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Contest Rules
Entries are lyrics only. The lyrics should fit the existing melody of the public domain holiday song chosen this year ("Silent Night"). Only entries with lyrics for this holiday song will be included in the contest.
All entries that you submit must be the product of your own creativity and not the work of any other author.
Entries must be received by end of day December 23, 2008.
The prize of $500 will go to the entry or entries that best capture(s) the spirit of the contest, as determined by the Reason4TheSeasonContest judging staff. The decision of the Reason4TheSeasonContest judging staff is final.
By entering, you agree that your work and the name you provide with your entry may be used on our website and included in any publication produced by the contest organizers to publicize or document the event. Any future profits that result from the use of any contest entry, or the sale of any material which includes contest entries, will be used exclusively for the furtherance and continuation of the Reason4TheSeasonContest’s mission to spread peace, truth, and happiness through the creation of alternate song lyrics for public domain songs.
Entries will be judged by any or all of the following:
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Keeping as much of the historical song spirit as possible, minus the religion. (Silent Night conjures images of families and friends coming together on long winter evenings, a sense of wonder at the beauty in the world, peace and rest, humans marveling at glory, albeit of a mythical and imaginary nature.)
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Traditional and/or seasonal references (i.e. winter, year-end)
- Poetic value (including rhythm, melodiousness, and word choice)
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Sophistication of rhyme scheme, in keeping wherever possible with the historic example
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Absence of religious, theist, or false ideas posing as reasonable truths
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Absence of negative attacks or condescension against religious, theist, or false ideas posing as reasonable truths
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Inclusion of positive, secular humanist, atheist values (such as shared happiness; the importance of family, friends, and community; the value and triumph of reason over superstition; and the ability of humans to live in peace, health, love, and happiness)
The Reason4TheSeasonContest judging staff reserves the right to split the award among multiple entrants, and to create a combined winning entry with verses from their entries.
The winning entry or entries will be announced on our website once selected.
Well-worded inquiries about the contest or its rules may be sent to
info at reason4theseasoncontest.org (use @ instead of "at").
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