Pagans and non Christians...

[Mummy2Bookie]

Do you buy your children presents at Christmas? Just curious

What do present have to do with Christmas for anyone?
Presents are quite a recent thing, relatively, aren't they?

Of course I do. How many people do you think there are in this country who choose a secular festive season? Thousands! And don't forget that the Christian festival of Christmas was tacked on to the existing winter celebrations that went on to capitalise on the festivities. So the winter season of merrymaking was here long before 'Christmas'.

Yes, we all know the true meaning of Christmas is presents

Unprune - the wise men brought presents for Jesus. Not necessarily why we do it these days, but it is a connection.

i don't believe in any god - but we do believe in father christmas!

So they did.
And nicer ones than a tangerine and a fifty pence!

Of course.

We live n the same society as Christians.

No. We buy Channukah presents only + we are not generally big present buyers.

Of course we buy presents! I have changed so much over these last years of discovering this Pagan path so it's not something I panic over now.
For me it's about Light in the dark Winter season, the candles burning bright, enjoying good food and good company and a break from the daily routine to think about life.
My grandchildren would love it if I declared the Goddess didn't believe in Christmas prezzies, wouldn't they?
So we say that as we love each other and want to celebrate in the coldest darkest season the fact that life will soon be stirring in the Earth, we give prezzies to make everyone happy.

Oh forgot to say that we celebrate Yule spiritually and Christmas secularly.
Good food and nice drinks on both, can't be bad!!

Yes we do pressies and Xmas dinner, to me it is totally non religous tbh.

It's all about the reindeer, man, the reindeer...

Yes. To me the pagan celebrations of the turning of the earth and the different seasons are no reason not to buy present for my children. We will celebrate the solstice this December, but will also go to church on Christmas Eve. Bit of a mix and match really. I was sort of brought up C of E, although my parents are atheist, and want my children to experience the dominant religion of their culture.

Yes, of course.

Christmas celebrations and traditions are a bit of a mish-mash of all sorts of customs/traditions/etc. This is a bit of rushed explanation but it does cover some salient points.

Easter (from Eostre), also, is another example of the combination of old customs with Christianity.

A lot of you come across as quite arrogant
Chill-it's just a question

Yes. 'Christmas' has been cantilevered into the old winter solstice festival, which was mainly about eating, drinking, gathering together and giving presents.

Now, just because that's what European Christians have chosen to celebrate as their version of Christmas does not mean that they own it. They don't.

And we;ve just given answers,.

^"A lot of you come across as quite arrogant
Chill-it's just a question"^
But it's an odd question. Why wouldn't we buy presents for our children?

Not as arrogant as the types who want to 'put Christ back into Christmas' but then don't want to put Eostre back into Easter

You know, being called arrogant just doesn't hurt when it's said by a twit.

It must be nearly Winterval: first sighting of the Lesser Whining Christian Bucketheads!

Twits normally call other people twits prune

Uh OK M2B and your point was.......?

Yes, because even us Pagans like gifts and tinsle and glitter and excited children with big smiles on their little faces.

Yule is a Pagan festival anyway.