my strange sense of humor
When we found out my in-laws were to be out of town the weekend before Christmas, I was delighted. Not only would we have a weekend alone, but it would be the weekend of Winter Solstice. I've been wanting to celebrate Solstice for three years now, but haven't done anything more than light a candle. So with my in-laws gone, I mentioned to my husband that we could have our own little celebration, our style. He was in.
Then my mother-in-law said something about not going away for the weekend after all. In an indirect effort to get her to go like she planned, I piped up with a little humor.
"Well, we were planning on having a pagan winter solstice celebration that day, so...if you want to join us..."
The look on her face was precious. For her, the word "pagan" obviously has the unfortunate connotations of animal sacrifice and devil worship.
"You're kidding, right?" she asked.
I kept it fun. "Nope." I smiled.
"I just hope that celebration isn't happening at my house," she said, unsure about my tone.
"Well, Little FTA was really hoping to run naked around a bonfire..." I laughed.
"Ok-aaaaay...."
I left it at that, letting everyone think I was just being silly. And secretly hoping I'd scared her off to that weekend away after all.
7 comments:
I personally prefer 'heathen' to pagan but my 'Christian' relatives call me both. Also heretic. Have you ever heard Pete Seeger's take off on the song 'Old Time Relgion? LMSFAO
I linked your blog to a post that I based on Sandeep's bad word comment a few posts back. My blog has been really heavy with nasty prejudice antiSikh issues and I really felt the need for something light. here's the address, if you want to check it out.
http://mai-sometimes.blogspot.com/2007/12/sandeep-says-bad-word.html
I'll have to check that song.
How sad that your relatives feel the need to use heathen and pagan to describe you. Or heretic. How about, um, Sikh?
I wasn't sure you and I were using "pagan" in the same way, and that made me think I didn't know the definition well. So I looked up pagan and heathen and found at dictionary.com:
Pagan
1. one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.
2. a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.
3. an irreligious or hedonistic person.
Heathen
1. an unconverted individual of a people that do not acknowledge the God of the Bible; a person who is neither a Jew, Christian, nor Muslim; pagan.
2. an irreligious, uncultured, or uncivilized person.
So basically the same, except that pagan also refers specifically to (ancient) polytheists. But that's not how I was using pagan in my little "pagan winter solstice" un-joke. I was thinking more along the lines of neo-pagan, or as "Applied to modern pantheists and nature-worshipers." Pagan also was a word used to describe pre-Roman, pre-Christian peoples of Europe, some of whom are my ancestors (I think).
I love your humor... almost as much as your Christmas card picture. ;)
I hope the in laws give you some space so you can celebrate the holidays as you would like. Keep us posted.
Actually my relatives spell Sikh" sick. And technically, I am a heretic, since my mother had me baptised as a baby. I tell that story in the blog.
Oh, I can't stop myself. Here it is:
Old Time Religion (Pete Seeger version)
Traditional American/Pete Seeger
C F C
We will pray to Aphrodite, she's beautiful but flighty.
G F G C
In her silken see-thru nightie she's good enough for me.
We will pray to Zarathrustra, pray just like we used-to,
I'm a Zarathrustra booster, he's good enough for me.
We will pray just like the Druids, drinking strange fermented fluids,
Go dancing naked through the woods, they're good enough for me.
We will pray to the god Buddha, of gods there is none cuter,
Come in silver, brass or pewter, he's good enough for me.
We will pray with those Egyptians, who built pyramids to put our crypts in
Covered up with strange inscriptions, they're good enough for me.
We will pray to Ra and Ahmen just like Tutankhamen,
And teach our friends embalming, they're good enough for me.
Hare Krishna he must be laughed on, to see me dressed in saffron,
With my hair only half-on he's good enough for me.
I will rise up at early morning, when my Lord gives me the warning,
That the solar age is dawning, he's good enough for me.
We won't worship like the Persians, we'll sacrifice no virgins,
Please control your carnal urgin's, it's good enough for me.
We will all worship the Mother, not the womb of any other.
Virgin, crone and mother, she's good enough for me.
We will pray for New Age Aquarians, and hang out in Planetariums,
Lotta um are Unitarians, they're good enough for me.
We will pray to a god named Odin, in their wooden boats go floatin'
Filled Europe with forbodin' he's good enough for me.
We will pray to the Quakers, oft confused with the Shakers,
Of war they are not makers, they're good enough for me.
We will pray to the god Shiva, the one with many sleeva's
Who destroys all disbelivas, he's good enough for me.
We will pray to Reverend Moony, all our friends will think we're loony.
As we sing this crazy tune-y, but he's good enough for me.
There's another version worth checking out at
http://www.skepticfiles.org/weird/oldtimen.htm
Thanks, Enlightened Fairy. Remember, you are one of the few lucky enough to have seen that picture. ;)
Mai- Great song, thanks for the lyrics! Guess I'm a heretic, too. And an apostate, since not only am I disaffected, but I talk about it to people, too. The gall!
I guess it's kind of focusing on the wrong part of your more lighthearted post, but I couldn't help but mentally cringe when I read the line, "I just hope that celebration isn't happening at my house." Uuuuuugggghh. What does she think, you're going to have an orgy and skin chickens in her living room? She couldn't even ASK what that entailed - just jumped to the conclusion that she doesn't want it in her house? I hope she's leaving and you get to have your celebration.
I was reading about paganism (I guess, as you said, more neo-paganism) at Borders the other day, and the book said something about religions that focus on god also focus on how imperfect people are. How people have to sacrifice, and always feel contrite about who they are, and try to change. It said that pagans believe that they were created exactly how they were supposed to be - that everyone is perfect (basically - I assume we're leaving out extremes like serial killers here). Not meaning that no one should try to learn and grow - just that we don't have to beat ourselves up over never being good enough. I loved that.
rebecca- Yes, that part bugged me too. But I was making the comment to encourage her to leave, so I suppose I should've expected it. Neopaganism is pretty cool imho--especially the aspect you touched on. Being human is A-OK! Why beat ourselves up about it? That aspect of Christianity has contributed to a lot of neuroses and self-esteem issues, I'm sure.
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