Warming to the theme of a secular Chistmas, YouMadam posed a question on my post about Christmas 2009. If expensive gifts run counter to the true spirit of the holidays, can one blaspheme on the cheap?
Most Germans shop for cheap Christmas gifts at the local Christkindlmarkt. From the name, you can guess the obvious Christian overtones which no amount of Feuerzangenbowle can distract you from. Management often pays some kid to dress up like the Christ Child and...well, wander around being Christly.
Luckily, two Munich markets took a secular slant on the season.
Pink Christmas. The Gay Christmas Market.
Small, but beautifully formed, as we say the backroom. Pink Christmas used to be a weekend affair, tucked away in a quiet corner of boystown. (I've mentioned it before)
This year it swelled to an enormous length, and lasted almost the entire month of December. Not to mention that it extended to that gayest of spots, Berlin.
By the time we visited on the last day, the schedule was taking its toll. The tinsel had begun to fray, and the trees to droop.
But the partying kept up non-stop. Every evening, the entire place turned into an outdoor disco where you could shake your long-johnned tush.
The rest of the gayborhood got into the spirit. KraftAkt, one of my favourite Munich gay bars, decked its halls with yuletide drag. Their inflatable snowman looked like he could use a blowjob, though.
If you're a real-live gay snowman, would the bar's Christmas decoration make a good sex doll? Or would that be a bit flaky?
Diburnium, the leatherman's supermarket, dressed its window with many helpful suggestions for that last-minute gift. Your friends won't believe their eyes when they unwrap your package!
FIST™ brings warmth and good cheer to any holiday gathering. If I were the marketing manager for FIST™, I'd pitch it as alternative to a bottle of wine as the perfect present for the host, if you've been invited to a party. Like a bottle of wine, he can open it for all to share, or he can put it in the cellar for later.
Tollwood. The Hippie Christmas Market.
Tollwood is so politically correct, it's secular by default.
From their website: "The Tollwood Festival is a beacon of cultures, ecology and quality of life. From the beginning, the festival has striven to be the image of a multicultural society, which is why tolerance, internationality and openness are the cornerstones."
Alas, many Müncheners think Tollwood is a bit of a joke. The stalls sell a collection of candles, batik, organic soap, hand made pottery, incense and fairtrade knicknacks. Hippies go there to stock up on all their hippying needs.
Tollwood stays mostly schtum about all this birth-of-the-saviour business. In fact, Master Right and I went there to buy a Christmas-tree ornament, and had trouble finding one
We loved it. At the entrance, an ice sculpture of the pyramids greets guests. African drums lull you as you make your way amongst the stalls.
The traditional way to say welcome in Bavaria is Grüß Gott, or "God Greets You". Tollwood welcomes you with a hearty Grüß Göttin, or, "The Goddess Greets You"
The Goddess, I'm delighted to say, greeted us with a sumptuous paella and a couple of Tsing Taos. Free of genetically engineered ingredients, as Tollwood policy stipulates.
We didn't work up the enthusiasm to try out the ice rink made of recycled high-tech plastic. So all we could do is lounge under the palm tree made from a recycled autobahn sign. From the Ruhrgebiet, by the looks of things. I hope everyone can still find his way to Düsseldorf.
The snowman needs a blowjob... hahahaha.....
Posted by: nursemyra | Thursday, 14 January 2010 at 10:14 AM
Doesn't everyone?
Posted by: headbang8 | Thursday, 14 January 2010 at 10:35 AM
This Xmas I was joined by my brother, Chuck. He can smoke a turkey from 15ft away, passively. What do you give your Mother who has dementia/loss of memory? Memories.
I gave away external hard drives, scanners and USB sticks, and got back GB's of photos, videos and text info about Mom.
Enough to last a lifetime.
Posted by: Kevin C Jones | Thursday, 14 January 2010 at 06:45 PM
Pink Christmas looks like a blast! That's going on my to-visit list :)
Posted by: Long Story Longer | Saturday, 16 January 2010 at 03:59 AM
I don't need to receive one but I have an urge to give......
Posted by: nursemyra | Saturday, 16 January 2010 at 08:57 AM
When I was about 12 all of my friends were brilliant geeks with medical problems. B was a Mormon celiac who introduced me to pumpernickel. H was a type 1 diabetic with more photos of his older brother's girlfriend's vulva than insulin. We solved every problem but one - the 2nd Coming of Christ.
They solved it for me - I was pure, free from disease, and agnostic. So they erected a crucifix on the side of B's house and waited for me to come. They had the nails, crown of thorns, sponge of vinegar, etc.
Posted by: Kevin C Jones | Saturday, 16 January 2010 at 02:05 PM
How do you follow that?
Posted by: arizaphale | Monday, 18 January 2010 at 12:01 PM
By running away quickly. Actually, I was riding a bicycle and carrying a "spear" and a "cup" [grail #2].
I'll never know whether I was to be the 2nd Jesus.
Posted by: Kevin C Jones | Monday, 18 January 2010 at 02:24 PM