Why does g4 have Hearth's Warming Eve while g3 had Christmas?

[TheJLeeTeam 914]

So in the universe of g4 they have Hearth's Warming Eve as their holiday but why Is it that g3 just had regular Christmas and not a differently titled holiday like g4?

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,178]

The same reason why I am not allowed to say merry Christmas while I'm on the clock.... Its to be more sensitive to other religions who may watch the show.

[Envy 6,298]

Not hating on G3 (I like G3), but FiM just all around has tried to build its own little world for itself. I don't think it's significant that it's not called 'Christmas' in FiM, because other holidays like Valentine's Day and Halloween also are titled differently in FiM.

 

I kind of liked how they separated it from Christmas, and gave it a completely different backstory just for FiM. I would love a proper 'Christmas' episode, though!

Edited December 23, 2014 by Envy

[DaReaper 1,945]

For political correctness it seems. Made it's own winter holiday with it's own lore so no one can be offended

[[NULL] 907]

The reason why G4's Not-Christmas is called Hearth's Warming Eve is because it's set in a fictional universe. Putting in a holiday from our world wouldn't make sense.

 

For political correctness it seems. Made it's own winter holiday with it's own lore so no one can be offended

Right... they were obviously being considerate about how offensive Christmas is. In fact, why don't we play this song instead of Christmas music with this while we're at it?

Edited December 23, 2014 by SpaceOnion

[FirstPonySpectre 176]

Probably because the Friendship is Magic writers are a bit more creative? -shrugs-

[Fhaolan 4,488]

As I understand it, G4 is attempting to allow for allegories more than direct transplants. The only time they've really broken that model was the mention of 'Arbor Day' by Spike in one episode. Which was very odd, and jarring when taken with Hearth's Warming, Nightmare Night, Hearts and Hooves Day, etc.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Well it's quite simple actually. The writers for this show actually give a damn. Equestria has been thoroughly established to be it's own world, with it's own internal laws and history.

 

Christmas is wonderful, but it is very much rooted in Earth's Yuletide traditions. Ranging from the Druidic and Wiccan celebrations, to the Roman's great festivals, to rejoicing the birth of Christ, to just the simple family rituals of the eternal hearth.

 

For a world that is not Earth though, they needed a different reason to celebrate this joyous time of year. Because Equestria is as idyllic as it can be without being saccharine, of course that would also be the day it was founded.

 

Just as Nightmare Night is done out of the long held superstitions of Nightmare Moon and Heart's and Hooves day is almost the remembrance of a cautionary tale, DHX has gone above and beyond the call of just swapping the names and playing the holidays straight. Like most things on this show, they actually have given great internal continuity and purpose.

 

Now for those of you who think they did just because it's politically correct or anything so shallow.

 

(Said in the same playful tone.)

[OakenPenance 5]

Clearly, g3 is mirror universe canon.

[Silver Letter 1,832]

Anyone can do a Christmas theme. Hearth's Warming Eve is much more special.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

It isn't really because of political correctness or anything. It's because FiM's writers put more care into establishing a separate world with a separate but parallel culture to our own. Hearth's Warming has much of the iconology and themes associated with Christmas in this world but combined with a different name and origin story to fit Equestria, the same goes for the other holidays depicted in the show as @Fhaolan said above.

 

 

The only time they've really broken that model was the mention of 'Arbor Day' by Spike in one episode.

Usually throwaway gags and one-liners will temporarily infuse a concept from our world into Equestria where it would seem out-of-place, but that is interesting. Maybe it's just as overlooked a holiday in Equestria as it is in the real world.

[Red Cedar 1,408]

Because G4 writers were much more imaginative in their thinking and didn't for one second assume their fictional world inhabited entirely by ponies would have had any knowledge of Jesus, St. Valentine or ancient Celtic new year celebrations.

[A goat 323]

Because G4 likes to be original, for the most part.

[Everleaf 541]

I suppose it was to be original and to generally be creative, just clever I guess...

 

though one reason I can see is not to offend them of some religions such so to make there own similar holiday though clearly keeping the spirit of Christmas!

[King Sejong 859]

   In terms of creativity, generation four has torpedoed generation three, and now that shipwreck is laid to rest, so only the most curious chose to explore it. Generation four has given us Nightmare Night, Winter Wrap Up, Summer Sun Celebration, Fall Festival, Hearts and Hooves Day, and of course, Hearth's Warming Eve, it takes a creative mind to create, build up and establish via exposition, to make it a parallel and unique holiday, so it is easy and even lazy to take an existing holiday, and put it in a animated feature, the Care Bears had a Nutcracker special, it had no relation to the original story, it was it's own story, and that was quite a treat to see. I do understand, if Friendship is Magic is trying to be PC, it is the reality of our universe, but they at least make a holiday, and made it its own, it is a testimony of the great minds at work in MLP-FiM, because if it was just a generation three clone, there would be no bronies, nor the magical world of Equestria.   

[The Coffee Pony 1,390]

Because G4's building its own lore while in G3 nobody who was working on it really cared about what they were making.

[ManaMinori 4,146]

Not hating on G3 (I like G3), but FiM just all around has tried to build its own little world for itself. I don't think it's significant that it's not called 'Christmas' in FiM, because other holidays like Valentine's Day and Halloween also are titled differently in FiM.

 

I kind of liked how they separated it from Christmas, and gave it a completely different backstory just for FiM. I would love a proper 'Christmas' episode, though!

let there be a g4 "Draconequismas" episode, if anything.

[Zejgar 25]

I think it would be very informative to mention G3.5 here, which also has its own original holiday, the Winter Wishes Festival.
And the special dedicated to it does not focus on war and starvation, like G4 one does.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Zejgar

[Steel Accord 6,660]

I think it would be very informative to mention G3.5 here, which also has its own original holiday, the Winter Wishes Festival.

And the special dedicated to it does not focus on war and starvation, like G4 one does.

What's with the smug Rarity face?

 

What, G4 can't talk about heavy topics? Celebrations can't be brought forth from dire circumstances?

 

I'm glad Heart's Warming Eve comes from the circumstances it did. It shows that the ponies didn't found Equestria from nothing, that their world isn't perfect. That hatred did exist and almost destroyed them, but they found something within them at the moment of death, something warm and beautiful. Something that they decided to found an entire nation in.

 

You see a holiday of war and starvation, I see the celebration of such being defeated by friendship and hope.

[Zejgar 25]

What's with the smug Rarity face?

 

What, G4 can't talk about heavy topics? Celebrations can't be brought forth from dire circumstances?

 

I'm glad Heart's Warming Eve comes from the circumstances it did. It shows that the ponies didn't found Equestria from nothing, that their world isn't perfect. That hatred did exist and almost destroyed them, but they found something within them at the moment of death, something warm and beautiful. Something that they decided to found an entire nation in.

 

You see a holiday of war and starvation, I see the celebration of such being defeated by friendship and hope.

Of course G4 can talk about heavy topics, this is what makes it G4, among other things.

 

I do not see a holiday of war and starvation, I see the exact same thing you see, but I also see a holiday special that focuses on those things. I'd be glad to see some actual winter celebrating going on in Hearth's Warming, or anywhere in G4.

We'll see, I guess.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Of course G4 can talk about heavy topics, this is what makes it G4, among other things.

 

I do not see a holiday of war and starvation, I see the exact same thing you see, but I also see a holiday special that focuses on those things. I'd be glad to see some actual winter celebrating going on in Hearth's Warming, or anywhere in G4.

We'll see, I guess.

What the Mane Six trotting through Canterlot surrounded with holiday cheer isn't enough? How about how excited they were to get there? (Along with Rarity's appropriate hat.) Candy canes, snow ponies, holly, Hell the entire ending is a carol being sung in celebration! What more do you need, eggnog and fruit cake?

 

 

I think it was made pretty clear what a joyous time of year this is.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Steel Accord

[AlbaTross 1,586]

Because FiM is all about being its own world, separate from ours. It took four gens to get that right IMHO. G1 had ponies and humans together. Pony Tales had no humans, but the world and characters were beyond humanoid to the point where they didn't even need to be ponies. Thankfully there was no G2 series. G3, Core Seven and G3.5 are all pretty much one entity that I would best describe as a downhill slope, like skiing down a mountain, with random changes occurring periodically for the worse. That series was the most removed from our reality for the time, but it was still grounded in the conventions of our world.

 

Technically FiM has more humanoid social structures than G3, not to mention that ponies in Equestria aren't asexual, but more effort was put into making Equestria its own unique entity. Sure, there are the Equestria Girls films, but that world is on the other side of a portal, and if a world of rejects from Doug is supposed to be reality at any point in the future, then God help us. In other words, that world is also heavily infused with fantasy elements, and it has no bearing on the main canon so it's up to you to decide if you accept it or not.

I personally do, but Equestria still operates on its own, regardless.

 

Anyways, I think the point is for Equestria to be as different from our world as possible while still maintaining some form of familiarity to make it accessible. I think that is accomplished effectively by establishing holidays that are like Christmas, Halloween and Valentine's Day, but aren't 100% like real world holidays. Come to think of it, they still haven't done Easter. I look forward to seeing that, if the series ever gets around to it.

[sweetolebob18 728]

Guys, am I the only one to pay attention to the Peanut's Xmas Show ?(it's been 40-45 years, can't recall the exact name)  Hearth's Warm Eve has absolutely nothing to do w ANY of that.

 

The founding of a new nation, various people coming together?  Hearth's Warm Eve is clearly Thanksgiving.  Non USA residents can be forgiven for not recognizing it, but Peanuts has a Thanksgiving episode too.

Edited December 25, 2014 by sweetolebob18

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Guys, am I the only one to pay attention to the Peanut's Xmas Show ?(it's been 40-45 years, can't recall the exact name)  Hearth's Warm Eve has absolutely nothing to do w ANY of that.

 

The founding of a new nation, various people coming together?  Hearth's Warm Eve is clearly Thanksgiving.  Non USA residents can be forgiven for not recognizing it, but Peanuts has a Thanksgiving episode too.

 

An understandable but contestable notion. Yes, I also remember the Peanut's Christmas Special, but as I said, the creators have gone above and beyond the call of duty in terms of world building for this show.

 

The holidays may have the aesthetics of Earth holidays, but they have their own histories to them. Having just re-watched the episode, I can tell you Hearth's Warmings Eve is definitely supposed to evoke the idea of Christmas if not the specifics. Which again, makes sense considering Equestria is very much it's own world.

[ggg-2 3,553]

Because in this day and age, people can't handle anything pertaining to religion (Which people were much more relaxed about in the 90's, another reason why I miss my childhood) and prefer to bitch about it instead of letting it be its own thing, even though freedom of religion is in our constitutional rights. (Oh, look me in the eye and tell me i'm wrong!)