Would you cancel Christmas?

seven-day-weekend

Retrogamer wrote: »

This is in no way intended to be offensive, but why do Christians put up a tree?

The "Christmas tree" is a Pagan symbol and tradition
Same a lot of other stuff
The evergreen was seen as a special tree as it didn't lose it's colour in winter.
Pagans used to take it indoors to decorate it with bells and other stuff.
They believed that if the tree spirit / god was happy it would jingle to let them know.

One of the 10 commandments is don't worship other gods and some Christians don't put it up due to this, but others do.

I did actually have a problem with the Christmas tree as a Pagan symbol for many years and would not have one.

Then a few years ago I realised that it was the intent that mattered. I don't use it as a Pagan symbol so I am at liberty to use one or not, the same as there is nothing wrong with having a black cat just because some people use them for occultic purposes.

So this year we have a pretty tree.

As to the birth of Jesus, many scholars would point to a date in late September as his birth, but seeing as we don't know we may as well have a Festival to celebrate it in the darkest months of winter (which is why it has pagan Yule mixed in with it).


http://christiananswers.net/christmas/mythsaboutchristmas.html

Retrogamer

Dunroamin wrote: »

The British tradition is more concerned with holly, ivy and mistletoe .

Ahh, all those other Pagan traditions?
(sorry for late reply, just noticed this there)

Holly
http://www.christmascarnivals.com/christmas-history/christmas-holly-history.html

Mistletoe
http://www.thehistoryofchristmas.com/trivia/mistletoe.htm

Ivy, i'll give you as it's original intent was to protect Churches from lightening stikes

mandi

MrSmartprice wrote: »

I would cancel it because I am sick to bloody death of it!:mad:

Every shop you go in is in Christmas mode, with annoying festive songs blaring out over the tannoy. Town centres are packed with dozy people wandering aimlessly, seeing how much money they can waste. Tasteless and tacky decorations abound.

You can't switch on the TV without it being wall-to-wall tacky specials or celebrity versions for 'charidee'. Every advert is for turkeys, festive booze or some other tat we don't need. Some of the ads are enough to make you scream.

^^^^^^ Exactly . :beer:

WantToBeSE

I LOVE Christmas, and would NOT cancel it!

james_smitha

As per the title, I would cancel christmas but include it in anual holiday allowance instead. If people want a winter holiday complete a holiday form, but the employer can choose to shut down for a break if they wish and pay all the staff.

How would people here feel if hospitality establishments all closed down for one week over xmas/ new year just like those in many other jobs?
Why shouldn't they get to spend time with people important to them as well?
What if non-food shops all closed for a week to, but food shops just ran sunday hours for the week.
Schools all have holidays together, so do factories and government offices.

Shops use Christmas sales as a winter stock clearance opportunity.

In general I've seen christmas just bring out the worst in peoples' temprament that would not otherwise have happened. Not sirprisingly Divorce lawyers do well in January needlessly

It is also used to market christmas themed tat For example a bright red jumper with a christmas puding or a snow man. Why do we need the snow man or puding to sell the jumper?

MothballsWallet

borninthefifties wrote: »

How can you say that He was never born? how do you know that?!
2000 years of Christianity seems to say otherwise....

Umm, no. He was more likely to have been Apollonius of Tyana. There is evidence that a man called Jesus existed, but not the Jesus of the Bible.

MrSmartprice wrote: »

So how can you say when he was born, or if he was born at all?

I am willing to believe that this person may possibly have existed, but most of the stories about him are just myth and fable. It is rather like, say, Robin Hood, who may also have existed but became surrounded by all sorts of tall tales.

What you can be absolutely certain about is that nobody ever had a 'virgin birth', since IVF was not around 2000 years ago. Of all the reasons for her to have dropped a kid, that was the least likely. Whoever dreamt that one up really was out with the fairies.;)

It's sad that Monty Python and the Holy Grail is far more historically accurate than the bible

mr.brightside87

I'm not a scrooge, but I really do not get on with Christmas one bit! I haven't done for years.

It's more to do with the fact that I don't get on with my sister, her partner is a moron, my mum stirs up trouble (intentionally and unintentionally), relatives who I haven't seen since I was a small boy come round (no idea who they are, they haven't seen me for years so why bother), my dad doesn't even know what day it is for 364 days of the year let alone christmas so it's the fakeness of it all that I hate more and more each passing year. It's as if my family keeps trying to play each other off without fail.

This year, me and my partner sat on the sofa, had dinner at normal time, watched tv and then I passed out from drinking to excess. Par the course for Christmas really. During the day, I lost a few hours on football manager and she lost a few hours on the PS3. So it was just another day with a glorified roast dinner.

It's also a time that makes you realise how little money you actually have and who you actually care about.

It's rammed down our throats for the back end of the year, prices go up in shops for essentials and it's over by the time Doctor Who comes on the TV. Just enough of it! Worst thing is, the b******t that is new years eve is still to come. Only on the gregorian calendar! According to science, every passing second of the day is a new year in itself!

To add to that, why should you need a day to see, or talk, to your family? That's almost as bad as saying Valentine's day is the only day you can love your partner!

Money_maker

Thats a really sad post MBS. Maybe time to change your life as it sounds miserable for anyone.

Make sure your Christmas 2014 is nowhere near the same. Ditch the parents and do something real with your partner. Good luck.

mr.brightside87

Money_maker wrote: »

Thats a really sad post MBS. Maybe time to change your life as it sounds miserable for anyone.

Make sure your Christmas 2014 is nowhere near the same. Ditch the parents and do something real with your partner. Good luck.

Thanks. It's been the same for years. Probably since I found out Santa wasn't real. We've actually said that next year, we are going to try and get away for the period. It all depends on a few things though (new job, debts etc). I'll probably be the son of satan to my family but it will be so much better.

There was also the damp problem in our room that caused a load of damage. Had to end up shelling out Christmas savings for it to all be replaced :mad:

BigMummaF

mr.brightside87 wrote: »

.... To add to that, why should you need a day to see, or talk, to your family? That's almost as bad as saying Valentine's day is the only day you can love your partner!

I guess, for me, it's a reason to make a real effort to spend some time with the people whose company you enjoy. These days everyone is always doing something--working, sorting out utilities, catching up on recorded tv programmes--that often we don't take the time to actually listen to the other side of the conversation because we're so caught up with what has to be done next.
Dec 25th gives us permission to spend hours playing silly games, telling awful jokes & eating too much & deal with the consequences later. It can even relieve the horrors of world wars for one day...


As I've grown older I now see that 'family' so often puts excuses in the way of doing what we'd like to. My father's cousin said she was going to come up to see Dad, 'when she found a moment', as she shared the car on the way to his funeral.
I am guilty of the same crime, of taking the time to say my goodbyes when I should have put the same effort into calling hello before that happened.


So if the shops being full of tat & nothing but repeats on the TV means at least some time with my very nearest & absolute dearest, then, bring it on!