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Welcome back to SDYT the podcast, where values still hold that I'm Porter, and I'm excited to announce this is our first Christmas special. It's not a Monday, it's not 9 in the morning, but I appreciate you guys tuning in.

 

We're gonna talk about Christmas, different festivals, different themes, different cultures around the world, and a few things that they all have in common.

 

Namely, joy, hope, faith, peace, friendliness, neighborliness, and all sorts of cool things Christmas. We're talking about the magic of innocence, corruption of innocence, sharing safeguarding that magic.

 

Spiritsuality and its impact on Christmas A little bit of the true meaning of gifts, but I hope you guys have an awesome time with your families, your friends, or anybody even that you hold as a family.

 

And with that, Let me be the first to say, Merry Christmas. Folks on Porter, this is a Christmas special of SDYT the podcast. Alrighty, folks. Welcome back to SD YT, the podcast.

 

Again, I'm Porter. I'm your host, and welcoming back. For another episode. And this year's Christmas special spectacular Dax Evans, everybody, Dax Evans. Appreciate it, Dave. Welcome back, dude. It's good to be back. So Yeah.

 

No. I'm I'm super excited. There's a lot of stuff we can cover in this particular episode. Christmas stuff all around the world. From from what you and I discussed, you were gonna talk a little bit more of the sort of spirituality.

 

But from a religious aspect, I'll I'll touch a little bit more on the traditions and and sort of cultural nuances of the sort of festive season.

 

But but otherwise, 1 of the things I think is pretty interesting that you and I talked about earlier on is what Actually, I'm pretty sure you coined as as the magic of innocence.

 

So let me set the stage real quick before you dive into it. Yeah. Sure. So for all of our listeners out there, whether you celebrate celebrate Christmas or a variation of it, or even not at all.

 

The relatable aspect of this concept of the magic of innocence. Picture when you were a child, maybe running into the living room or down the stairs, wherever a Christmas tree was, and there were presents.

 

But the moment right before you get down and peak around the corner, the apprehension, the the the light sort of the anticipation of the magic.

 

Right? And then you get there and it just erupts. That excitement, that magic of innocence is what we're trying to encapsulate as we go through this conversation.

 

So, Dax, let me let me pass it over to you for a second, man. What's your take on all this? What's your how do you define this?

 

Well okay. Imagine, man. So I think it's like a a preparation thing. After after you kinda get past the they want thanksgiving is over with. You end up happening. You end up having a kind of like a preparation for the season.

 

So the magic is pretty much building throughout this process up until you actually get December 20 fifth, which is when and today and, like, at this and obviously, it's the date for Christmas day.

 

But I think there's a lot of Trish traditions and set up and kind of practices that a lot of families do in America today because that's that's obviously where I'm from.

 

So that's what I reference it off of. So I think there's a lot of practices that we do in preparation for kind of maintaining that magic for a longer in a period of time of, like, 30 days.

 

Well, yeah, I totally get that. 1 of my favorite past times for Christmas is going to Home Depot in October like early October and seeing Christmas lights.

 

It's nice. Yeah. Yeah. They they they they capitalize on the they capitalize on the the the possibility of being able to make a sale for sure. Yeah. Yeah. It really sort of drags out the season.

 

But the crazy thing about it is anything that goes on for too long or shows up too early in any other market, right, whether it's business or any other particular industry, If it's ahead of its time, it doesn't really stick.

 

I think the crazy thing about the magic of Christmas or at least of the season -- Sure.

 

-- anywhere around the world is you can play Christmas music, you know, and hear it on a playlist, and it's not really that off putting. Sure. But you almost expect to start hearing it in November months before the actual holiday.

 

You know? And and it doesn't really outlast. It doesn't really outplay itself. Until until December 20 sixth. Then. It's like, now we we picked the peak and now we're gonna we're gonna go ahead and start Yeah.

 

There there's not even a gradual descent. Yeah. Just climbs till the 25th, and then you're like, Yes, lunchtime and no more, you know, like Yeah, that's true.

 

Because everybody's mind starts going to to to new year. So trying to plan all that stuff out. Yeah. It's it's crazy, man. Trying to I guess, live in the future at that particular point in time.

 

Before we really get to that sort of time shift though, let's rewind it back to 4567 years old, coming down the stairs, that that portion of anticipation, that little bit of magic that's there where all the hope, the anticipation, the even the reality, the belief the faith, the joy, everything just changes.

 

From from your perspective, how do we how do we break this up here.

 

Let's see. Okay. And so for What do you got? So what I got like, okay. So for, like, Joey. Right? Because we're we're kinda trying to use these, like, individual statements to to define. It's hard to compartmentalize.

 

It really is hard to kinda define like, what the magic really is. I think that's something we we had discussed before. Like, how do you paraphrase that kind of emotion and that kind of feeling and make it a tangible. Right?

 

So you can actually pay it to your children or to family members and things like that because I think kind of, for me, traditions wise is a, you know, on Christmas Eve, you know, the anticipation for Santa Claus, the anticipation for Santa Claus and being able to, like, okay, I'm gonna like, the tradition of leaving out milk and cookies.

 

Right? And also like the tradition because you you wanna make sure somebody was there to to see it and stuff and eat it.

 

Suggests, but I think those aspects of those aspects of being able to practice those in application to the process really helps kind of it's like a wind up toy.

 

They and then just setting off like a topper and then it just keeps spinning and spinning and spinning and I Not.

 

That was a very good analogy. It probably wasn't. But No. That's yeah. No. You're right. Definitely was not. Okay. No. Again, that just goes to show how hard it is to really define Yeah.

 

Like, a big guy coming down the chimney putting presents out that you sent a letter to that he has magical reindeer and he has a sleigh. Right? And it's, like, those are all things that aren't necessarily.

 

Like, those are all things that are that are amazing to visualize as a child because you don't there's, a there's like a a lack of information there that allows you to kind of use your imagination to capture what this thing is.

 

Well, that's the cool thing about the whole reason, I think, anyways, because there's so many unknown variables that you you don't have a choice, but to try to fill them in just naturally as a human being through through through your imagination.

 

Right? Like like, I talked about this the other day with Jones, yeah, I think you may or may not meet him at some point.

 

But anyway, yeah, he and I were talking and He defined the difference between nature and nurture as naturally being gifted what he he he defined creativity as naturally being gifted to nurture yourself. Actually, being rejected.

 

Okay. Yeah. And that that was that was how we define creativity. And I and I think it really fits into this concept as well because for 1, as an adult, I look at my chimney, and I'm like, that's 7 grand if it breaks.

 

I you know, I don't doesn't even have a flu, you know, like That's what I'm saying. It it just gets more and more narrow. I don't understand, you know.

 

But I I do know that green sky has some wildly phenomenal construction loans. You know, but no. The difference though, being able to understand even if you've seen deer or reindeer specifically before or heard these animals, you know.

 

There's still a sort of sense of wonder or bewilderment, I think, was the word you used when we talked earlier. Surrounding all these concepts, almost no matter how familiar you are because it's exciting.

 

It's new. It's it's -- Yeah. -- you know, it's it's it's it's foreign. But it's it's so cool. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. No. No. No. I I think also, it's all inclusive. Like, it's it's an agreed upon magic and and society and culture. Right?

 

So, like, it's not like you're fighting against the grain to be inclusive of everybody to because again, you know, I think it was, like, in the nineteenth century when Christmas was, like, really really, I guess, redefine in America -- Mhmm.

 

-- kinda how it practices today to I forget the guy's name. I to look it up, but but being able to being able to make it a peaceful holiday.

 

And, you know, like, what's what's capture, you know, you're trying to do good things to less fortunate people, but also to your family. And so there's a lot of actions that go in involve with So it's a it's like a feel good thing.

 

You you honestly get to you get to buy things for others and I mean, yes, receive things from others, but more more so being able to see other people's joy if we're still talking about, like, how capture that magic.

 

I think it's bringing joy to other people's being bringing joy to other people's lives through gift giving but also breaking bread and also, like, being able to just have the time off, like, having the federal holiday to be able to to recognize Christmas day as a time to come with family and friends.

 

So Yeah. For sure. The a a lot of the traditions that we have, at least that I'm more familiar with, having Chris tree, for example.

 

Or like you said, sitting around with your with your family or whoever serves as your family, eating dinner with them during the holidays, just getting time off work to decompress and reflect, you know, gratitude or or helping other people.

 

I think a lot of these types of traditions for most of the holidays that we have anyways came from, you know, hundreds of years ago, like and just imagine.

 

Right? Like, here's an example. Did you know that the first and this is actually, I got this from history dot com. So Oh. I mean, Yeah.

 

There you go. So they they know what they're doing. But did you know according to history dot com anyways, that the first Christmas tree was sort of started on record prior to 17 50, the year, 17 50. Mhmm. I didn't know that.

 

Yeah. Well, I didn't need her until I just just pulled it up. But yeah. 17 50. And so after 17 50, and this is what it says on the web Christmas trees began showing up in other parts of Germany, and even more so after 17 71.

 

When it was included in the suffering of young werther, which is apparently a novel, not too familiar.

 

But yeah. Apparently, that was a catalyst. What I'm getting at is imagine you're in this German village in Strasburg. And it's cold. It's windy. It's snowing. Most of the trees have lost their leaves. Most of the birds of stop flying.

 

It's damp and you've got 7 layers of your best fur on to try to stay warm and you're 3 feet tall as a child. Yeah. Right? And you're just waddling through 2 foot deep snow trying to make sense of how do I navigate the ice?

 

But you've got a wooden house or a cabin of some sort here in the village, a wood burning stove, fireplace, fire pit something to this effect to stay warm.

 

You're eating what you catch, you're hunting what you need to eat, foraging when you can, and stockpiling when you can't.

 

And that's it. Right? Like, schools are closed because there isn't 1. And you're working at home, taking over the tray to your parents as best as possible, where your mom takes care of the house.

 

You know, like, that's the setting. And then you walk outside and somebody says, man, as rough as this is, we still need to give thanks. There's you know, whether it's a winter solstice or just the end of it.

 

Like, we made it another year. Yeah. Yeah. And and it's it's it's sort of like the the after effects of thanksgiving, I think. Right? Like, thanksgiving is be grateful for everything you have.

 

And then Christmas comes around and it's like, I understand you're grateful, but now give that back to somebody else, you know, now pay it forward. Yeah. And it's kinda like the overflow.

 

So as you're this little furry child in the snow in Germany in the 17 hundreds, you know, you see you see this first tree and it's still green in the middle of the snow and still has its Well, I guess needles, but it's green is the point.

 

Right? And then you so kids start decorating and putting stuff on it and having fun throwing snowballs and laughing and joking and jumping and dancing.

 

And you know, and and here we are now, where where it just naturally and it's it's sort of like the, I guess, the chaos that is the positive emotional conglomerate of emotion that children have. Sure. It's just contagious, you know.

 

And I think your kinda go on the, like, the positive notion there is I I think a lot of times, kinda looking at the magic innocence more. So at the child aspect is, you know, they they have a tendency to see the best in people. Right?

 

And and like they don't they don't look at because because a lot of times they they kind of add no discretion at all will if they see an older person in Walmart, you know, like, or whatever store we're going to, like, I know my daughter.

 

She will have a tendency when she was younger, she'd be like, papa, nana, you know, like, it was it was like, yeah. So she would see what she she was seeing and she didn't see a possibility of, like, they don't know any of that.

 

Right? And I think that kind of goes into the the the aspect of the innocence of of what we're trying to convey with with with Christmas and kinda keeping that magic going in.

 

Let me check. Let's see if my daughter's actually in the room before I save my next piece because I don't wanna ring Well, no.

 

That's alright. We can we can talk around stuff like that. That's not really the aim of this anyways. Okay. Never mind. But then the aspect of it is is -- Yeah. -- is trying to is is trying to convey that message to them.

 

I'm trying basically trying to protect the I would say the the innocence part of it. Like, trying to trying to protect that out the time as long as possible and keep giving them that kinda like hope you said -- Yeah, man.

 

-- where you're talking about the treat. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. And then It's it maintains this this, I don't know, Positive.

 

Joy contagion. Yeah. Yeah. And like Happiness. Yeah. I don't know. Right? I don't know what the word is, man. Because it's so tough to qualify. Yes. But but it's all the same kind of concept.

 

Right? Like, nobody has ever heard a baby get tickled and laughed and then fart and not smile. Yeah. Right? Like, that's just you get this little chunk baby who's just, you know, doing whatever baby things.

 

Yeah. And it just, you know, not that. But like a baby, it just catches on and people enjoy hearing it. So I'm not gonna replicate it again. No. It's good. You should.

 

No. It's it's contagious. It yeah. And that and that's the thing. Right? And so so being able to sort of get into that place where that feeling that magic takes over, does it matter if there's snow, maybe to some people, but snow melts.

 

Right? Does it matter if there's Christmas trees, maybe, but trees die and get cut down. Does it matter if there's different types of food? Not really, because you can't always get it when it's not available.

 

But the the constant constants, I guess, is having at least internally as an individual the ability to maintain that perspective, of giving, of joy, of hope, of of faith, or thinking about these memories you had with people that you care about or especially when you can't be there.

 

Yeah. Oh, that's very true. Yeah. I I think that's a lot of the magic as well. Now we also talked about a little bit what we'll get into this sort of in in the back end of this a little bit more heavily, I think.

 

But using this type of magic or reinforcement or creation, I guess, of this type of magic to make other people feel like they matter and to show somebody that they still have worth.

 

And -- Oh, yeah. -- you know, giving giving to poor people is the same in my opinion as just tithing, but you don't know who's getting it.

 

Sure. And and it's sort of that where you're able to pay it forward. Or or or it should be, I think a lot of times where I I think if and I think we've kind of maybe mainstream Christmas has, like, made it mandatory that you give gifts.

 

Like, I don't know if that's a that's a a bad good bar thing to say. But, like, I know for me and what I'm trying to teach in my household is that, you know, try to get without expecting anything in return.

 

Mhmm. Right? And and I think that kinda goes into building that kind of that that magic. Obviously, other people are going hopefully, I'm not gonna say obviously.

 

But hopefully, other people that you're commuting with or whatever it may be that you're having Christmas with has the opportunity that they can give you something.

 

But if they can't, they might be able to create something and give it to you, like a cool picture that my daughter wrapped, you know. Yeah. She wrapped in in a in a little gift wrapping, she did a picture.

 

Right? And when it wasn't for me, it was for for wife. So but but she live did this little picture. She drew it. She said, I love you mommy and daddy and all that jazz and she she wrapped it in a in a present and she gave it.

 

And I'm That doesn't have, like, a piece of paper and some ink is really not expensive. Right? So the the I think the the aspect of it is is like the value is the fact that you're just giving something to somebody.

 

Right? And making them feel like they're wanted. Right? And that they have purpose and that you care about them and that they have some worth because there's a lot of times especially with everything that's going on right now.

 

You know, I can I can I can I can think of a number of people that were isolated during, you know, the year 20 20 and going into 20 21 that they weren't able to go see their look They may have lost loved ones?

 

And so there's some people that might be looking at Christmas this coming year and really feeling like I'm sad, you know. Yeah. It brings because they're not able to spend this time.

 

So, like, if you have people that are like that or if you know people that are like that, you know, I encourage everybody that that that sees those individuals in need, and it doesn't have to be a really big gift.

 

It could be easy it could be something as a personally written postcard. It's, like, delivered to their house. You know, you don't even have to show up, but it really lets them know that, hey, I'm thinking about you.

 

So don't think that you're not valuable. Right? Sure. I think that's a huge I think that's a huge opportunity for Christmas to give to people that otherwise, you know, they don't wanna come off weird, you know?

 

Like, I know there's hard stuff happening in your life, and I thought I'd just reach out and it's like, I don't wanna tell you my business kinda thing.

 

But during Christmas, it's not it's not abstract to go, hey, I got this Christmas card. Just let you know, I hope you're doing well. You know? Happy holidays, merry Christmas kinda thing.

 

Sure. Yeah. And then on the backside of that, thank you. Yeah. You know? Yeah. You honor they obviously could they Yeah. It it it sort of completes the the cycle. I think 1 point you brought up though that that's pretty interesting.

 

There there's going to be people this year like every other year, I suppose, who aren't gonna be able to go home, see their families, see their friends for any number of reasons. Right?

 

Maybe it's a lockdown. Maybe somebody passed away. Maybe it it's just a rough time of year because of any number of reasons, let alone COVID on top of it. Yeah. That that it's it's difficult to even see that magic or that potential.

 

Let alone experience it. You know, you almost you almost forget. And I think it's that kind of sort of level I guess, that that we need to make sure we discuss for a second too because that's the part that gets neglected.

 

You know, when when Christmas comes, it's like Whoville. Everybody just sweeps in and you're in the zone. You know? Like Yahoo dooring, man.

 

It just keeps that's it. Yeah. And and not not to say that there's people that are like the Grinch necessarily, but there are definitely people that miss out or that aren't able to get into that head space for any number of reasons.

 

You know, whether you're depressed or or sad or upset or grieving or or whatever. Who knows? Yeah. Like mister Scrooge. Yeah. And sort of yeah. But but on on a on a deeper level. Right? Sure.

 

Like so here's the thing. I think anyways, to reintroduce this magic to a perspective like that, whoever it happens to be, is is difficult, but I don't think it's impossible. No. It's because if they felt it once, they can feel it.

 

Yeah. And there's a lot of different ways you can bring hope to people. Like, for example, you said you had a couple of passages you wanted to bring up as well? Oh, no. I mean, I can. We we can. We can come back to it. That's fine too.

 

But But but I I think this is a good spot for while you're pulling it while you're pulling out your your bible and pulling back up these some of these verses though, there's I think a fine line between sort of romanticizing religion is the only way to get out of a dark place.

 

And just understanding on some level that there's a bit of self reliance as well.

 

And I think it's a merger somewhere in the middle where whatever you have that you that works for you, your perspective, your culture, your side of your background, to give you some hope to get out of that place -- Right.

 

-- is is the way to understand or reintroduce some of this magic, but more specifically on a massive scale just so happens to be around Christmas time.

 

Right. Right. Yeah. Because I I think there's a lot of positivity, positivity, fireworks.

 

There's a lot of positivity that's involved in the Christmas season. So the opportunity to be able to be exposed to somebody wanting to, like, just going on there's a lot more smiling faces, you know.

 

Like -- Yeah. -- from what I've seen is, like, it's like, merry Christmas. I hope you're having day, you know, like, how's your day?

 

Even if it's like gloomy and wet and cold, which is kind of the what she related it to last time is like this time of year, is very I mean, you're talking about the nights or shorter.

 

You don't have as much sunlight, lack of vitamin d, whatever it may be. You know, there so there's a shift in and so you have to kind of intentionally change your perspective to find the positives in the situations that you're in.

 

But if you're not willing to kinda listen to that, then sometimes it it takes a gentle nudge or like a caring nudge to see that and, you know, so like you you were asking about about the verse So I wasn't able to follow my own terrible.

 

Right? Mhmm. But I I have 2 I have 2 verses that I'm, you know, popping in my head in that that moment that you asked me was You know? So, like, the the cliche John 03:16.

 

Right? For God's love the world, he gave his only begotten son to whoever believed in him not Paris, but have everlasting life. And and so when I think of that verse, right, and we talk about giving at Christmas.

 

Know, I relate it to I relate it to kind kind of that aspect where there's no expectation of there there there's you're you're basically making ultimate sacrifice.

 

Right? So related to you not having much -- Mhmm. -- you're still giving to somebody.

 

Because that act might bring them that that the happiness. And not necessarily expecting anything crazy in return, you just do it out as good as your heart. And then for the individuals that kinda bahumbug, right, or Grinch.

 

Sure. The the Ecclesiastes 3 1 is 1 that I go too, which is actually my life verse. It's there's a time and a place for heaven and every or there's a there's a time and a place for everything and everything under heaven.

 

Right? And and how we related to that is is, you know, we may not know why a lot of the things happened to us.

 

On the daily or yearly or, like, why we didn't say that things, that person that passed away, or why we didn't mend that relationship or whatever it may be.

 

But it gave perspective to us to be able to approach the rest of our life to be better. Right? And so when you have the opportunity to convey those messages to, like, your children. You know?

 

So, you know, wise man learns from those other people's mistakes and a foolish man learns from his own, you know, when you have your when you have your your your your kids, you have an opportunity even from a distance or while you're in close proximity to convey that message and to be able to kind of share going back and tying an end that that magic of the season.

 

And I think that goes with a positive a a positive mental perspective and then conveying that to everybody else. Like, if if you're a father. Right? And and, you know, it's that scene it's that time of the year you're really stressed.

 

You don't know if you're gonna get that bonus and, like, you know, you don't know how you're going to buy a Christmas gift because everybody kinda in your mind, you think everybody monetarily wants something really big.

 

You know, it really sucks as a parent whenever you sit there and you look at something and you wanna give your children the world, and you have to go I can't afford that this year.

 

And I think it takes a a shift of perspective to go, you know, maybe my children may they that's a thing.

 

Right? They're gonna look at that thing and and and then maybe they would have been just fine when you give them a and they'll play with the box and color on it. You know what I mean? Well, that's kind of that's kind of it.

 

Right? Like, to have III really like that, actually. To have not enough money, not as much money, not the same, not whatever. To be able to provide the level of gifting that you're accustomed to or prefer or just want to give, Sure.

 

Like, that's frustrating. But I think I think the bigger lead down is you at least, in my opinion, self imposed, lose sight of how to provide the or encourage the sanctity of that magic.

 

Yeah. Right? Because it's not it's not the toys. The toys are cool and and people get excited when they get gifts, people get excited when they open gifts, like Tasmaniaian devil or something.

 

Right? Like, they get excited. But but 2, 3 days later, a couple weeks later, generally, That same toy is now the old toy.

 

Yeah. It's in the toy box. Yeah. Oh, my Yeah. You know, if not the same day. In some cases, like, hey, get all these toys out of my living room and clean it, put it in your room.

 

Yeah. Yeah. I agree. There there's something on that that that it just popped in my head. So I'm a part I'm part of AAA church men's group. Right?

 

And they're going through a series called men ready. That's what it's called. And so outside of that. But what what was taught I think it was, like, 3 Sundays ago. I was sitting there and I was I was listening to the individual talk.

 

And 1 thing that he said was invest in experiences, not in things, and it really, really hit home. Because it's like how how imagine if you were to spend your time like money. Right?

 

And and you really were to think about, like, what kind of gift would I wanna give my children. Right? And a lot of times, what they remember, at least from what I remember is is, yeah, I got this thing at 1 time during Christmas.

 

But what I remember is every time that I had Christmas with my father whenever I was growing up, you know, he would take the role of, like, the gift giver.

 

So we had, like, a specific hat. Right? He puts the hat on and he's like, he's gonna be the individual that hands out all the gifts and then we're gonna in a row around all the all the family members, and we're just gonna open them up.

 

And and what was really, really cool when I was younger, and we try to do it with our children also is everybody stops what they're doing in the living room or whatever.

 

Like, everybody gets their gifts, giving out right, and they sit in between the legs, and they sit there, and then everybody takes their perspective and their focus, and you focus on that 1 person.

 

Right? And that 1 person for just a moment is the most important person in the world.

 

Right? And their world at least. And so everybody is giving them their attention. Even though, like, that time that you're spending to and watch them and enjoy the joy that they have with whatever they receive.

 

Right? And you make it sound like the biggest and greatest thing and it really builds a positive atmosphere for that child.

 

And also for the older people, you know, because a lot of times they're just going through the rat race and trying to get through life, and they're like, I don't know how I'm paying my electric.

 

Mhmm. At this moment right now -- Yep. -- I I am happy.

 

I'm happy to be for what I have and people that have. Right? So I think there's a I think there's a lot to unpack when it comes to, like, different things different things you can do to really spur somebody feeling like they're at work.

 

Like, they have work or Well, in this for the record, when we're talking about Christmas and joy and belief and faith and hope and this magic of innocence topic, this is so far with the assumption that there's a group of people.

 

But now, you're 8 years old in a foster home and you just got there yesterday. You know? Yeah. Now you were in an orphanage 2000 miles away on the other side of the world, somewhere in the Eastern Hemisphere, you're, you know, whatever.

 

Hut somewhere. In a yurt somewhere, you're in a fill in the blank where none of these things may even seem like they're possible.

 

Sure. So before we get into those things and tie it a little bit more into what we're calling the corruption then of innocence. Let's take a quick break and we'll come back here in a couple minutes and we'll touch on some of that stuff.

 

Alright. Thanks, Dax. Stay tight. Hey, everybody. This is Porter with SDI podcast. When we're talking about spending time with your family and even remembering loved ones, maybe when you can't be there.

 

I'd like to pass to Mike for a second over to my buddy Dax gonna talk about the B and The Bear creations. That's B EE and the BEA, B and The Bear creations.

 

Text? Hey everyone and stacks here. I just wanted to take a moment and give a shout out to my wife, Julie. She is artists of sorts, but she has a Facebook page called the b and the Bear creations.

 

And what that page is for is basically if you wanted to do specialized item like a tumbler or a hat or a vinyl or a decal or a shirt, you can go there you can ask some questions, look through the wares, but then give a DM and try to sort it out.

 

And then work and just pricing. But if you're interested something like that, go ahead like her page.

 

It's the b and the bear creations on Facebook. So go into Alright, everybody. Welcome back to SDYT to podcast. Again, I'm Porter. We're here talking to decks about really just the spirit of Christmas.

 

Where we left off, we were talking about the magic of innocence and essentially having in a certain circumstance, the potential for no previous exposure to this magic of innocence or this magic of Christmas for any number of reasons.

 

Right? Maybe you're in an orphanage or a foster home or you're just depressed. For any other number of reasons, but let's say, for example, in the sake of continuity here, you get into New Foster Home, December 20 third of that year.

 

Prior to that you were in 3 other foster homes. So there's a lot of discontent. There's a lot of confusion. There's a lot of disappointment. There's a lot of let down and sacrifice.

 

That now you have to contend with, more importantly, that's attributed to the Christmas season directly now. Before we cut over to Dax though, we got Will McCllin calling in. He's gonna talk for a minute as well.

 

He said he a few things he wanted to say. Will, you there. Can you hear me? Right? Yeah, Porter. How are you doing tonight? And Well, first off, Noah Crellman, and this is Merry Christmas, Scott Skalick.

 

Just wanted to call in and say, I hope everything's going out. And for you, your family, your listeners, everybody else say, that's I don't know if we ever met before, man, but I heard you on episode a while ago.

 

I think it was. But then anyway, next, I got a question for you, mate. You and Porter were talking about this corruption of innocence topic.

 

What's your take on it? Because I've got some I wanna say as well. So I think I think corruption of by the way, it's good to meet you. So but the the the corruption of innocence it's very, very broad.

 

It's a very broad statement that can encompass a lot of different aspects of where people had the magic of Christmas and then they lost it or if they've never been exposed to it. And so they're they've never been able to find it.

 

And so I think I think for me, if if I were to assess it, you know, it's it's 1 of those things. Like, if some he's in a in a foster home and and they would name your country. Right? And they celebrate Christmas differently.

 

I would hope that Christmas is set is so mainstream at this point that the individuals taking care of those individuals would be willing to expose them in some way she performed to, you know, the the aspects that I we had mentioned before where it was joy, peace, faith, and those things, right, by exposing them to some of the traditions.

 

Now I know they probably don't by each individual 1 a present or maybe they do or they they seek out the local community to be able to kinda answer that.

 

But I think it does take community to if you've never been exposed to, to expose you to it so that you can understand kind of what it means to give without expecting anything return.

 

And then also just kind of understanding the positive nature of Christmas. So Alright. I totally agree. Did you know, as far as Scotts, scouts, whatever were concerned.

 

Are you familiar with Compass? Very you're gonna have to teach me because at very, very little, I know what, like, Crampus yeah. I've I've heard of it, but I don't know the actual historical context behind it or anything like that.

 

Right. So campus is basically like the Christmas double. Punishing not each other and and and whatnot keeping them like, maybe you've seen what what what are you calling elf on a bookshelf?

 

Yeah. Elvanisha. And I and I it's a lot a lot like the same type of topic. You know, you get way little children to behave themselves or do the right thing during the Christmas season And if they don't, then Canvas will come for them.

 

Earlier on, the way that we would deal with that actually is to hang up missile tow in the house or there was a time when I was at secondary school.

 

In the hallways, at school as well, it would hang up missile toll, which night is beyond me.

 

It's beyond me too, frankly, will. I don't know. So I thought it was, like, when Yeah. Mistletoe was hung up. It was, like, whoever you're underneath it with you give him a kiss or something. Yeah. That's what I thought it was too.

 

Right. Some of the time, that's what has quite become now. But overall, initially, it was actually thought to have magic powers increase fertility Scear away the devil like campus, for example, and watered off these evil spirits.

 

That's pretty cool. I I didn't even know that was a concept. I thought it was just a plant and, you know, you kiss when you're underneath it. I'm I'm I guess pretty naive, Daxon.

 

Have you heard anything like that? No. No. Nothing nothing regarding that. Yeah. No. The only thing that I heard from mistletoe is, like, he's if you really wanna somebody, you know, somebody to kiss you.

 

You go and sneak it above the above the doorway before you guys enter or something like that, and you're like, ah, look.

 

Yeah. Yeah. That's that's a really that's about really all I knew about it too. Listen that campus piece is pretty interesting. I take kinda it basically takes us right into our next topic.

 

We're talking about the corruption of that innocence. Basically, where the magic starts to dwindle or for any of these other reasons why or when, a person might start to almost lose interest in that kind of a topic.

 

And So, Will, you're saying essentially that's at least as far as folklore is concerned, more loosely based around this influence with Campus then?

 

Right? Yeah. 8? Alright. Well well, Dax, what about in your case, man? You got sort of any, I guess, insight into this, maybe even from your perspective or or sort of spiritual backing maybe?

 

Well, so think well, kind of going to, like, the secular aspect of of Christmas as we practice it today in America. Whereas in, you know, when we not so much as they're gonna get devoured.

 

I think that's what you said, Will. Right? You're you're saying that the day basically, the kids would come either get do they get devoured, or is it like they just get haunted?

 

It's a little bit of both. Can I help this comes in on occasion? He'll chase them, tease them whatever essentially, just punish them for doing whatever bad things apply. And -- Okay. Okay. -- throughout that year. Right?

 

So for so for for us and and today's world rests, like, I don't know if you've heard the analogy, cold for Christmas, like, you get cold in a stocking or anything that you ask, you know, someone's always watching being like, He knows when you are sleeping.

 

He knows when you're away. Mhmm. He knows if you've been bad or good. So be good for all good and a sick. Hey. That whole -- Right.

 

-- that yeah. Exactly. Exactly. So that that aspect of it whereas in, like, in the absence of being able to receive something kind of makes you wanna be on your best behavior and not necessarily being, like, haunted SIP.

 

When it comes to comes to that aspect, that's kinda the the the more, I would say, level down version of what of what campus would entail, like, I'm chasing him around, honking him and things like that.

 

That's interesting. That's Well, it's along the same lines. There is a strange shot of a folk story actually as well.

 

You had mentioned people knowing when you're sleeping. Ironically, no parent has that power. Every time you try to think that your children are asleep, and you sneak through the kitchen is you try to get a glass of water.

 

Naturally, your children are awake. Yes. That, my father, is probably the most accurate magical power that you could have, invisibility be damned.

 

Yeah. It it would be nice. However, there are some other things that I think are interesting, maybe more so throughout Europe or anyone primarily Dax, are you more familiar with a man by the name of Saint Nicholas? Yeah.

 

Very Yeah. Well so saint Nick, actually, as as I prefer to call him, we're pretty tight. He essentially was was granted Sainthood, I think. In in England a while ago for what being nice to people, giving them gifts, things like that.

 

Right. Right? The certain degree docs, you said you wanna put on all that very quick. Yeah. I thought he was born in Turkey is the original character, I guess, or the original person that was, like, born to it.

 

I I have to back and look. I saw it off of the history channel also. It's kinda like doing all the research and stuff. But I don't know if that's correct. Is that is that correct? Will? Hey, Will.

 

I don't know the exact place it as part of as far as human beings are concerned, but there is a a definite legend, I suppose, concerning the stockings on the hearth on the fireplace, as you might call it, where 3 sisters existed, both of which were about the age to marry.

 

However, their father could not afford a dowry for any of them. It never then because if they were to marry, they would then make money for their father.

 

So in an effort to avoid being sold to make the money for him, the legend goals that Saint Nicholas then dropped by as they had their shoes on the hearth.

 

Drop coins down the chimney and it landed in their shoes, which is why now there are stockings that are on heart.

 

Oh, wow. They they're shaped in the form of, like, mini boots or like shit. That's cool. Ironically enough, more like socks. That works too. Buck. That's exactly that. Yeah. That's a break. Yeah. It that is pretty neat.

 

I I haven't heard anything about that before. It is it is pretty interesting. But if we're talking about the corruption of that innocence and the loss of that magic, what sort of I guess, influence does that have.

 

Right? Maybe you don't have a fireplace. You don't have stockings. You don't have a tree. You don't have hope or joy because you're depressed.

 

You don't even have a biological family at that point around with you. What do you what do what do you guys think is a sort of a way to go? How do you deal with that? I think that's a good question.

 

That's a hard 1 to answer. I think I think in today's world, there's a lot I think man. I think we're so connected, right, that the there isn't thoroughly an absence of information, but I would say there's an absence of application.

 

Mhmm. Maybe. Right. So, like like you mentioned, I go back to the the kind of foster child or, like, being in a in a country that's less fortunate.

 

Right? Things like that. And and I think to myself, like, there there may be no application of those that that MAC Right?

 

So if in in the absence of the application, but knowing that other children have the opportunity or that other people from different countries having that opportunity.

 

It might end up being, like, making you jaded. Right? Like, not necessarily not necessarily any fault of your own individual actions, but just because nobody really took the time to celebrate that with you or or made it a priority.

 

Right? They or if they did because in some cases, it might also be that you haven't made it a priority in your own head Oh, yeah.

 

Sure. That makes sense. So, like, if you start to lose sight of something, but by focusing on these other things, like your circumstance, your situation, sort of like, muzzle hierarchy.

 

Right? As you psychologically or physically provide for yourself, if you lose sight of what at that moment doesn't seem as important.

 

I guess that can be rationalization of of that corruption. Sure. Yeah. Right. Like, if you're if you're more worried about, like, I don't have shelter.

 

Right? It's you're gonna wanna have something over your head when it's cold and red and rainy outside instead of worrying about, like, I need to have a live tree that I decorate. Right? Like so.

 

Yeah. I think there is there. But I I think again, I think there's I think there's ample opportunity for people outside of those individuals that are less fortunate to have an effect on those individuals who are less less fortunate.

 

Right? So like in And I know we do a lot of, like, take care of you on because they're the ones that'll take care of you in the end.

 

Right? Like I I give that perspective. But I think a lot of times as we lose sight of the theory to have real genuine community with people whenever we don't capitalize on those opportunities.

 

Right? I'm not saying go give your whole paycheck to somebody, but you know, little small acts of kindness.

 

And this kinda goes into I would say kinda like my my my religious perspective too, where I I actually just said this to somebody at church today where I really kind of find it I I find it as a fascinating phenomenon in today's world where people will will video take themselves doing acts of kindness.

 

Right? So there's 2 there's 2 parts to that for me. Right? Academy advice and bias, I think. What's that? I said I kind of invite some bias, I think. I would say so also. And this is kind of the 2 2 fold. Right?

 

So, like, bringing awareness, I can see if the intent right would be to bring awareness to people less fortunate yourself, maybe do something outside of what normality would be and take into consideration that person that's less fortunate.

 

Right? Like, that's maybe 1 perspective on it. But the opposite perspective on that is I want likes and I want subscribers and I want clicks. Right?

 

And so 1 thing that I encourage people whenever they start thinking about stuff like that or maybe wondering if they should publicize their acts of kindness or like giving a gift when you don't receive it is think about being in a situation for yourself.

 

That you've had plenty for many of years and then all of a sudden you come into a point where you you do your less fortunate.

 

Would you really want where you're at your bottom rock bottom to be filmed at that rock bottom and then publicized.

 

Mhmm. And I really think about that and I go, no. I promise wouldn't want the whole world to know that I had probably made some decisions or I fell on hard times or whatever may be the situation and really honestly to the matter.

 

Is that you take into consideration the other person's dignity -- Mhmm.

 

-- before you do that thing. Right? So I think in the bible, it does state and I can't quote the verse directly and I apologize to anybody that that that wants to get that.

 

But it's don't let your right hand see what your left hand does. Right? So when you're giving, it actually states like, hey, like, don't make it so public, but make it genuine between you and that other person.

 

I think that kinda goes in to help heal that kind of that corruption that could happen if it was never the magic was never experienced before.

 

Yeah. So I I don't I don't know if that was that it was very long winded answer on on corruption and kind that that aspect. But I think there's ample opportunity.

 

If each individual were to make it a point, right, like, pay it forward concept, during this season, say, December 20 21, you have ample opportunity to make a difference in somebody's life. So Sure.

 

So I'm I think that sums it up pretty well. Right? Because that might be after years or even a relative lifetime, of this sort of corruption and loss of the magic, so to speak, to where it gets to that point and it's almost trivialized.

 

But then the crazy thing is the people in your example decks that are being helped. People sort of fallen down or or homeless or whatever, that are being helped in these videos.

 

They'll be the first to give a gift to somebody else with nothing. You know? And not all the time. Don't get me wrong. Not all the time. Yeah. Yeah. I get what you're saying like. You know, sometimes.

 

There's a guy. There was a guy that they were like, let's follow him and see if we give him 500 dollars and see what he does. This dude and whether I don't know whether the video was staged or not. Like to think that it wasn't. Yeah.

 

Because the guy really raggedy, but he walks like 10 blocks in another direction and he went to the park and there was less fortunate people. And he literally he walked by and he was like, hey, you know, and he started giving it away.

 

And it was just you know, when you think about that, like, can you imagine getting to a point where you're willing to where you're going to give what you have, like, you don't know what you're gonna have next and you give it away so you can help somebody less fortunate And it kinda goes into what we had talked about earlier about Santa Claus or -- Mhmm.

 

-- signature dot com.

 

So I that tradition. Right? Or that that concept was actually started I have it right here. I promise. Okay. It it says they can be traced back to him the month named Saint Nicholas, who was born in Turkey around 2 80 AD.

 

Saint Nick gave away all his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick becoming known as the protector of children.

 

And sailors. I like that. And sailors though. I wonder if that's I don't know, man. What the relevance is there? Black sea and up into the a Iranian area? Because I I because I don't know what Turkey's border looked like during 2 80 80.

 

Yeah. Yeah. That is interesting though. Forward docks, after here, it's quite light here. Appreciate it. Let me jump in. And we'll -- Yeah. -- we'll be in touch.

 

Dark, it was nice meeting you up. Yeah. It was good meeting you, buddy. Yeah. We'll we'll catch up with the letter, man. Again, merry Christmas. Enjoy your holidays and a good time with your family. Yeah. Merry Christmas.

 

Yeah. Next, there's a I know you said you were sort of unlimited time here this evening too. So I don't wanna keep you too long, but there is 1 thing I think that we need to cover, first off, being safeguarding that magic.

 

So we we talked about these instances where it exists. Right? Like more as a child, that sort of innocence, that sort of magic belief, which is in adults as well.

 

Don't get me wrong, but but that's what we discussed earlier and then this sort of corruption and the direction that it went. But the safeguard piece is something we haven't touched on yet.

 

So to either get it back or share it or pay it forward or safeguard what's there and maintain it, These are all things that we sort of just touched on, but I think we need to put some sort of closure on it from that perspective.

 

1 thing I think that's interesting, for example, is I know there's a lot of countries around the world that have it's called a Christmas market, which which I've never actually been.

 

I I think it's some sort of basically across. And if any listeners are are familiar, please feel free to send an email, survival dad y t at gmail dot com.

 

We'll talk about it more in a future episode and then just remind me it was from here and we'll bring it back up. But it seems like it's basically a farmer's market, a tailgate, some Christmas trees, lights, and music.

 

Is that are you familiar with anything like this stuff? Yeah. Actually, I I'm I'm familiar with some of the historical context that had, like, celebrating Christmas in a in a wide span when it comes to, like, town and stuff like that.

 

Because I I actually was reading about a fun fact that happened in in the early Americas whenever Christmas was actually canceled.

 

Canceled. Yeah. It was. It was in the very beginning during the puritans rain because when Cromwell took over I guess over in Oliver Chromewell. Right? Think. I think yeah.

 

And so it's like or create 16 hundreds. And so basically with that kind of puritan reformation or whatever it may be, they they thought that the celebration was kind of like a bad football when it came to Christian beliefs.

 

And so the first individuals that arrived in here, so like in Boston, the celebration of Chris Christmas was outlawed in Boston because the years of 16 59 to 16 81.

 

Well, it's a long time. Right. And so and and so the individuals that did celebrate it were actually find 5 shillings. Wow. Yeah. So it was it was predominantly looked upon us kind of like a a bad thing.

 

That's why in the 18 hundreds whenever you're talking about safeguarding and and I think this is something that kind of ties in really well as I don't remember who the individual is that wrote the book or or basically helped in the 18 hundreds.

 

I gotta remember his name. I apologize to any of the listeners about that But, basically, he re reinvited the American secular tradition of, like, a peaceful engagement.

 

Because before then, it was very kind of like going into the markets and and you would you would be very, like, riotous.

 

Right? Mhmm. So I don't know if that's a word or not, but I just used it. I I think it's appropriate. Yep. It conveys the message.

 

Yeah. Yeah. But but but it was rambunctious. There you go. And so there was a lot of there was a lot of change that needed to happen at that time to get people to accept it because those individuals that wanted to celebrate it.

 

And so it became kind of like a wholesome tradition for a kind of the the nuclear family, and and then it just -- Yeah. -- branched off to encompass a a lot of different other traditions around the world.

 

So Yeah. You know, I I wish we had, I don't know, maybe Jonesie or or Jamie, they could speak a little bit more on Oliver Cromwell, funny you bring him not funny, I guess, but but that you brought him up.

 

As I understand it, he also actually sent a bunch of Irish people into Australia. I can't remember all the details behind it, but but yeah.

 

Well, anyway, boys, if you guys are listening, feel free to call in and and we'll talk a little bit about that as well. But but, yeah, this this safeguarding piece, I didn't realize it was canceled at any point in time.

 

I think it is pretty neat though that almost no matter where you go, at least in the States, you know, there's Christmas tree farms, there's pictures with Santa, there's music, storefronts are decorated, frosted windows, paintings, all the above, right, garland, Christmas lights, and neighborhoods.

 

All sorts of cool stuff that that helps to safeguard the sanctity and the bewilderment that I think, actually, more specifically, exemplifies a Christmas season. Next, like I said, I understand you got a go man.

 

I don't wanna keep you guys. I hope you guys have an awesome holiday season really, but over the next couple weeks through till the new year and, you know, that it brings you guys everything that you're hoping it can be.

 

So I appreciate taking some time out though to come in and talk to us for a little bit. Yeah.

 

I appreciate you invite me and just kind of a a shout out to all the listeners out there, man, find hope and find joy where you're at, and hopefully that perspective is is you're able to kinda see the magic in the season because it's it it's sometimes you don't see it because you're not looking.

 

So Yeah. Yeah. Well, with that, that's something that you get out of here. Everybody else, again, if anybody else is going to call in or whatever, we'll take a quick break so we can work in any callers.

 

But dex, thanks again for your time. And for everybody else, we'll talk to you next episode. And that's probably a new year. Yeah. Thanks, bud. We'll see you later. Have a good weekend.

 

Bye. Hey, Merry Christmas. My name is Gabriella, and You know? Christmas to me is all about family. It's about spending time with those that mean the most to you, reliving your traditions, creating new ones, spreading joy, sharing.

 

It's also a time for reflecting, making amends, and just cleansing spirit with love and joy and preparation for the new year.

 

And I need to say this as well. It's definitely also all about the food and music as well. Hi. My name is Christian Munch.

 

For me, Christmas is about family. In essence, the Christmas holiday is based around Christianity. But to me, it's deeper than that. It's bringing joy to those who may be less fortunate than sharing in the season of giving.

 

Giving thanks and reflecting on traditions past. Christmas is definitely my favorite time of year. With all sorts of experiences from New York to Florida to West Virginia, Liz, what does Christmas mean to you?

 

To me, Christmas is about really appreciating the blessings I've received from God and sharing those blessings with others. My husband and I and our toddler spend time together as a family.

 

We decorate for the holiday, cook food, which we share with our friends and family, and volunteer with those in need. It's really just a time of recognizing and acknowledging what we've been given.

 

Hey. This is miss Linda from the fit by miss Linda, LLC, belly fit, aka Porter's mom, and this to me means spending time with family? It's the birth of our savior.

 

We never know when we'll get another Christmas together or even another day. So making the most of it each year is the most important thing in the world to me. I love my sons. Merry Christmas. Alright folks.

 

Welcome back to SD YT the podcast. We're still talking about our Christmas special here. We had Josie calling, Josie, what's going on, man, bought all what's going all night. Yeah. I heard you talking about all of the Chrome well.

 

There's not much I could do to help you with that, but I figured I had a quick minute to give you a call. I had to get up early this morning so I can drive in. But you mentioned about Christmas. It's a bit different here in Australia.

 

We have essentially our Christmas here in the summer. So it's quite warm, but we have barbecues, you might call them. A lot of beach time spending time with family, friends, gatherings, things things like that.

 

Well, that Actually, I didn't know that at all. That's pretty interesting though. So you guys are doing this during the summer, but is it what else that's obviously different. But What else is similar? Like gifts or I don't know.

 

What what else is similar? Yeah. Well, We have, you know, gifts that we give to each other. We have dinner, if we can. Him, seafood and right. You know? The usual kinds of things whatever, swim fish, you know, whatever.

 

Play volleyball, drive around, back, here at the house, if we don't go out anywhere, which we tend not to do, we'll have a bunch of blokes come over and hang out. I've got a nice little family of wallabies, a couple acres away.

 

It seemed to have made their house on my property. Maybe we'll go out there this year. I don't know. It's been quite dry, so we'll see we'll see what happens this go around. Yeah.

 

Alright. Well, I I appreciate you calling. I know you said you're getting ready to head out. I don't wanna take up too much of your time now, but I'm I'm glad you took a minute to call in. Porter you know bother me, not in my yeah.

 

I'm glad I had an opportunity to call in, get an opportunity to jump on a state's Christmas special. For all my listeners from Walker Bell. I just wanna say thanks for tuning in and waiting to hear me talking more than Porter.

 

Jonesy, like, they're listening to the special. Right. This isn't have to be a competition. Right. I know it doesn't have to be, but obviously, it is.

 

Half of your listeners didn't come here to listen to use. I had to call in and give them what they want, you know. Jonesie, your altruism is astounding. That's considerate. Yeah. So Anyway, man, I appreciate you calling in, Porter.

 

It's not a problem. All jokes aside. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to call in, mate, taking my call. We'll be in touch, get another walkabout session up on the road later probably, and we'll talk to you again.

 

They might. Alright, Josie. I appreciate it, man. Thanks for calling in. We'll see you later and enjoy your holiday season with your family when you can.

 

Thanks, Porter. You too, Mike. The Patriot Powerment Institute is a veteran operated nonprofit. It seeks to help active duty military members transition into different spheres of the civilian sector.

 

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Please visit Patreon empowerment institute dot com for more information Right. Well, Jones, he gets on the way and into work.

 

Speaking of different sort of Christmas traditions, cultural nuances around the world. 1 of the things that I I think would be interesting is that just different region sort of all around the world, different continents.

 

So I picked a couple different countries. I'm gonna talk about a few interesting things, I think. For example, in the Dominican Republic, there aren't that many evergreen trees.

 

Right? So Christmas trees may be a little bit harder to come by. And I'm I'm pulling a lot of this information, especially because I haven't been to these places in person from a website called y christmas dot com.

 

And if you're interested in checking it out, it's open access. You don't need to make a profile. Pull it up, and you can check on as I understand it. Most every country is listed here.

 

There I'm sure are some not, but So yeah. So I picked a few from around the list. So anyway, talking about Christmas in the Dominican Republic, with these decorations called, and if I butcher some of these names, I apologize.

 

But with these decorations, called Chattamikos, like a dry tree, spray painted white to look like it's covered in snow.

 

Apparently, now though, there's all sorts of shapes, stars, angels, animals, trees, whichever, and some are also brightly colored that you can decorate as well.

 

Nativity scenes, popular decorations. Dominican Republic is a very religious oriented culture, religion oriented culture. So the fact there's nativity scenes is as a popular decoration isn't that surprising either.

 

1 thing I think that's pretty cool though, and and remember we talked about earlier with Dax that Being able to celebrate with people you consider family in addition to your family, sort of encompasses the spirit of the festivities and the holiday as well.

 

There's something that I saw here from the Dominican Republic called I'm not sure what it translates to, but essentially, a food drink singing that everybody's having a good time till you started 1 house, moved to another house, moved to another house, moved to another house, and so you get to spend time with with neighbors as well.

 

And then as more people join in, you move around the different local houses, which which I think is a pretty cool opportunity to celebrate as well.

 

Germany moving a little further a lot further north. Up into Europe, Advant, which actually is not is pretty common, especially in the Catholic faith, essentially.

 

But there's advent calendars where essentially you can take each day in December as it gets closer to Christmas, and there's piece of candy in some cases behind that number or a character behind that number, or you can actually customize it things behind each 1 of those numbers.

 

So as the days get closer to Christmas, you open or you remove 1 day on the calendar there, which is Actually, something that that we had as a kid as or that I had rather as a kid as well.

 

Reads which also not not too uncommon. They're they're all over the place.

 

We're still talking about in Germany. And as I'm seeing it in here, Yeah. So Christmas trees during the late middle ages, so that checks out good job history dot com. The straw Berberg Village we're talking about with Dax as well.

 

Germany, reading the bible, singing Christmas songs, Yeah. I don't know if if there's any listeners in Germany or German listeners. Please please send an email so we can address some of this as well. I think it's pretty interesting.

 

Otherwise, yeah, let's go to our next country. Let's see what we got. So Okay. So not not too far away from Germany, just south, actually, will roll down to Italy then. So then Nativity scene still pretty popular.

 

According to this article though, apparently, The Nativity's scene to help tell the Christmas story was made popular by saint Saint Francis of a CC in 12:23 So way back, but, yeah, nativity scene still pretty popular Staple, which is pretty interesting.

 

According to this article known as prosippe Napolitano.

 

Neapolitan nativity or crib scenes. III wish I had some more, but really just looking through these websites. There's additional features though in some of these Italian nativity scenes that make some sort of hallmarks of the culture.

 

Where there's everyday people or objects in them as well. Bakers, you know, pasta makers, whatever. Other regular people in the scene as well, which is which is pretty neat. Christmas trees, I think, maybe in the last 30, 40 years.

 

I've started to come up in oh, there you go. Sure. Christmas trees in Italy 19 82. Yep. In Saint Peter's Square in Nevada. And then Christmas Carol's and, obviously, Mass is is pretty big.

 

Fish, though, is probably my favorite Italian tradition for Christmas. Bakalao, for example, is 1 of my favorites. I guess it depends on the fish you use. But essentially, it's a flaky fish and then some seafoods mixed in together.

 

But, yeah, food is definitely 1 of my favorite things. About the holiday season in general. Big food fan. Big food fan. Let's see what the next country we come to. Yeah.

 

I wish Jimmy called in, but he didn't. So let's roll over to Ireland. And see what sort of traditions are there. So as I'm scrolling through this large candle on the window after sunset on Christmas Eve, and then it burns all night.

 

It's sort of more of a Catholic leaning tradition, but it's essentially to guide Mary and Joseph or reminiscent honoring that trip. So Yeah. Presence, Christmas day, There's Saint Stephen's Day. I don't have too much here about that.

 

But gift giving or giving to those who need it, Piphany, a round cake full of caraway seeds. That's new to me. I'm not familiar with that as a Christmas food. 1 made for each person in the house recorded this article.

 

And now, apparently, it's more common to have a Christmas cake like those in the UK, like a fruit cake for example. Okay. Oh, and in addition to Turkey for Christmas dinner, spiced beef.

 

So spiced over several days, I assume that's a marinade or something. Maybe Jimmy can call in or if anybody has any Irish leaning recipes, you can contribute a little bit as well, please.

 

But so you spices beef for a few days, you cook it, press to eat it whatever, serve it hot or cold, and then obviously Chris is putting figs, plums, that that type of thing, fruity type pudding.

 

Okay. Let's stay in Europe for a minute here. We'll see what's going on in France.

 

France. So hundreds of years ago, I've actually got family that came from France, what was initially basically the Gaul region, that that then became starts with a b. Now I can't remember. Yeah. West of the Rhine, Bordeaux.

 

Bordeaux. That's where they were from. But okay. So that was a while ago. III haven't been there. But while I'm looking at France, maybe a little bit nostalgic, I suppose. So cherrywood yule logs, burned in French homes.

 

I bet that smells fantastic, carried into the home on Christmas Eve, sprinkled with red wine, And then I don't know what sprinkled is or how liberal a sprinkling is of the wine, but left burning all night with some food and drinks left out in case Mary and the baby Jesus come past during the night.

 

That's interesting. I doubt it's the wine, but not entirely sure. Now, anybody from France, if you're listening, feel free to let me know, please. I'd appreciate that, and we'll clarify this in a future episode as well.

 

What about foods? Let's see what we have. Roche, turkey with chestnuts. That sounds delicious. Rose goose, oysters, foie gras, foie gras, lobster venison chocolate sponge cake called, oh, boy. Boost in the well. It's my guess.

 

Yeah. And then fruits nuts, pastries for desserts, that sort of thing. Let's go to a different country. How about further north? What do we have going on in Norway? Hobgoblins. Okay. Small gnomes. Okay, elves, essentially.

 

Small gnomes, presence brought by the gnomes called Nisa, I believe. Which makes sense. There's I think that I wonder if there's a difference between elves and trolls in Norway. That'd be interesting. Trolls are pretty popular.

 

It's decoration. Maybe it's just a tourist trap and we're ignorant. I'm not entirely sure. But okay. So singing Carols, dressing up the characters from the Christmas story, Shepard, Wiseman, all that seems pretty common, which cool.

 

Despite our differences, there's things we have alike. The Christmas in Norway only celebrated for about the last thousand years. Which makes sense about when Christianity showed up.

 

Middle of winter, harvest is gone, so people look forward to spring. Big party okay. So around a winter solstice type thing. So brewing beer, drinking, there's even some Scandinavian gods that are brought into this.

 

I don't know if that's more of a tradition or religious thing, but that is pretty thing to mix the 2. I don't know that I've ever heard that before.

 

Custom Christmas trees, Interesting custom christmas tree. Given to people, small paper baskets called eulogriver, I believe is how you say that. Made in the shape of a heart. It's pretty sweet. Yeah.

 

That's cool. Cakes and biscuits over the Christmas period. We're still in Norway here. This is bread. Uelcox. So this is like a fruit k. Basically, raisins, candy, different peels cardamom, sounds delicious, actually. Rice porridge.

 

Let's see. Butter sugar, cinnamon. Okay. Yeah. So so sweeter things. Right? Almonds, that sort of thing. The main meal is normally pork or mutton served with finely chopped cabbage cooked with caraway seeds and vinegar and potatoes.

 

So basically, Sauerkraut it sounds like, which is pretty interesting. And then, some songs as well. Let's keep rolling through. Alright. Well, let's just go basically next door.

 

We'll hop over to Sweden and see what we have here if there's any of the interesting. Saint Lucia okay. So Saint Lucy's Day December thirteenth. Munks have brought Christianity to Sweden, Lincolnberry branches, New life in winter.

 

It's a crown for Saint Lucia. That's pretty interesting. I haven't seen that before Saint Lucia's Day Buns are flavored with saffron and dotted with raisins. That sounds delicious.

 

I wish I knew how to make those. Okay. Again, advent candles, advent star in the window, It's interesting. So almost it doesn't matter where you go in different regions of the world, a lot of commonalities we actually have.

 

There's roast beef and Christmas ham cheeses, salads, pickles, breads, meatballs, kaldomar, meat stuffed cabbage rolls, Okay. Jelly's jelly pig's feet and lutefisk.

 

I imagine those are required tastes. I don't know how accurate that is, but it's here as well. And dessert sweet pastries, biscuits, homemade things, and rice porridge with raspberry jam or sprinkled with cinnamon.

 

I'll tell you these desserts, man, somebody needs to make Unless I just don't know about it, a worldwide Christmas season cookbook.

 

Okay. So let's let's change it up a little bit. So it's not quite as Christian based. How about China? Let's go to China. Okay. So not a lot of people are Christian there, so there's not a lot of Christmas celebration.

 

But, let's see here. Department stores get decorated. There's trees. There's still some things there just to sort of, like, objectively, I guess, to to make things promulgate the season Santa Claus is called Shung dan Lao Ren.

 

Which makes sense, old man of Christmas, essentially. Otherwise, Not too many personal Christmas trees, maybe a little plastic 1.

 

I imagine that makes sense to paper, chains, paper flowers, Things like that. Giving apples, it says tradition that's becoming popular on Christmas Eve is giving apples.

 

Wrapping color paper. Interesting. It says in Chinese, Christmas Eve is called Pingan Ye, which means apparently a peaceful evening. Yeah. Interesting. I peace peaceful night.

 

So like silent night, I guess, looking at these characters here. But otherwise yeah. And then Django Bell is a popular song, so see, we still have some stuff in common. There's a few things there, midnight mass. Is popular. Interesting.

 

Well, guys, that about rounds it out. We'll take I guess now a few days, go relax for the holidays. I hope you guys are able to do the same. I really appreciate you tuning in, checking out, like I said, our first Christmas special.

 

We talked about loads of topics, the sanctity of innocence and the magic of the holiday season. We talked about holiday traditions around the world, different meals, and desserts.

 

We talked we had decks call in. We had Jones call in. We had Will call in. Really, just an opportunity to talk to a lot of people that I would consider family. And, man, that was cool.

 

This was a lot of fun. For the time being though, everybody have fun with your families. Have fun with your loved ones. Be safe this holiday season. And remember, Even if there's an opportunity for krampus to sneak in. Alright.

 

Whether it's depression or loneliness or just you're having a bad day or you got stuck in traffic or your turkey got burned, Remember the reason for the season whether in your case it's religious or it's spiritual or it's just a time to relax with friends and it's comparably agnostic.

 

In any capacity around the world, guys from our family to yours, happy holidays, enjoy the time you have, and we'll talk to you now.

 

In the new year 20 22. Alright. Well, with that, I am Porter. I'm your host, and this was the Christmas special of SDY2 podcast.