Any one else mad we've lost sight of the real Christmas?

[slapheadsrock]

There are people really hung up already on the trimmings for christmas dinner. Why?
The lights are on already in our town centre. Why?

I'm so fed up that christmas starts earlier and earlier. And do any of the people out there stuffing their faces and houses with things give a second thought to why they are celebrating christmas?

Perhaps this thread will make you think twice this year about what you are really taking part in.

If you are not Jewish, do you celebrate Hannukah?
So why celebrate christmas if you don't believe in Jesus?

Feel better now. Thanks for reading.

yes, I am aware of that aloha. meant to alter the first sentence, but pressed the post button too quickly.
I have sometimes wondered why churches embrace pagan aspects of Christmas like the tree etc.

They embrace Pagan aspects in order to overwrite them. Very clever really, they take Pagan celebrations and make them Christian!

Yes. Because people liked their old rituals and wouldn't want a kiljoy religion.

We have lurid sparkly hindu decorations on our Christmas tree.

Think we might have lost sight of the real Christmas.

Will go and live in the desert and wear a tea towel on my head.

Not only that, but by reversing a previously Pagan symbol into a Christian one, it loses some of it's 'power'. Just like the Devil-worshippers when they turn the cross upside down, they are trying to strip the symbol of its power so that they can reclaim it. It's all to do with symbology, which the Faith is riddled with. But there is still this war with the Pagans and Christians because the Christians do insist on nicking all their symbols, feast days and the like and turning their power against them, so to speak.

For a christian it is just fashion and not symbolic, it is in the same thread that people have lunch at twelve, shit on a toilet and flush it. Not the fact it is embraced, it is what current social influence has done to us all. I am neither disgusted or in awae of the current staus of Christmas, my faith is in my heart. It's never made any better or more inforced because of its outside images. Christmas is beautiful just because of it's gathering and rejoicement, that should never ever be slagged off. Anything that brings us all together and appreciate is a good thing, a fantastic thing. My faith on the otherhand is mine, my private every day thing.

Nice post FF.

I think it's the same as most other things in life ..celebrate Christmas as you wish to and let others get on with it in their own fashion
..I don't think it's something Tony Blair or the Archbishop of Canterbury can legislate over (fortunately)

you are a miserable pedantic carping lot sometimes

slaphead (are you really a slaphead?) i am under no pressure whatsoever about xmas day. whats wrong with getting excited and planning well in advance a day and a meal to celebrate the only day i see all my family in the same room? they come from all corners of the country/planet unfortunately

i was in a great mood when i started my thread about my xmas meal, now you have put me on a right downer

cheers

Aw, NP! Pick up a copy of Good Food mag. That'll cheer you right up. Mmmm. I'm going to make two banana cakes today. One for freezing for the holidays, one to enjoy now.

Bah humbug!

ok i;ve got to this thread a bit late, but have to take issue with spidermama and blu. [unusual!] 'Christians all think they are right and everyone else is wrong'. I'm a bit fed up of this generaliszation, which gets touted about everywhere. there are many threads on this page in which a wide spread of different opinions within christianity are discussed. There are many Christians out there who respect other people's religions, and are interested in the 'truths' they have to offer. My father, a priest, says that all religions are like a mountain with many different paths up to the top - all lead to God. It is not Christ's teachings at all to be self righteous about one's beliefs - if people do that that has nothing to do with Christianity. And as for christmas, why does it have to be a case of Christians 'nicking' a pagan festival? Why can't the two work in harmony together? God can be celebrated in the natural world in Christianity too you know. Look at many early Celtic Christian writers. OK. Rant Over!

Ruty - I am not religious but I really like your dads analogy on religions, very sweet!

We will be doing the whole bit. Tree, meal prezzies ect.... dispite the fact that all in our family believe different things. For us this is a family celebration, the time of year we all get togeather. And to prove it we are having xmas day on 26th December this year as Dad is duty of the 25th.

As a navy brat, when I was about 10 we didn't celebrate it until March because Dad was at sea. It wouldn't be Xmas if we weren't all togeather.

Perhaps not the "true" meaning everyone's talking about but it works well for us.

hear hear ruty

I was thinking along the lines of Christianity evolving and incorporating Pagan rituals along the way...agree with Ruty's Pa's imagery.

I find Christmas Eve very spiritual and always go to the early evening church service on that day - Christmas Day we party all day

Have changed my name for this b'coz this really gets my goat

For some children(and adults) christmas isn't about dinner and presents and who died for who. Its about being beaten to almost unconsciousness and then ridiculed. Being made to cook a dinner for ten and not being able to eat it because ur mouth hurts from where u got walloped. Its about being locked under the stairs because "your in the way"
Its about rape, its about broken bones its about sadness and pain

stop harping on with holier than tho attitudes, its not fun for some and for some the very fact that ppl go on about ppl dying for you makes it worse

Sorry that your experience is so appalling imaginaryname. Hope you are in a better place now.

sorry for getting annoyed, should have parped and left

No you shouldn't have.

Message withdrawn

Like your post Podmog

christians celebrate christmas. what do non religious - non paganites celebrate?

i get the point of the original post. and i dont thik the argument " you re-wrote our festivals" cuts it actually. surely if you are aware of this you would still celebrate "winterfest" or whatever. wish everyone a happy "winterfest" ( or whatever it is)

christmas is indeed a christian celebration. if you want to celebrate it with us - your very welcome and i am sure i have the authority from the pope to tell you that ( as i spoke to him on the phone the other day)

but its still a christian celebration no matter what way you cut it.

Oh no it isn't!