Why do you celebrate Xmas?

[CoffeeTeaCoffee]

Why do you celebrate Xmas or what does it mean to you? Especially if you are not religious?

In a lot of ways I can't be bothered with it, but it feels like it would be even harder work to opt out of it! I like reflecting on the year and spending time with (some) family.

from the looks of this thread we’re majority pagan now!

No, we're majority materialist now (in the philosophical sense of materialism: belief that nothing exists except matter, its movements and its modifications). I don't think many British people worship natural or supernatural spirits. The concept of spirit doesn't exist in the minds of most people in countries like the UK.

Because dh wants to. We're a mixed relationship: I'm Jewish, he's not. Christmas has always been meaningless to me but is important to dh. Doing Christmas is part of our compromise. It's a completely secular Christmas and I join in properly, just as dh joins in with our Jewish festivals properly. Anyway, who doesn't love giving and receiving presents?😄

FFSWhatToDoNow I entirely agree with your post. The UK is no longer a country which can call itself Christian. For me it is fascinating and heartwarming to see how many people see the season as something more akin to Pagan beliefs even if they don't fully articulate that. There is a real sense of "back to basics".

I’m Christian so 100% the reason I celebrate is because of the birth of Christ. All my other enjoyment of Christmas stems from this. I love the waiting period through Advent, carols, church on Xmas eve, everything really! The lights and cosyness in the middle of winter which to me symbolises the light of Christ coming into the world….probably why Christians hijacked winter solstice. However, if I wasn’t religious I would probably still go along with it due to kids expectations of Santa, presents etc and wanting to make them happy. A bit like Halloween really, no special meaning for me but I go along with it (begrudgingly) for the kids..

Santa, family, fun, food, traditions

I love the waiting period through Advent

This is something else that has become horridly commercialised. Advent is the period covering the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, which can begin any time between 27 Nov and 03 Dec. The need of the tat industry to mass-produce chocolate-containing calendars has led to a majority of people being made to think it always begins on 01 Dec.

@FatOaf i completely agree. Our house is an elf on the shelf free zone! I meant more the liturgical celebration of Advent (I’m catholic) 🙂

from the looks of this thread we’re majority pagan now

The thread might be pagan but the country isn't.

Across England and Wales, 46% of people identified as being Christian, 37% said they had no religion, 6% identified as Muslim, and 2% identified as Hindu. Around 2% identified as being Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish or of another religion.

Scotland Approximately 36 percent of people claimed that they were a Christian denomination, with the majority of those belonging to the Church of Scotland. On the other hand, over half of the respondent group said that they didn't identify themselves as having a religion.

Not just me then !

Find the whole thing so fake and false

Find the whole thing so fake and false

I don't understand this. What is fake and false about people having shared customs and traditions around an annual celebration that brings together friends and family? What would real and genuine look like in comparison?

Random song facts - these three songs were all released in 1973. 50 years ago!

Merry Christmas Everbody by Slade reached number 1

I wish it could be Christmas Everyday by Wizard reached number 4

Step into Christmas by Elton John reached number 23

Pagan salute to the passing of the seasons.

I don't really. It's just a time where most people are off work and we get to celebrate being together as a family.

People like a celebration, especially mid-winter. It's two days of bank holiday, lots of nice food, music, get-togethers with family and friends, alcohol, magical stories for children, gifts. A mid-winter festival long pre-dates Christianity.

Im finding it interesting reading how many are actually celebrating their pagan roots (like me) now. I didn’t know how many of you were out there!! So pleased 😄

I think it’s very telling how this aspect of our culture is resonating with so many of us these days in comparison to Christianity. For me Christianity is so outdated (even though it’s arguably more recent in England). It’s never resonated with me in the way thepagan/old English traditions do.

When you start looking into it you see how many of our traditions were appropriated by Christianity. Beltane became May Day. Ostara/spring equinox became Easter. Samhain became All Hallows Eve (halloweeen today) etc etc. for anyone interested have a look at the wheel of the year. It anchors you in the changing seasons and has lovely old English traditions to follow.

Because it is culturally expected. I would quite happily opt out of the entire thing, and tbh now the children are all older teens it's not the pantomime (literally) that it used to be. We have agreed with family no adult presents this year as swapping cash/vouchers is pointless. I do not buy into nonsense like elves on shelves and santa breakfasts and all the rest of the "traditions" which are 10 minutes old and created for Instagram. Christmas tree goes up about 15th dec, down new year's day. We do a nice Christmas dinner and that's about it. We are not religious so no church.

I do not relate to the christmas obsessed bunch who plan for it all year and get all giddy at the mention of tinsel.

The best day in December is the solstice as that means the dark nights are going to start retreating again.

It's cultural with many traditions and superstitions for us (not from uk). Ours are 3 days.
As pps said it's meet up midwinter, it's about remembering the year and looking to the next one.
We do lots of old traditions like floating candles, throwing slippers towards door (single people), cutting apples. Some visit graves.
No clothes drying on 24th as well as no taking rubbish out or sweeping. Extra plate on table to ensure even number of settings etc. Preventing bad luck!

It's the only week of the year that me, DH and the kids all get to spend together at home.

@Stroopwaffels I love Xmas/Yule but don’t do any of that. It is possible to enjoy the winter tradition without it being a nightmare for parents or commercialised.

Make it cosy, make it about family, food and lights and ignore the Instagram brigade.

I think mor epeople would happily return the festival to solstice if people got day off like for Christmas

I'm a religious and practicing Orthodox Christian, I celebrate Christmas for this reason. I actually celebrate Christmas twice, because I live in a Protestant country, and Protestant and Orthodox Christmas fall on different dates and months. Protestant Christmas (24 December) is more of a cultural celebration for us, whereas Orthodox Christmas (6-7 January) is a religious celebration.

@picturethispatsy I think I am allergic to the word "cosy". I don't want to be snuggled on the sofa under a cosy blankie. I want to be out and about doing things and the dark nights don't really let me do that.

Christmas isn't a special time of year for me at all - it would be bearable if it were toned down a bit which is what we have done at home. But as soon as Halloween is over you have wall to wall Christmas TV ads and the shops are full of it and that's just depressing when you walk into Asda on the 4th November to be assaulted by Noddy fucking Holder around the ears. Even the Christmas obsessed can't argue that it needs to last for 2 months.

I don't celebrate it.

When I was young it was just the presents, and food, and time off. As I got older it became about family and time off. Now I am old I just can't be arsed. 🙃