In part two of this week's episode, Margaret continues her conversation with Garrison Davis about how the Church tried, and largely failed, to stop the wild revelry of the winter solstice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The 12th day of Christmas, also known as Epiphany, held more importance than Christmas day in medieval times. While some people attended church, many pagans still held onto their beliefs and practices.
The podcast discusses how pagan celebrations and rituals were incorporated into Christian traditions and how certain practices were viewed as sacrilegious by the church.
The Feast of the Innocence and a game of hide and seek played by children are discussed with their relation to Saturnalia and the possibility of parents not actively searching for their children during the game.
The speaker discusses the Scandinavian tradition of elders throwing themselves off of cliffs to not take up resources from the community and compares it to being ruled by the English king and Catholic church in the name of God.
The hosts discuss the symbolism behind Simple Rick's Freedom Wafers from Rick and Morty, and how they represent the idea of true freedom and rebellion against societal norms. They also touch on the negative interpretation of such revelry.
The idea of a single radio conglomerate controlling half of podcasting raises questions about power structures and their influence on society. Rather than fearing hypothetical youth gangs, individuals within a power structure may use it to their advantage.
The condemnation of cross-dressing is not a new concept and has been occurring for centuries, as seen in the condemnation of transvestism during the popular New Year's holiday in the six and seven century synods. However, the recent attacks on Christmas-themed drag shows, which align more with traditional Christmas values than those attacking them, show that the concept of cross-dressing remains contentious today.
Learn about traditional orchard celebrations in England where people would march from orchard to orchard and drink to the health of the trees and scare away evil spirits for a good harvest. Also, discover the island of Koh Tao that resembles a paradise with its beautiful beaches and clear waters.
The speaker explains their thoughts on Christmas and how family togetherness and tradition is an important part of the holiday, even for those who don't agree with consumerism.
The podcast host discusses how people want midwinter celebrations and even though it is secular, it can still feel religious to people. He also talks about the religious freedom and the history of Puritans.
The hosts discuss the concept of "cool people" and also the traditional British Christmas Pudding which is essentially a fruitcake with figs and alcohol.