dressofheaven | 10th Grail [Video/Action for Olivine]

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

[As the last strains of "Angels We Have Heard on High" leave Ilya's lips, she picks up a nearby mug and nurses at it a bit, kicking her legs and seemingly oblivious to the fact that she's being taped.

But not for long. She turns her eyes to the side and blinks in surprise.] Orpheus, you weren't supposed to turn that on yet! I'm still warming up!

[But with a little sigh and a soft smile of amusement, she shrugs it off.] Oh well, I guess I'm about ready. Most of you probably don't know this but I've been... complaining a little about the sort of music they're playing and some of us are singing about now. Not that I don't like Christmas or anything, I just don't like most of the songs.

But there are a few good ones out there, and so I decided that I'd sing all the ones I know that I actually like tonight. Sort of like caroling only I'm doing it over the network instead of door-to-door. As such, if you'd like to hear one, you can just respond and I'll sing one for you. You can either pick one or let me do it, I don't mind either way.

Just don't ask me to sing something like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" or "Santa Clause is Coming to Town", alright?

[Her message sent, Ilya takes another sip and starts to sing again.]

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, On Christmas Day
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning

[The feed clicks off after that line.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If I may say, you have a wonderful voice.

Care to share another with someone who knows little more than "Wonderful Christmastime"? I'm afraid the holiday was never quite so celebrated where I'm from.

Of course you may say that! And I'll say thank you in return.

[She giggles a little and bows just slightly, accepting the compliment.]

But that really is a loss. The holiday itself I mostly only celebrate as a formality, but some of the music, especially the older music, is truly lovely. Here's one of my favorites.

Here we come a wassailing
among the leaves so green
Here we come a wandering
so fair to be seen.

Love and joy come to you
And to you your wassail too
And God bless you and send you
A happy new year
And God send you a happy new year.

Just as lovely as the other, indeed. How many songs are there? You seem to have no shortage of them.

Oh it's over twenty, easily. You'll never hear them over the radio, though. I don't even know if this world has them.

I guess it wouldn't make much sense for them too, they are mostly religious in nature after all.

Twenty?

[ ... wow ]

Really? That's... quite a few.

Does it surprise you? It shouldn't, really. Religion has always had a way of attracting musicians to it.

I suppose I'm used to religion being... hmm. Less celebrated, if I had to put a word on it. Also, Christmas isn't religious back home.

... It is the celebration of the birth of the son of an absolute God. How can that be made non-religious?

[Not that Ilya subscribes to any religion herself, but really.]

By not believing in that God, for one.

Well, yes, but then how would you celebrate it?

Well, Japan has reduced it primarily to the chicken dinner with one's significant other.

Shirou never told me about that...

But they already have Valentine's Day and White Day! Another holiday for couples seems kind of... pointless.

Really? A holiday with no gift obligation seems rather refreshing compared to the other two.

You know, that's a very odd statement to my ears... As I was raised, Christmas is the day to give and receive gifts, aside from one's birthday.

... Suddenly, Johto's traditions make a lot more sense now.

They do seem to be very western about it... Though I still don't really understand how they even know about it. We certainly didn't bring it with us.

I'd understand them following Japanese tradition. In my world at least, Pokemon is a Japanese game. But where Western Christmas comes from, I haven't the faintest clue.

Maybe it just copied the way most people celebrate it? I mean, I'm pretty sure most countries are western style about it, or not at all. I could be wrong though.

I wouldn't know, myself. I can't say I've ever paid much attention to countries that weren't my own.

That sort of makes this like the old story about the blind men describing the elephant. Neither of us can really know enough to say for sure.

And I don't suppose the locals would have any better clue, would they?

Well, I suppose there's no harm in asking. But do you even know how Japan started celebrating it? I know the original western story, but they can't be the same one.

Japan has long had a habit of emulating the west, especially around the time that Christmas became popular. I suspect some of the traditions made it over without the story behind them providing any context. As I said, we tend not to believe in a single god.

Okay, I guess I can understand that, but I still don't see why you'd have a celebration without any understanding of just what you're celebrating. Every holiday I'm aware of has a long history behind it, even the ones that have kind of broken away from said history.

People celebrate things they don't understand all the time. Most things are celebrated because other people celebrated them first, aren't they? It's just a question of whether or not you learn what started the first set of people celebrating.

[video]

dressofheaven - 2014-01-06 23:51 (UTC) - Expand

usedfeatherdance - 2014-01-08 10:31 (UTC) - Expand