At least two stationers here have cards with a mother and cub family of polar b
ears. One even has a Christmasy message inside.

What is the connection with Christmas? The only biblical bears I can think of are the ones that ate some cheeky teenagers who had mocked Elisha. And there is no reason to think they were white.

In message <63f6fb80-cdcf-4728-a455-a0000d32f60dn@googlegroups.com> at
Sun, 10 Dec 2023 12:37:57, Tony Smith <agsmith578688@gmail.com> writes
>At least two stationers here have cards with a mother and cub family of polar b
>ears. One even has a Christmasy message inside.
>
>What is the connection with Christmas? The only biblical bears I can
>think of are the ones that ate some cheeky teenagers who had mocked
>Elisha. And there is no reason to think they were white.

I guess virtually no connection with Christ-mas. (I didn't know about
the biblical bears; sounds like a fun story!)

However, a large proportion of the population no longer makes the
Christian connection with Christmas, and just instead connects it with
the cold weather (maybe even some race memory of winter solstice
activities), and polar bears probably seem reasonable for that (and bear
cubs, like most baby animals, are appealing): I certainly wouldn't find
it objectionable. (And I apologise to anyone if my saying so _does_
cause offence - it's certainly not intended.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

If vegetarians eat vegetables,..beware of humanitarians!

On Sun, 10 Dec 2023 12:37:57 -0800, Tony Smith wrote:

> At least two stationers here have cards with a mother and cub family of
> polar b ears. One even has a Christmasy message inside.
>
> What is the connection with Christmas? The only biblical bears I can
> think of are the ones that ate some cheeky teenagers who had mocked
> Elisha. And there is no reason to think they were white.

Do they throw snowballs?

On 10/12/2023 23:42, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> In message <63f6fb80-cdcf-4728-a455-a0000d32f60dn@googlegroups.com> at
> Sun, 10 Dec 2023 12:37:57, Tony Smith <agsmith578688@gmail.com> writes
>> At least two stationers here have cards with a mother and cub family
>> of polar b
>> ears. One even has a Christmasy message inside.
>>
>> What is the connection with Christmas? The only biblical bears I can
>> think of are the ones that ate some cheeky teenagers who had mocked
>> Elisha. And there is no reason to think they were white.
>
> I guess virtually no connection with Christ-mas. (I didn't know about
> the biblical bears; sounds like a fun story!)
>
> However, a large proportion of the population no longer makes the
> Christian connection with Christmas, and just instead connects it with
> the cold weather (maybe even some race memory of winter solstice
> activities), and polar bears probably seem reasonable for that (and bear
> cubs, like most baby animals, are appealing): I certainly wouldn't find
> it objectionable. (And I apologise to anyone if my saying so _does_
> cause offence - it's certainly not intended.)

You mean the bit about Christ throwing the merchants and money changers
out of the temple and condemning their avarice and shady practices?

--
Ric

On 11/12/2023 00:03, Iain Archer wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Dec 2023 12:37:57 -0800, Tony Smith wrote:
>
>> At least two stationers here have cards with a mother and cub family of
>> polar b ears. One even has a Christmasy message inside.
>>
>> What is the connection with Christmas? The only biblical bears I can
>> think of are the ones that ate some cheeky teenagers who had mocked
>> Elisha. And there is no reason to think they were white.
>
> Do they throw snowballs?

No, not in the woods

--
Ric

On 11-Dec-23 0:34, Joe Kerr wrote:
> On 10/12/2023 23:42, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>> In message <63f6fb80-cdcf-4728-a455-a0000d32f60dn@googlegroups.com> at
>> Sun, 10 Dec 2023 12:37:57, Tony Smith <agsmith578688@gmail.com> writes
>>> At least two stationers here have cards with a mother and cub family
>>> of polar b
>>> ears. One even has a Christmasy message inside.
>>>
>>> What is the connection with Christmas? The only biblical bears I can
>>> think of are the ones that ate some cheeky teenagers who had mocked
>>> Elisha. And there is no reason to think they were white.
>>
>> I guess virtually no connection with Christ-mas. (I didn't know about
>> the biblical bears; sounds like a fun story!)
>>
>> However, a large proportion of the population no longer makes the
>> Christian connection with Christmas, and just instead connects it with
>> the cold weather (maybe even some race memory of winter solstice
>> activities), and polar bears probably seem reasonable for that (and
>> bear cubs, like most baby animals, are appealing): I certainly
>> wouldn't find it objectionable. (And I apologise to anyone if my
>> saying so _does_ cause offence - it's certainly not intended.)
>
> You mean the bit about Christ throwing the merchants and money changers
> out of the temple and condemning their avarice and shady practices?
>
I think he was objecting to the lack of zoning restrictions, and wanted
them moved to a business location (where the avarice and shady practices
would have presumably been OK).

--
Sam Plusnet

Tony Smith <agsmith578688@gmail.com> wrote:
> At least two stationers here have cards with a mother and cub family of polar b
> ears. One even has a Christmasy message inside.
>
> What is the connection with Christmas? The only biblical bears I can
> think of are the ones that ate some cheeky teenagers who had mocked
> Elisha. And there is no reason to think they were white.
>

Polar Bears, North Pole, Father Christmas’s home / workshop / elves?

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan

On 11/12/2023 09:17, Mike McMillan wrote:
> Tony Smith <agsmith578688@gmail.com> wrote:
>> At least two stationers here have cards with a mother and cub family of polar b
>> ears. One even has a Christmasy message inside.
>>
>> What is the connection with Christmas? The only biblical bears I can
>> think of are the ones that ate some cheeky teenagers who had mocked
>> Elisha. And there is no reason to think they were white.
>>
>
> Polar Bears, North Pole, Father Christmas’s home / workshop / elves?
>
JRR Tolkien's Father Christmas letters to his children were written in
the 30's and featured FC and North Polar Bear as his assistant.

I continued the tradition with a picture and shaky writing when my
children were young and started again when the AGCs came along, but they
are getting to the age when then no longer believe :(

This pic shows NPB breaking the North Pole which has a red bandage on in
all subsequent pictures.
https://keyassets.timeincuk.net/inspirewp/live/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2020/12/281.jpg

https://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/theatre-film-music/with-love-from-father-christmas-j-r-r-tolkiens-enchanting-christmas-letters-to-his-children-220828

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/tolkien-favorite-father-christmas-santa-holiday-letters

On 10/12/2023 20:37, Tony Smith wrote:
> At least two stationers here have cards with a mother and cub family of polar b
> ears. One even has a Christmasy message inside.
>
> What is the connection with Christmas? The only biblical bears I can think of are the ones that ate some cheeky teenagers who had mocked Elisha. And there is no reason to think they were white.

The holly bear's a berry. At least, that's how I used to hear it. Who
the holly bear was, and why he was a berry, I don't know. God works in
mysterious ways.

And of course, there's Gladly, my cross-eyed bear.
--
Cheers
Clive

On Mon, 11 Dec 2023 09:31:25 +0000, BrritSki
<rtilburyTAKEOUT@gmail.com> wrote:

>JRR Tolkien's Father Christmas letters to his children were written in
>the 30's and featured FC and North Polar Bear as his assistant.
>
>I continued the tradition with a picture and shaky writing when my
>children were young and started again when the AGCs came along, but they
>are getting to the age when then no longer believe :(

Granddaughter, 7, last year wrote back to Santa after she got a letter
from him and grandson, 6 then, met Santa at the Xmas fete and thanked
him. I only did the letter for him this year and he was going to thank
Santa again :) I did also send him a book, the story of Chanukah, and
he found mum's candelabra and wanted to light the candles.
Granddaughter did make Chanuka biscuits, so all bases were covered.