Oddball Stuff You Should Know

[oneh2obabe]

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[Babba_not_Gump]

^^^
And here is the full story, from of all places, the Smithsonian.
A fascinating read.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/ ... 165354242/

[Catsumi]

These two paragraphs from the link above ^^^ are particularly interesting for us Westerners:

That sponginess is never more evident than during Yuletide, a season that, stripped of Christian significance, has taken on a meaning all its own. It’s said that a Japanese department store once innocently displayed Santa Claus nailed to a crucifix. Apocryphal or not, the story has cultural resonance.

Shingo is modestly festive with frosted pine trees and sparkling lights, glittering streamers and green-and-red wreaths, candles and crèches. In Japan, Christmas Eve is a kind of date night in which many young people ignore the chaste example of Mary—and instead lose their virginity. “It’s the most romantic holiday in Japan, surpassing Valentine’s Day,” says Chris Carlsen, an Oregon native who teaches English in town. “On Christmas Day, everyone goes back to work and all the ornaments are taken down.”

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