Welcome! These forums will be deactivated by the end of this year. The conversation continues in a new morph over on Discord! Please join us there for a more active conversation and the occasional opportunity to ask developers questions directly! Go to the PS+ Discord Server.

♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪

17 posts / 0 new
Last post
Rhyx Rhyx's picture
♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
Quote:
There are a few exceptions, mainly the annual White Christmas.
I think this concept deserves a bit more looking into: as a religiously based consumer fueled tradition would the concept of Christmas survive the fall? What did it transform into? What changed, and what does it mean in a post scarcity society and gift economy? In your own words, how you think that this holiday, part family obligation, part gift giving and part religious worship, has changed in the eclipse phase universe? Does it have different meanings according to what faction you belong to? Are there still cultural universals attached to it?
Albertorius Albertorius's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
Looking at Japan, I'd say that christmas doesn't really need to change all that much ^_^
Axel the Chimeric Axel the Chimeric's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
I think Christmas as a festive, gift-giving tradition would survive in many places, especially in any place that people of European descent headed to, and doubly for the Planetary Consortium (any excuse to get people into a buying frenzy). It's likely a lot less interesting, though, as the staples of the holiday are gone: No snow, no cold temperatures, no trees (or, if you have them, you probably can't cut them down and bring them home), nothing. It's likely much more that the poor hang some chintsy decorations about, lots of big AR feeds come up, and John Q. Exalt has an office party, where everyone exchanges low cost gifts, gets a small bonus, and feels awkward. As a religious tradition, on the other hand... I'm not so sure. It probably still sees some observances, but it varies by habitat. I can see the Jovian Republic, with its large South American (and probably heavily Catholic) population, still celebrating it largely as a religious observance, though. In short, I think it'd be an immensely sad affair for anyone not celebrating it for religious reasons, but it'll still get celebrated.
Extrasolar Angel Extrasolar Angel's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
Creating trees shouldn't be that difficult, many habitats have semi-vegetation covered environment according to the book. Some things may change-instead of mass produced gifts, people in EP may like the idea of giving handcrafted items to their love ones(statue, figurine, painting, jewelry) that they made themselves.
[I]Raise your hands to the sky and break the chains. With transhumanism we can smash the matriarchy together.[/i]
nezumi.hebereke nezumi.hebereke's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
We're actually doing this right now in the game I run with my wife. Since Christianity is no longer such a major religion, it wouldn't exactly be 'Christmas' as we know it. Similarly, there's no internationally-accepted winter, so no winter solstice. However, we've established a set of annual traditions that is very fun and good for the economy, so I'm sure it would be passed on, albeit, in a more PC (pun intended) version We decided it's called 'Holiday'. It became "Winter Holidays" when you lost the Christianity, and just "Holiday" when you lost winter (and any real discrimination between New Years and Christmas). 12/25-1/1 are just a smear of 'Holiday'. You engage in fun holiday traditions, like making gingerbread morphs and gingerbread habitats (given the availability of fabbers, these can now be quite complicated, or it can be an opportunity for more classic, hand-shaped works). You decorate everywhere with bright sparklies. A tree in the corner is common, usually a virtual one. You'd still have the mistletoe, but it's probably all sparkly like a disco ball. There would be plenty of booze, and plenty of exchanging of gifts. Probably a good deal of rampant sex too.
Axel the Chimeric Axel the Chimeric's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
nezumi.hebereke wrote:
You engage in fun holiday traditions, like making gingerbread morphs and gingerbread habitats (given the availability of fabbers, these can now be quite complicated, or it can be an opportunity for more classic, hand-shaped works).
"We've got Venusian habs, which are nice and airy. We've got Lunar habs, which are quite spicy. We've got Martian habs, which are a little dry and dusty. We've got Extropian habs, which you can trade with your friends. We've got Jovian habs, which are plain for those who like the old fashioned flavour. We've got Titanian habs, which are good even when cold. And, of course, we made all the little leftover bits into autonomist habs, which are free for everyone."
GJD GJD's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
There's a bunch of holidays around midwinter (old Earth northern hemisphere midwinter, that is) that can be celebrated. My other half is a pagan, so celebrates Yule, but there is also Kwanzaa, Eid, Saturnalia, Holiday (Pastafarian - praise his noodly goodness), Winters Veil, Shoe day and so on. G.
nezumi.hebereke nezumi.hebereke's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
Axel the Chimeric wrote:
"We've got Venusian habs, which are nice and airy. We've got Lunar habs, which are quite spicy. We've got Martian habs, which are a little dry and dusty. We've got Extropian habs, which you can trade with your friends. We've got Jovian habs, which are plain for those who like the old fashioned flavour. We've got Titanian habs, which are good even when cold. And, of course, we made all the little leftover bits into autonomist habs, which are free for everyone."
:P Seriously though, the assumption is, we have the materials to build this stuff without significant skill or investment, and an excuse to do it. People are going to do it and have fun. One character built a gingerbread Cole cylinder, populated by self-guided, sucrose-based micromachines, and actually sealed the cylinder and increased the interior air pressure, so when it was cut open, it blew out gusts of moisture and tiny, flailing sugar people. Honestly, if you had the technology, I think we all know someone who would do something like that. For the less skilled, making gingerbread morphs (either artistic, delicious, grotesque or cute) is always an option. Gingerbread reapers! Yum!
Axel the Chimeric Axel the Chimeric's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
nezumi.hebereke wrote:
Gingerbread reapers! Yum!
I AM THE VOICE OF THE HARBINGER. WE SHALL BE YOUR SALVATION THROUGH CONSUMPTION. Or do I have the wrong Reapers? Heh heh
Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
"But dad, how can Santa deliver presents to all kids in the solar system? Doesn't the light-speed limit prevent that? It takes more than 24 hours to cross the solar system. Not to mention visiting kids on exoplanets." "No, it is Christmas magic... hahaha, just kidding. You see, Santa is quantum entangled with all good little kids, so he can teleport presents nonlocally." "Daaaad, that is not Lorenz invariant! In some frames Santa will be active before or after Christmas, and there are some where he *takes* presents from the kids." "Clever. But check the ethics vector of the good kids as seen from such a frame - it gets inverted. So Santa is doing the right thing regardless of frame. He is invariant under Poincaré transformations."
Extropian
nezumi.hebereke nezumi.hebereke's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
My assumption was Santa goes faster than LS, resulting in his actually making additional time the further he has to fly. And since there are no more reindeer, kids have no idea if there was actually an arctic mammal that could literally run back in time. That, or he just sends software out to the good little autonomists.
Nathan Brazil Nathan Brazil's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
Hi this is my first post. I was going to bring up Santa. In EP first, concerning reproduction. Would there be any immature beings around to do the myth. Also, even a children, connected to the mesh, how could the myth perpetuate?
Rhyx Rhyx's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
I'm pretty positive that there were quite a few children unloaded and in cold storage right now. Maybe there's full of little infomorph kids going around as orphans and making denial of service attacks on wealthy people forcing them to give them more bandwidth and maybe neotenic bodies. (cue Oliver Twist)
lucyfersam lucyfersam's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
I'm just envisioning an autonomist Santa, who once a year goes on a trip through all the virtual cities in the inner system (as I think about it, this is an area that could use some development in EP, there are a fair number of infomorphs, but no real communities of them described), bringing free software to all the good little infomorph boys and girls.
anth anth's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
Axel the Chimeric wrote:
the staples of the holiday are gone: No snow, no cold temperatures
There are plenty of countries in the Southern hemisphere where this is during summer and is the major holiday of the year (perhaps with assistance from New Year's Eve). I think this would include much of the South American population you refer to in the next paragraph. Speaking as someone from another Southern hemisphere country who lived on the far side of the world for a few years it didn't quite seem like xmas when going outside was to play in the snow rather than for a swim or the traditional barbecue. That didn't matter much though, the really noticeable difference was the people I was with (or rather wasn't with). Some things change, others stay the same. The weather seems a minor part of it to me, overshadowed by rampant consumerism followed by getting together with family (and a party a week later if we include New Year and call it the holiday season).
Axel the Chimeric Axel the Chimeric's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
anth wrote:
There are plenty of countries in the Southern hemisphere where this is during summer and is the major holiday of the year (perhaps with assistance from New Year's Eve). I think this would include much of the South American population you refer to in the next paragraph.
That's actually something I thought of while I was typing that, but, to my knowledge, I've not really had experience with anything iconic from those countries in regards to Christmas. That could just be from my ignorance, though.
Karri Karri's picture
Re: ♫ I'm dreaming of a Transhuman Christmas... ♪
Depends on your definition, I suppose. I know a trip to the beach on Christmas is very traditional in Australia. They also have these little red and green flowers that they tend to use for decoration. Africa tends to go for oil palms for trees, and have communion dinners where they bring a love offering (gift), and likewise tend to hit the beach or whatever neat geographic feature is available (such as mountains). The flowers tend to be out in full force during Christmas, so they tend to enjoy those. In Mexico they go from door to door with images of Joseph and Mary to symbolize them trying to find shelter. Japan has some of the same wrappings as the western Christmas (Santa, christmas trees, reindeer, etc.) but eschews the whole family aspect; it's a holiday for being nice to others, not for dinner and family. Some places (Syria, Iraq, probably elsewhere) and substitute the tree for a bonfire, sing around it, and finally jump over the embers or ashes to make wishes. Nativity scenes are pretty universal, although each culture tends to add their own flavor. In the Middle East, it's warm enough to grow crops, so they plant some seeds a few weeks before Christmas (such as lentils, beans and grain) and then use the shoots to surround the scene. Gifts are pretty common too, although most countries don't go as much overboard as the US and Europe does. The date for Christmas tends to vary depending on country. 24th and 25th December are the most common, but I know some countries hold it on January 7th. From a Christian point of view, this isn't necessarily wrong. No specific date is given in the Bible, and May and March have been used too. I think Christmas would still be celebrated in some form, and I really doubt the local weather, or lack of same, would stop anyone. It just depends on how you grew up. I can see why, having been used to Christmases on warm evenings among the flowers, you would find the idea of freezing on such a nice day quite alien.