To be surprised that the Royal Mail Christmas stamps are all religious?

[stampsurprise]

I thought for a change I'd get proper Christmas stamps this year. Didn't expect them to be all religious and no choice!

Is this usually what's on offer? I don't object personally, but I think most of those I send to won't care for a religious stamp.

‘Also, if you are not a monarchist, do you not use the usual stamps then?!’

I draw tiny devil’s horns on the queen’s head before posting.

Rather than looking at the number of people that attend church on Christmas Day, I think it's worth looking at the churches that are packed on Christmas Eve and for carol services/Christingle etc during Advent. Christianity is alive and kicking.

@user8888

Allerigic That's what I was saying before -- the strict Christian sects often do not do any of the 'pagan' parts. My neighbours don't decorate or anything. I guess they just do the Church part?

So if you do presents and trees you're not really doing a Christian thing?

Well, some Christians don't celebrate Christmas. It is not mentioned in the Bible as a holiday that Christians must celebrate.

It’s a feast day in most churches.

@LivingOnAnIsland

Rather than looking at the number of people that attend church on Christmas Day, I think it's worth looking at the churches that are packed on Christmas Eve and for carol services/Christingle etc during Advent. Christianity is alive and kicking.

Exactly!

People who, for whatever reason, don't attend church regularly very often go to the Christmas services - and that includes Midnight Mass, in all sorts of weather.

It's a wonderful and moving service welcoming Christ's light into the world. For many people 2020 will be the first year that they have missed it - and they will find it hard.

Well Christmas is a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Christ.

Holiday cards?
Christmas cards.
It's called Christmas

Yule is to celebrate the return of the sun, the birth of the sun....sounds familiar

But pagan isn't secular, is it?

I don't suggest it is. A secular celebration can include what it likes.

@Stripesnomore

‘Christmas was a Pagan festival originally, one that the 'peasants' didn't want to give up after the Roman invasion so were allowed to keep as long as they made it about Christianity.’

The Romans invaded Britain hundreds of years before the date of 25th of December, and that was based on the religious dates of classical religion, nothing to do with the religion of the countries they invaded.

It would be more accurate to say that it was a Pagan festival (of both the Celts and the Romans among others) that the "peasants" didn't want to give up after the Emperor Constantine decided that he would change the Roman state religion to Christianity.

I do not respect organised religion in general

Nor I, but I respect folks' choices, and if it means a lot to them that's fine by me (until they try to impose it on others of course, and then I do speak up)

Maybe I'm weird, but even so I'm still a sucker for a nice carol service (and the Diwali and Eid events I'm lucky enough to be invited to) ... perhaps it's the lovely community atmosphere which appeals most

Jesus - bringer of spiritual light to christians - hence the date for christmas, when the light returns.
And the pagan festival is just another man made celebration propped onto a natural event devoid of all meaning in itself.

I am sure they have non religious themed stamps available.

Ironing, well the British had already adopted a bunch of Roman Gods on top of the nearest matching pre Roman belief (Bath for example), so Jesus would be just another one.

I just want winter stamps!

All of this makes me quite miss ten years ago when Atheism vs. Christianity was the main bun fight of the internet.

And the pagan festival is just another man made celebration propped onto a natural event devoid of all meaning in itself.

It is symbolic though- winter for Neolithic and Paleolithic humans would be tough in Northern Europe. And these were smart people, measuring the cadence of the sun, and knowing that the solstice was a turning pont which marked the return of the light.
Yes man made- but hugely symbolic.

It’s still called Jul (Yule) in Sweden, and the Yule Log - still made as a cake even if we don’t lug half a tree to our hearths any more - has pagan roots.

U.K. Christmas is a blend of the religious festival and the old pagan Midwinter ditto. Same as most N European countries with cold winters.
It’s not such a big thing in e.g. southern Europe, where they typically don’t have such cold, dark and dismal winters to get through.

I’m not religious but I still buy Christmas stamps, of whatever type.,,

@mnahmnah

Also, if you are not a monarchist, do you not use the usual stamps then?!

Did you know that we are the only country in the world that does not have the name of the issuing country on its stamps?

Excellent news

Christmas is much more than a religious festival. It's a cultural festival celebrated by people with no religion and people of other religions.

@thecatsthecats

Robins are the most appropriate stamp, because robins became associated with Christmas because the postmen were called Red Breasts.

(Me, get that from QI? Never heard of it!)

QI isn't foolproof.

In the middle of winter, the one bird you are almost guaranteed to see (and hear) at dawn is a Robin.

Mainly because they're singing 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' in the direction of any other cock robin in the vicinity, which isn't very Peace and Goodwill but, nonetheless, the likelihood of seeing and hearing one on the darkest days of the year outstrips that of anything else, other than possibly some Corvids looking for carrion (although they usually get up after the Robins do). And that would have been seen long, long before any humans thought it would be a good idea to wear a bright red waistcoat.

" if you are not a monarchist, do you not use the usual stamps then?!"

You put them upside down.

I want these French stamps.

@haircutsRus

Interesting!

The French stamps are very nice.