According to E=mc², actually a *slight* amount of weight is lost when batteries discharge. This is almost undetectable though, so John's answer is basically correct.
The only part of Christmas I like is hearing people admit many of the practices are either randomly created or based on winter solstice practices. I love the solstice!
To expand a little, at least in the versions I've heard/read, Baldur also had a trait similar to Achilles in that he was invulnerable to harm except for the spot beneath his right shoulder blade. Hod(ir), the blind brother, was god of winter, darkness and poetry.
MisterCrimson it wasnt a spot on his body- the thing thrown was the only thing that could kill him. Hodir didnt know what he was throwing because he was blind.
My dear John, I listen to Christmas Caroles Throughout the year !!! best sleeping and relaxing and stay happy songs ever ^-^ I want that donkey, by the way -
Loki, didn't kill Baldr himself, he's too much of a coward to do that. Instead he gave it to blind Hodr who launched it at Baldr believing it would just bounce of him.
That bit about Mistletoe, Loki, and Baldur is actually a bit different... but also cooler because Loki is tricky. ABRIDGED VERSION! Because Baldur couldn't be hurt by anything, the gods had a ceremony every so often where they just threw whatever they wanted at Baldur. A blind god named Hodr was upset that he couldn't see Baldur and throw things, so Loki decided to help him out. Now, Loki is a trickster god and incredibly jealous because Baldur was beautiful and liked by everyone. To incite some chaos, he fixed a bit of mistletoe to an arrow, knocked into a bow, that he handed the bow to Hodr. Loki pointed the blind god in the direction of Baldur and said, "Go for it." Thus Hodr shot Baldur with the only thing that could kill him. The intended chaos ensued and Loki was, yet again, reprimanded for his little tricks.
I wish there were summer holiday traditions this time of year. Seeing all these winter references is making me jealous. Too much summer.... Also everything I know about the holiday season I learned from the Holiday Armadillo.
There used to be a tradition where kids gave their teachers money? As an educator I could totally get on board with this returning. Although chocolate gelt would suffice as well.
In Yeshivas (Jewish schools), they still do. Although often now it is organized and comes as a single gift, so the teachers don't know how much each student (or really their parents) pitched in.)
I gave presents to all of my teachers just before Christmas all the way up until high school. It was a common thing in the area. Public school in central Texas in the 90's and 00's.
Mason Matlock I remember I did that too. Granted in high school I only did it for the teachers I really liked but even the one I didn't I gave them a card.
Love your mispronunciation of Latkes :) just to clarify, since many in comments are confused, the menorah John showed IS A MENORAH! A menorah has only 7 candles. The Hanukiah (pronounced ha-nu-key-ah) was created after to represent the 8 days, and therefore has 9 candles (they throw in an extra to light the other candles). However, no one lights a menorah on Hannukah, we light light a Hanukiah.
few things: 1: chi is pronounced with a long i and a throaty ch like the ch in the german "ich" 2: all energy has mass, if you remove the energy from a battery you reduce it's mass very, very,very,very,very,(...), very slightly.
Mr. Rize AG Neutrinos travel at the speed of light, and the equation is E²=(mc²)²+(pc)² so the energy of the Neutrino can be the quivelent to its momentun. Thank you for replying.
If anyone from FOX news were to watch this, they'd probably just cover their ears, close their eyes and go, "LA! LA! LA! LA! LA! LA! LA! I CAN'T HEAR YOOOOOOOUUUU!!!!"
Objection! The charge of a battery does have weight, since it's really the electrons inside it. That battery doesn't lose weight when discharging because the circuit feeds in just as many electrons as the battery loses.
Electrons have mass, true, but the "charge" of a battery isn't its electrons. The "charge" (the stuff that makes electrons move and create a current) is the energy released in a chemical reaction. When a battery "has charge" it does not have more electrons than when it "loses charge", the chemicals inside it are simply in a different form, and so have different potential energies. However, John is still wrong! Because the mass-energy equivalence (E=mc^2) means that that potential energy IS MASS. The charge of an alkaline AAA battery is about 5000J, which equals about 60 picograms. An alkaline AAA battery loses 60 picograms when it discharges! (Such a change is so small it isn't measurable, though)
Loki did not kill Balder with a spear made out of mistletoe; Loki convinced Balder's blind brother Höðr (often anglisiced as Hod, or Hodur) to shoot Balder with an arrow made out of mistletoe.
Well, to be fair to Höðr, all the other god people were shooting at Balder for fun, and Loki basically just told Höðr that it was an ordinary arrow, and then proceeded to guide him on where to shoot
***** Who cares about misinformation being provided by someone who is, by many, considered a role model and an authority? Yeah, you're right; there's probably no one.
They do the tree thing on the top of buildings here in Nova Scotia Canada. They are put on the top story when the building has reached it's final height. They are often lit like Christmas trees even when it isn't the Christmas season.
I hate to be "that guy" but according to the jewish creation myth, the fruit erroneously depicted as an apple was from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, not the tree of life.
Indeed. If I remember correctly, there were 2 trees that were forbidden, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They ate of the latter and had they also ate of the former, they would not only "be as the gods" that made them, they would also have achieved eternal life instead of being cursed to die.
GhostSniper3081 depends on who you think the narrator is, the tree is mentioned again in revelations 22 as being in the new Jerusalem, which would indicate that the story is more of a prophetic telling of events rather than a historical record.
I always learn something from your videos. I noticed you don't have any captions, so I went ahead and made some of my own. If you feel they are up to your standards, please consider syncing them to this video. You can do it at absolutely no cost and it will help make RUclips a more deaf/hard of hearing friendly place. I look forward to your next video :). Link to the captions are here: www.amara.org/en/videos/VXiw9hJEeCig/info/27-winter-holiday-tradition-origins-mental_floss-on-youtube-ep-39/
I honestly don't care how good the comics are or who plays Loki, he is basically the equivalent of Satan in Asatru and it isn't fair that our religion gets twisted and modernized. You don't see comic books about Jesus fighting robots do you?
I've actually read the prose Edda and while Loki is portrayed to be a villain in Norse Mythology, he actually helps the Asgardians as he cleans up his (and sometimes their) messes. And Odin's punishment of Loki is disgusting. He may be the Allfather, but I find it hard to imagine any scenario in which someone can disembowel an innocent child and still be hailed as the good guy. All opinions of the text aside though, Thor debuted as a Marvel character in the 1960s and Asatru wasn't developed until the 1970s.
Great video! Just a note about Hanukkah: it's not just about the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. That particular oil was burning during a period of reconsecration of the Great Temple, when the Maccabeean army had all but repelled the invading Seleucid Greeks, who had been forcing the Jews to give up their faith, sacrifice and eat pigs, and destroy copies of the scriptures. So Hanukkah is also a celebration of Jewish independence and freedom to worship, which is tied closely to their identification as the Chosen People.
Am I the only one who noticed that the menorah in 6 is wrong? It's supposed to have 9 candles, with the one in the middle being raised above the rest. The one in the video only has seven candles.
The name of the letter is χι or kʰi (phonetic for in ancient greek). The sound it makes is an aspirated, voiceless velar stop. It's different in modern greek.
Actually, Hanukkah isn't really based of the miracle of the oil, but that's what is nice to explain to kids, and is only one of many. The real miracle is that the Maccabees were able to take on the entire army of Nebuchadnezzar and win, as well as some other things.
Well, the whole thing about the oil isn't really even mentioned anywhere apart from the Talmud, and the whole celebration because of the oil only really started more recently.
I have to say that John and his brother are awesome for spreading a little bit of knowledge to the people and sure maybe they are not always a 100% correct but they are trying to educate themselves further and encourage the rest of us to do the same. For those of you who are nitpicking at every statement he made in this video, maybe you should try to make a video on the topic you are most knowledgeable about and see how fast people start to criticize. Further research will help you learn more.
I thought that the one who shot the arrow that killed Balder was his brother Hǫðr or Höder as we call him here in Sweden. In some stories Höder is incredible gullable, and in others he is actually blind, and didnt see Loki bind the mistle to the arrow, anyway, Höder was still convicted of murder and executed.
Another Holiday fact, the Christmas Tree in the city of Boston (I don't know where it actually is at in the city but I assume city hall) is actually a gift from the city of Halifax. They started giving the gift back in the early 1900's after the big Halifax Explosion and Boston was the first to help out apparently.
A traditional menorah is 7 candles, a Hanukkah Menorah (Hanukiah) is 8 plus a shamush making 9 candles....we are confusing, we know...good eye and question though!
Jonathan Brand The seven-branched Menorah was large, gold, and only used in the temple. The nine-branched Hanukiah is what we light on Hanukkah and is usually considerably smaller. The Hanukiah was designed to resemble the Menorah but with extra branches (eight for the eight days of the holiday, plus the ninth, known as the shamash, to light the other eight with).
The charge of a battery actually does weigh something (electrones are not completely weigthless). However, while they leave the battry during discharge through the negative pole, they re-enter through the positive pole. There allways needs to be a closed loop in order to run current.
white christmas ahaha ahahahah hahahAHHAHAHA ITS BOILING HOT IN AUSTRALIA WE NEVER GET A WHITE CHRISTMAS DO YOU KNOW HOW WEIRD IT IS WHEN PEOPLE SING IT
Yep Same in South Africa I grew up there and we used to have a barbi (or as we call it a Braai) ans sit around the pool afterwards I think they need to make a version for us in the Southern hemisphere "I'm dreaming of a HOT Christmas LOL.
I LOVE snow! Hubby and I immigrated to the UK 2 years ago and I always look forward to the snow in Winter, Even though we don't usually have a white Christmas, usually we have snow in Jan or Feb.
SMOOTH PRESENTATION MENTAL FLOSS. You very professionally and low key segue into Saturnalia was probably not even noticed by 99% of typical Christians. (You know, the ones that don't read. Even their own bible...They have a pastor to pick the good parts for them). You didn't outright insult Christians and shatter any beliefs or dreams of Jesus dropping off your gifts by saying "oh yea, we celebrate Christmas because it was originally a pagan tradition", even though that's true, you stayed classy and talked about 'holly'. Bravo. Excellent writing
The menorah in the temple that burned for 8 days had seven branches. What we light on Chanukah is a different thing--it has nine branches (8 for the days of the miracle, and one center branch) and is called a Chanukiah :) KNOWLEDGE *jazz hands*
Come on people he even admits that mispronouncing things is his thing. Don't be insulted because he gets it wrong. He says latkes exactly the way I would. In fact if I heard someone say the word without seeing it I'd spell it "lotkahs". Lighten up, eh? :)
Re: 18; Technically, Loki gave the spear to Baldur's blind brother Hod, who threw it and it just so happened to hit his heart. Some versions of the myth don't involve Loki or the plant Mistletoe at all (it was a sword in some.)
Both pronunciations are correct. Many Ashkenazic Jews, Jews from Eastern Europe, pronounce it Lat-keys, but many Sephardic Jews, Jews who originated in Spain, pronounce it Lat-kuz. Obviously, this is merely a generalization and there are many exceptions to both.
A Menorah should really have nine (9) branches, to signify the eight days or nights of Hanukkah (or Chanukah) plus a place for the shamash, the candle used to light the other eight. The one you feature only has seven branches which, albeit used in the ancient Temple, is very old school (literally).
Well, the "original" Menorah had seven lamps, the Hanukkah menorah has nine. From a religious point of view,these are two different objects. Since John is talking about the "original" menorah, seven lamps are fine
Don't forget that Hanukkah celebrates a military victory, and the thing with the oil was invented by medieval rabbis to keep people interested. Also, before potatoes, latkes were made with cheese to honor the biblical Judith, who seduced an invading general, fed him salty cheese and strong wine, and then once he'd passed out from being drunk, cut off his head with the cheese knife and took the severed head back to the Jewish generals without anybody noticing.
Well, in Norway (and also the other scandinavian countries, I think...) we do all the celebrating on the 24, also opening presents. 25 does not have a special meaning, its simply the day after christmas.
Except in Sweden, 24th is still called Christmas eve. I've been living here for 6 years now and it still makes no sense to me. If the 24th were Christmas day and you celebrated it then, I wouldn't mind. If you call the 25th Christmas day though, then you need to celebrate Christmas on Christmas day.
We just call the 24th christmas eve and then it goes on like, first christmas day(25th), second christmas day(26th) and third christmas day(27th). It does not have to be more complicated than that.
hmm the last question, if i remeber correctly, your answer is correct, but a bit incomplete, electrons do have mass even if it is a minute one, thing is the battery is not losing electrons, they simply travel from one pole to another. so in essence the battery is not losing any mass but it is relocated inside one. (not really in measurable amounts)
Loki did not shoot the arrow. he tricked the blind god Hod to shoot the arrow, convincing him that Balder could not die. Btw, everyone was shooting stuff at Balder, since he was going around shouting: "I'm immortal bitches".
Indeed. The same myth is also one of the first instances of 13 as an unlucky number, as Loki is the 13th (uninvited) guest to arrive at the shoot things at Balder party. So yeah, blame Loki for Friday 13th too. XD
***** I'm just going with what this mental floss article says mentalfloss.com/article/52696/why-friday-13th-considered-unlucky It's a bit of a stretch to say it's Loki's fault but what can I say. I like blaming Loki for things.
FilledCircle Weight is mass x acceleration. Given that the mass is here on earth and subject to gravity, it does in fact have 'weight', which would change as the mass changes.
Religiously, it's not as significant as other holidays like Yom Kippur and Passover, but culturally it's quite important. And since the majority of American Jews are more cultural than religious, I'd say it's a significant holiday.
***** I mean important in the religious sense. It's a holiday celebrating oil lasting very long. I just think jewish people who would see all the christians celebrating xmas would wanna have a big celebration as well, it just so happened to be around hanukkah so everyone decided to make a big deal out of the menorah. I think if xmas fell around Sukkot, jewish people would be partying in tents and making that an awesome holiday.
As a Jew, this is my take: Important is as important does. A century ago is was not as "important" as in it was regularly celebrated for a few minutes each night. But it was basically a candle lighting ceremony. There was a push by the Reform movement to "reform" Judaism to make it more appealing in the same way many christian congregations have become more charismatic. While Judaism went through many changes, the change to the significance and "importance" of Hanukkah was the most dramatic. While Hanukkah was not initially altered to compete with Christmas, the alteration of it allowed for Hanukkah to take on some of the modern values it has today. Originally Hanukkah was about a miracle that g-d performed. Today we still celebrate that miracle but also teach a lesson about freedom and charity (giving). For more info I recommend you check out www.jewfaq.org.
***** But look at other religious holidays. Rosh Hashanah is the jewish new year. That's a big event. Passover is about the jews getting freed from egypt. That's very important. Then there's the one about oil lasting a little longer than they thought... that's just as ridiculous as celebrating a guy banishing snakes from an island. It can still be a fun thing to celebrate, and important to the people who celebrate it, but in the end, it's just an excuse to party and have fun. I'm not putting down jewish people for celebrating hanukkah big, but it is kinda piggybacking on christmas. Just like how the christians piggy backed on all the pagan celebrations of the winter solstice... then claim people are trying to steal their holiday away from them to get ratings on tv.
EmperorEva0001 Hanukkah isn't really just about the oil lasting long, that's only the reason it's an eight days long holiday. The story goes that after the Greeks conquered the Jewish kingdom Judaism was outlawed. In response started what's known as the Bar Kokhba revolt, a rebellion against the Greek oppressors. The rebellion was very successful and quickly the Jewish people reclaimed their land and the Temple in Jerusalem. There they found the Greeks heavily damaged the temple and they had no oil to light the Menorah but a little pot. there is where the sotry about the oil john was talking about comes in. Hanukkah celebrates both the success of the rebellion along with the miracle of the oil. hope this wasn't too much boring stuff to read ;)
Hey John, I was wondering if you could cover a bit of history behind the famous red and white mushroom Amanita Muscaria. They grew under decidious trees and were possibly represented by presents, they were hung over the fire place in socks to dry out, and are eaten by reindeer causing the reindeer to dance around wildly in its hallucinogenic wonder. Just a few more holiday traditions. Cheers!
An interesting fact about Christmas, the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square in London is given every year by Norway in gratitude for the UK's help during WWII.
I don't think he lived in Netherland based on how he said latkes there is exuae to not beimg able to spell it but it is easy word to pronunce and he butchered it.
Uh... What? It sounds like you're under the impression that I don't believe these facts because I'm some sort of religious zealot. This is false. I'm one of those angry online atheists that likes to argue with people - but I also don't like to believe things unless someone proves them. Ya know? So I hold everyone up to the same standard.
Lucas Sullivan Apologies for not being more specific in regards to whom my comment was directed at. I wanted to make a blanket statement that would cover most of my goals for the comment and leave little room for a solid rebuttal. My goals were: To make the comment pointed enough so that if you *were* some kind of religious nut it would rustle your jimmies, but at the same time vague enough to be considered a generalization about religion that I could claim was not directly aimed at you should you end up being a rational person just looking for some citations. Since the latter seems more likely based on your last comment: My comment was not directly aimed at you and was merely an attempt at making an ironic statement about a lack of proof for all things religious. Live long and prosper, good sir.
The fruit of the tree of life was not forbidden in the bible story, it was the consumption of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that is used to wrongly malign our beloved apples...they were allowed to eat from the tree of life I think...
While there was no specific thing forbidding them to eat of the Tree of Life, God knew that if Adam and Eve ate of it after eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, then they would basically become like gods without going through the trials of a mortal life, so he kicked them out of Eden and set up what the Bible calls a "Firey Sword" to keep them away.
The Mutton Chop Gamer Indeed, also if the Tree of Life's fruits were forbidden, we would be looking to explain a dozen different types of maligned fruits, not just one :)
Alright, time for a Bible Study, and just in time for Christmas! ;-) I'm sure John Green meant the fruit of the "tree of knowledge" had been "maligned", since the fruit on the "tree of life" is referred to positively throughout the Bible. Either way, the "fruit" is simply metaphoric for behavior and resulting deeds, as in "you shall know them by their fruits." (Matt. 7:15-20) To "eat" of the "fruit" of the tree of knowledge is to create your own moral standards, apart from God, which leads to sin. But to eat of the tree of life means accepting God as your personal source for morality in all things. To sin is to depart from the eternal life-giving word of God, and thus to sin is to die. "But don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because on the day you eat from it, you will die!" (Gen. 2:17) "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” (John 8:24) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) After the expulsion from Eden, to gain access to the tree of life would require accepting God's Son and His sacrifice as your source for salvation, hence we are told of a "cherubim" with a "flaming sword" guarding the tree of life. "Cherubim" in Hebrew can be plural for cherub or singular for the greatest cherub, i.e. not just AN angel of the Lord, but THE Angel of the Lord! Therefore, the cherubim with the flaming sword, who guards the way to the tree of life, is "the Angel of the Lord." So who is this angel? From Exodus 3: "There the angel of the Lord appeared to [Moses] in flames of fire from within a bush... When the Lord saw that [Moses] had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush...” Question: who spoke to Moses from within the bush, God or the Angel of the Lord? Answer: The Angel of the Lord is the voice of God, who "became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14), and His word is the "flaming sword." Ergo: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) "... and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword." (Rev. 1:16) "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life... On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." (Rev 22:1-2) Merry Christmas!
Bran Whitcomb I'm not a Biblical scholar by any stretch, so forgive me...but in order to declare something as good or evil, one must judge it...which is not our place. "It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall." (Psalm 75:7) and also "God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:12) Perhaps "eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good an evil" is simply "casting judgment" whether it be on your neighbor or upon yourself. This coincides with the teachings of many other spiritual paths that indicate judgment of others or even the harsh judgment of self will only lead to attachments/desires or fears/avoidance, and those things will always culminate into suffering, which in the long run, is death, just like the biblical story promises. Funny to think that pretending to know whether or not someone is in God's good grace might actually the greatest and most forbidden sin of human existence...since most organized religions spend most of their time guilt-tripping themselves and others for past behaviors. Again, I'm no scholar, but I like interpetations just as much as anyone else...hopefully you took no offense :)
No offense taken, Theo! :-) Thanks for the reply! Although, I will say that there is a difference between passing judgement on someone for their behavior and deeming a behavior as either moral or immoral. In the case of Eden, Eve was told she could be "like God", and know the difference between "good and evil" if she ate the fruit. Eve "ate the fruit" when she declared that being naked was immoral, without even thinking of consulting God, who had made her naked in the first place. The treacherous idea given by the serpent was that you don't need to seek out God's righteousness because you can make your own! Adam and Eve made a "judgement call", and based their judgment on their own interpretation of right and wrong. Once you begin to write your own morality, you write God out of your life. I believe you have the right idea though, Theo. Passing judgement on others is a way of creating our own "good and evil", since Jesus tells us "“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matt. 7:1-2) This sentiment is further echoed by Paul in Romans 14:4; "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand." Again, thanks for the reply, Theo. And if you ever want to discuss the Bible feel free to send me a message! Sincerely, Bran.
"misspronounciation is my thing", as John Green have said numerous times. Which is why I don't get upset about his misspronounciation of Asar, Loke, Hödr, Balder or anything else. I'm just think it's awesome they bring it up. :-)
"Meredith… What did I say about puns."
-John Green in almost every Mental Floss episode
Haven't watched in a long time. Probably since just after CrashCourse was added. I missed ya', John Green. Thanks for always being there.
According to E=mc², actually a *slight* amount of weight is lost when batteries discharge. This is almost undetectable though, so John's answer is basically correct.
The fact about x-mas was the one that surprised me the most. it is certainly a fact I will be keeping to parlay onto others.
I demand a video on old Holiday traditions no longer practised!
The only part of Christmas I like is hearing people admit many of the practices are either randomly created or based on winter solstice practices. I love the solstice!
Loki didn't shoot Baldur, he tricked Baldur's blind brother into doing it.
I was just about to go write this in the comments. XD
To expand a little, at least in the versions I've heard/read, Baldur also had a trait similar to Achilles in that he was invulnerable to harm except for the spot beneath his right shoulder blade. Hod(ir), the blind brother, was god of winter, darkness and poetry.
MisterCrimson it wasnt a spot on his body- the thing thrown was the only thing that could kill him. Hodir didnt know what he was throwing because he was blind.
Seriously? Another brother? Clearly ruling over the gods leaves A LOT of spare time XD
My dear John, I listen to Christmas Caroles Throughout the year !!! best sleeping and relaxing and stay happy songs ever ^-^ I want that donkey, by the way -
Loki, didn't kill Baldr himself, he's too much of a coward to do that. Instead he gave it to blind Hodr who launched it at Baldr believing it would just bounce of him.
Yeah, he skipped the best part of the story where all the Norse gods held a "let's throw things at Baldur and see them bounce off him" party.
JOHN. YOU ARE FANTASTIC. Thank you for forwarding me about Tom Hiddleston's apperance.
That bit about Mistletoe, Loki, and Baldur is actually a bit different... but also cooler because Loki is tricky.
ABRIDGED VERSION!
Because Baldur couldn't be hurt by anything, the gods had a ceremony every so often where they just threw whatever they wanted at Baldur. A blind god named Hodr was upset that he couldn't see Baldur and throw things, so Loki decided to help him out.
Now, Loki is a trickster god and incredibly jealous because Baldur was beautiful and liked by everyone. To incite some chaos, he fixed a bit of mistletoe to an arrow, knocked into a bow, that he handed the bow to Hodr. Loki pointed the blind god in the direction of Baldur and said, "Go for it." Thus Hodr shot Baldur with the only thing that could kill him.
The intended chaos ensued and Loki was, yet again, reprimanded for his little tricks.
oh loki...
I wish there were summer holiday traditions this time of year. Seeing all these winter references is making me jealous. Too much summer....
Also everything I know about the holiday season I learned from the Holiday Armadillo.
There used to be a tradition where kids gave their teachers money? As an educator I could totally get on board with this returning. Although chocolate gelt would suffice as well.
In Yeshivas (Jewish schools), they still do. Although often now it is organized and comes as a single gift, so the teachers don't know how much each student (or really their parents) pitched in.)
I gave presents to all of my teachers just before Christmas all the way up until high school. It was a common thing in the area. Public school in central Texas in the 90's and 00's.
Rachel Reiss That's really cool that they keep the tradition alive and that the make it better for all students who participate.
Mason Matlock I remember I did that too. Granted in high school I only did it for the teachers I really liked but even the one I didn't I gave them a card.
@Mental Floss - The Fault in Our Stars was amazing. Thank you
Just so you know, it was Höder who shot Balder, not Loki.
Love your mispronunciation of Latkes :) just to clarify, since many in comments are confused, the menorah John showed IS A MENORAH! A menorah has only 7 candles.
The Hanukiah (pronounced ha-nu-key-ah) was created after to represent the 8 days, and therefore has 9 candles (they throw in an extra to light the other candles). However, no one lights a menorah on Hannukah, we light light a Hanukiah.
Yule be sorry for only listing three of the winter/December festival names.
Oh yay I'm excited for next week and I hope you mention Key West and the sparkly pink shoe!
Wow... "Let's do something to honor Loki", ever heard of April Fool's day?
few things:
1: chi is pronounced with a long i and a throaty ch like the ch in the german "ich"
2: all energy has mass, if you remove the energy from a battery you reduce it's mass very, very,very,very,very,(...), very slightly.
Neutrinos have energy. Do they also have mass?
Reckless Roges Did you learn nothing from Eintein? E = mc^2, kid.
Mr. Rize AG Neutrinos travel at the speed of light, and the equation is E²=(mc²)²+(pc)² so the energy of the Neutrino can be the quivelent to its momentun. Thank you for replying.
Reckless Roges Yes, they do. Neutrinos were found to have mass in the 1970s.
Reckless Roges You are thinking of photons, not neutrinos.
If anyone from FOX news were to watch this, they'd probably just cover their ears, close their eyes and go, "LA! LA! LA! LA! LA! LA! LA! I CAN'T HEAR YOOOOOOOUUUU!!!!"
Happy commercialized holiday #4 everyone!
MY GOD JOHN DO NOT WATCH SANTA CLAUSE 3
***** It ruined the series for me
I taught a course on the Norse Myths and 100% agree with John Green... Loki needs honoring. I mean, if you forget that little Ragnarok problem...
Objection! The charge of a battery does have weight, since it's really the electrons inside it. That battery doesn't lose weight when discharging because the circuit feeds in just as many electrons as the battery loses.
Electrons have mass, true, but the "charge" of a battery isn't its electrons. The "charge" (the stuff that makes electrons move and create a current) is the energy released in a chemical reaction. When a battery "has charge" it does not have more electrons than when it "loses charge", the chemicals inside it are simply in a different form, and so have different potential energies.
However, John is still wrong! Because the mass-energy equivalence (E=mc^2) means that that potential energy IS MASS. The charge of an alkaline AAA battery is about 5000J, which equals about 60 picograms. An alkaline AAA battery loses 60 picograms when it discharges! (Such a change is so small it isn't measurable, though)
Your mispronunciation of latkes is legend, John. For future reference, the "lat" is pronounced like "lot"
I knew a few of these, but I didn't know most. It was really interesting! Now I have holiday facts to torture people with.. I mean tell people.
Yay I'm not the only doing this to people. Go Knowledge for the win.
Hearing him call them Lat-Keys made me chuckle. You go, magic pizza man
John did a thing guys... he did a Loki thing! Someone better be making a gifset!
I love Meredith. I think she should put together a show on the history of puns.
Loki did not kill Balder with a spear made out of mistletoe; Loki convinced Balder's blind brother Höðr (often anglisiced as Hod, or Hodur) to shoot Balder with an arrow made out of mistletoe.
who cares?
Well, to be fair to Höðr, all the other god people were shooting at Balder for fun, and Loki basically just told Höðr that it was an ordinary arrow, and then proceeded to guide him on where to shoot
*****
You could say the same about every video on the channel, it's just interesting.
***** I do
***** Who cares about misinformation being provided by someone who is, by many, considered a role model and an authority? Yeah, you're right; there's probably no one.
They do the tree thing on the top of buildings here in Nova Scotia Canada. They are put on the top story when the building has reached it's final height. They are often lit like Christmas trees even when it isn't the Christmas season.
I hate to be "that guy" but according to the jewish creation myth, the fruit erroneously depicted as an apple was from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, not the tree of life.
According to the Christian and I think Muslim creation myths as well, given that they're all the same.
*****
All the same and a hundred different versions, but yeah, more or less.
Indeed. If I remember correctly, there were 2 trees that were forbidden, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They ate of the latter and had they also ate of the former, they would not only "be as the gods" that made them, they would also have achieved eternal life instead of being cursed to die.
ErgoCogita
Yes, the narrator never mentions the tree of life again. Chekhov's gun if you ask me. It opens a quantity of plot holes in the myth.
GhostSniper3081 depends on who you think the narrator is, the tree is mentioned again in revelations 22 as being in the new Jerusalem, which would indicate that the story is more of a prophetic telling of events rather than a historical record.
Thanks, John. Loki'd bless you.
I always learn something from your videos. I noticed you don't have any captions, so I went ahead and made some of my own. If you feel they are up to your standards, please consider syncing them to this video. You can do it at absolutely no cost and it will help make RUclips a more deaf/hard of hearing friendly place. I look forward to your next video :). Link to the captions are here:
www.amara.org/en/videos/VXiw9hJEeCig/info/27-winter-holiday-tradition-origins-mental_floss-on-youtube-ep-39/
NOW PRETTY MUCH EVERY VIDEO HAS CLOSED CAPTIONS
You forgot to mention the best Santa movie - "Santa Claus vs. the Martians" It ranks right up there with "Troll 2"
You mean Santa Claus *Conquers* the Martians?
Something to honor Loki: He's getting his own comic book series on Marvel Now in February. Good enough?
adsdsfgfjhgghfdfd are you serious?? Yeah, that's good enough...
Nephrite Rivers I am. I don't read serial comics as they're released, typically, and I'm totally breaking that rule for this one.
And now I know what I'm doing on Valentine's day ^^
I honestly don't care how good the comics are or who plays Loki, he is basically the equivalent of Satan in Asatru and it isn't fair that our religion gets twisted and modernized. You don't see comic books about Jesus fighting robots do you?
I've actually read the prose Edda and while Loki is portrayed to be a villain in Norse Mythology, he actually helps the Asgardians as he cleans up his (and sometimes their) messes. And Odin's punishment of Loki is disgusting. He may be the Allfather, but I find it hard to imagine any scenario in which someone can disembowel an innocent child and still be hailed as the good guy. All opinions of the text aside though, Thor debuted as a Marvel character in the 1960s and Asatru wasn't developed until the 1970s.
I just read the fault in our stars! I didn't know John wrote it until I looked at the back of the book!
Every time I hear "menopause" instead of "mental floss"
Great video! Just a note about Hanukkah: it's not just about the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. That particular oil was burning during a period of reconsecration of the Great Temple, when the Maccabeean army had all but repelled the invading Seleucid Greeks, who had been forcing the Jews to give up their faith, sacrifice and eat pigs, and destroy copies of the scriptures.
So Hanukkah is also a celebration of Jewish independence and freedom to worship, which is tied closely to their identification as the Chosen People.
If mispronouncing words is your "thing", then you hit a home run with this video.
My family had the Rudolph book that was given out by department stores. It was interesting in the way it was drawn.
Am I the only one who noticed that the menorah in 6 is wrong? It's supposed to have 9 candles, with the one in the middle being raised above the rest. The one in the video only has seven candles.
Pronunciation of 'latke' and 'chi' were pretty funny.
Latke is pronounced LOT-kah and Chi is pronounced Kai, right?
The name of the letter is χι or kʰi (phonetic for in ancient greek). The sound it makes is an aspirated, voiceless velar stop. It's different in modern greek.
everytime John says mental floss I hear menopause
Actually, Hanukkah isn't really based of the miracle of the oil, but that's what is nice to explain to kids, and is only one of many. The real miracle is that the Maccabees were able to take on the entire army of Nebuchadnezzar and win, as well as some other things.
chanukah is because of the oil AND the military victory
Well, the whole thing about the oil isn't really even mentioned anywhere apart from the Talmud, and the whole celebration because of the oil only really started more recently.
iluvpopcorn23
keep looking in the Talmud, it says that the holiday was established the following year.
But not because of the oil.
iluvpopcorn23
babylonian talmud, tractate shabbos, p. 21b: established b/c of the oil. little mention of the war.
I have to say that John and his brother are awesome for spreading a little bit of knowledge to the people and sure maybe they are not always a 100% correct but they are trying to educate themselves further and encourage the rest of us to do the same. For those of you who are nitpicking at every statement he made in this video, maybe you should try to make a video on the topic you are most knowledgeable about and see how fast people start to criticize. Further research will help you learn more.
I thought that the one who shot the arrow that killed Balder was his brother Hǫðr or Höder as we call him here in Sweden. In some stories Höder is incredible gullable, and in others he is actually blind, and didnt see Loki bind the mistle to the arrow, anyway, Höder was still convicted of murder and executed.
Another Holiday fact, the Christmas Tree in the city of Boston (I don't know where it actually is at in the city but I assume city hall) is actually a gift from the city of Halifax. They started giving the gift back in the early 1900's after the big Halifax Explosion and Boston was the first to help out apparently.
LOKI DAY! Let's do it
I knew about 95% of this already. Most of the facts are absolutely correct.
LAHT KAHS John, you have officially confirmed pronunciations are not your strong point.
I love the video regardless.
How come no mention of the 12 days of Christmas? I like the thought of carrying the festivities through to the Epiphany on the evening of the fifth.
Your menorah doesn't seem to have enough candles.
A traditional menorah is 7 candles, a Hanukkah Menorah (Hanukiah) is 8 plus a shamush making 9 candles....we are confusing, we know...good eye and question though!
Jonathan Brand The seven-branched Menorah was large, gold, and only used in the temple. The nine-branched Hanukiah is what we light on Hanukkah and is usually considerably smaller. The Hanukiah was designed to resemble the Menorah but with extra branches (eight for the eight days of the holiday, plus the ninth, known as the shamash, to light the other eight with).
The charge of a battery actually does weigh something (electrones are not completely weigthless). However, while they leave the battry during discharge through the negative pole, they re-enter through the positive pole. There allways needs to be a closed loop in order to run current.
white christmas
ahaha
ahahahah
hahahAHHAHAHA
ITS BOILING HOT IN AUSTRALIA WE NEVER GET A WHITE CHRISTMAS DO YOU KNOW HOW WEIRD IT IS WHEN PEOPLE SING IT
Yep Same in South Africa I grew up there and we used to have a barbi (or as we call it a Braai) ans sit around the pool afterwards I think they need to make a version for us in the Southern hemisphere "I'm dreaming of a HOT Christmas LOL.
Trust me, you don't want a white christmas - snow is horrible
I LOVE snow! Hubby and I immigrated to the UK 2 years ago and I always look forward to the snow in Winter, Even though we don't usually have a white Christmas, usually we have snow in Jan or Feb.
Cool channel. Well done! We truly liked it.
Technically Loki tricked Baldr's blind brother Hoder into throwing a spear covered in mistletoe at Baldr,
ANOTHER REASON TO CELEBRATE LOKI!
For the last question: zinc-air batteries actually gain some weight since their chemicals react with air that goes in, but nothing comes out as waste.
It was Höder who shot Balder, not Loki!
SMOOTH PRESENTATION MENTAL FLOSS. You very professionally and low key segue into Saturnalia was probably not even noticed by 99% of typical Christians. (You know, the ones that don't read. Even their own bible...They have a pastor to pick the good parts for them). You didn't outright insult Christians and shatter any beliefs or dreams of Jesus dropping off your gifts by saying "oh yea, we celebrate Christmas because it was originally a pagan tradition", even though that's true, you stayed classy and talked about 'holly'. Bravo. Excellent writing
Let's do something to honor Loki lol
God bless you john, we need to make honouring Loki a thing
Fun fact: batteries DO lose some weight while discharging. Ask Einstein.
Happy Holy days, Merry ChrisTmas.
Your menorah only has 7 candle holders...
Which does indeed make it a menorah - but not a Chanukiah, which has 9, and would normally be used to celebrate Chanukah
Yes, a menorah is supposed to contain only 7 branches. Chanukiahs are the ones that have 9.
The menorah in the temple that burned for 8 days had seven branches. What we light on Chanukah is a different thing--it has nine branches (8 for the days of the miracle, and one center branch) and is called a Chanukiah :) KNOWLEDGE *jazz hands*
A holiday to celebrate Loki? I second that!
Come on people he even admits that mispronouncing things is his thing. Don't be insulted because he gets it wrong. He says latkes exactly the way I would. In fact if I heard someone say the word without seeing it I'd spell it "lotkahs". Lighten up, eh? :)
Re: 18; Technically, Loki gave the spear to Baldur's blind brother Hod, who threw it and it just so happened to hit his heart. Some versions of the myth don't involve Loki or the plant Mistletoe at all (it was a sword in some.)
"LAT-keys"?!!? (It is "LOT-kuzz.")
May I remind you that mispronouncing things is John's thing? :)
Both pronunciations are correct. Many Ashkenazic Jews, Jews from Eastern Europe, pronounce it Lat-keys, but many Sephardic Jews, Jews who originated in Spain, pronounce it Lat-kuz. Obviously, this is merely a generalization and there are many exceptions to both.
That was a great mystery question!
X is spelled chi, but pronounced kai
it got to me too. o_0
A Menorah should really have nine (9) branches, to signify the eight days or nights of Hanukkah (or Chanukah) plus a place for the shamash, the candle used to light the other eight. The one you feature only has seven branches which, albeit used in the ancient Temple, is very old school (literally).
Well, the "original" Menorah had seven lamps, the Hanukkah menorah has nine. From a religious point of view,these are two different objects. Since John is talking about the "original" menorah, seven lamps are fine
Don't forget that Hanukkah celebrates a military victory, and the thing with the oil was invented by medieval rabbis to keep people interested. Also, before potatoes, latkes were made with cheese to honor the biblical Judith, who seduced an invading general, fed him salty cheese and strong wine, and then once he'd passed out from being drunk, cut off his head with the cheese knife and took the severed head back to the Jewish generals without anybody noticing.
Yes, menoras have 7 candles but they're not used on Chanukah. We use chanukias - 9 holders
Well, in Norway (and also the other scandinavian countries, I think...) we do all the celebrating on the 24, also opening presents. 25 does not have a special meaning, its simply the day after christmas.
Yup, the same thing in Sweden.
Anna Andersson And Iceland.
Except in Sweden, 24th is still called Christmas eve. I've been living here for 6 years now and it still makes no sense to me. If the 24th were Christmas day and you celebrated it then, I wouldn't mind. If you call the 25th Christmas day though, then you need to celebrate Christmas on Christmas day.
We just call the 24th christmas eve and then it goes on like, first christmas day(25th), second christmas day(26th) and third christmas day(27th). It does not have to be more complicated than that.
Same in Germany.
Also, presents are exchanged in the evening.
hmm the last question, if i remeber correctly,
your answer is correct, but a bit incomplete, electrons do have mass even if it is a minute one, thing is the battery is not losing electrons, they simply travel from one pole to another.
so in essence the battery is not losing any mass but it is relocated inside one. (not really in measurable amounts)
Loki did not shoot the arrow. he tricked the blind god Hod to shoot the arrow, convincing him that Balder could not die. Btw, everyone was shooting stuff at Balder, since he was going around shouting: "I'm immortal bitches".
Indeed. The same myth is also one of the first instances of 13 as an unlucky number, as Loki is the 13th (uninvited) guest to arrive at the shoot things at Balder party. So yeah, blame Loki for Friday 13th too. XD
Nooo friday the 13th originate from the hunt and slaughter of the knights templar, by philip the IV of France in 1307 ^^
***** I'm just going with what this mental floss article says mentalfloss.com/article/52696/why-friday-13th-considered-unlucky
It's a bit of a stretch to say it's Loki's fault but what can I say. I like blaming Loki for things.
Balderdash!
Who art thou to calleth balderdash to this post, my good sir?!
"Chi" for the Greek X is actually pronounced like "kigh" (rhymes with "high").
No, that comes from the great wovel shift. It's pronounced "khy" like the ending in "generally".
Actually you're both wrong. There isn't really a good English transliteration of it because we don't have that phone in English.
Wrong, the mass of a battery does increase when charged d
physics.stackexchange.com/questions/34421/does-the-mass-of-a-batterys-change-when-charged-discharged
Energy has weight, e=mc\2
Mass =/= Weight.
FilledCircle Weight is mass x acceleration. Given that the mass is here on earth and subject to gravity, it does in fact have 'weight', which would change as the mass changes.
www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/science/25qna.html?_r=0
Haha very funny and informational! I loved this clip!
Is hanukkah really an important holiday or is it just boosted up because it's around the same time as xmas?
Religiously, it's not as significant as other holidays like Yom Kippur and Passover, but culturally it's quite important. And since the majority of American Jews are more cultural than religious, I'd say it's a significant holiday.
***** I mean important in the religious sense. It's a holiday celebrating oil lasting very long. I just think jewish people who would see all the christians celebrating xmas would wanna have a big celebration as well, it just so happened to be around hanukkah so everyone decided to make a big deal out of the menorah. I think if xmas fell around Sukkot, jewish people would be partying in tents and making that an awesome holiday.
As a Jew, this is my take: Important is as important does. A century ago is was not as "important" as in it was regularly celebrated for a few minutes each night. But it was basically a candle lighting ceremony.
There was a push by the Reform movement to "reform" Judaism to make it more appealing in the same way many christian congregations have become more charismatic. While Judaism went through many changes, the change to the significance and "importance" of Hanukkah was the most dramatic.
While Hanukkah was not initially altered to compete with Christmas, the alteration of it allowed for Hanukkah to take on some of the modern values it has today. Originally Hanukkah was about a miracle that g-d performed. Today we still celebrate that miracle but also teach a lesson about freedom and charity (giving).
For more info I recommend you check out www.jewfaq.org.
***** But look at other religious holidays. Rosh Hashanah is the jewish new year. That's a big event. Passover is about the jews getting freed from egypt. That's very important. Then there's the one about oil lasting a little longer than they thought... that's just as ridiculous as celebrating a guy banishing snakes from an island. It can still be a fun thing to celebrate, and important to the people who celebrate it, but in the end, it's just an excuse to party and have fun.
I'm not putting down jewish people for celebrating hanukkah big, but it is kinda piggybacking on christmas. Just like how the christians piggy backed on all the pagan celebrations of the winter solstice... then claim people are trying to steal their holiday away from them to get ratings on tv.
EmperorEva0001 Hanukkah isn't really just about the oil lasting long, that's only the reason it's an eight days long holiday. The story goes that after the Greeks conquered the Jewish kingdom Judaism was outlawed. In response started what's known as the Bar Kokhba revolt, a rebellion against the Greek oppressors. The rebellion was very successful and quickly the Jewish people reclaimed their land and the Temple in Jerusalem. There they found the Greeks heavily damaged the temple and they had no oil to light the Menorah but a little pot. there is where the sotry about the oil john was talking about comes in. Hanukkah celebrates both the success of the rebellion along with the miracle of the oil.
hope this wasn't too much boring stuff to read ;)
Hey John, I was wondering if you could cover a bit of history behind the famous red and white mushroom Amanita Muscaria. They grew under decidious trees and were possibly represented by presents, they were hung over the fire place in socks to dry out, and are eaten by reindeer causing the reindeer to dance around wildly in its hallucinogenic wonder. Just a few more holiday traditions. Cheers!
I know mispronouncing words is his thing but common on the Greek letter X is pronounced with a K sound and a hard I not the Ch and hard e sound.
Indeed.
+Chris Merryman common? Are you being ironic?
come on*
I was honestly taught both ways by various sources.
An interesting fact about Christmas, the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square in London is given every year by Norway in gratitude for the UK's help during WWII.
latkeys???
Its like a pancake, but made from potatoes.
It's pronounced Lah-T-Kahs btw
Yes, I know, I was remarking on how he prononced it...
oh, okay.
Thanks for the post.
Seriously!? You lived in the Netherlands and then there is NOTHING in this video about the connection between Santa and Sinterklaas?
Sinterklaas sound terrifying!
Is Sinterklaas like Krampus?
Tricell CEO i dont think he wanted to talk about black steve(i think its called that)
Joe Mama black pete, my bad
I don't think he lived in Netherland based on how he said latkes there is exuae to not beimg able to spell it but it is easy word to pronunce and he butchered it.
John... I love the wall in your salon!! Are all those toys yours? Could you please send me a photo? I'd like to do something similar in my den.
We must win the war! Keep Saturn in Saturnalia!
I drive a Saturn, does that help?
I have somehow learned more about Kwanzaa in this than I had in elementary school.
Would you please add citations for your facts?
Funny, that's all we've been asking religion to do since... ever.
Uh... What? It sounds like you're under the impression that I don't believe these facts because I'm some sort of religious zealot. This is false. I'm one of those angry online atheists that likes to argue with people - but I also don't like to believe things unless someone proves them. Ya know? So I hold everyone up to the same standard.
Lucas Sullivan Apologies for not being more specific in regards to whom my comment was directed at. I wanted to make a blanket statement that would cover most of my goals for the comment and leave little room for a solid rebuttal. My goals were: To make the comment pointed enough so that if you *were* some kind of religious nut it would rustle your jimmies, but at the same time vague enough to be considered a generalization about religion that I could claim was not directly aimed at you should you end up being a rational person just looking for some citations. Since the latter seems more likely based on your last comment: My comment was not directly aimed at you and was merely an attempt at making an ironic statement about a lack of proof for all things religious. Live long and prosper, good sir.
Word my brother. LLAP.
Definitely want a review of Santa Claus 3, John, please.
The fruit of the tree of life was not forbidden in the bible story, it was the consumption of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that is used to wrongly malign our beloved apples...they were allowed to eat from the tree of life I think...
While there was no specific thing forbidding them to eat of the Tree of Life, God knew that if Adam and Eve ate of it after eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, then they would basically become like gods without going through the trials of a mortal life, so he kicked them out of Eden and set up what the Bible calls a "Firey Sword" to keep them away.
The Mutton Chop Gamer Indeed, also if the Tree of Life's fruits were forbidden, we would be looking to explain a dozen different types of maligned fruits, not just one :)
Alright, time for a Bible Study, and just in time for Christmas! ;-) I'm sure John Green meant the fruit of the "tree of knowledge" had been "maligned", since the fruit on the "tree of life" is referred to positively throughout the Bible. Either way, the "fruit" is simply metaphoric for behavior and resulting deeds, as in "you shall know them by their fruits." (Matt. 7:15-20)
To "eat" of the "fruit" of the tree of knowledge is to create your own moral standards, apart from God, which leads to sin. But to eat of the tree of life means accepting God as your personal source for morality in all things. To sin is to depart from the eternal life-giving word of God, and thus to sin is to die. "But don't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because on the day you eat from it, you will die!" (Gen. 2:17) "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” (John 8:24) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
After the expulsion from Eden, to gain access to the tree of life would require accepting God's Son and His sacrifice as your source for salvation, hence we are told of a "cherubim" with a "flaming sword" guarding the tree of life. "Cherubim" in Hebrew can be plural for cherub or singular for the greatest cherub, i.e. not just AN angel of the Lord, but THE Angel of the Lord! Therefore, the cherubim with the flaming sword, who guards the way to the tree of life, is "the Angel of the Lord." So who is this angel? From Exodus 3: "There the angel of the Lord appeared to [Moses] in flames of fire from within a bush... When the Lord saw that [Moses] had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush...” Question: who spoke to Moses from within the bush, God or the Angel of the Lord? Answer: The Angel of the Lord is the voice of God, who "became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14), and His word is the "flaming sword."
Ergo: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) "... and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword." (Rev. 1:16) "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life... On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." (Rev 22:1-2)
Merry Christmas!
Bran Whitcomb I'm not a Biblical scholar by any stretch, so forgive me...but in order to declare something as good or evil, one must judge it...which is not our place. "It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall." (Psalm 75:7) and also "God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?" (James 4:12)
Perhaps "eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good an evil" is simply "casting judgment" whether it be on your neighbor or upon yourself.
This coincides with the teachings of many other spiritual paths that indicate judgment of others or even the harsh judgment of self will only lead to attachments/desires or fears/avoidance, and those things will always culminate into suffering, which in the long run, is death, just like the biblical story promises.
Funny to think that pretending to know whether or not someone is in God's good grace might actually the greatest and most forbidden sin of human existence...since most organized religions spend most of their time guilt-tripping themselves and others for past behaviors. Again, I'm no scholar, but I like interpetations just as much as anyone else...hopefully you took no offense :)
No offense taken, Theo! :-) Thanks for the reply!
Although, I will say that there is a difference between passing judgement on someone for their behavior and deeming a behavior as either moral or immoral.
In the case of Eden, Eve was told she could be "like God", and know the difference between "good and evil" if she ate the fruit. Eve "ate the fruit" when she declared that being naked was immoral, without even thinking of consulting God, who had made her naked in the first place. The treacherous idea given by the serpent was that you don't need to seek out God's righteousness because you can make your own! Adam and Eve made a "judgement call", and based their judgment on their own interpretation of right and wrong. Once you begin to write your own morality, you write God out of your life.
I believe you have the right idea though, Theo. Passing judgement on others is a way of creating our own "good and evil", since Jesus tells us "“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matt. 7:1-2) This sentiment is further echoed by Paul in Romans 14:4; "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand."
Again, thanks for the reply, Theo. And if you ever want to discuss the Bible feel free to send me a message!
Sincerely,
Bran.
How come we didn't do more on winter solstice? Love the video, as always :)
Probably cuz it's a Pagan tradition, and Paganism has become a lot less popular.
6:03 "Latkis" I cringed at that pronunciation.
Don't forget, mispronunciation is his thing :P
That's true xD
Fun fact: Mistletoe was also once used to repel werewolves, who are reported to hate the stuff.
It's pronounced latkas not latkes.
I've pronounced it latkes before. Although, that's usually only when I'm drunk and gluttonous
"misspronounciation is my thing", as John Green have said numerous times. Which is why I don't get upset about his misspronounciation of Asar, Loke, Hödr, Balder or anything else. I'm just think it's awesome they bring it up. :-)
"I wonder if that's why all the other reindeer called him a sell out" haha so funny