comment: >
  
  If this resonates with you, you should listen to Margaret Killjoy's latest series on her podcast, "Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff" 
  The episodes are titled "Keep the Yuletide Gay: Saturnalia & the Puritan War on Christmas"
  It goes into this and also a bunch of other stuff about Christmas that's super interesting.
context: This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.
  Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"
  (For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)
  Rule-breaking posts may result in bans. >
  
  This is weird because I literally just learnt what a cargo cult is earlier today from a YouTube video. >
  
  Baader meinhof >
  
  This is weird because I literally just learnt what baader meinhof is earlier today from a YouTube video. >
  
  Then you'd be interested in the Baader meinhof effect. >
  
  This is weird cuz I just learned what the baader mienhof effect was from this Reddit comment.... >
  
  Zipf’s law? >
  
  That’s weird because I literally just learned what ZipF’s law was from google… >
  
  I heard Santa was in a cult. I forget where. >
  
  You guys remember stuff?? >
  
  It's not technically a cargo cult, at least how I understand the meaning, because the rituals aren't a backwards representation of cause and effect. Like if kids thought carving a second chimney would attract more presents, that would be a cargo cult. >
  
  I think there’s definitely cause and effect- for example, writing the letter to Santa and leaving out a stocking both increase the chances of desirable gifts. Even leaving out a cookie for Santa and carrot for the reindeer might be a way to curry favour. >
  
  Yeah but those rituals are tangential, not backwards. "Cargo culting" is when you attempt to blindly recreate some legitimate part of the process thinking that that will achieve the desired results. The rituals that kids employ aren't a blind recreation of some part of the "actual" process of how Santa (or their mom/dad) brings presents. >
  
  We spend government money every year so NORAD can display a fake location of Santa Claus and kids can track how long it will be until they get their presents. >
  
  Honestly the weirder thing about Santa is that he has a way to break into anyone's home and everyone's just ok with that.
  Like even if you don't live in a house with a chimney that fat fuck still has a way in. >
  
  He's a Reverse Burgler.