The Feast of the Assumption commemorates, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia "(1) the happy departure of Mary from this life; (2) the assumption of her body into heaven." It's also the occasion for parades, street fairs, & so on <link 1>.

I propose a secular alternative, modeled on North American Thanksgiving. On that (fairly secular) holiday, extended families gather for a festive meal, and remind themselves of things which, at other times of year, they take too much for granted (good health, friends, loving family, the wide availability of cheap, effective means of suicide, whatever ....)

On the Alternative Feast of the Assumption, extended families would gather for a festive meal, and remind themselves of unquestioned assumptions they'd do well to re-examine (I'm good at X. I'd never vote for Y. My spouse loves me....)

I'd rather this be simply secular, but I think it's most likely to succeed as anti-religious. To keep out of WIBNI territory, I have in mind a small organization using a website both to promote the idea, and to raise money (by sales of FOTA-themed mugs, tee- shirs, & so on).

That means FOTA needs a logo. By analogy with the legged-fish DARWIN/ICThY logo, I propose something which, at first glance, appears to be religious: specifically, a Lorraine cross <link 2>. On closer examination, the two shorter cross-bars, while parallel to each other, don't quite make a right angle with the long bar:

It's actually a diagram of Euclid's 5th postulate <link 3> -- one of the most productively questioned unquestioned assumptions in human intellectual history.
-- mouseposture, Jun 12 2010

Feast of the Assumption http://query.nytime...5C1A96E9C94689ED7CF
[mouseposture, Jun 12 2010]

Lorraine Cross http://www.google.c...m=4&ved=0CDUQsAQwAw
[mouseposture, Jun 12 2010]

(?) Euclid's 5th http://escholarship...tations/AAI9605385/
[mouseposture, Jun 12 2010]

could call it something like "Giving Thanks Day"
-- FlyingToaster, Jun 12 2010


Any processions on this day should involve representations of you, me, and an ass - because that's what happens when you assume.

On the word "assumption" - it does rather seem to have two very different connotations in the logical and religious senses - but beyond that, working on the construction of the word itself - if the word-ending '-tion' normally suggests a nounification of an act - a cementisation of some verb - it follows then that both the Parrallel line, and Mary were assumped.
-- zen_tom, Jun 15 2010


Perhaps it would be less confusing if the secular event was known as "Feast of the Presumption".
-- jurist, Jun 15 2010


[jurist] You're joking, I presume? Everybody knows the Feast of the Presumption is the occasion on which the title of Heir Presumptive is bestowed by the College of Heralds. A very _large_ feast, and it's considered a good omen for the coming reign if the Heir manages to eat everything that's put in front of him.

George IV, when he was Prince of Wales, was on notoriously bad terms with his father -- essentially the head of a rival court faction -- and his enemies managed to get particularly large portions put on his plate. He was, however, a gifted eater, and their scheme came to naught. He did find it necessary to unbutton the last button on his waistcoat, but carried it off with such panache, that it's considered de rigeur to this day.

Edit: I think I'd better point out that this is mostly bollocks.
-- mouseposture, Jun 15 2010


I thought that was the Feast of the Apparent. My "heir-ror", apparently.
-- jurist, Jun 16 2010



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