How relevant is Christmas?

[lucky]

As the big day comes near, how relevant is Christmas? Most of us will put up a tree and exchange gifts with friends & family but is Christmas more about Santa than Chirst ? Have we as Chirstians lost sight of what we are compared to our religions?

[Scouse Hibee]

As the big day comes near, how relevant is Christmas? Most of us will put up a tree and exchange gifts with friends & family but is Christmas more about Santa than Chirst ? Have we as Chirstians lost sight of what we are compared to our religions?


The relevance of Christmas to me has never changed, it's always been about Santa, family, presents, fun and friends. Religion never comes into it in my mind.

[easty]

Its never been about religion to me, I'm an atheist.

I "celebrate" christmas because it's fun I suppose. I like the big christmas day meal, I like the giving/recieving presents, I like catching up with family members I haven't seen for a while (some since the christmas before).

Best christmas jumper I've seen yet is this -

15765

Waiting on mines coming.

[The_Exile]

Christmas hasn't been connected to religion in my lifetime although I'm from a family of atheists. Isn't the UK well over 50% atheist now anyway? It'll always be about the presents and 15 quid litre bottles of gin for me.

[Pretty Boy]

Christmas is relevant to me in the sense I enjoy the family aspect, I enjoy seeing friends I don't see a lot throughout the year, I enjoy giving (and receving) gifts, I enjoy gorging on unhealthy foods and guzzling discounted lager.

I always find the question from Christians 'so I take it you don't celebrate Christmas then?' (not aimed at the OP) a nonsense. Festivals evolve and change. I'm not going to simplify the origins of Christmas but it didn't end up at the time of year it is and with many of the traditions it has by total coincedence. There's ample opportunity for everyone to celebrate the type of Christmas they wish to. If people want to go to church, sing Christian carols and celebrate the nativity then I'm unaware of anything that stops them doing that, If I wish to enjoy my type of Christmas then there's nowt stopping me doing that either.

Everyone should be happy.

[s.a.m]

Christmas is our national festival. Many other countries have a National Day, or something like Thanksgiving, which don't have a faith origin, and ideally (IMO), our big celebration day would be secular, and we wouldn't have the on-going unease about what it's really 'about', and who should or shouldn't be taking part in it, and how they should or shouldn't be doing it.

Anyhow, having got the po-faced bit out of the way, I'm an atheist, but happy to throw myself into it. I like the decorations, and lights, and the food and drink with family and friends, and present giving, and carols, and naff Christmas songs (apart from 'Mistletoe and Wine', which can **** right off). I'm going to a school Carol Service this afternoon, and I'll probably shed a tear when the wee one are singing 'Away in a Manger'. I suppose for most of us, there's a lot of nostalgia and shared tradition which give the Christmas season a lot of personal significance.

[JeMeSouviens]

We all indulge in the Santa/elves/reindeer mythology without believing it, so why should Jesus/shepherds/stable be any different?

It's all good harmless fun.

[Lucius Apuleius]

I celebrate Christmas for the religious significance so guess I am going against the grain here. :greengrin: Having a family of pagan atheist infidels I also see the other side. I would say to all the non religious people though that should it be considered a non religious festival then the word Christ should be removed and it called something else (possibly its old name, which eludes me at the moment). Each to their own I guess. I do love getting presents and also enjoy giving however I do think it is over commercialised now.

[Pretty Boy]

I celebrate Christmas for the religious significance so guess I am going against the grain here. :greengrin: Having a family of pagan atheist infidels I also see the other side. I would say to all the non religious people though that should it be considered a non religious festival then the word Christ should be removed and it called something else (possibly its old name, which eludes me at the moment). Each to their own I guess. I do love getting presents and also enjoy giving however I do think it is over commercialised now.

Ignoring our difference re our view on the religious aspect I definitely agree with your last sentence.

The pressure on parents to get their kids the lastest 'must haves' must be horrendous. If you stripped away the over the top presents and the like and left a decent film on the box, a couple of drinks and family around I reckon I'd be just as happy.

[Betty Boop]

Several weeks of greed and blatant consumerism, leaving poor people with never ending levels of debt and servitude.

[Peevemor]

Christmas is relevant to me in the sense I enjoy the family aspect, I enjoy seeing friends I don't see a lot throughout the year, I enjoy giving (and receving) gifts, I enjoy gorging on unhealthy foods and guzzling discounted lager.

I always find the question from Christians 'so I take it you don't celebrate Christmas then?' (not aimed at the OP) a nonsense. Festivals evolve and change. I'm not going to simplify the origins of Christmas but it didn't end up at the time of year it is and with many of the traditions it has by total coincedence. There's ample opportunity for everyone to celebrate the type of Christmas they wish to. If people want to go to church, sing Christian carols and celebrate the nativity then I'm unaware of anything that stops them doing that, If I wish to enjoy my type of Christmas then there's nowt stopping me doing that either.

Everyone should be happy.

Ditto.

[HappyHanlon]

Christmas is about getting a peeve on, stuffing faces with as much food as possible, opening presents and generally having some good quality family time.

Religion's not even an afterthought.

[snooky]

Several weeks of greed and blatant consumerism, leaving poor people with never ending levels of debt and servitude.

:agree: I look forward with joy & delight to the cold, dreary dark days of January because it means that all the crap associated with Christmas & New Year is gone for another year.
Bah Bumhug. :xtree2

[RyeSloan]

Several weeks of greed and blatant consumerism, leaving poor people with never ending levels of debt and servitude.

Ha ha it's all a cunning plan you see ;-)

In all honesty I like and dislike Christmas...it totally dominates people's lives and can become a stress ('esp when the missus decides everything needs to be done by Christmas!), it gets in the way of the working life and so much else.

That said I'm fortunate enough to have, for the first time in maybe 20 years, a fortnight off over the festive period so I'm hoping to get more in the spirit of things this year. Spend some time with friends and family, stock up the cupboards with booze and goodies and sit back and enjoy!

But really my focus this year is on the Monday after and making sure I get to the boozer in plenty of time to watch us destroy the Huns!

[Gatecrasher]

I like Christmas, I like the build up better though, people are more sociable and do things you wouldn't normally. It only really becomes stressful and commercial if you let it. I stick to a budget and don't spend more than that it works for me.

[Rasta_Hibs]

I love Christmas even though it is a pagan festival. Jesus real birthday is the 11th of September apparently.

[CB_NO3]

It has turned into commercial rubbish these days. Folk filling their cupboards even though the shops are closed for one day only.

I enjoy Xmas day but it does put a lot of pressure on some families.

[Jim44]

The Holy Ground ........... what an apt name for a forum discussing the essentially athiest and non-religious take on Christmas. :rolleyes:

[s.a.m]

It has turned into commercial rubbish these days. Folk filling their cupboards even though the shops are closed for one day only.

I enjoy Xmas day but it does put a lot of pressure on some families.

Don't know if you have to shop and cook for a family, but for me - and I assume lots of others - the stocking up with food isn't because I'm worried about the shops being shut, but to buy myself a holiday from going to them. When I close the door on Christmas Eve, I know I'm able to feed us, plus any guests, great food for a good few days, without having to go to the shops. I also cook extra food, and for several days after Christmas we have a fridge full of leftovers and I can entertain guests, or we can lounge about watching our Christmas DVDs, without me having to put a lot of extra effort into catering for folk. Same applies to housework, laundry etc....: I get as much as possible out of the way, so I can have a few days break and spend quality time with my family, away from the tedium of housework.

[heretoday]

The religious aspect of Christmas has become just another part of the whole shebang - and not the most popular part either.

Personally, I like the carols and readings for purely sentimental reasons. I don't believe in god.

They remind me of my childhood when I was taken along to church a lot, Hibs were a cracking team and The Beatles were number one in the charts..

[Wilson]

Several weeks of greed and blatant consumerism, leaving poor people with never ending levels of debt and servitude.

Yeah. Love it.

[#FromTheCapital]

I'm not religious in any way, I'd actually go further than that and say I detest religion. But I love Christmas. For me it's all about the holidays from work, getting to see family, alcohol consumption and general good times associated with the holiday season.

[Allant1981]

Christmas has always been aboit santa for me and my little boy is super excited about santa coming, never been in to religion so the jesus thing is a non event for me, was he not born in the middle of the year anyway?

[Pretty Boy]

Christmas has always been aboit santa for me and my little boy is super excited about santa coming, never been in to religion so the jesus thing is a non event for me, was he not born in the middle of the year anyway?

Possibly.

And somewhere between 2 and 7 years earlier than the year suggests as well.

[CB_NO3]

Don't know if you have to shop and cook for a family, but for me - and I assume lots of others - the stocking up with food isn't because I'm worried about the shops being shut, but to buy myself a holiday from going to them. When I close the door on Christmas Eve, I know I'm able to feed us, plus any guests, great food for a good few days, without having to go to the shops. I also cook extra food, and for several days after Christmas we have a fridge full of leftovers and I can entertain guests, or we can lounge about watching our Christmas DVDs, without me having to put a lot of extra effort into catering for folk. Same applies to housework, laundry etc....: I get as much as possible out of the way, so I can have a few days break and spend quality time with my family, away from the tedium of housework.
I just do a weekly shop like I have done every week for the last 10 years. June, July or December, makes no difference.

[Hibrandenburg]

Hated Christmas as a kid and as an adult I'd always try to play along and try to get in the spirit of things with differing levels of success. Only since my wee boy came along can I honestly say I look forward to it.

[s.a.m]

I just do a weekly shop like I have done every week for the last 10 years. June, July or December, makes no difference.

Which is absolutely grand, if that's what works for you. In our case, our shopping needs are not the same in Christmas week as they are in June: we are feeding lots more people, we have unexpected extra guests, and we're all about the house for a few days when normally we would be at work or school, so we are using a lot more food and drink. Buying extra stuff in advance is what works best for me.:tree

[Danderhall Hibs]

Religious folk always try and get their neb in to everything. They should stick to starting wars and that and let the rest of us enjoy Christmas.

[CropleyWasGod]

For me, it's about celebrating the Solstice, and the return to the light.

That might sound a bit hippy-ish, but for those of us who struggle with the lack of light at this time of year, it's a significant date.

[RyeSloan]

For me, it's about celebrating the Solstice, and the return to the light. That might sound a bit hippy-ish, but for those of us who struggle with the lack of light at this time of year, it's a significant date.

Two separate things for me but I'm with ya....I've been counting down the days to the shortest day! I hate getting up in the dark, working indoors all day then coming home in the dark, bloody depressing so it is!

[s.a.m]

For me, it's about celebrating the Solstice, and the return to the light.

That might sound a bit hippy-ish, but for those of us who struggle with the lack of light at this time of year, it's a significant date.

I'm with you there - the return of the light really cheers me up, and in the meantime, the decorative lights and candles are a great mood lifter. I'm always reluctant to pack them away each year when it's still so gloomy.

[Frazerbob]

Christmas for me is about work. Having run bars, clubs and restaraunts for 20 years, this month always makes or breaks the P&L........and it's only month 2 of my financial year. We'll start preparing the offers in January, selling in June, prepping bookings in November and working 60+ hour weeks in December. Many in my trade hate Christmas, I love it. Busy bars = full tills!
I hardly see my family in December and don't have any nights out but that makes Christmas Day itself all the more important. I love spending it with the family and my step son in particular. I'll get a night out or two once it's over, usually around the NY Derby which I make a point of taking a couple of days off for. Raith Rovers don't quite have usual appeal!

[JimBHibees]

Religious folk always try and get their neb in to everything. They should stick to starting wars and that and let the rest of us enjoy Christmas.

:not worth:faf:

[(((Fergus)))]

Several weeks of greed and blatant consumerism, leaving poor people with never ending levels of debt and servitude.

What? Poor people are so greedy they sell themselves into servitude to pay for their Xmas excess?



Religious folk always try and get their neb in to everything. They should stick to starting wars and that and let the rest of us enjoy Christmas.

:greengrin:agree:

[Colr]

As the big day comes near, how relevant is Christmas? Most of us will put up a tree and exchange gifts with friends & family but is Christmas more about Santa than Chirst ? Have we as Chirstians lost sight of what we are compared to our religions?

The feast at Christmas time pre-dates Christianity (as does Easter)!!So unclench and have a good time

[lord bunberry]

I love Christmas, but I'm not in anyway religious. The weird thing for me is that my daughter goes to a catholic school and she comes home asking me questions about God and Jesus and I have to answer her with what I consider to be the wrong answers as I want her to make up her own mind about religion.

[Hibby Bairn]

Surely most of what we celebrate and do at this time of year is influenced or evolved from religious beginnings, no?

Exchanging gifts, coming together as friends and family? Whether religious or not it is a good time to stop for a while, eat with people close to us and be generally happier and more helpful than we often are at other times.

Merry Christmas 🎄👍

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

In my work life I have a lot of contacts worldwide and consistently from Europeans, Merry Christmas is returned with Merry Christmas in their native language. But for the USA, it is always returned with Happy Holidays. The oddity associated with this though is that from those I know personally it is the Americans that are more openly religious and that includes countries like Spain and Italy.

[Peevemor]

In my work life I have a lot of contacts worldwide and consistently from Europeans, Merry Christmas is returned with Merry Christmas in their native language. But for the USA, it is always returned with Happy Holidays. The oddity associated with this though is that from those I know personally it is the Americans that are more openly religious and that includes countries like Spain and Italy.

My understanding is that the "happy holidays" thing was started by businesses who didn't want to offend or alienate non Christian customers. It's nothing to do with political correctness, just profit.

[Hannah_hfc]

Christmas for me is about work. Having run bars, clubs and restaraunts for 20 years, this month always makes or breaks the P&L........and it's only month 2 of my financial year. We'll start preparing the offers in January, selling in June, prepping bookings in November and working 60+ hour weeks in December. Many in my trade hate Christmas, I love it. Busy bars = full tills!
I hardly see my family in December and don't have any nights out but that makes Christmas Day itself all the more important. I love spending it with the family and my step son in particular. I'll get a night out or two once it's over, usually around the NY Derby which I make a point of taking a couple of days off for. Raith Rovers don't quite have usual appeal!
I can safely say that working in pubs and bars, I spend July onwards dreading December until Mad Friday (and the Saturday after!) are over and done with! :greengrin

Festive mood has kicked in now those two are done with!


Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

[Bristolhibby]

I celebrate Christmas for the religious significance so guess I am going against the grain here. :greengrin: Having a family of pagan atheist infidels I also see the other side. I would say to all the non religious people though that should it be considered a non religious festival then the word Christ should be removed and it called something else (possibly its old name, which eludes me at the moment). Each to their own I guess. I do love getting presents and also enjoy giving however I do think it is over commercialised now.

X-Mas?

[--------]

[/COLOR]]I celebrate Christmas for the religious significance so guess I am going against the grain here. :greengrin: Having a family of pagan atheist infidels I also see the other side. I would say to all the non religious people though that should it be considered a non religious festival then the word Christ should be removed and it called something else (possibly its old name, which eludes me at the moment). Each to their own I guess. I do love getting presents and also enjoy giving however I do think it is over commercialised now.


Oddly enough, so do I, LA. :greengrin

I'm not aware of ever having tried to prevent anyone from celebrating the holiday season in whatever way he or she desires; I have experienced a few occasions when people who had clearly been celebrating something other than the Christian festival made serious attempts to prevent me and the folks with me from worshipping as we wished.

I think the Americans are right to call this time of year 'the holidays' - that allows anyone and everyone to celebrate 'the holidays' in whatever way they wish, whether it's Thanksgiving or Hanukkah or the New Year or the Advent of The Great Spaghetti Monster or the new Star Wars movie ...

... or just their boozy attempts to obliterate the creeping awareness of their own approaching mortality. :devil:

[Lucius Apuleius]

X-Mas?

????Dunno. Never called it that.

[Lucius Apuleius]

Oddly enough, so do I, LA. :greengrin

I'm not aware of ever having tried to prevent anyone from celebrating the holiday season in whatever way he or she desires; I have experienced a few occasions when people who had clearly been celebrating something other than the Christian festival made serious attempts to prevent me and the folks with me from worshipping as we wished.

I think the Americans are right to call this time of year 'the holidays' - that allows anyone and everyone to celebrate 'the holidays' in whatever way they wish, whether it's Thanksgiving or Hanukkah or the New Year or the Advent of The Great Spaghetti Monster or the new Star Wars movie ...

... or just their boozy attempts to obliterate the creeping awareness of their own approaching mortality. :devil:

You are right Dod, the number of times numpties come into the midnight service drunk is mental. Cannot deny I have rolled up a few times from the pub myself though. 😀

[--------]

You are right Dod, the number of times numpties come into the midnight service drunk is mental. Cannot deny I have rolled up a few times from the pub myself though. 

Aye, but have you ever got stinking drunk and gone to a meeting of the Humanist Society to cause trouble?

I don't mind genially oiled. I can handle genially oiled. Be nice to them and they're nice back to you.

But when some "freethinker" heaves a half-brick through the window and a lassie has to have eight stitches put into the back of her head and stay overnight in the hospital because she may have concussion, that's taking religious debate a wee bit too far in my opinion.

Maybe the creep was a druid? :devil:

[Lucius Apuleius]

Aye, but have you ever got stinking drunk and gone to a meeting of the Humanist Society to cause trouble?

I don't mind genially oiled. I can handle genially oiled. Be nice to them and they're nice back to you.

But when some "freethinker" heaves a half-brick through the window and a lassie has to have eight stitches put into the back of her head and stay overnight in the hospital because she may have concussion, that's taking religious debate a wee bit too far in my opinion.

Maybe the creep was a druid? :devil:

I should have put a smiley in. ☺☺😊😀:-) You are absolutely correct obviously. Having said that it was A good mile hike from the pub to the Kirk. That usually sobered us up.
Absolutely ridiculous that things you mention happen in a so called civilised society.

[--------]

I should have put a smiley in. ☺☺:-) You are absolutely correct obviously. Having said that it was A good mile hike from the pub to the Kirk. That usually sobered us up.
Absolutely ridiculous that things you mention happen in a so called civilised society.


A lot of angry inadequates in our 'civilised society', LA.

And not all of them are 'religious'. :wink: