seasonal randomness

[ratcreature]

My sister gave me an advent calendar today, which in itself wouldn't be weird. But you know how those things usually are winter or x-mas themed? Well this one has some kind of vaguely Arabic/1001 Nights theme (crappy photo, about 40K), and in addition to the chocolate (hmm, Lindt chocolates...) you get some kind of Arabian proverb behind every door. I have to admit that I don't quite get it, why produce an advent calendar that has nothing to do with Christmas or any of the other usual seasonal trappings? And why Arabian proverbs? I mean, it's an advent calendar. Actually the one my sister has is even stranger in that it doesn't go until the 24th but has doors until New Year. Huh. Yay for increasing secularization, I guess. You can now have advent calendars without them being advent calendars in that they count to Christmas. And incidentally also have more chocolate. :)

Comments

[buggery.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's a Ramadan calendar...?

[ratcreature]

Heh. I don't think so, it wouldn't fit timeline wise either, seeing how afaik Ramadan this year has been long over, since it was mostly during October I think. My best guess is that's a reaction to the overkill of Santa and other x-mas images, but it allows still a vague connection because there's a camel and they have flowing tunics or whatever which are sort of like the three Magi or something. Or maybe because in 1001 Nights there's a story each night just like there's a piece of chocolate every day in an advent calendar? *grasping for rationalizations* *flail*
To be honest, I have no clue, personally I've always been quite content with the traditional kind of designs, because at least by the time that you start opening them it actually gets closer to Christmas, and in December I don't find such decorations nearly as annoying as in *September*. Unless they sing in squeaky, tinny voices, like singing plastic trees, blaring Jingle Bells at you when you enter your greengrocer's shop. Whoever designed singing plastic trees equipped with motion sensors ought to meet a most horrible fate.