X-Day (Church of the SubGenius)
Encyclopedia
X-Day is a traditional part of the mythology of the satirical UFO religion
Church of the SubGenius
, an organization formed as a parody of cults and extreme religious groups, and their pamphlets and claims. X-Day fell on July 5, 1998, the scheduled "end of the world
", and has been celebrated on July 5 each year since then. From its inception in 1980, the Church had prophesied that an army of alien
invaders (known as the "X-ists" or "Men From Planet X") would land on the planet Earth and destroy the world of "normals", "pinks", and "glorps," while the members of the Church of the SubGenius would be rescued by the aliens and taken away into space. Chapters 10 and 11 of Revelation X: The "Bob" Apocryphon supplies additional details as to the precise kinds of fates which supposedly await the "pinks" and "normals" (as well as SubGenii who have not paid their membership fees) left behind when X-Day comes, saying, among other things, that those who are not immediately killed by the aliens will be enslaved by a society of evil clowns known as the "Bozo Cult" until eventually their souls are devoured by the Elder Gods. The book also tells readers that if they want more information, they should send one million dollars to Ivan Stang
so that he can remake his 1973 film Let's Visit the World of the Future.
to explain why the predicted end of the world did not take place. The manual page of the ddate
program claims that the Church "declared that it had got the year upside down" and that X-Day will actually take place in 8661. The most popular explanation for the failure of the prophecy in the Church is usually summarized with the statement, "the calendar is wrong and July 5th, 1998 has not really arrived yet." Because of this, the Church has held annual gatherings around July 5 of each year since 1998 to celebrate X-Day and greet the arrival of the anticipated alien "Sex Goddesses." No flying saucer rendezvous has been confirmed as of 2010, but members of the Church have been undaunted. A more recent theory suggests that the X-ists did indeed come to Earth on July 5, 1998 as foretold by "Bob," but through one of the most pervasive Conspiracy coverups, Earth and Mars were switched, and the "Earth" we know is actually Mars. And thus, as there was nobody on the True Earth at the time of their arrival, there was nobody there to witness the Rupture.
The X-Day celebration has become well known in underground culture circles, especially in pagan
communities. Of the various X-Day celebrations taking place, the largest and most popular each year was held at the Brushwood Folklore Center
in Sherman, New York
, but as of 2011 it has been scheduled for Wisteria Event Campground in Pomeroy, OHhttp://www.subgenius.com/newdevivals.html. Many underground rock bands have performed at X-Day, and the event has evolved into a festival similar to Burning Man
, lasting for three to five days, with rock concerts, artistic events, bonfires, and parties taking place day and night.
; theme camps; and an auction
where participants are encouraged to donate strange, unusual, and offensive items of all sorts (including themselves).
"Burners" familiar with the Burning Man
event have been upset by the fact that X-Day is not a commerce-free event in the fashion of Burning Man – the bands and participants at X-Day are, in fact, encouraged to sell their own items, music CDs and albums, and other paraphernalia. The Church of the SubGenius has responded to these complaints with the statement that it is not a non-profit church: "We're for-profit, we want profit, and we want to cast out false profits." However, the Church's status as an independent corporation with no corporate affiliations has ensured that large, mainstream companies have avoided the X-Day celebration, allowing independent artists and underground performers to flourish. The Church claims to be the only religious organization that is "proud to pay its taxes".
's 60th anniversary celebration of a purported 'UFO incident
'.
UFO religion
UFO religion is an informal term used to describe a religion that equates UFO occupants with gods or other semi-divine beings. Typically, the UFO occupants are held to be extraterrestials and that humanity either currently is, or eventually will become, part of a preexisting extraterrestrial...
Church of the SubGenius
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
, an organization formed as a parody of cults and extreme religious groups, and their pamphlets and claims. X-Day fell on July 5, 1998, the scheduled "end of the world
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
", and has been celebrated on July 5 each year since then. From its inception in 1980, the Church had prophesied that an army of alien
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
invaders (known as the "X-ists" or "Men From Planet X") would land on the planet Earth and destroy the world of "normals", "pinks", and "glorps," while the members of the Church of the SubGenius would be rescued by the aliens and taken away into space. Chapters 10 and 11 of Revelation X: The "Bob" Apocryphon supplies additional details as to the precise kinds of fates which supposedly await the "pinks" and "normals" (as well as SubGenii who have not paid their membership fees) left behind when X-Day comes, saying, among other things, that those who are not immediately killed by the aliens will be enslaved by a society of evil clowns known as the "Bozo Cult" until eventually their souls are devoured by the Elder Gods. The book also tells readers that if they want more information, they should send one million dollars to Ivan Stang
Ivan Stang
Rev. Ivan Stang, born Douglass St. Clair Smith August 21, 1953 in Washington, D.C., raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended the St. Mark's School of Texas. He is best known as the author and publisher of the first screed of the Church of the SubGenius...
so that he can remake his 1973 film Let's Visit the World of the Future.
First event
When July 5, 1998 arrived and no alien fleet appeared in the sky, members of the Church began citing a large number of conspiracy theoriesConspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
to explain why the predicted end of the world did not take place. The manual page of the ddate
Discordian calendar
The Discordian or Erisian calendar is an alternative calendar used by some adherents of Discordianism. It is specified on page 00034 of the Principia Discordia.The Discordian year 1 YOLD is 1166 BC...
program claims that the Church "declared that it had got the year upside down" and that X-Day will actually take place in 8661. The most popular explanation for the failure of the prophecy in the Church is usually summarized with the statement, "the calendar is wrong and July 5th, 1998 has not really arrived yet." Because of this, the Church has held annual gatherings around July 5 of each year since 1998 to celebrate X-Day and greet the arrival of the anticipated alien "Sex Goddesses." No flying saucer rendezvous has been confirmed as of 2010, but members of the Church have been undaunted. A more recent theory suggests that the X-ists did indeed come to Earth on July 5, 1998 as foretold by "Bob," but through one of the most pervasive Conspiracy coverups, Earth and Mars were switched, and the "Earth" we know is actually Mars. And thus, as there was nobody on the True Earth at the time of their arrival, there was nobody there to witness the Rupture.
The X-Day celebration has become well known in underground culture circles, especially in pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
communities. Of the various X-Day celebrations taking place, the largest and most popular each year was held at the Brushwood Folklore Center
Brushwood Folklore Center
Brushwood Folklore Center L.L.C. is a family-operated spiritual center that runs events such as festivals, concerts and seminars, and hosts such events held by other organizations. It is a campground which accepts day passes, night passes, and seasonal camping sites. The facility is located in...
in Sherman, New York
Sherman (town), New York
Sherman is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The town is an interior town in the county, west of Chautauqua Lake. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,553...
, but as of 2011 it has been scheduled for Wisteria Event Campground in Pomeroy, OHhttp://www.subgenius.com/newdevivals.html. Many underground rock bands have performed at X-Day, and the event has evolved into a festival similar to Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
, lasting for three to five days, with rock concerts, artistic events, bonfires, and parties taking place day and night.
Event activities
Regular events at X-Day include a symbolic effigy burning of J.R. "Bob" Dobbs (the founder of the Church of the SubGenius); a baptism where participants have their sins "washed away", "and receive new ones in return"; concerts and performances by underground rock bands and performance artists, such as The Amino AcidsThe Amino Acids (band)
The Amino Acids are an extraterrestrial surf punk band based out of Detroit Michigan. They began playing music in 1998 at local Detroit bars. The first members being Reverend Angry Larry-Guitar, Prof. Mobitz McGill-Bass, Pope James Hartwick-Theremin,Sampler & stage media, The Boston Carver 2nd...
; theme camps; and an auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
where participants are encouraged to donate strange, unusual, and offensive items of all sorts (including themselves).
"Burners" familiar with the Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
event have been upset by the fact that X-Day is not a commerce-free event in the fashion of Burning Man – the bands and participants at X-Day are, in fact, encouraged to sell their own items, music CDs and albums, and other paraphernalia. The Church of the SubGenius has responded to these complaints with the statement that it is not a non-profit church: "We're for-profit, we want profit, and we want to cast out false profits." However, the Church's status as an independent corporation with no corporate affiliations has ensured that large, mainstream companies have avoided the X-Day celebration, allowing independent artists and underground performers to flourish. The Church claims to be the only religious organization that is "proud to pay its taxes".
History
In 2007, the celebration notably coincided with Roswell, New MexicoRoswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
's 60th anniversary celebration of a purported 'UFO incident
Roswell UFO incident
The Roswell UFO Incident was the recovery of an object that crashed in the general vicinity of Roswell, New Mexico, in June or July 1947, allegedly an extra-terrestrial spacecraft and its alien occupants. Since the late 1970s the incident has been the subject of intense controversy and of...
'.
See also
- Church of the SubGeniusChurch of the SubGeniusThe Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
- The EschatonEschatologyEschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
- Heaven's GateHeaven's Gate (religious group)Heaven's Gate was an American UFO religion based in San Diego, California, founded and led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles...
, a real-life cult with a similar concept of "X-Day"