“Firstly Jesus was a Muslim Prophet, for us he didn’t work against Islam and we won’t work against him, and Oh, by the way, The Virgin Mary is well respected in Islam. You carry on and call it Christmas and we will come to your party – We will even invite you to see what our Eid Celebration and observance is about.”

I asked him about Santa Claus – and he said “Yes that’s fine –You’ll be giving them Selection Boxes – as long as they haven’t got sweets with pork gelatine in them they will be fine. The food should be Hal-Al if you can – but if not they’re used to the Veggie option”

Of course, he wasn’t a fundamentalist he was trying hard to work to help us to integrate and understand but it was good to see the recirculation this year of the Muslim Council of Britain’s statement on Christmas.

http://www.mcb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Keep-Calm-Christmas-poster-20131.jpg

So – what do I think?

Enjoy the end of December in whatever way you wish – as long as you are not being selfish and imposing your wishes on others.

Help people and have goodwill towards others – but keep it up through the year. People who are on the Streets at Christmas are probably there in freezing January and February.  

Also, maybe, understand that sometimes what you are doing to enjoy yourself might impose on others and make them uncomfortable.

Happy Festive Season whatever you are doing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK74kB1hLDE

Asian Hairdressers

And other immigrants. 

My mother always said in the 60s and 70s that if I kept my hair long I'd go bald. She was right about the outcome if not the cause. Genetically of course it's all her fault. 

I had long hair back then because it was the fashion. I was not a dedicated follower of fashion but the fashion gave me the cover to avoid a least favoured duty. - a trip to the barbers. The only people who had hairdressers back then were Ladies and racy Aunty Muriel's Italian waiter friends. 

Ben Ford was our local Barber in a small shop under the Picture House full of manly talk and Adult Quips all tolerating the lads but only giving a wooden board polished by a thousand bums as a concession to smallness. 

I moved away and spent years not being brave enough to introduce myself to new tonsure den. Ben Ford had introduced me to the world of Giles Cartoon Books and varicose veins as I stood to let the old chaps in the circular queue whose rules I never fathomed and I couldn't face starting it again

Later as the hair grew less on top and I sported a beard to stop older people remarking how young I was I tried new clipper joints. 

A Social Worker friend introduced me to an Australian Woman who washed my hair beautifully and whose partner cut my hair in purple Engineer Boots and a selection of Rock Band T Shirts. The cost for a trip there would be a day's takings for poor old Ben. 

I tried others, got a friend to do it and bought some trimmers for myself. I tried people in the local Unisex establishments but they kept moving on. Then the boys arrived. 

At just about the same time as I realised I looked like the yet to be invented Jeremy Corbyn and needed a shorter style and regular beard trims a group of Asians, don't know where from - they could be From the Middle East, opened just up the hill. 

I went. I went back and realised what I didn't like about other hair cutters. I don't do chatting. I don't care about the weather, holidays, local night clubs or Sue's Subaru. I want to say what I want have a haircut and get out. I now have an agreement with one if the guys. I tell him the number of the cutter for each of the hair and beard and he does it. It took a little getting right. I did once go home looking like a Solzhenitsyn character but that's the price you pay. He cuts, doesn't talk about football or work and I tip him my old wrinklies discount. 

1. I have tonsorial tranquility. 
   

Learning From History

It is nearly 200 years since the Peterloo Massacre and The Radical Tea Towel Company is reminding us of this.
I was taught British and Economic and Social History by Edgar Alan Basset a radical Welsh Socialst who was passionate about fairness and justice.
As a local Coucillor he would share his views and outside of school I loved to hear him declaim, for that's what he did, about current events and point out the metaphor from history.
I tried to talk to him last about the National Guard in the USA after the shootings at Kent State University. Sadly he had moved after his house was demolished for a road widening scheme on a by-pass that's since been by- passed.
History Repeats Itself First as Tradgedy Second as Farce - Karl Marx. 
Just trawl the news feeds and thing of the historic analogies.
See the Radical Tea Towel Company's Peterloo Tea Towel here:
https://www.radicalteatowel.co.uk/tea-towels/peterloo-massacre-tea-towel?utm_source=Radical+Tea+Towel+Customers&utm_campaign=e5b3c792e3-Suffrajitsu3-August-2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a4ee5860bc-e5b3c792e3-171364869

These are new and challenging and exciting . . . . .

The first post on a new blog. Watch out for more reminiscences, future exploits, travels and opinions. 

Please feel free to join in.