Actually I love it<\/a>.<\/p>\nBut here I am in the early hours of Christmas day. And my thoughts drift in several ways..<\/p>\n
For one.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll be celebrating the day in the conventional American way, gathering with family and friends. Within a couple hours the gathered clan will be trying to avoid revisiting old slights, pointing out other\u2019s absurd and perhaps dangerous political positions, and sharing disappointment in each other\u2019s religious views. Sitting on judgments of the younger member\u2019s lifestyle choices are completely optional.<\/p>\n
For some years now Jan and I have been in charge of producing a meal that will accommodate the sensibilities of the majority who believe spilled blood must be featured in every meal and the vegans who are offended at hearing about cheese. We\u2019ve been working on this theme for years now. And we\u2019ve won some small victories in the accommodating each other vein\u2026<\/p>\n
Today we\u2019re going with pasta (store bought, two choices, both vegan, squash and mushroom) in a basically vegan menu (with cheese and some sausage to put into the marinara offered on the side). Basically an Italian, or maybe more accurately Mediterranean inspired festival.<\/p>\n
And\u2026<\/p>\n
In these early hours, my mind and a bit of my heart goes to those other festivals of this day. And in the moment one in particular more connected to that Facebook meme \u201cthe reason for the season is the tilt of the planet\u2019s axis.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you didn\u2019t know, there is a stalwart minority who remind us that Issac Newton was born on this day in 1642. Talk about fulfilling the abundant promise to be found at the moment of a child\u2019s birth. Newton would become one of the greatest scientists in our history.<\/p>\n
As Wikipedia notes \u201cNewton described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion which dominated the scientific view of the physical universe for the next three centuries. In mathematics, Newton shares the credit with Gottfried Leibniz for the development of the differential and integral calculus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Me, I also like how he bridged the pre-scientific and scientific worlds. In addition to his work in mathematics, optics, mechanics, and gravitation, he was a working alchemist, seeking the philosopher\u2019s stone. And, it doesn\u2019t hurt that he was a serious biblical scholar who read himself into a theological unitarian. Thinking of Newton makes me smile.<\/p>\n
Some within the rationalist community like to call Newton\u2019s birthday, today, the 25th of December, as Newtonmas. They send cards emblazoned with \u201cReason\u2019s Greetings!\u201d and exchange gifts of apples. Wikipedia speculates \u201cThe name Newtonmas can be attributed to The Skeptics Society, which needed an alternative name for its Christmas party. Another name for this holiday is Gravmas (also spelt Gravmass or Grav-mass) which is an abbreviation of \u201cgravitational mass\u201d due to Newton\u2019s Theory of Gravitation.<\/p>\n
This low key, and generally tongue in cheek holiday continues as a subtext to the day. For example last year the wonderful contemporary science popularizer, Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted \u201cOn this day long ago, a child was born who, by age 30, would transform the world. Happy birthday Isaac Newton\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Okay, almost time to start cooking.<\/p>\n
And, me, I\u2019m wishing the blessings of the season on all of us.<\/p>\n
All of \u2019em\u2026<\/p>\n
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