What do non religious people get out of xmas

snaffler · 16 October 2006 at 4:25PM

I was just wondering as I am in no way shape or form religious, but I was wondering what other people like me get out of this season.

I can connect more with the old meaning of the season like Yule tide as opposed to the old Christian story myslef.

Some sides of the season I do not like Dark Skies, crap weather and commercialism beyond a joke, and the sicking debt some people are willing to put themselves in for just a single day.

Me I get to get some time off of course I like that and I get to hang out with family play some crazy games have a few drinks and chill out from the rest of the busy year.

As for most xmas food it sucks I am vegan LOL but thats another story.

As its a money saving forum and i should keep roughly on topic to do with the board, I am do know many who are paying the deby of last xmas until now !, then they get another credit card and start over again.

It's never worth that surely.

PS I am not a humbug dont get me wrong I see the fun side of the season in my own way defiently, but some parts of it are just evil.

Revenge_of_the_Red_Devil · 16 October 2006 at 5:05PM

I'm not a Christian, but I love the festive feel - the feelgood factor.

Sitting there wrapped up with all your family watching the Grinch for the millionth time listening to the Christmas Carols and eating chocolate. Bliss

Maybe a mod could move this to the Discussion Time boarD?

cuddlymarm · 16 October 2006 at 6:29PM

Hi:xmastree:

I love Xmas because it means that we spend time together as a family (difficult to do now my kids are grown) With everyone having busy lives sometimes its the only time you manage to get in touch with friends and relatives.:xmassmile :xmassmile

I love the feeling on Xmas eve when everything is ready and you've finished work until after Xmas. It just feels special.:snow_grin

It may be an innocent view but I really do believe that people are nicer to each other over the Xmas period (shame we can't be like it all year long):xmassign:

oldMcDonald · 16 October 2006 at 6:34PM

:xmastree: Pressies????? :xmastree:

:rotfl:

smsmasters · 16 October 2006 at 6:48PM

Well I'm Catholic, but I feel that the true meaning of Christmas isn't as prevalent. It's all about presents and commercialization now, although the giving of gifts does symbolise the time when the 3 kings gave presents to Jesus.

I just love the warm, fuzzy feeling you get during the weeks leading upto Christmas and also the New Year. I love the Christmas lights, being with your family and friends and exchanging gifts.

There's just something unique about the Christmas spirit that you don't feel at other times of the year, you know...

However, I will be a in a nice tropical country this xmas/new year, where the temperatures average around 30C all year

I can't wait! I will miss London though this xmas.

oldMcDonald · 16 October 2006 at 7:05PM

smsmasters wrote:

It's all about presents and commercialization now, although the giving of gifts does symbolise the time when the 3 kings gave presents to Jesus.

This is what I meant when I (rather flippantly!) said 'pressies'.

I hate the comercialisation of Christmas. The message of peace and goodwill seems to be lost under a mountain of massive garden inflatables, tacky pressies and adverts on kids tv.

It seems that so many people get into so much debt in order to buy the things that they are brainwashed into believing are needed in order to have a 'perfect' Christmas.

opaque · 16 October 2006 at 7:05PM

Presents are always nice but over the last 5 years I've got more out of giving and of decorating the common room at work and organising the christmas party. You get a great sense of happiness from seeing people enjoy themselves

wigginsmum · 16 October 2006 at 7:15PM

I'm a Christian, and Christmas has nothing to do with Christianity - it was just a church establishment decision to tack a Christian theme onto the old Pagan concept of the wheel of the year.

LizEstelle · 16 October 2006 at 7:28PM

Revenge_of_the_Red_Devil wrote:

I'm not a Christian, but I love the festive feel - the feelgood factor.

Sitting there wrapped up with all your family watching the Grinch for the millionth time listening to the Christmas Carols and eating chocolate. Bliss

Maybe a mod could move this to the Discussion Time boarD?

That about sums it up for me. I like everything there is about the IDEA of Christmas whilst fully realising it's just another cult.

The religious side doesn't get to me quite as much as the ancient, pagan, Yule midwinter festival which was really just a good excuse for a nosh and knees up to ward off the dark days. Great idea. Nothing wrong with that. Hi-jacked long ago by Christianity, just as in the same way ancient sites of pagan worship had churches built on them.

Can't see, apart from the over-commercialisation already mentioned, that it amounts to much more than that even now. Tinsel, friends and family, good food, a glass of something nice - come to that, probably even peace on Earth and goodwill to all men - all ideas which were around long before 'wise men' started their Good Stable Guide tour...

emg · 16 October 2006 at 7:29PM

I love christmas! For me it's having all the family together in one place and it's something about all the silly family traditions - we all watch a particular film together on xmas eve, there's a childhood story that is always dug out to be read at christmas, tree decorations that seem like 'old friends' because we have seen them every year of our lives, coming in from the pub on christmas eve we always have mulled wine and mince pies. Maybe the warm fuzzy feeling is because its the chance to wallow in nostalgia and re-live a little of my childhood!

I also love buying people presents, for me it's almost guilt-free shopping! I love agonizing over what to buy people, wrapping them up, arranging them under the tree, watching my family squish them and try and get clues about what they are!

I even like the fact that it's dark and cold because it must makes indoors feel more cozy.

This board was made for people like me!

libitina_2 · 16 October 2006 at 7:59PM

Family time, presents and alcohol

What do non religious people get out of xmas

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