Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2010 December 25

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December 25

Is there any confirmation about XAT 2011 pattern?

Actually XAT included general awareness section only once in 2005 and didn't do it again. But this time there are rumors that they are going to give 60 questions pertaining to general awareness each carrying 60 marks. How veracious are those rumors? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 1.23.47.135 (talk) 01:30, 25 December 2010 (UTC)

Is this a question about the XLRI Admission Test? If so, I'm afraid Wikipedia has no access to any privileged information about it. You'd do better asking the institution itself directly about the format of the test. Karenjc 14:26, 25 December 2010 (UTC)

the Catholic Church and Santa Claus

Has the Catholic Church ever officially admitted that Santa Claus is a fabrication? 87.91.6.33 (talk) 11:16, 25 December 2010 (UTC)

Saint Nicholas of Myra seems to have been a historic person. Our article on Santa Claus should provide you with the - partly pagan - development of the "legend". --Cookatoo.ergo.ZooM (talk) 11:37, 25 December 2010 (UTC)

I think the Catholic church just sort of irritatedly ignores Santa. They do however, at least here in Slovenia, endorse St. Nicholas day (6th Dec.), which is less consummery and more in line with the old traditions. TomorrowTime (talk) 13:49, 25 December 2010 (UTC)

The elaboration of Santa Claus folklore occurred mainly at the hands of Dutch and U.S. Protestants, so not sure why you seem to want to blame Catholics... AnonMoos (talk) 14:05, 25 December 2010 (UTC)

I don't think TomorrowTime is blaming Catholics. The question was about the Catholic Church specifically, and this would be why he mentioned them in his answer. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 13:53, 26 December 2010 (UTC)

The question about an admission implies that there is a fabrication to be admitted. The Bonifatiuswerk of German Catholics -- a church aid organisation -- sees Santa as "an invention of the advertising industry designed to boost sales" and as "a representative of consumer society who has little to do with the historical figure of St Nicolas." Cuddlyable3 (talk) 00:26, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

One cannot admit something is a fabrication unless one had earlier claimed it was true. (Like, I cannot admit that Columbus never really reached Asia, because I never claimed he did to begin with.) Has the Catholic Church ever officially claimed there really is a Santa Claus, Virginia? Not bleeding likely, imo. So, they have nothing to admit in relation to SC. Equally, they're not going to be making any pronouncements one way or the other about the Tooth Fairy. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 10:24, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

An agreement to a claim can be tacit. As example, it's not uncommon to see a Catholic bishop delivering an Easter homily in the company of toy chickens and eggs. Certainly a bishop has some control of these decorations in a church or when he preaches on TV. Has the Catholic Church ever officially admitted that chickens have nothing to do with their Easter gospel message? Cuddlyable3 (talk) 14:51, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

We use rabbits where I come from. --KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 15:10, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

I think Cuddlyable3 may have been anticipating chickens from eggs (knowing full-well, I expect, how problematic that sort of thing can be;). I have never once, myself, seen a bunny lay an egg in a Catholic Church, if that's the question... WikiDao ☯ (talk) 15:30, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

I restate my earlier point by way of a question to Cuddlyable: Has the CC ever officially claimed that chickens have something to do with their Easter gospel message? If not, as I suspect (= know), then they have nothing to admit. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 19:31, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

There's at least one chicken in Luke 13:34, though it's a bit removed from the Easter narrative. --- OtherDave (talk) 01:45, 28 December 2010 (UTC)

You are likely to see both toy chickens and painted chickens' eggs being blessed by the priest at Easter in Polish catholic churches and in the Easter sermon given on TV. Bunnies are not so approved (video). See the article Easter egg#Christian symbols and practice. Cuddlyable3 (talk) 03:16, 29 December 2010 (UTC)

Well there was a rooster crowing when Peter denied Christ, but that was a couple days before Easter. Googlemeister (talk) 16:20, 31 December 2010 (UTC)