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.

Oh, amazing that you are 39 weeks though. I had placenta praevia with ds and spent nearly five weeks in hospital from 32 to 37 weeks. Aaargh. Did get the odd day off and weekend pass though.
Hideous, isn't it? Still nearly over now.
Can I ask, why do you carry harpsichords?

not placenta praevia, just pre-eclampsia. I am a serial self-discharger... hospital is no place for the sick or well IMHO.
I organise classical concerts (often in churches ) for fun not for a job (though I have plans for a commercial opera season in 2007). I end up moving lots of instruments among other things.
in fact for a radical atheist I spend a great deal of time in churches and I noticed the first three names in the address section of my diary were all CofE vicars.
bless them and their lovely concert venues er places of worship

Well said, Blu. I caught myself wondering what on earth to get the kids for Christmas - and realised that they need and want nothing, but expect something. Kids starving and dying in the world, and I'm wracking my brains for more crap to buy my kids that will clutter up the toy box and never be looked at again.

yes, realised you had pre-eclampsia but I do know what it's like to be stuck in hospital - v galling for me as I actually felt wonderful!
I see re harpsichords now. I like a nice harpsichord myself. None of my children want anything for Christmas...actually, tell a lie, ds wants a CD of Curious George Makes Pancakes (help!), and dsd wants a DVD of Desperate Housewives. I really have to restrain myself re presents for them though. Ridiculous.
And yes, our house is full of stuff that rarely gets touched. Most of it hand me downs and NCT sale finds though.

I want a CD of Curious George makes Pancakes!!! Bless your DS, Aloha.

Harpy - really sorry to hear that. LOL at your self-discharging habit!

I like to get toys that are fun for the adults, too. .

This year, we got DD 'Band in a Box' - a wooden box w/some musical instruments in it. DH and I are looking forward to participating!

Also some lacing beads from Oxfam. And a shape/puzzle clock.

Oxfam has some GREAT toys!

he looked through some toy catalogues the other day and said, 'no thank you mummy, I don't want anything.' !
I make him sound like Fotherington-Thomas.
Dh very much in favour of not buying much. He is right of course, but why is it so hard?
Am so amused by Bluboy's method acting/sign language nativity. Fantastic.

Can't I just enjoy Christmas without having to analyse and justify why?

I love Christmas - all of it.

Curious George fans look here!

I love the meaning of Christmas. A chance to get together as a family, to mark the birth of Christ (whenever it actually was!) and the birth of Christianity, the chance to chill, eat drink and be merry - NOT the awful consumer-fest the marketing boys and girls want.

yep I buy nothing for Christmas
lots of food and drink and not much else...

DH and I use it as an excuse to buy each other something we desperately need, but feel badly about buying for ourselves.

But other than that, we don't buy much for family. Usually music or books.

I'm buying dh a cashmere sweater from Gap and a book I've seen. We've done Christmases without buying each other proper presents but I think it's unromantic and not good for our relationship.

agree with pruni and harpy. the real original meaning of christmas is a big old beanfeast in the middle of winter to celebrate rebirth - that's why it is around dec 25th, because the shortest day is the 21st; you had the beanfeast once you were sure the days were getting longer, and spring was coming again.

as such it predates any particular religion... and when people bleat on to me about the "true meaning of xmas" meaning "baby jesus in his manger" i get really annoyed. it's obviously been appropriated and renamed by all sorts but INO, if christians are going to get high horsey about it, then they should do as rhubarb says and banish all pagan/secular features. so that means no tree, no lights, no cake, no pies, no booze, no feasts just happy birthday jesus and bob's your uncle.

laligo

The Gap is nice! I asked my mum for some Gap sweatshirts b/c they're so durable. But yeah, I have fantasies about the Land's End, long-sleeved cashmere 'tshirt'. .

IMO that is. getting so ranty i can't type

Link please!

My fantasy cashmere jumper:

cashmere 'tshirt'

And yes, they ship to the UK.

Lovely! I am definitely having cashmere fantasies myself this winter.

A couple of years ago I indulged myself in a cashmere scarf and cashemere fingerless gloves that go over the wrist from a small speciality shop here in town. I have no regrets! Cashmere is well worth it.

I still wear a v-necked, red cashmere jumper my mum bought me for my 18th Xmas 16 years ago and it's going strong.

As long as it's well-maintained, the garments have a long life span that's well worth the cost.

this discussion is getting a bit pointless IMO! harpsichordcarrier i never said christmas is not a secular/cultural celebration - that is rather obvious - i was just following on from custardo and aloha's debate about the pagan/christian 'ownership' of it. I described what it means for me. Everyone can celebrate Christmas in exactly the way they like, and they do, of course. I don;t agree with you either about excessive consumerism just being a modern day reflection of an age old desire for excess in the middle of winter - i think modern day consumerism has much deeper and more troublesome roots in the way modern society is developing. I blame Thatcherism ! Anyway, do hope your pregnancy goes ok.

well clearly it's Thatcher's fault
i blame her for my pre eclampsia also
among other things

I do think Christmas has become a mad consumer fest, regardless of any religious considerations.

I can't stand the way the shops have all their Christmas decorations up now in early November and everywhere you look shops are trying to sell you stuff you don't need for Christmas.

I wish all outward signs of impending Christmas were banned until 1st december and there were less emphasis on consumption and more on old fashioned values of sharing and spending time together.

I personally enjoy the religious side of Christmas too but if people don't want that, that is their choice.

What to blame Thatcher for? Ooh, i could write a list...