The Second Day of Christmas

For some it's not over.
Germany and many other European countries like France, Italy, Hungary, even the UK have a second Day of Christmas, with 'Boxing Day' being the better known name. In Serbia, Sweden, Croatia and Poland they celebrate it as St. Stephen's Day, the day of the first Christian martyr. In Ireland it's pronounced btw St.Stephense's Day). In the Republic of Ireland, the day is one of nine official public holidays. In Irish, it is called Lá Fhéile Stiofán or Lá an Dreoilín — the latter translates literally as another English name used, the Day of the Wren or Wren's Day. When used in this context, "wren" is often pronounced "ran". This name alludes to several legends, including those found in Ireland, linking episodes in the life of Jesus to the wren. Although now mostly a discontinued tradition, in certain parts of Ireland persons carrying either an effigy of a wren or an actual caged wren (live or dead), travel from house to house playing music, singing and dancing. Depending on which region of the country, they are called Wrenboys.

My son was born that day. I spent Christmas in labor and he was born on Christmas Day, if the second. We moved to Ireland when he was still very small. It was impossible to have a birthday party for the little boy. First of all, the Irish have big families and they all had to visit their relatives on that day. Second, Tipperary where we lived had the customary Wren boys doing the rounds on St.Stephene's day. Originally staging a fake wren shooting, tradition has it that a group of boys and young man dressed up and went from farm to farm singing and collecting goodies- sweets or pennies.
I once tried to give my son  summer birthday celebration in lieu of his real birthday he missed out on every year. Unfortunately, that didn't work out better because on 26 June the summer holidays and with it haymaking and other farmer activities where in full swing.
Everybody whose birthday is close to Christmas can sympathize.
Boxing Day was featured on the news here today as Mega Monday and in jeopardy because of a Tube strike in London. In Germany at least (as in some other countries) all shops are closed and the holiday is preserved. The word 'worker-friendly holiday' refers to the day of the week Christmas falls on and how many days a an employe has off. This year clearly was not.

Happy 2nd Day of Christmas!
The Ex Farmer's Wife

What would Jesus Buy?

The 'Reverend Billy' is a man on a mission. He wants the world to change their shopping habits and use local shops instead of big chain stores. His message claims Consumerism and Militarism are the overwhelming fundamentalist churches that we face today. We pray when we buy, we worship at the altar of the almighty dollar, the Mauls (Malls). Chang-ellujah!

What started out in the 1990s as a prank has become something bigger, more meaningful even if it is still as zany as ever. Bill Talen, an actor, created a reverend hybrid of street preacher, arguably Elvis, and televangelist called Reverend Billy. Billy is no longer a send-up of a church leader. He is a church leader. The Church of Life After Shopping (formerly known as the Church of Stop Shopping) is an activist performance group based in  New York City led by Reverend Billy. Together with his Stop Shopping Gospel Choir he tours this land of ours where people are clinically addicted to shopping.

Children at an early age are exposed to marketing on TV and want stuff, designer brands. Even if it burns a hole in their pants, parents will fulfill their wishes because to be in and cool you need to be seen with the right stuff. It’s all gotten out of control. “It’s for the kids”! From a young age we are conditioned to see Xmas as a combination of consumerism and love. You buy for the people you love.  Ask any older person what were their happiest Christmases, many will tell you about when they were young, when they were poor and only got few things they badly needed. (My grandma , as a young girl in the 1920s, was delighted about her only gift: an orange).

Is it politics? Is it art? Is it religion? His church is resisting consumerism and they want to share an experience with you.

Stop sinning- stop shopping!

We want… no more of that junk.

Are you people or are you sheeple?

Exorcise that credit card that leads you into eternal debt.

You may be reading the Scriptures, but you are missing half of the message.

Whereas other street preachers chose Times Square because of its reputation for sin, Reverend Billy's sermons focused on the evils of consumerism and  advertising—represented especially by Disney and Mickey Mouse who for him are the Antichrist. Shops don’t like him in the neighborhood. He gets arrested over and over again. His gospel choir and his message are disturbing the peace and detrimental to big business.  Starbucks prohibits him to come within 250 ft of any of its shops. 
Reverend Billy and his choir traveled to Washington, D.C. in March 2007 to participate in an action against the war in Iraq, "Don't Buy Bush's War," organized by Code Pink Women for Peace, where they roamed the halls of the U.S. Congress preaching and singing their anti-war message. No arrests were made.  His is a non-profit organization – just like any other church, of course.

Santa is for Sale

Give us the Power to Stop Buying

Save Christ from the Shopocalypse!
That was then...when I last wrote about him.

Rev. Billy has recently changed his tune and message: He wholeheartedly embraces Occupy Wall Street. "Let’s talk about the Devil. Corporate Commercialism has sped up to a roar, virtually unopposed". We are the 99% (as gather together).  He now has a weekly video podcast from The Church of Earthalujah. "Reverend Billy's Freak Storm" finds our wandering preacher at Occupy London on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral. We open with the Stop Shopping Choir sings their "99%" anthem, livestreaming from Occupy Wall Street."

One of his upcoming event is Bushwick Farmer's Market Winter Solstice Party on Dec 16."The Most Delicious Night of the Year: our joyous annual celebration of the season, is a party & benefit for Bushwick Farmers' Market and the other neat projects of EcoStation:NY (including Bushwick Campus Farm, Farm-in-the-Sky at Brookyln Fire Proof, and the upcoming veggie oil and solar-powered Bushwick Farmers' Market Green Machine, recent winner of a federal grant from USDA.)"

The Man has a point. I may have found a new church.
Siggy Buckley