mylittlejamjar | [Visual]

[Here you go pony's, have one of your resident cats, the red scruffy one.]

Hey there pony's, the name's Cliffjumper, I'm one of the new bots in town. Been trying to get myself settled since I'm uh...I'm still a little new to this whole "organic" thing, but I think I'm finally gettin' the hang of it. Little food, a little sleep and you're good to go when the sun rises.

Enough about me though, I'm curious about all this holiday stuff going on. It sounds a lot like what humans have back on Earth...

[Is going off of a New York standard of Christmas really the proper thing to compare it to, Cliff?]

You got the same scramble for presents I've been seeing and well...I was never really able to ask before, but is that all this holiday is? Some mad dash to get the biggest and best present you can for someone? I mean I get the part where a Snowman came to life, and some red nosed mammal with high-beams helped an old guy in a red suit come to town...actually I don't get that either, and if you have answers for those as well I'd owe you one...

I mean it's like whiplash between the two, magic snowmen and big fat guys in suits, then suddenly everyone gets presents. Just what is this holiday all about?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It was then Arcee realized the mistake of giving someone who's prone to chatter a scroll.]

Sounds like you got it to me.

Yeah, but this place doesn't have anything like commercials with mammals and birds trying to drink soda. I'm just not getting the same vibe.

...You do know those commercials aren't real, right?

Considering the existence of this place? I'm beginning to rethink that...

This "place" doesn't count.

But I mean it, there's really not much to this holiday. ...Just like every other holiday. It's an easy pattern to follow, Cliff.

I wouldn't be so sure, this one always seems to get more hype than the others do. Would they really put so much thought into it if there wasn't much to it?

They get presents out of it, there you go.

So...that's it then. Just get each other presents for no reason. That's the holiday...

Hey, I never said it made any sense.

Ah well, I guess that means I'll need to get you something that isn't a fish-stick.

[O-oh. Her paws drag over her face in a poor attempt to not look interested.]

You don't have to get me anything, Cliff. Just...try to stay warm.

[Like you can hide that from him.]

Hey now, it'd be pretty poor form if I didn't get my partner something for the holidays though. It's like I want to get you something or...something.

[Nope, she's gonna fight this.]

You know I'm not gonna get you something in return. I know you know.

So?

[Like that would work on him. You know better than that Arcee.]

You make it sound like I expect you to. It's cause you wanna and nothin' else remember?

[GROANING INTERNALLY]

Fine. Not like I can stop you...

Just...nothing too loud. Think you can handle that?

Who do you take me for?

[Cliff-note: Put firecrackers in the box.]

It'll be something that totally blows you away.

[Is...is that foreshadowing?]

You know, when you say scrap like that, it makes me wanna avoid opening things.

I don't really know about all that OTHER stuff, but it's not about the BIGGEST present really. Just whatever you think will make them happy!

Huh...so you don't do it like some kinda trade or nothin'?

Nah! It's NICE if the person gets you a gift back, but they shouldn't feel like they HAVE-have to! Y'know?

Sounds simple enough. So you don't get them anything unless you want to, and don't expect anything in return. Kind of a magnanimous holiday.

It always seemed so rushed back on Earth.

I've never had Hearth's Warming on Earth! Or Christmas, I guess, that's what they call it there but I'm preeeeeeeetty sure they're pretty much the same thing.

Oh, oh, but I had it with a bunch of humans once! But we were all up in space, so it wasn't like we could go shopping or anything, so we just got presents from up there and hung out! It was neat.

[Have a purple Earth pony with a raised brow, Mr. Cat.]

Okay, Frosty and Santa Claus? Two different things. They're all just a bit of holiday folklore fun. They're both there to make kids happy. Santa - the big man in the suit - he brings presents to all the good little girls and boys. Rudolph's sometimes part of the story. He needs a way to cart the presents around, yeah? So, he hooks up flying reindeer to his sleigh, loads that up with presents and off he goes.

Everybody buying presents for everybody else? That's just... you want to get a little something for the people you care about. Big things that you wouldn't usually get them. That's why there's the rush.

O-Oh...a-actually, I think you're thinking of Christmas...th-that's the holiday most humans celebrate in...their world...

Our holiday, Hearth's Warming Eve, is...actually pretty similar to Christmas, but...we celebrate it for different reasons...

It's not quite the same holiday here -- same purpose, though. It's really not that unusual in cultures that spring up somewhere that has proper winter. Halfway through, when the days are their darkest and coldest, that's when people come together and show their affection for one another.

That said, Christmas is my favorite version.

Uh, kind of? I mean the buying things for other ponies is just kind of expected now so you don't look like a cheapskate. And we've got a lot of stories about old men dressed in red coming to town but, uh, we don't really. You know. Tell those stories to kids until they're older, and they aren't really a part of Hearth Warming.

The snowman is though! If by snowman you mean Windigo, which you probably don't.

Hearth's Warming is kind of a long story.

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