callada | [ITN] IC Inbox

Of course it doesn't matter! I'm impressed you even took the time to do this much. It's warm and so colorful!

Christmas is the gift-giving holiday on Earth, right? Everyone keeps telling me different things about it. Gifts for friends, stories for children, something about a myth around man who makes elves work for him?

Dear Rosinante, Yes, sort of. The figure is a man known as Santa Claus, based on Saint Nicholas, who was famous for bringing gifts to the poor. His day is actually on the 6th of December, but in my part of Earth-- and this part of Earth-- he'd merged with the figure of Father Christmas, who was the personification of Christmas that we celebrate on the 25th. Children typically get toys, and their parents tell them that they are gifts from Santa Claus, and to behave or else they won't receive any. It wasn't even until about a hundred fifty years ago that the elves were introduced! They help him make the toys, of course, since naturally it would be difficult to make so many toys without an abundance of assistance. Older children and adults typically celebrate by exchanging gifts to each other, since the spirit of modern Christmas is about giving! Yours, Aziraphale.

[Cool history lesson - he'd kind of wanted one or he wouldn't have pressed Aziraphale in particular for more details.]

You said "this part of Earth" - did you find out something that confirms that's where we are? I thought the stars here weren't familiar to the people from Earth that I had asked.

[But it would maybe explain why so many people here are from Earth if this is a version of it!]

Dear Rosinante, I did not but either something has gone wrong with the placement of Earth or else this place was made to look and feel exactly like a small town in either a country called America or one called Canada. I would even hazard as to guess that it's after the year 1950.

At the town hall, I remember the year 1979 mentioned from someone's dreams of this place in the sunlight. It doesn't mean anything to me, though. Different calendar from mine at home. As someone familiar with Earth, what would those dates imply to you?

Dear Rosinante, It would probably narrow things down. I'm not sure what year it is here still - there's no media or anything to suggest what year it is, but the last year I saw was 2019, so I won't be able to tell you anything about what happens after that. Where did this person see 1979? Was it on a newspaper? -Aziraphale.

I don't remember. Some kind of written publication. I remember Ignis saying he saw something with 197- as well, where the last digit was torn off of the paper it was on. That makes two items with similar dates. But you have seen Earth long past the 1970s and it wasn't all dead and dark, was it?

Dearest Rosinante, Yes, I have. In fact, I personally ensured that Earth was still standing as of 2019 and that the Apocalypse would be staved another decade, at least. But I think we have people here from different Earths - similar, still called Earth, but different nonetheless. It would explain why this one appears to be in an unfamiliar galaxy. -Aziraphale.

Others here have said something like that. Multiple versions of worlds. Except it's always Earth that has the multiple versions so far.

Why Earth in particular? Why is it so important? You even said your people were going to have a war there. Why what world and not some other one? Not expecting you to know, I'm just confused.

Dear Rosinante, All of this is conjecture as I have not studied it, but I believe because this nexus is based out of Earth, that Earth happens to have extra representation. It is much easier to affect your neighbors, after all. -Aziraphale.

That's a good guess. It makes some intuitive sense.

Sorry, I meant to ask you about holidays but then got sidetracked by all of this. Is the spinning top and its prizes part of Christmas also or is that something the spirits might have invented? The prizes range from pleasant to very unusual.

Dear Rosinante, Oh no, that's a Hanukkah tradition. The four marked sides are an acronym for "a miracle happened here." It was invented for children to play with to remember Hanukkah during a time when celebrating more openly would have been punishable by death. The miracle in question was that there was a rebellion against those who had taken over and outlawed the religion. They won, but only had enough oil to burn for one night. Miraculously, the fuel lasted a whole eight days, giving them enough time to recover more oil. That is why lights are so important to the holiday. -Aziraphale.

And that's why there were all the candles. I see.

Almost like they're asking for their own miracle of lights.

Dear Rosinante, Yes and I had hoped that it would work! -Aziraphale.

I think it's up for us to deliver. We'll have to try our best.

Dear Rosinante, Yes. I will attempt a miracle. Perhaps in the context of the season, one will come. -Aziraphale.

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