So I missed wishing everybody a Happy first night of Chanukah, but commentor J. at J-Two-O gives me a chance to rectify my oversight…
__
__
As an animist, and a progressive, I believe in celebrating every possible festival of lights. The Neopagan calendar’s four cross-quarter festivals are Imbolc (candles), Beltane (bonfires), Lammas (hearthfires) and Samhain (lanterns). Those of you who follow other traditions are gonna have to send me emails (click my name near the top of the right-hand column) to bring me up to speed, though… I know there must be some wonderful Diwali YTs…
********
As an alternative for the grinches militant atheists among us, Mozilla is sponsoring a red panda webcam at the Knoxville Zoo (h/t Gawker).
If red panda cubs can’t improve your mood, well… got any suggestions?
srv
The progress in Afghanistan always warms my heart.
General Stuck
Thanks for the webcam AL. Loves the Pandas, Red and Giant
What did the Zebra say to the Wildebeast before crossing the crocodile infested river?
See ya in hell, ugly motherfucker
and what did the crocodile say to them both?
candygram
Svensker
Those cubs are the cutest things ever. Double squeeeeee.
jeffreyw
Mmm…little blueberry pies!
Rather have peach pies? Peach pies with some whipped cream?
Biscuits
Jeff’s pie and pandas! I haz a happy.
Viva BrisVegas
Booze, and lots of it.
Jane2
Pie and panda cubs!!!! All we need is Homer…..
Yutsano
Hanukkah Samayach! (and no quibbling over the spelling, Hebrew doesn’t transliterate into English well)
Suzan
Are these people trying to be nerdier than the really are or are they really that nerdy? This is not intended as criticism but I can always trust Anne to find the nerdiest musical numbers on YouTube. Is there an app for that or do you just search “nerd/weirdo”?
Ailuridae
That’s me in the second photo.
Anne Laurie
@Suzan: As we pagan say: Like calls to like!
Currants
Anne Laurie, the link to your address doesn’t work (Firefox, Apple), so I’ll suggest as another winter lights festival Lucia Day in Sweden. (Note: traditionally, “Lucia” was the eldest daughter in the family. Most websites just say “young girl.”) Interestingly, most sources describe it as the first day of the Christmas Season, much like la fête de Sainte Barbe in France, but its origins before Christianity aren’t too hard to figure out–it’s the shortest day (longest night) of the year, so it marks a turning point in the … you know, seasons or whatever. (The French tradition also has pagan/agrarian roots appropriated by religion.)
PurpleGirl
Annie Laurie: Some time ago I began calling myself an equal opportunity deity worshiper; i.e., if a holy day and it’s ritual resonated with me, I would try to either follow the traditional observance or create one of my own. So the four neopagan quarter days get noted, Christmas, Chanukah, Diwali, Tu B’Shevat (the Jewish new year for trees). I add them as I find them.
Rook
Hey! Isn’t that Dustin Hoffman in that picture?
Gus diZerega
Even many of our other Sabbats are firey. Don’t forget the Yule log!