To point out that Christmas is not cancelled

[NotReallyTheVicar]

Many millions of Christians will be celebrating Christmas as joyfully as ever!

@NotReallyTheVicar

I am intrigued to see that even those posters who describe themselves as Christians seem to value the worldly trappings of Christmas above the real importance of the festival.

Oh behave.

You Christians nicked it off us Pagans anyway.

@steppemum

can I remind you that the last supper, was the disciples celebrating the Passover fesitval, having a meal, (with, shock horror - wine) together round a table.

Doesn't really work over Zoom, does it? "Peter, I think you're on mute..."

Even Jesus liked a nice big dinner party, you know.

I wish it was.
If it wasn’t for the dc I wouldn’t bother at all, what’s the point? I don’t think I will bother with a tree etc though. Bare minimum I can get away with. Few presents and perhaps a nice meal. I’m too depressed and poor to make much effort.

Doesn't really work over Zoom, does it? "Peter, I think you're on mute..."
This has made me laugh! And yes, I entirely agree.

Doesn't really work over Zoom, does it? "Peter, I think you're on mute..

😀

@LittleDoritt

Even Jesus liked a nice big dinner party, you know.

And he turned water into wine (for his mum...ahhhhhh ❤️)

DS1's birthday party
Santa's grotto
Christmas fayre
nativities
carol services/ christingle/christmas morning services
social events
Seeing family
Christmas dinner and washing up
Presents
Christmas tree

Yeah happy bloody Christmas.
Only the consumerusm and gluttony are left.

@BogRollBOGOF

DS1's birthday party Santa's grotto Christmas fayre nativities carol services/ christingle/christmas morning services social events Seeing family Christmas dinner and washing up Presents Christmas tree

Yeah happy bloody Christmas.
Only the consumerusm and gluttony are left.

Well exactly. After the carol services, nativities, family gatherings etc are taken away, all that’s left is the food and presents. The bits that every everyone usually says are the least important.

Of course everyone who usually does will celebrate Christmas but for many it will be a very different type of celebration, some will miss the build up and the big family gatherings others will prefer the smaller Intimate celebrations

I think it's ok to grieve over what we're missing but also get where you're coming from OP. We can still celebrate Christmas in terms of being thankful for Jesus' birth, but missing out on all the things we do usually to do that is tough. In some ways it's easier for me because being chronically ill I often miss out on Christmas, either housebound or in hospital, I think I've managed carol services and Christmas day just once in the past 8 years or so. It's been hard looking at Christmas from the outside looking in so I've had to find ways to celebrate and look to the heart of it all, to unearth the joy in it, and I can honestly say that there have been profound moments of joy in the toughest times with this. Now this year everyone will have this experience and I do empathise with how it feels, and also for those not Christian but who love to be with family, that is really hard too. But there's no good solution to this and we have to get through. maybe we can find some creative and compelling ways of celebrating despite restrictions, and maybe in that people will discover something of the riches of the Christmas message underneath it all.

So I guess I'm saying let's have balance - to know it's deeper than a few services, but also to know we very much miss worshipping together physically. I'm so thankful our church is doing online church well and that has been sustaining and also a real blessing for those, like me, who so often can't actually go to church.

@NotReallyTheVicar

Many millions of Christians will be celebrating Christmas as joyfully as ever!

Enlighten us OP. How will you be celebrating Christmas joyfully this year?

P.s. no worldly trappings allowed

Op, I think the story of Christs birth is beautiful. Its magical, humble, awe inspiring, and plugs us into the values and morals and things that really matter in life.

But the 25th of December is not originally a Christian festival or celebration.. It's the natural break in the year and society evolved to mark it.
I love Halloween because it marks that end of summer proper and autumn... Christmas, marks the dead of winter and the longest darkest day, Easter is the new life, new beginnings.

I've spent Christmas in all sorts of straightened and luxury surroundings. Christmas for me is about so much more than presents and stuff... In whatever situation I have been in, I have enjoyed Xmas even without a single present.
I am not religious, I enjoy the nativity story, we usually do christingle.... We think about the humility and beauty of the story of baby jesus, along with father Christmas and anything we want.

I find it very narrow to view Xmas as one thing or another and rather cheeky when Christians try and patronise people for how they view it when it was hijacked really!!

3 little.. Many people do not have large families and never had large happy family gatherings..

I’m going to make Christmas as normal as possible - we’ve got tickets for Father Christmas (probably will get cancelled if lockdown is extended) but will do a normal family xmas lunch with the troops. No carol services or church services but will have to make do. This year I’m going to decorate the outside of the house for the first time. Will go to town decorating the inside as well! Will invite select friends for Christmas nibbles in December!

@NullcovoidNovember

3 little.. Many people do not have large families and never had large happy family gatherings..

Hence why I said some not all

Christmas Day 10 years ago, the community MW came to look at my various collections of stitches having been discharged 2 days earlier, and in HDU a few days before that. With a Christmas week due date, it always was a lottery on how Christmas would unfold.

But there was still some build-up. I managed to get ferried to a Christmas party at 38+5. Was actually at the panto when I realised that they weren't braxton hicks anymore at 39+4...
Friends delivered Christmas dinner. (Oh how I sniggered in hormonal empathy at the poor turkey and its stuffed oriffices)
Family came to visit and meet baby over Christmas/ New Year.

It was a low key Christmas. Uncertain, frail and hormonal, but it had family and friends in the background and supporting us. I could certainly understand how Mary had Jesus after a hard day's travel on a plodding donkey!

This feels like the White Witch is in charge always winter, but never Christmas.

bog

Dd was born on the 19th by c section

I spent Christmas day in my beautiful brand new zebra pjs 😀

Of course it’s not cancelled. We’ll have a small Xmas dinner at home and exchange presents. But our annual Santa express trip has been cancelled, so has our panto, so has our Xmas market and fair that we go to every year, we won’t be able to have our Xmas dinner (we have ours Xmas eve) at my friends restaurant, and we won’t be able to spend Xmas day at dh aunties house (they host the whole, very large family). We’re making the most of the situation, but everything that made Xmas for us special has actually been cancelled

@BogRollBOGOF

DS1's birthday party Santa's grotto Christmas fayre nativities carol services/ christingle/christmas morning services social events Seeing family Christmas dinner and washing up Presents Christmas tree

Yeah happy bloody Christmas.
Only the consumerusm and gluttony are left.

Forgot about the grottos and nativity. My last dc has just started nursery, there’ll be no nativity for him. Also my dd2 has her birthday 3 days after Xmas, I don’t even know what we’re gonna do. What a shitty year

We had a screwed up Easter Sunday birthday in deepest lockdown too.
I'm not sure if I'm glad that I didn't realise then that the Christmas birthday would be unplannable too.
Not making any plans for my big birthday at the end of the winter either.
Not being able to plan and anticipate these sorts of pleasures is depressing.

@NotReallyTheVicar

I am intrigued to see that even those posters who describe themselves as Christians seem to value the worldly trappings of Christmas above the real importance of the festival.

Hope your user name is correct.

Please see Matthew 7:1-3

Omg this thread is marvellous.

Oh thank you, I was under the impression it was cancelled

Thanks for saving the day.