Okay, it was a tree-lighting ceremony. When Jack looked around at his team, his wasn't the only face scrunched up in confusion. "I thought we decided they weren't from Earth?"
Daniel blinked at him. "I think the six fingers on the women, the shape of the heads, and the eyes that are all the exact same shade of green answer that question."
"Also, the breasts on the males," Teal'c added.
Jack winced. He kept trying not to notice that.
The mayor moved to the dais in the middle of the square, and spoke. "It is the turning of the page, the time of birth, when light enters the world."
Strands of red lights sprang into life, traversing the giant evergreen tree from base to tip. A strand of green lights lit, one by one, spiraling down from tip to base.
"Joy to the world," the mayor said.
"Joy!" the people shouted in response.
Sam's mouth dropped open as a zigzag of white lights began to glow.
"O, most holy night."
"Night most holy."
Daniel's mouth was open now.
"Darkness into light."
"We welcome the light."
A star beamed radiantly atop the tree.
"Whoa," Jack said, feeling a shiver run down his spine. "Daniel?"
"No," Daniel said. "Really. It can't be."
"Can't be Christmas?" Sam said, almost in a whisper.
"Then what the…heck?" Jack asked, not much louder.
A choir of children burst into song. It was nothing about saviors, or mangers. Or jolly fat men, or presents, or snow. They sang of the sky, and the stars, and the movement of the planets, of the division of the year, the seasons, of day and night.
"It is solstice," Teal'c said reverently.
Sam's "Oh!" intermingled with Jack's "Ah."
Daniel looked at Teal'c consideringly and opened his mouth.
Jack put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Later." Although he wouldn't mind knowing himself how the concept of celebrating solstice coexisted alongside faux gods like Apophis in the Jaffa universe. He looked up at the starry, clear, midnight sky. "Just enjoy."
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branchandroot
Celebrate the Season
Date: Jan. 8th, 2014 05:51 am (UTC)Daniel blinked at him. "I think the six fingers on the women, the shape of the heads, and the eyes that are all the exact same shade of green answer that question."
"Also, the breasts on the males," Teal'c added.
Jack winced. He kept trying not to notice that.
The mayor moved to the dais in the middle of the square, and spoke. "It is the turning of the page, the time of birth, when light enters the world."
Strands of red lights sprang into life, traversing the giant evergreen tree from base to tip. A strand of green lights lit, one by one, spiraling down from tip to base.
"Joy to the world," the mayor said.
"Joy!" the people shouted in response.
Sam's mouth dropped open as a zigzag of white lights began to glow.
"O, most holy night."
"Night most holy."
Daniel's mouth was open now.
"Darkness into light."
"We welcome the light."
A star beamed radiantly atop the tree.
"Whoa," Jack said, feeling a shiver run down his spine. "Daniel?"
"No," Daniel said. "Really. It can't be."
"Can't be Christmas?" Sam said, almost in a whisper.
"Then what the…heck?" Jack asked, not much louder.
A choir of children burst into song. It was nothing about saviors, or mangers. Or jolly fat men, or presents, or snow. They sang of the sky, and the stars, and the movement of the planets, of the division of the year, the seasons, of day and night.
"It is solstice," Teal'c said reverently.
Sam's "Oh!" intermingled with Jack's "Ah."
Daniel looked at Teal'c consideringly and opened his mouth.
Jack put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Later." Although he wouldn't mind knowing himself how the concept of celebrating solstice coexisted alongside faux gods like Apophis in the Jaffa universe. He looked up at the starry, clear, midnight sky. "Just enjoy."