What holidays do YOU celebrate this time of year?

That's how it works for me:
In my school that is a catholic school, we celebrate the religious part of Christmas. Jesus' birth, other nice stuff. Nothing wrong with that.
With my family, we sing Christmas songs that usually include Jesus, but that's all the religious part of it. Christmas is about our family, trying to be together for a few days (because we live at different parts of the country) and trying to be nicer to other people. The reason of presents is this "being nice" thing too: the one who gets a present from me will feel that I love him/her. And that's all. A nice holiday in the winter. Aww.

My family does more of the Christmas spirit thing. We don't really don't care about religion except for my nana who is very religious.

Things get very weird around this time of the year. My dad was Jewish so we celebrate Hanuka for him. It can feel a little of eating latkas(the potato pancake don't know how it's spelled) and cornbeef, lighting the candles and then decorating your Christmas tree.

For Christmas my family all goes to my uncle's house and we spend the time eating a catching up in true Italian style. After The first course My 2 uncles my dad and I go down into the basement and play a few rounds of pool. After more food we usually do presents from my uncles. It's always something diff rent, last year it was a tennis racket which I really kinda needed.

Originally Posted by Margar

Jesus' birth may be the main reason Christmas exists (or has stayed around and become so prevalent), but doesn't have to be (and isn't)the only reason people celebrate it. Nor do I think it should have to be.
Some Christians act like it's a terrible thing for non-christiand to celebrate Christmas because they just want presents and the don't care about the savior. That's utter crap, I say.

It may be all about Jesus to some people. To others it may be all about family. Or about generosity, or helping the less fortunate, or making children happy (all things Jesus taught, of course).

Who cares if person A doesn't specifically honor the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th, as long as they have a good reason for observing Christmas other than "You're expected to give people stuff and I like getting presents and eating food."

And isn't even better for people to celebrate those good things (kindness, forgiveness, generosity, etc...) rather than simply for Jesus' (not)birthday?

This. To tell you the truth, I'm anti-religion. I'm spiritual, but not religious. I celebrate the other "side" of Christmas, the time to spend time with your family and appreciate the little things in life. This is the time of the year where I mentally take a break from everything around me and focus on what has made me (my accomplishments), who has made me (my family), and what I can change or keep to make me happy in the future.

I think I made a rant about this last year. Imma gonna go find the bits relevant to this thread...

As I see it, Christmas - December 25th - is two holidays rolled into one. The one which most people celebrate is the older, and more interesting one. It is what I deem "the secular Christmas". This Christmas is everything you know about Christmas except for what the other holiday pertains to. This other half is "the Christian Christmas", and is, in its entirety, going to church to celebrate the birth of Jesus (which, mind you, was not really in winter anyway. Try spring.). Yes, even the spending time with your family for a day thing is part of the secular Christmas.

Related to this, I always see decorating anything with the scene of Jesus' birth very trite except when in or in front of a church, as odds are the scene was bought - a tradition of secular Christmas.


If you celebrate the secular Christmas (ie. the one with all the presents and family togetherness), then please, PLEASE don't confuse it with the Christian Christmas. The reason you celebrate the secular Christmas is completely different from why you celebrate the Christian one. I mean, sure you may celebrate them because that's just what you've done all your life, but really, when you get down to it, the Christian one celebrates the anniversary of someone's birth (who, as I see it, may or may not have existed in the first place anyway) 2000+ years ago, while the other is even older, and has distinctly pagan ritualism at its origin (which later, before Christianity stole the day, evolved into a day of family togetherness as well).

As for how I personally spend my time at this point in the year, I find presents mostly pointless, and find the most enjoyable thing to be spending time with my extended family, most of whom I only get to see once every two years. (I'll admit though that this only applies to one branch of my family - my mum's side - since I don't really find spending time with the rest enjoyable.)

Originally Posted by Dom

Material gain.

Very much this.

The idea of Christmas, of course, originated in noting the birth of Christ and to appeal to those who celebrated the coming of winter (because this all took place in the Northern hemisphere). The Christian tradition began to shift, of course, to celebrating Christmas instead of, say, going to church all day because Jesus was such a magnificent figure and endorsed good will. Christianity is still strong internationally but has begun to die out.

Nevertheless, because Christmas had been celebrated almost universally in the developed world, it came to be recognized and enjoyed as a time of benevolence toward others and good will.

That last part pretty much sums up why we celebrate Christmas as a whole. To me, anyway.

Originally Posted by Veronica Dare

So Joseph basicly just sits and watches that God sleep with his virgin wife?

But really, I just know that we have a christmast tree, gifts, and Jesus' birth. That's pretty much it.

If my wife cheated on me with God, I don't think I'd **** around with him.

He's kind of like God after all.

Joseph probably wasn't scrubbing one out in the corner. I think it's understood that he was probably not in the room.

Also conception and intercourse are entirely different. Ever heard of a sperm bank?

Screw Christmas. Yule/winter solstice ftw! Bring out the ale and let the celebrations begin!

Liah: I appreciated your sharing, there :0) *hands a peppermint chocolate truffle*

(those things are GOOD)

Herod, IIRC, didn't order the census. The Roman government did.
It's also worth noting that Roman censuses did not require people to return to the town of their birth, so why Joseph went to Bethlehem is not entirely clear.

Yeah that. Herod did order that all children under the age of two be killed in Bethlehem however. Some believe Joseph left Nazareth due to ostracization from his peers. Jewish tradition dictates that theres a waiting period of sorts before a couple consimates a marriage. *shrugs*

Anyway, im not religious so i dont really celebrate Christmas for Christ (anymore). We do it for family time and joy and all that lovely stuff. Its not Jesus' fault some guys really soiled his gig.

I prefer to celebrate the coming of Satan. Doing so on the 25th is just for convenience's sake. Prezzies, after all!

Ironically enough, they've got Good Friday.

Or not... Jesus's death is a fairly sacred and integral event in the religion.

Originally Posted by Bravo

Because making fun of religion is cool amirite

It's kinda played out as the go-to shtick for SUPER BADASS INTERNET PERSONAS.. But I don't really feel like he was too obnoxious about it.

Originally Posted by Florina

Anyway, im not religious so i dont really celebrate Christmas for Christ (anymore). We do it for family time and joy and all that lovely stuff. Its not Jesus' fault some guys really soiled his gig.

This. Especially the last part.

Originally Posted by sea

I prefer to celebrate the coming of Satan. Doing so on the 25th is just for convenience's sake. Prezzies, after all!

I lol'd save me a seat in hell.

I'm spiritual, but not religious

What?

I get the feeling Midna Fan needs to do "some" research. We've celebrated Yule over here in Scandinavia before the cult of Christianity was even invented. That includes "Christmas" trees and Santa Claus, mind you.

Santa Clause doesn't predate Christianity. Yule and Saturnalia did, though.

Originally Posted by John

Both genealogies for Jesus have Joseph be the descendant, because Jewish culture doesn't pass anything through the maternal line, only the fraternal one.


Herod, IIRC, didn't order the census. The Roman government did.
It's also worth noting that Roman censuses did not require people to return to the town of their birth, so why Joseph went to Bethlehem is not entirely clear.


Oddly enough, there is, IIRC, no biblical backing for the idea that Jesus was born in a stable. A manger, yes, but not a stable.


Actually, the Magi didn't show up until several years later. Certainly not while Jesus was still an infant.


Sorry, just thought I'd address some of the common misconceptions about the story.

He was also brown, and not white with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Sorry, people of the South.

I am Jewish. So is Jason. So are a bunch of people. And tomorrow, we are probably going to do what most Jews do on Christmas. That's right: we're going to keep the economy reasonably stable on a day when almost everything's closed and nobody's buying anything. WE'RE GOING FOR A MOVIE AND CHINESE FOOD!!!!!!!!!! I'ma see Avatar tomorrow, and probably go eat some dumplings and egg drop soup for dinner! Yay, Chinese food and movie on Christmas! While all of you peoples are opening your presents (we already did), we're going to enjoy popcorn and lo mein (not together, mind you, that sounds revolting)! So ha!

Enjoy your movies and noodles, my fellow Jews, and for those people who celebrate Christmas, you have fun, too!