December 2023 Newsletter

Another trip around the Sun is nearly complete and the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, is coming on December 21. For thousands of years, humans in the northern hemisphere have been celebrating winter solstice because the days begin to get longer. Most of the traditions that we are familiar with came to us from the

Greeks, Romans, Celtics, Norse, and a few other pagan societies. These pagan traditions include such things as hanging wreaths, decorating evergreen trees, caroling, gift giving, burning a yule log, kissing under the mistletoe, and more. All of these traditions had some pagan meaning centered around the winter solstice, or the “rebirth of the Sun.” The legend of Santa Claus might have been based on the worship of Odin, the Norse god of wisdom. But do you know where the image of a jolly old man with a white beard and a red suit originated? Coca-Cola! For centuries, many different images represented Santa Claus. Then, in 1931, an advertising agency working for the Coca-Cola Company commissioned an artist to paint a Santa for a Coca-Cola advertisement. The artist got inspiration for the image above from the poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Thus, it began.

Speaking of winter solstice, RMA is hosting a big event on December 21, the Winter Solstice Celebration. The star of the show will be a delicious turkey dinner. But if you are vegan, don’t worry, there will be a vegan option. There will be a cash bar so you will have an opportunity to have a drink and mingle with heathen friends while you check out the silent auction. Speaking of a show, after dinner there will be an “Atheists Got Talent” show. If you can sing or play an instrument, do stand-up comedy, or do a dramatic reading of prose or poetry, there is still time to sign up. There is also time to donate something for the silent auction. This will all take place at the Rosedale Community Hall, 901 11th Ave NW, at 6:30 pm on Thursday, December 21. Adult tickets are only $20.00. Please pay in advance by going to the Meetup page and clicking on the phrase, “Tickets are just $20” and that will take you to PayPal. This is a family event and children under 12 can pay $5 at the door. You won’t want to miss this one.

Lois’s Pick

Lois’ Pick: You Can’t Get to Heaven in a Mini-Skirt. Yes, there really is a podcast by that name. In fact, it is Canadian. Two women, Jessica and Sarah, who have been lifelong friends, host the podcast. Jessica was raised in a casually Catholic home and Sarah in an evangelical Baptist home. They met when they were about 12 years old. Sarah, being very devout, invited Jessica to her Christian activities and Jessica was converted. When they became adults, they moved to opposite ends of Canada, and both deconverted. Still friends, they decided to do a podcast together to talk about their own experiences and delve into various aspects of religion. They also interview guests who have had challenging experiences with religion. They approach their podcast in a light-hearted manner but they dig into some very intense topics. Check it out, you might enjoy it.

Note: Some events might not appear on this list because they are not yet confirmed. Check the Meetup page to find any new events that might be planned during the month.