by Redneckgurl 17 Replies latest jw friends
K, Hello from Beaumont, Texas, sweetie! Decorate your yard with Hobgoblins and Jack-o-Lanterns..heheheh.....they'll get the message....and they WILL disfellowship ya....I made 'em df me, too.....back in 1992....
Congratulations on your new life!
Frannie B
Awake! (September 22, 2003, pages 22-24)The Piñata - An Ancient Tradition
by Awake! correspondent in MexicoThe nighborhood children are having a fiesta. We can hear their excited voices crying out: "Dale! Dale! Dale!" (Hit it! Hit it! Hit it!) We peer over into the patio and observe a gaily decorated papier mâché burro suspended between two trees. A blindfolded child is striking out at the burro with a stick, attempting to break it. The guests are shouting encouragement. At last, the burro bursts open, and candy, fruit, and toys spill out. Amid much laughter, all scramble to pick up the treats. It looks like fun. We are told that the burro is called a piñata and that breaking a piñata at fiestas is a tradition here in Mexico and some other Latin-American countries.
We wonder why the piñata is so popular. What is its origin? Does breaking the piñata have any special significance. We decided to investigate.
The Origin of the Piñata
A widespread opinion is that the Chinese may have been the first to use something like piñatas as part of their New Year's celebration, which also marked the beginning of spring. They made figures of cows, oxen, and buffalo, covering them with colored paper and filling them with five kinds of seeds. Colored sticks were used to break the figures open. The decorative paper that covered the figures was burned and the ashes gathered and kept for good luck during the coming year.
It is thought that in the 13th century, Venetian traveller Marco Polo took the "piñata" back with him from China to Italy. There it acquired its present name from the Italian word pignatta, or fragile pot, and came to be filled with trinkets, jewelry, or candy, instead of seeds. The tradition then spread to Spain. Breaking the piñata became a custom on the first Sunday of Lent.* It seems that at the beginning of the 16th century, Spanish missionaries brought the piñata to Mexico.
*In some religions, such as Catholicism, Lent is the 40-day period of penance that culminates in Holy Week celebrations at Easter time.However,, the missionaries may have been surprised (as we were) to find that the native people of Mexico already had a similar tradition. The Aztecs celebrated the birthday of Huitzilopochtli, their god of the sun and war, by placing a clay pot on a pole in his temple at the end of the year. The pot was adorned with colorful feathers and filled with tiny treasures. It was then broken with a stick, and the treasures that spilled out became an offering to the god's image. The Maya also played a game in which blindfolded participants hit a clay pot suspended by a string.
As part of their strategy to evangelize the Indians, the Spanish missionaries ingeniously made the use of the piñata to symbolize, among other things, the Christian's struggle to conquer the Devil and sin. The traditional piñata was a clay pot covered with colored paper and given a star shape with seven tasseled points. These points were said to represent the seven deadly sins: greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, envy, wrath, and lust. Striking the piñata while blindfolded represented blind faith and will-power overcoming temptation or evil. The treats inside the piñata were the reward.
The Piñata Today
Later, the piñata became part of the festivities of the posadas* during the Christmas season and continues as such to this day. (A star shaped piñata is used to represent the star that guided the astrologers to Bethlehem.) Breaking the piñata is also considered indispensable at birthday parties. Indeed, piñatas have become so traditionally Mexican that Mexico even exports them to other countries.
* In Mexico the posadas is a nine day celebration prior to Christmas, enacting Joseph and Mary's search for posada, or lodging. A piñata is broken at the culmination of the festivities on each of the nine nights.We found that for many people in Mexico, the piñata has lost its religious significance and is considered by most to be just harmless fun. In fact, piñatas are used in Mexico on many festive occasions, not just for the posadas or for birthdays. And piñatas can be purchased in many forms other than the traditional star shape. They are sometimes made to resemble animals, flowers, clowns.
When considering whether to include a piñata at a social gathering, Christians should be sensitive to the consciences of others (1 Corinthians 10:31-33) A main concern is, not what the practice meant hundreds of years ago, but how it is viewed today in your area. Understandably, opinions may vary from one place to another. Hence, it is wise to avoid turning such matters into big issues. The Bible says, "Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person." - 1 Corinthians 10:24.
A friend of mine sent nullification of baptism letter, stating he was too young (13) when he got baptized to really understand what he was doing. The elders didn't announce anything, they just let it drop. If you were baptised young, perphaps you can try that. Username: Balsam1 can give you assistance in writing one.
Write um a letter and challenge them to cast the first stone if they are blameless! Dam hypocrits will still send a "disfellowshipment" notice!
I got mine and used it as a badge of distinction. Shunned for over four decades and love every minute of it!
caveman
Edited cause it was a rotten thing to say - I dunno what got into me???
Sorry - you're having a really hard time - things will get better - take the kids out, enjoy the holiday the best you can.
I dunno if DA is the answer - it's a tough one.
Good luck with it.
talesin
It is a personal decision. Personally I would want to fight any d/f all the way and appeal so as to take up as much of their time as possible . I know that d/a'd people have one announcement and then are forgotton, like they never existed. Something like in George Orwells 1984 when miscreants were simply never spoken of again.
Yes , they could d/f you for celebrating Halloween although different bodies of elders might be more lenient. Around here Christmas is a more likely cause of judicial action . Perhaps today they maay simply decide that you have d/a'd yourself by these actions and announce it ?????
Whatever, you are determined to break free....Happy Holloween
(Remember that film with Kevin Costner about a small Witness boy that had never celebrated Halloween?)
Just don't let it take up your time - if your going to be concerned about your own behaviours in your day to day living, what they'll think etc., then do something about it.
Tell them that you plainly don't want that sort of stuff imposing upon your family - once they understand that you don't want your time or happiness imposed upon by what you understand to be bullshit, then they can either keep it to themselves, or talk to themselves.
Since your Dad is an elder he will be saying stuff like "I'll take care of talking to her etc". That'll last until the next CO visit when some disgruntled brother says "elder so and so's daughter is apostate." Then if they call or come to the door just remember there is no reason to let them into the house. That you will speak to them only with your lawyer present, and a taping of the interview. Any committee meeting will likewise be conducted.
What year were you baptised? Your youth may preclude any vow as legal. Also if you pledged allegiance to god and not the borg you can use that as a legal out and they can't disfellowship you. Don't talk to them w/o a lawyer. Just do what you're doing, enjoy your life.
I da'd and my husband faded, each worked best for us individually.
BTW --- Hi from Kenedy Texas
