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As those who celebrate Christmas (particularly in the United States) rush to and fro in mad pursuit of last minute gifts and stocking stuffers, clogging roads and parking lots, we can pause a moment to consider some interesting precursors to Christmas revelry... and compare these peculiar rites to our own...
Roman pagans had the holiday of Saturnalia, a weeklong period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. During the festival period, courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people. Opening ceremonies included the selection by Roman auhorities of an enemy of the Roman people who was known as the Lord of Misrule. Each community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the celebration. (Sounds like a fun job, doesn't it? Read on.) At the festival’s end, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by sacrificing this innocent man or woman. In addition to human sacrifice, the Greek poet and historian Lucian, in his description of the holiday, mentions these customs: widespread intoxication; going from house to house while singing naked (the origins of here we come, a-wassailing??); rape and other sexual license; and consuming human-shaped biscuits! Presumably this festival contributed to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire...
The Winter Solstice, which is also known as Yule, is one of the oldest pagan winter celebrations. The seasons and weather were extremely important to ancient people, who, being hunter/gatherers, spent the majority of their time outdoors. Understandably, these cultures has great reverence for, and even worshipped the sun. (Those of us living in the northern climes have a little bit of this pagan spirit still beating within, as we go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, checking Tom Skilling's weather page in the Chicago Tribune, anxiously watching as the sunrise and sunset times slooooowwwwlly start to move farther apart again!) The Norsemen of Northern Europe viewed the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons. It was from the word for this wheel, houl, that the word "yule" is thought to be derived. At mid-winter the Norsemen lit bonfires, told stories and drank sweet ale. (Sound familiar? Substitute a wide-screen TV, Big Bang Theory or Sunday football and bottles of Bud Light and you've flashed forward to the 21st Century.)
In Britain, the winter solstice was celebrated on the shortest day of the year (usually December 21st) long before the arrival of Christianity. Oak trees were sacred in the Celtic culture and the winter fruit of the mistletoe which grew on the oak was a symbol of life in the dark winter months. The Druid priests would cut the mistletoe and give it as a blessing. The Druids also began the tradition of the yule log. The Celts thought that the sun stood still for twelve days in the middle of winter (imagine that! -- seems like longer than 12 days to me!) and during this time a log was lit to conquer the darkness, banish evil spirits and bring luck for the coming year.
Roman pagans had the holiday of Saturnalia, a weeklong period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. During the festival period, courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people. Opening ceremonies included the selection by Roman auhorities of an enemy of the Roman people who was known as the Lord of Misrule. Each community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the celebration. (Sounds like a fun job, doesn't it? Read on.) At the festival’s end, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by sacrificing this innocent man or woman. In addition to human sacrifice, the Greek poet and historian Lucian, in his description of the holiday, mentions these customs: widespread intoxication; going from house to house while singing naked (the origins of here we come, a-wassailing??); rape and other sexual license; and consuming human-shaped biscuits! Presumably this festival contributed to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire...
The Winter Solstice, which is also known as Yule, is one of the oldest pagan winter celebrations. The seasons and weather were extremely important to ancient people, who, being hunter/gatherers, spent the majority of their time outdoors. Understandably, these cultures has great reverence for, and even worshipped the sun. (Those of us living in the northern climes have a little bit of this pagan spirit still beating within, as we go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, checking Tom Skilling's weather page in the Chicago Tribune, anxiously watching as the sunrise and sunset times slooooowwwwlly start to move farther apart again!) The Norsemen of Northern Europe viewed the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons. It was from the word for this wheel, houl, that the word "yule" is thought to be derived. At mid-winter the Norsemen lit bonfires, told stories and drank sweet ale. (Sound familiar? Substitute a wide-screen TV, Big Bang Theory or Sunday football and bottles of Bud Light and you've flashed forward to the 21st Century.)
In Britain, the winter solstice was celebrated on the shortest day of the year (usually December 21st) long before the arrival of Christianity. Oak trees were sacred in the Celtic culture and the winter fruit of the mistletoe which grew on the oak was a symbol of life in the dark winter months. The Druid priests would cut the mistletoe and give it as a blessing. The Druids also began the tradition of the yule log. The Celts thought that the sun stood still for twelve days in the middle of winter (imagine that! -- seems like longer than 12 days to me!) and during this time a log was lit to conquer the darkness, banish evil spirits and bring luck for the coming year.
Sunrise at Stonehenge - Winter Solstice 2011
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"Truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred." The motto of a dissident poet and playwright who, when called upon by the people of his country, took up the mantle of politics. Let us remember Vaclav Havel, who died Sunday. He led the 'Velvet Revolution' in 1989 which helped foment the fall of the Iron Curtain and the collapse of the Soviet Union, and later served as the president of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. He endured Communist oppression and imprisonment, but remained an optimist and a force for the dignity of mankind.
"None of us—as an individual—can save the world as a whole, but . . . each of us must behave as though it were in his power to do so," Havel wrote in his 1997 book, The Art of the Impossible: Politics as Morality in Practice.
He was born Oct. 5, 1936, into a family of entrepreneurs in Prague. His early life was privileged, but his family's prosperity made it a target after the Communists seized power in 1948. Due to his "bourgeois" origins, Havel was denied a secondary education and had to finish his diploma at night school while working days. He was also denied entry to the history and philosophy departments of Prague's prestigious Charles University. He wound up studying economics at a technical institute instead. These frustrations became a source of creativity,. He mocked the Communist system's bureaucracy in his absurdist plays, which include "Beggar's Opera," "The Garden Party," "Largo Desolato," and "The Memorandum."
After the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia crushed the "Prague Spring" reform movement, Havel became convinced of the importance of moral resistance to dictatorship. As a prominent pro-democracy leader and critic of the Soviet regime, he was charged with undermining the state. His plays were banned and it was forbidden even to publish his photograph.
He was born Oct. 5, 1936, into a family of entrepreneurs in Prague. His early life was privileged, but his family's prosperity made it a target after the Communists seized power in 1948. Due to his "bourgeois" origins, Havel was denied a secondary education and had to finish his diploma at night school while working days. He was also denied entry to the history and philosophy departments of Prague's prestigious Charles University. He wound up studying economics at a technical institute instead. These frustrations became a source of creativity,. He mocked the Communist system's bureaucracy in his absurdist plays, which include "Beggar's Opera," "The Garden Party," "Largo Desolato," and "The Memorandum."
After the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia crushed the "Prague Spring" reform movement, Havel became convinced of the importance of moral resistance to dictatorship. As a prominent pro-democracy leader and critic of the Soviet regime, he was charged with undermining the state. His plays were banned and it was forbidden even to publish his photograph.
In 1977, after members of a punk band called the Plastic People of the Universe were arrested on charges of "disturbing the peace," Havel organized the signing of Charter 77 by writers, actors and public intellectuals demanding basic human and civic rights. That move revived of dissident activity after nearly a decade of repression so severe that almost no opposition had been visible. This era was later commemorated in Tom Stoppard's play Rock n'Roll.
In early 1989, Havel was jailed again for several months, but by November it was clear that the Communist regime was doomed. Student demonstrations were on the rise and Havel's Civic Forum organized additional huge protests and held talks
with the crumbling Communist government, eventually persuading it to
relinquish power.
In early 1989, Havel was jailed again for several months, but by November it was clear that the Communist regime was doomed. Student demonstrations were on the rise and Havel's Civic Forum organized additional huge protests and held talks
with the crumbling Communist government, eventually persuading it to
relinquish power.
The Velvet Revolution: soldiers met with flowers and a commemorative plaque to celebrate the overthrow of Communism
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If you’re looking for a thrilling nonfiction read to chase the chill on a winter’s day or night, you might try Wayne Coffey’s The Boys of Winter, subtitled “the untold story of a coach, a dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.” This well written and meticulously researched book looks back at one of the greatest moments of twentieth-century sports history, the improbable victory of the U.S. hockey team over the Soviet Union, assessing the meaning of the triumph and examining the paths taken by the players and coaches on both sides since 1980. Coffey never descends into melodrama, which would have been easy to do given the situation, but captures the details and backstories that went unreported in the frenzy. Coach Herb Brooks, portrayed as an obstinate, aloof, savvy genius, molded a roster of 20 amateur, mostly college-age young men into a team notable for its grit, creativity and an ethic of teamwork. The Soviet team is humanized, as we learn how they scrounged for Band-Aids and avoided using slap shots because a shortage of quality hockey sticks in the Soviet Union meant they couldn't risk breaking them, details which, if revealed at the time, would have implied a weakness in the Soviet regime. Coffey's saga carries us back to a more innocent Olympics era, when doping and judging scandals were not everyday occurrences (except on the East German women’s swim team) and when there were no multi-millionaire professionals playing on an overhyped "dream team."
For a look at a different sport involving an ice rink and skates, try Figure Skating: a history by James R. Hines. Hines includes profiles of many individual skaters, including World and Olympic champions, all of whom, in Dick Button's words, "left the sport better because they were in it." In this volume, you will learn how the jumps got their names like Triple Salchow and Double Axel; read the saga of the woman who broke into the previously all-male World Championships in 1902; and find out the lesser-known details of the tale of Sonja Henie, who figure-skated her way onto the silver screen. Beyond the contributions of individual skaters, Figure Skating also examines the evolution of the sport over time and the judging scandals that have marred recent competitions. Hines takes a look at the rise of ice shows and discusses social, political, and ethical concerns that have affected the sport. You can also peruse the photo gallery for your favorite World and Olympic champion, complete through 2005.
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The Great Gatsby
"Midwestern boy mixes with rich Easterners, learns lesson from Gatsby’s story: rags to riches to death in a swimming pool, all cuz of girl."@Tweetbook
Macbeth
"Ambitious Scotsman slays true king, rises to throne on advice of witches, ghosts and bat-shit crazy wife, is slain by Caesarean-born lord."@Tweetbook
Hamlet
"Manic-depressive Dane mourns dead dad, hallucinates, contemplates matricide, drives flower-strewing chick to suicide, dies by the sword."@Tweetbook
The Catcher in the Rye
"Troubled youth flees prep school, drinks, swears and offends girls in New York City, rants about phonies, loses it watching sis on carousel."@Tweetbook
Anna Karenina
"Unhappy family, dull husband, dashing lover, tormented adulteress, tormented landowner, unrequited love, all ends badly under a train."@Tweetbook
"Midwestern boy mixes with rich Easterners, learns lesson from Gatsby’s story: rags to riches to death in a swimming pool, all cuz of girl."@Tweetbook
Macbeth
"Ambitious Scotsman slays true king, rises to throne on advice of witches, ghosts and bat-shit crazy wife, is slain by Caesarean-born lord."@Tweetbook
Hamlet
"Manic-depressive Dane mourns dead dad, hallucinates, contemplates matricide, drives flower-strewing chick to suicide, dies by the sword."@Tweetbook
The Catcher in the Rye
"Troubled youth flees prep school, drinks, swears and offends girls in New York City, rants about phonies, loses it watching sis on carousel."@Tweetbook
Anna Karenina
"Unhappy family, dull husband, dashing lover, tormented adulteress, tormented landowner, unrequited love, all ends badly under a train."@Tweetbook
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Apologies to blondes in advance...
Did you hear about the dumb blonde who attached a keyboard to her iPad and rested it on a stand? She invented a laptop!
Did you hear about the dumb blonde who attached a keyboard to her iPad and rested it on a stand? She invented a laptop!
That's what I'm talkin' about!
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Looking for a reason to cut back on Christmas commercialism? Try reading Scroogenomics by Joel Waldfogel. I’ll bet you’ve never associated Christmas with the phrase “deadweight loss,” but economist Waldfogel wants to enlighten you in this treatise on wastefulness of holiday consumerism, particularly gift-giving. Waldfogel is not really a “bah humbug” sort of guy; he merely wants people to be more thoughtful about their gift-giving habits and avoid the misallocation of resources and that dreaded deadweight loss phenomenon, which is defined as a “loss to one party that is not offset by a benefit to another.” What that means in plain English is when you give a gift to someone for which they have no absolutely no desire or use, there is an economic loss of value for each party. Which happens more often than we would like to think -- hence, the re-gifting phenomenon. Waldfogel suggest the use of gift cards, which let the recipients choose for themselves, conserving value, or making a charitable donation in the recipient’s name, or just eliminating gift-giving entirely with those people who you really don’t know well enough to choose a gift they will value and enjoy. A sensible thought, and hardly Scrooge-like. For an interview with Waldfogel, visit FailureMagazine.
Aaawwww, why did Mommy have to quit being a Material Girl now?
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Now that we've had our first measurable snowfall in the Chicago area (okay, it wasn't very much), my thoughts again turn to books that celebrate the white stuff. Some classics for children (and the adults who love them):
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. This lovely picture book won the Caldecott Award in 1999. It tells the story of Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, a simple farmer in Vermont, who was fascinated by snow. When he receives the gift of a microscope from his mother, he begins a lifelong study of snow crystals. With the eyes of both a scientist and a poet, he is determined to share his discoveries, as well as the beauty of snow crystals with others, by capturing them in photographs. The illustrations in this book are wondrous woodcuts by Mary Azarian and they fit perfectly with the lyrical text.
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. This lovely picture book won the Caldecott Award in 1999. It tells the story of Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, a simple farmer in Vermont, who was fascinated by snow. When he receives the gift of a microscope from his mother, he begins a lifelong study of snow crystals. With the eyes of both a scientist and a poet, he is determined to share his discoveries, as well as the beauty of snow crystals with others, by capturing them in photographs. The illustrations in this book are wondrous woodcuts by Mary Azarian and they fit perfectly with the lyrical text.
Another favorite of mine is The Snowy Day by Jack Ezra Keats. It also won the Caldecott Medal, way back in 1963. It's the simple story of a boy named Peter savoring the joys of a snowy day. I love it because, having grown up in a city, I can relate to the urban environment through which Peter wanders in his red snowsuit, dragging his stick. The illustrations capture the waning sunlight of late afternoons in December and the lavender skies that hang low after the sun has dipped below the horizon. First published in 1962, this now-classic book also broke the color barrier in mainstream children's publishing. I remember as a child thinking it was wonderful to see a child in a book who was the same color as many of my own friends.
And we can't forget The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. In this chilly fairy tale, an imp creates an evil mirror in which beauty is made ugly. The mirror shatters and the pieces scatter and cause evil throughout the world. Kai and Gerta are playmates. Kai is struck in the eye by a fragment of the mirror and overnight
changes and alarms Gerta. He is attracted to and carried off by the evil Snow Queen and taken to her frozen palace. In the spirit of true friendship, Gerta sets off on a quest to find him and has many adventures along the way. One of my favorite versions of this story is illustrated by Vladyslav Yerko.
changes and alarms Gerta. He is attracted to and carried off by the evil Snow Queen and taken to her frozen palace. In the spirit of true friendship, Gerta sets off on a quest to find him and has many adventures along the way. One of my favorite versions of this story is illustrated by Vladyslav Yerko.
I would be remiss to not mention the lovely work of C.S. Lewis: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Four siblings — Peter, Susan, Edmund,
and Lucy — to be sent away from London during WWII to live in the country with the kind-hearted but remote Professor. The children will soon discover that the Professor's mansion holds many mysteries, including a room which holds nothing but a large wardrobe. When Lucy, the youngest, opens it one rainy day, they discover a passageway into Narnia, a once peaceful world inhabited by Fauns, Dwarves, Giants, and Talking Beasts. But now Narnia is a place "where it is always winter, but never Christmas" by the evil, but seductive White Witch who rules over it. The children become entangled in an adventure that encompasses betrayal, forgiveness, death, and rebirth. I never actually read this as a child. I only discovered it through my own children -- and spent many happy evenings reading it aloud to them at bedtime. Imagine a place where it is perpetual winter, without the joys of the holidays to brighten the darkness. Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
and Lucy — to be sent away from London during WWII to live in the country with the kind-hearted but remote Professor. The children will soon discover that the Professor's mansion holds many mysteries, including a room which holds nothing but a large wardrobe. When Lucy, the youngest, opens it one rainy day, they discover a passageway into Narnia, a once peaceful world inhabited by Fauns, Dwarves, Giants, and Talking Beasts. But now Narnia is a place "where it is always winter, but never Christmas" by the evil, but seductive White Witch who rules over it. The children become entangled in an adventure that encompasses betrayal, forgiveness, death, and rebirth. I never actually read this as a child. I only discovered it through my own children -- and spent many happy evenings reading it aloud to them at bedtime. Imagine a place where it is perpetual winter, without the joys of the holidays to brighten the darkness. Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
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Okay, so maybe this, on the surface, has nothing to do with reading and/or writing, but... baseball is a metaphor for life. And so it absolutely has everything to do with reading and writing. Today, Chicagoans can celebrate Ron Santo finally getting recognition from Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the reward is posthumous and several decades late. And the outcome of the "Golden Era" election was hardly a perfect resolution for baseball fans in the Windy City. White Sox great Minnie Minoso was still denied at place in the pantheon of baseball greats and that's an outrageous oversight!
Minoso led the league in steals three times in an era when people didn’t steal a ton of bases. He also led in triples three times and hits once and total bases in another. He racked up 1,963 hits, 186 home runs, and 205 steals. Minoso did not win a major award, and he never played in the postseason. On a superficial level, it’s a very good career, but perhaps not an all-time great one. However, you can’t talk about Minnie Minoso’s case for Cooperstown without getting into his history in other circuits, playing at a time when opportunity was not equal, thanks to matters of race and the reserve clause. His first three years as a pro were spent in his homeland of Cuba (1943-45). He played three more years in the Negro Leagues for the New York Cubans (1946-1948) and then played in the minor leagues because the Indians felt they were already set in the outfield.
Minoso got his real break in 1951 after getting sent to the White Sox in a three-way deal. Minoso was already 28 years old. As a result, Minoso was already well through the years that are supposed to be a player’s peak seasons, years he hadn’t gotten to spend in the majors due to racism. We can't speculate how much of his career was lost to that.
Despite this late start, Minoso took off on a 10-year run that marked him as one of the best players in the American League.
Minoso was a trailblazer as baseball’s first great black Latin player as well as the first black man to play for the White Sox. His popularity in Chicago was astounding, as he was widely acknowledged as the reason the White Sox attendance crossed a million for the first time in franchise history in 1951, and then stayed there throughout the decade of the 1950s. He was a major cause for South Side pride! Did I ever get to see him play? Of course not. But I listened to many stories at my father's knee as to his greatness, both as a baseball player and as a gentleman. He was ever a positive team force, and had a smile for everyone. The Hall needs to add him while he's still around to truly appreciate the honor!
Minoso led the league in steals three times in an era when people didn’t steal a ton of bases. He also led in triples three times and hits once and total bases in another. He racked up 1,963 hits, 186 home runs, and 205 steals. Minoso did not win a major award, and he never played in the postseason. On a superficial level, it’s a very good career, but perhaps not an all-time great one. However, you can’t talk about Minnie Minoso’s case for Cooperstown without getting into his history in other circuits, playing at a time when opportunity was not equal, thanks to matters of race and the reserve clause. His first three years as a pro were spent in his homeland of Cuba (1943-45). He played three more years in the Negro Leagues for the New York Cubans (1946-1948) and then played in the minor leagues because the Indians felt they were already set in the outfield.
Minoso got his real break in 1951 after getting sent to the White Sox in a three-way deal. Minoso was already 28 years old. As a result, Minoso was already well through the years that are supposed to be a player’s peak seasons, years he hadn’t gotten to spend in the majors due to racism. We can't speculate how much of his career was lost to that.
Despite this late start, Minoso took off on a 10-year run that marked him as one of the best players in the American League.
Minoso was a trailblazer as baseball’s first great black Latin player as well as the first black man to play for the White Sox. His popularity in Chicago was astounding, as he was widely acknowledged as the reason the White Sox attendance crossed a million for the first time in franchise history in 1951, and then stayed there throughout the decade of the 1950s. He was a major cause for South Side pride! Did I ever get to see him play? Of course not. But I listened to many stories at my father's knee as to his greatness, both as a baseball player and as a gentleman. He was ever a positive team force, and had a smile for everyone. The Hall needs to add him while he's still around to truly appreciate the honor!
Minnie Minoso 4-Ever!!!! South SIde pride!
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On this day in 1857, Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski--later known as Joseph Conrad--is born in Poland.
Conrad spent his early childhood in northern Russia, where his father, a Polish poet and patriot, had been exiled. His parents both died of tuberculosis when he was 12. An uncle raised Joseph for the next five years. At age 17, Joseph set out for Marseilles, France, where he joined the merchant marine and sailed to the West Indies. Conrad's many harrowing adventures at sea set the scene for much of his writing.
In 1878, when Conrad was 21, he traveled to England as a deck hand on a British freighter. He learned English and spent 16 years with the British merchant navy. He became a British subject in 1886 and later commanded a Congo River steamboat for four months, which set the stage for his well-known story Heart of Darkness (1902).
Without Joseph Conrad, we wouldn't have the film Apocalypse Now and any number of pop culture quotes, such as:
Kurtz: The horror... the horror... (final lines)
and of course:
Kilgore: Smell that? You smell that?
Lance: What?
Kilgore: Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning.
Conrad spent his early childhood in northern Russia, where his father, a Polish poet and patriot, had been exiled. His parents both died of tuberculosis when he was 12. An uncle raised Joseph for the next five years. At age 17, Joseph set out for Marseilles, France, where he joined the merchant marine and sailed to the West Indies. Conrad's many harrowing adventures at sea set the scene for much of his writing.
In 1878, when Conrad was 21, he traveled to England as a deck hand on a British freighter. He learned English and spent 16 years with the British merchant navy. He became a British subject in 1886 and later commanded a Congo River steamboat for four months, which set the stage for his well-known story Heart of Darkness (1902).
Without Joseph Conrad, we wouldn't have the film Apocalypse Now and any number of pop culture quotes, such as:
Kurtz: The horror... the horror... (final lines)
and of course:
Kilgore: Smell that? You smell that?
Lance: What?
Kilgore: Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning.
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On the evening of December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, an African
American, was arrested for disobeying an Alabama law requiring black passengers to relinquish seats to white passengers when the bus was full. Blacks also were required to sit at the back of the bus. Her arrest sparked a 381-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system and led to a 1956 Supreme Court decision banning segregation on public transportation.
American, was arrested for disobeying an Alabama law requiring black passengers to relinquish seats to white passengers when the bus was full. Blacks also were required to sit at the back of the bus. Her arrest sparked a 381-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system and led to a 1956 Supreme Court decision banning segregation on public transportation.
Rosa Parks being fingerprinted after her arrest