melodiesoflife | What is the meaning of Christmas?

Entry tags:

What is the meaning of Christmas?

Who: [ou] paddra nsu-yeul and YOU!
When: December 17th to 19th
Where: Aqures Ixen and Flence
What: The meaning of Christmas..
Warnings:None.

December 17th

Yeul has honestly had enough with the snow. It was fun at first and Hibiscus tried to convince her that it would remain that way but she found that she wasn't so fond of the cold weather without Caius or someone around her to help her stay warm. This time she wore gloves as well as a scarf and hat as she walked through the town. She spent most of her time studying or at school but she wanted to see all the decorations that were up. Her pace was slow, stopping and staring at anything and everything that caught her eye. She wondered what the Starlight Celebration was for specifically and although Hibiscus has told her, she didn't really understand.

She stopped and asked a few people what it was that they did for the holidays or looked forward too. The answers mixed and varied from person to person but she wondered if there was a theme she was missing.

Christmas Play: Flence December 18th-19th

It was going to be a short trip but Hibiscus had peeked her ever growing curiosity. These plays were known as the best and maybe they could help her understand. She found a place close to the front so that she could see and sat to watch.

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Nanami had started attending school herself. She was even starting to like being Kiryuu Nanami, the Hero of Light, rather than 'Kiryuu Touga's little sister'. She knew how schools work; well, how Ohtori worked. She could deal with this.

When Yuel asked, she was a bit confused. "What about the Starlight Celebration?"

"I do not understand what it is for."

She thought the question was simple but at the same time it felt so complicated. There was a lot that she had learned about it such as gifts, decorations and treats, but none of it seemed to describe the feeling that surrounded everything. It was happy but it was more than that and Yeul wanted to find out what it was.

"Do holidays really need a reason?" Nanami asked.

"I-" She paused unsure of how to answer. Yeul didn't know if they needed reasons but she assumed there was one. Why else would everyone go so far out of there way for such a celebration? She has been watching everyone work and for what?

"I thought so."

"Some things are just tradition. You do them because you've been doing them every year since you were little."

"So if you haven't done them then you shouldn't?" Her head tilted to the side curiously. That was certainly a new take on the holidays that Yeul hasn't heard before.

She slowly walked close to her friend standing by her side. Hibiscus flew next to her hero and lightly grabbed onto Yeul's skirt with a little paw.

"Well, no. You can have a party for other reasons, not just because it's an annual event. Things have to start somehow."

Nanami might be confusing herself.

"How did they start then?"

At least the two of them were confused together. Yeul tried to make her friends words make sense but she was being more cryptic than she usual was.

"I suppose you have a party to celebrate something, then you celebrate the anniversary, and enough anniversaries and people keep doing it."

Yeul shook her head.

"I do not understand."

She really was trying but she wasn't sure what the girl was trying to get at and it just confused her more.

"Well, did you have any traditions growing up? Like birthdays?" Nanami hadn't particularly liked them, since they always felt more like excuses to show off her brother and her to her parents' friends, but they were traditional.

"I had a birthday. Noel wouldn't ever let me forget it and then Caius always made sure to have my favorite food ready." She smiled to herself at the memory. Those were happy times and she wished that they would return. Though with how Caius was now she knew that ever if Noel found her here it wouldn't be the same.

"It's like that, only with whole towns," Nanami said confidently. "You don't know you're supposed to celebrate your birthday until your family does it, then you keep doing it."

"Oh.. how are you suppose to feel then."

Yeul placed her hand over her heart remember the laughter and joy she felt with Noel and Caius. Maybe that was the feeling that these holidays were suppose to evoke but without her whole family here it felt like she was missing something.

"I don't know... happy?" Nanami wasn't good at traditional celebrations.

Yeul gave the girl a small smile.

"I like feeling happy."

It seemed like an obvious statement but it was still true. Yeul was happy with that explanation and she was even more happy that someone was able to answer her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Nanami said. She wasn't exactly sure what she did, but she was willing to take credit for it.

"I hope you are happy this holiday too."

With that as her goodbye Yeul turned and ran back home with a wide smile spread across her lips. He wants to see Caius and ask him about this now. To see how he might feel.

Kobato had been quietly getting on with this for the time being, unsure of how exactly she could celebrate the holidays with others, after all before she came here she had only ever really celebrated with just one person... or in that case one stuffed dog toy.

So when one came up to her to ask a question, she turned her head slightly to look at the other, a small smile on her face. "What is it about. From what I gathered it seems very much like another holiday I know of."

"Another holiday? From your world then?" Her head tilted to the side as she watched Kobato curiously. She only knew the girl faintly and wondered what her world might be like. Yeul knew that her world wasn't like others because of the time that she lived there and it wasn't a told she brought up often because it seemed to unsettle people.

Hibiscus floated up next to the pair with a happy waggle of her cute little moogle body. "There are other celebrations in other countries here as well, kupo."

"It is and one I did learn and celebrate once, but that was only through reading and watching television mostly. Maybe in this case reading about such a thing in this world is always a good start. I mean that's how I learnt a thing or two here." Kobato said happily. It was the only way for her to learn things and she figured it could work here to, especially since she didn't know that many people well enough to ask.

"Other celebrations..." Kobato said pausing slightly, she wasn't sure if that mean holidays like the one that just passed that she would rather not remember or if they meant something else, but for now she kept quiet.

Yeul nodded slightly her eyes shifting between Kobato and Hibiscus before landing back on her friend. "Will you tell me about what you have celebrated then?"

She knew that she could read about what was going on here but words weren't filled with the feelings that the holidays were told to evoke. She wanted to feel that spirit of Christmas that Hibiscus told her about and this seems like the best way to start.

"What I have celebrated? Do you mean other than Christmas back home?" She asked tilting her head curious for a brief moment before looking straight once again.

She didn't think about other holidays since there was this one but now she as thinking about what else she had somewhat celebrated.

"Um.. both? Maybe?" Yeul didn't realize how many holidays there really were. She was only just learning about Christmas and so far what she has been told has been confusing.

Kobato was still a little bit confused. "Well... Um. I know of holiday in Japan, although I don't think some are actually holidays but watching the cherry blossoms was fun the one time I did it."

Her confusion was soon gone and replaced with a small smile. "Though I also know of the holiday called Valentine's Day. I read a lot about it on television and books so I know a thing or two."

"What is Valentine's Day?" Yeul noticed her change in tone and the sadness on the girls features but she didn't understand what could be bad about a holiday. All she has heard has been good things.

"It's a day where people give others chocolate. Usually it's to a special someone you care about." Kobato said putting a finger to her chin, pondering it. She could recall that someone once lost there chocolate cigarettes. She never did find out who they belonged to, but at least Ioryogi was happy that day for once.

She soon removed her finger, placing back at her side. "That's about all I know about it though."

Oh, dear. The question catches Jack slightly off-guard, when she asks him that day, as they're around the house. "It's funny," he starts. "It was almost Christmas back home, before I appeared here. I wonder what was going to happen this year."

"But what do I do for it? Usually, hunker down and try not to get in the way. Christmas is the one day, every single year, that undoubtedly, unavoidably, London will get invaded by an alien force. Has for the last three years running, at least." The look on his face stays completely serious when he says this.

Yeul was sitting at the table with a pencil in her hand as she drew. It was still morning and she was waiting for the day to warm before stepping outside of their home. Getting used to the new roommate was strange but she hoped unlike the last two this one would stay. She felt lonely at times with Caius gone and found herself usually following Jack around in the mean time.

Her bright green eyes looked up at Jack while she set down her pencil. "Why would you celebrate something like that?" It was obvious that he had completely confused her by his words and she waited for him to continue.

Surely, running into MarKus, he'd be one of many she'd ask about Christmas and it's parallel the Starlight Celebration. Of course, to him, she was a little hard to spot under all that winter bundling.

"Hey kiddo." he says cheerfully, putting a hand atop her head. "Watcha doin out and about?"

Her eyes close as he pats her head and for a moment she is stunned into silence. She wasn't used to people being so friendly but after the shock a smile slips across her lips.

"I wanted to learn about this holiday."

At least, she should be used to MarKus doing such!

"Oh yeah? Like... all the details? I don't know about here but I know a bit about the way it was back home." MarKus nods confidently.

"Will you tell me, what it is like?" She looked up with hope in her eyes as they landed on MarKus.

Yeul wanted to understand and she was willing to do what she could for that to happen.

"So, the way it went way way back was that Christmas is actually the birth of the son of one of the many Gods. It was a bit religious deal to a lot of people. It celebrates his birth, and because he was born, it was supposed to be a sign of the betterment of people." he explains, trying to both recall it correctly, and break it down to someone without bringing up too many unfamiliar concepts.

"So, because he was born to humans, who were poor, some super-smart religious guys, like... eh... well, scholars, yeah. They came along and had gifts for the baby and his parents. They named him "Jesus Christ" which is where "Christmas" comes from. So... yeah, it's supposed to be about the son of god being born and everyone supposed to show appreciation and good will toward one another because it was a sign God is watching and you're supposed to be good. And it's his son's birthday." Whew... let's try and let her catch up.

"So he is like a savior?" She almost looked sad at this new piece of information wondering how that would effect her. She was connected to the goddess Etro at least before coming to this world. Did that mean she couldn't celebrate this holiday like the others?

Yeul looked up at MarKus her thoughts evident in her eyes. "Sound I not celebrate this then? He is not the son of the god who gives me birth."

"That's just where the origin of the holiday is from where I'm from. I mean, it's over 3 thousand years old and it's already proven there is no one singular god that could've done that." he says.

"After 2 thousand years it's more or less a marketing holiday where people spend a bunch of money for gifts for the people they care about. Even countries that didn't believe in that religion and people from other planets celebrated it. You're free to do whatever you like, kiddo." Hopefully that's reassuring.

It was a little reassuring but she wasn’t really sure what to do with that information. It seemed to her like it was something worth experiencing but the effort and meaning was confusing. Her mind tumbled through her thoughts as she over thought the technicalities of the holiday. She would like to get things for people but there wasn’t anything that came to mind as far as gifts. Yeul liked to give people flowers but it wasn’t really the season for them to bloom.

She looked up at MarKus curiously for a moment. “Are you getting people presents too? For those you care about?”

"I could, I should but... I'm stuck making them for other people instead of doing it on my own. I think this year might be the one I sit out." he says, slumping his shoulders. "I did sign up for that Secret Santa thing so I have to get one but the rest of my time is spent working on the ones people have requested I make." he explains.

"I think next year I can plan a lot better." he says. "But... what I can do for you now though." he says and puts a hand on her shoulder, making her turn and walk with him. They're standing out in the cold; let's cut that crap out!

Yeul lets him guide her while thinking over his words carefully. She would like to get something for Caius but other than that she doesn't know who else in the city she would get something for; maybe MarKus or Jack?

They were all friends right?

She looked up at MarKus curiously. "Are there people here you care about?" Her tone was its usual steady timbre and she didn't realize how rude the question really was.

"There are a few yeah, but... if you mean people from the same world I'm from, no, there aren't any of them, unfortunately." he sighs.

Where he leads her is a bit back the way she'd come from, off to a little hole-in-the-wall cafe where he ordered her a nice cup of hot chocolate. Kids like chocolate, right?

"Here ya go, Yeul." he grins, passing it over to her.

She took the glass with a quiet nod but looked to Hibiscus before drinking the chocolaty liquid. Her lips curled into a smile at its rich taste.

"It's good!"

Yeul hadn't had most of the sweets that this world has to offer and this was her first time eating chocolate.

"What would you do if you found someone from your world?"

Or drinking.

"Well, it really depends on who it is. There are a lot of good people and bad. Hopefully the good people would show up. And I can show them around and get them used to this place." he responds.

But as far as the bad people go... He doesn't want to say anything offensive around Yeul... so he doesn't say anything about it.

"So no one specifically then.." Her voice quiets for a moment as her eyes look down at her hot chocolate. There was someone that she missed and hoped to see again but she didn't know where he was anymore.

Yeul's eyes look up towards MarKus curiously. "I want to see one person from home."

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