Christmas Thread

[Butters]

I’m thinking Christmas without Christ is utterly meaningless. I do genuinely hate to be the negative ninny, and Christmas does bring a ton of joy, but it’s also so much waste, and the pressure to conform.

The shops are filling up with glittery single use plastics and stodgy frozen party snacks. Every year, the streets are brighter as collections of outdoor lighting grows. It’s a celebration for the sake of celebration.

The oldest boy wants an x-box. He’s asked for it for Christmas. He doesn’t want it for Christmas. He wants it now, he could have it now, but it’s a lot of money and Christmas is the time for presents so he’ll have to wait. But why? Why wait.

On Christmas Day I cook a Sunday roast, but instead of my favourite beef, I spend 3-4 times the amount on a bird that takes hours to cook and is so hard to do well that it’s either raw or dry, but never succulent. I also cook an extra 6 varieties of veg, the more obscure the better, and just in case no one fancies turkey I also prepare a ham and roast a joint of beef. I ask myself why I go to the extra effort and my only answer is because it’s Christmas. Dinner is my favourite part of Christmas, admittedly, after Doctor Who. Christmas dinner is the only time we have family around too, they’re welcome any time.

I could go on, and I probably will in one medium or another. I dunno, it all just seems redundant.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I’m thinking Christmas without Christ is utterly meaningless.

Means quite a lot to me, no messiah required.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

People who don't believe in Jesus can enjoy the part of the holiday that's about trees, lights, parties, presents, friends and family.

And I can see people who are Christians but also historians having a separate Christ's Birthday celebration in April.

 

[Butters]

Means quite a lot to me, no messiah required.

Could you elaborate? I’m not a Christian and I’m struggling to find meaning in it.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Could you elaborate? I’m not a Christian and I’m struggling to find meaning in it.

Well, it's my birthday, so I might be somewhat biased. But I love the gathering of family and friends, the special dinner(s), the exchanging of gifts, the holiday-themed music and TV shows and films, the decorations, shopping, the special holiday snacks and food and drinks, neighborhoods decked out in Christmas lights, the smell of a real Christmas tree, giving to those in need through charity, and the way most people seem to take an extra effort to be kind and friendly to each other. None of those are things that must be done exclusively on Christmas, of course, and not everyone does them all, but it's the confluence of most of them that makes it a pleasant time for me.

 

[Butters]

Well, it's my birthday, so I might be somewhat biased. But I love the gathering of family and friends, the special dinner(s), the exchanging of gifts, the holiday-themed music and TV shows and films, the decorations, shopping, the special holiday snacks and food and drinks, neighborhoods decked out in Christmas lights, the smell of a real Christmas tree, giving to those in need through charity, and the way most people seem to take an extra effort to be kind and friendly to each other. None of those are things that must be done exclusively on Christmas, of course, and not everyone does them all, but it's the confluence of most of them that makes it a pleasant time for me.

I do like all of those things too.

 

[auntiehill]

Means quite a lot to me, no messiah required.

THIS. A million times, this. I adore Christmas. I mean, I stupid-crazy-Santa-hat-wearing adore Christmas. I'm as staunch an atheist as you will ever meet and can't for the life of me understand how anyone could see the universe through any other lens than that of reason and rationality. That doesn't mean, however, that human life is entirely about reason and rationality. We're emotional beings and emotion is what makes life worth living. Christmas is that one time when we can see, feel and participate in the ideals we value most: caring for our fellow human beings, bringing joy, generosity and color to our existence, even at the darkest or most miserable time of the year. We can actually celebrate that life can be good, beautiful, giving and downright silly.

We (all of us little humans) are ALL we have. This is IT, folks. Our lives are generally short and unimportant, so put up some pretty lights, throw some tinsel on that shit, give a little gift to someone, just to say "Hey, I see you," and have some damn fun.

I fucking love Christmas.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

There is value in ritual, if the ritual adds positive value to people’s lives.

Not like Santa or Christmas trees have anything to do with Christian theology anyway.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I’m thinking Christmas without Christ is utterly meaningless. I do genuinely hate to be the negative ninny, and Christmas does bring a ton of joy, but it’s also so much waste, and the pressure to conform.

I say, let everyone enjoy Christmas on their own terms. It's important to me as a Christian, but if others want to see it in their own ways, there's no harm in that.

As for the commercialism? It's harmless. It will pass. Nobody's forcing us to go out and buy stuff.

That said, I have nothing but utter contempt for "Black Friday".

 

[think]

 

[Santaman]

Christmas is a pagan festivity that was absorbed into Christianity to prevent being utterly slaughtered by people who worshipped Wodan and so, as for the modern thing, concept nicked from Sinterklaas which is a Dutch festivity.
But that all doesn't matter, it hopefully just means a celebration of trees, lights, food and caring about each other.
Winter is long, dark and cold, Christmas just the right thing to counter that.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Could you elaborate? I’m not a Christian and I’m struggling to find meaning in it.

I'm Jewish. My wife, who is not religious, was raised Catholic and like to decorate for the holidays. It means that my son gets presents on both Hanukkah and Christmas. Visitors to our home are often confused: there's a tree, but everything is blue and silver rather than red and green.

All cultures have some desire to celebrate the beginning of winter than involves lights and decorating the home. Christmas tends to dominate in the northern hemisphere, but I don't particularly see why it needs to be religious. The fact that Christmas has co-opted the traditions of other religions should suggest that there is some element that is universal and not exclusively Christian.

I will say this: gift-giving spread out over eight nights, rather than concentrated all in one day, is a lot healthier for kids.

 

[Finn]

I don’t get the fundies who are upset about the “X-Mas”. It existed a long time ago when it was considered disrespectful to God if “Christ” was included.

 

[Mojochi]

Could you elaborate? I’m not a Christian and I’m struggling to find meaning in it.

I'm not a Christian either, or any faith, but if it inspires any number at all of people to actually be decent to someone else, even once, then it was worth doing imho, & maybe we should have one every month

 

[think]

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

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[Gary Mitchell]

 

[sbk1234]

I’ll be having a perfect Christmas in my mind.

 

[RandyS]

^I'll be having a perfect Christmas with my lady.

 

[auntiehill]

Put my tree up yesterday. My back is still sore.