Xmyth Trees

Well it's truly begun--the sidewalks of NYC are littered with discarded, dying trees awaiting pickup. This got me to thinking about a discussion on another lj a short while ago about the so-called "war on Xmas". I pointed out that Xmas trees were actually a remnant of Druidic worship and were never mentioned in the Bible. Someone pointed out that somewhere in the Bible there were verses "which sound suspiciously like they *outlaw* Chrismas trees." I asked where but received no reply so a few days ago I went hunting and finally found what the commenter was writing about. In Jeremiah 10:2-4 (KJV) it says: “Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.” One could take it to mean believers shouldn't cut down trees and adorn them. However the writer went on about how in different translations it's made clear that the trees are carved into idols which are then adorned for worship. This raises an interesting point that if the Bible is without error how do fundamentalists explain the contradictions that arise from different translations made from the various versions of the Bible and how do they know which version is the TRUE version?

A Joyous End-of-Year to All

Found this over at Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/features/newyears.html):

New Year's Word Origins

Auld lang syne is a phrase that literally means "old long since" or "old long ago" and became famous in Robert Burns's 1788 song:

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

The germ phrase has been traced back to an anonymous ballad in the Bannatyne Manuscript of 1568, "Auld Kyndnes foryett."

Champagne is the name of a province in eastern France and the varieties of still or sparkling wine made from the grapes there. As defined by French law, only sparkling wine from Champagne can be called "champagne." It must be fermented in the bottle and varies from brut, the driest, to sweeter doux champagnes. Champagne is sometimes called "the wine of love."

Resolution is from the Latin resolutio, resolution- from resolvere meaning "to loosen or dissolve again," (re- + solvere) which was the original meaning of resolve. The meaning "to determine or decide upon a course of action, etc." was first used in English around 1523.

The practice of drinking a toast started in the 17th century with the naming of a lady at a banquet to whose health the others present were requested to drink. Pieces of spiced toast were once placed in wine and the idea of this practice was that the lady's name flavored the drink as pieces of spiced toast once would have.

                            A JOYOUS END-OF-YEAR TO ALL

                  MAY THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH

                            IN THIS COMING YEAR