Chanukah

[liv]

I have ideological issues with Chanukah. But this evening, I came home from work, and was so dead tired that I fell straight to sleep (this was the middle of the afternoon!) And I woke up and it was cold and dark, but there was my chanukah present from lethargic_man. All of a sudden, I felt far away from my family and my people, and I had a strong impulse to go out to the corner shop and buy nightlights with which I improvised a chanukah lamp.

Then I sat down and wrote a highly enthusiastic review of The Player of Games.

To those who care about such things, happy chanukah.

Comments

[liv]

the custom of giving presents at huile-tide ()
Now that really is dreadful. But anyway, moving on...

was taken from the Christians, and the Maccabees would have called it Greek and foreign
Yes, true, but as I was pointing out the custom of instigating national festivals to celebrate military victories is definitely Greek and foreign. The whole existence of Chanukah contradicts itself.

Not that I personally have any problem with being given presents. ;^)
Do you have any idea how difficult you are to buy presents for? You don't get excited about any kinds of luxury foods, you don't like stuff because you keep your life uncluttered, you dress mostly in a functional way so I can't give you dress-type ornaments... So what does that leave? Bookies, I suppose, but you're very sensible about simply buying for yourself any books you happen to want.

In such restricted circumstances I can only do my best, but it's not a very good best.

Chanukah

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

the custom of giving presents at huile-tide () was taken from the Christians, and the Maccabees would have called it Greek and foreign

Yes, true, but as I was pointing out the custom of instigating national festivals to celebrate military victories is definitely Greek and foreign.

Is it? What about Purim? I wonder when the earliest mention of Purim outside the (dubiously-dated) Book of Esther is.

Not that I personally have any problem with being given presents. ;^)

Do you have any idea how difficult you are to buy presents for? You don't get excited about any kinds of luxury foods, you don't like stuff because you keep your life uncluttered, you dress mostly in a functional way so I can't give you dress-type ornaments... So what does that leave? Bookies, I suppose, but you're very sensible about simply buying for yourself any books you happen to want.
In such restricted circumstances I can only do my best, but it's not a very good best.

Sorry; I had no idea I was so contrary. Can I ask for examples of my not getting excited about any kinds of luxury foods? As for "stuff", though I'll mostly turn it down as kipple left to my own devices, I'm not completely averse to getting cool stuff. I'd have been happy getting the Chanukah present I got you, or the puzzle ring Sarah got Maria. As for clothing, again I suppose I'm not averse to coolness (though that doesn't mean fashionable clothing). You've seen my Prisoner T-shirt, and I'm currently wearing a Miskatonic University sweatshirt. And I've told you about how Paul bribed me into getting a new suit for his wedding (the old one was perfectly serviceable, but I'd been wearing it in the photos from the previous family שמחה) by getting me a Roadrunner tie.

[liv]

Do you have any idea how difficult you are to buy presents for?
Sorry; I had no idea I was so contrary.
Ça, you're not really contrary, it's more that I'm unimaginative about present buying.

Can I ask for examples of my not getting excited about any kinds of luxury foods?
I think what I meant was, you don't get excited about the kinds of foods where the luxury variety is significantly more exciting than the ordinary variety, and which I am knowledgeable enough about to be effective at buying. You don't drink, which rules out a whole swathe of stuff. And you don't like cheese and you don't appreciate serious chocolate.

Now that you've pulled me up on it I can in fact think of a few possibilities; frivolous chocolate, for a start. But I think I shall try giving you these things rather than telling you about them!

As for "stuff", though I'll mostly turn it down as kipple left to my own devices,
Knowing this means I have very little confidence to buy you anything even if I think it's cool, because I always worry that you might not agree with my assessment.

I'm not completely averse to getting cool stuff
No, that would be considerably obsessive! I have not yet found something that I want to give you and am convinced is cool, but I'll keep looking.

I'd have been happy getting the Chanukah present I got you
The thing is, that's exactly the kind of thing I would never think of. If I had seen that little birdie in a shop, I would almost certainly not have paused long enough to register that it's cool. And I most certainly wouldn't have thought of giving it as a present.

or the puzzle ring Sarah got Maria
I don't think I can give you rings, dear.

As for clothing, again I suppose I'm not averse to coolness
Nah, fair nuff. I should have thought of that as a possibility, especially since it's easy enough to put just about any image on clothes. Hm.

I'm sure it is against all kinds of rules of etiquette to discuss with the intended recipient what presents I should buy that person. *shrug*

Of dilemmas over present-giving

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

If I had seen that little birdie in a shop, I would almost certainly not have paused long enough to register that it's cool.

As I might have mentioned, the only reason I did was because I recalled my father describing nodding birds to me a decade earlier.

I'm sure it is against all kinds of rules of etiquette to discuss with the intended recipient what presents I should buy that person. *shrug*

Depends if it's a surprise present. "Is there anything in particular you'd like for your birthday/Chanukah/etc?" has a venerable history.

[liv]

the custom of instigating national festivals to celebrate military victories is definitely Greek and foreign

Is it? What about Purim?
That's sort of a good counterexample, actually. I was going to say that the difference is that Esther is a prophet(ess) whereas Judah the Maccabee most certainly isn't, and indeed lived after the end of the age of prophecy. But of course there's no internal evidence to that effect, being as how the strange thing about Esther is its failure to mention God at all.

I wonder when the earliest mention of Purim outside the (dubiously-dated) Book of Esther is.
To an extent it doesn't matter when Esther dates from; clearly it was well established in canon by the time we get any kind of she be'al peh at all. And most probably before the time of the Maccabees. So you're not going to be able to find any discussion of Purim as a new festival in the way you get with Chanukah.