Christmas

[Prince Myshkin]

How do you view it?

 

What does it mean to you?

 

Do you see it as a religious festival? Obviously it is a religious festival, but to take part in the festivities you do not have to celebrate from a religious standing. Do you feel it is moving away from its religious roots?

 

Do you think Christmas has changed in recent times compared to when you were younger, both in your own interpretation of the festivals origins, the way in which you celebrate it and the way those around acknowledge and celebrate it?

 

If so do you think this is due to your age or a change in perceptions of the holiday time, be it one of cynicism, greater family or friendly spirit in bleaker times or a general shift in public opinion?

 

Also a place to share your Christmas hopes for this year and memories of Christmas' gone by.

[Prince Myshkin]

According to Stephen Nissenbaum, Historian of Christmas:

 

Christmas has always been a very difficult holiday to Christianise - it's never been wholly in the control of the Church.

 

Since the Fourth Century, there have always been pious Christians who have tried to make Christmas into an occasion of devotion and meditation, but I don't think those people have ever really controlled the way the holiday is celebrated.

 

If you put yourself back into a pre-modern agricultural society, Christmas is the convergence of the solstice with a very important seasonal development: Once the work of the harvest and the post-harvest is done - at least if you're male - there's an extended period when you have nothing to do.

 

And it's the only time of the year when you slaughter animals in a systematic way.

 

If you put together this season of leisure with the availability of alcohol and fresh food, especially fresh meat, you've got a very combustible combination of circumstances.

 

Christmas was celebrated by most people in England as an occasion of revelry, of overeating, of drinking. Christmas was a rowdy holiday.

[Mrk]

I'm Catholic so I celebrate Christmas as a religious festivity (I go to the church at midnight and I make a crib).

I really enjoy staying with my family at Christmas and I still really like to get presents.

What kinda makes me sad is that I don't feel the wait and the magic of it like when I was a kid.

[fooby]

I'm not even remotely religious, I don't celebrate the birth of christ or any of that, it's just a great time of year where everybody's happy & you see friends & family you don't usually see, not to mention the parties :P I celebrate the winter solstace more than anything, which is basically what christmas was before religion was around. No silly gods & fights, just celebrating the sun starting to come back after the dark nights.

[Reilly]

I think it went from being magical to being a chore officially around mid-teen years, then I got used to it being a chore and now it's just nice, but I'm practically indifferent towards it. I can never think of presents I want because anything I don't really have is too expensive to expect anyone to buy for me, so there's also the element of surprise being lost because I ask for a few things from people specifically and I know that's what I know I'll be getting.

[Mrk]

I'm not even remotely religious, I don't celebrate the birth of christ or any of that, it's just a great time of year where everybody's happy & you see friends & family you don't usually see, not to mention the parties :P I celebrate the winter solstace more than anything, which is basically what christmas was before religion was around. No silly gods & fights, just celebrating the sun starting to come back after the dark nights.

 

The winter solstace was an heathen festivity

[EmmaLouiseSmyth]

I'm not that over joyed about Christmas. It's alright I guess, just so repetitive and predicable.

Several years of the doing the same thing, eating the same food, watching the same movies, seeing the same people on the same days, well it's starting to get redundant D; Some people love that, but I'm only 19 and I'm beginning to hate it.

 

Plus it's a yearly reminder of how awkward I am, even around family members.

This year we're doing something different. Though I am terrified of the social aspect of it, well at least it is something different :uhoh:

 

 

DOWNER YAY!

 

 

 

On a more positive note, my mom looks after children and seeing them look so excited and listening to them talk about Santa is awesome.

[i'maveryneatMonster.']

I loved it, then hated it when I was a teenager when I used to "hate" my mum's family. Now I'm indifferent, I just want to spend it with people I love if possible, I don't want to make a huge deal out of it, mainly cos this might be the last year I'll be able to celebrate Christmas or New Year's with my family for a long time...

 

My mom and dad will make the usual food with grandma, I begged for something mundane, chicken wings.

[Marchez94]

I'm going to have fun with a great lunch with all my family members (cousins, uncles, grandma and so on: 16 relatives!). In the morning I'll open my presents and give mine. In midnight I'll go to church, so I just think it will be such an enjoyable christmas.

[LoryABjerre]

For my part I mentioned here on this

thread : CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST THERE!!!!

[MichMoch]

I usually spend it with my mom's family, and everyone is very religious but I'm not so for me it's more representative of general happiness, snow, crowds, gifts, cakes, nice food, sweaters...

 

But when I was much younger I used to know it has Jesus' birthday and the whole thing around it.

 

I think it's essentially because I no more believe in God...

But the best way for me to describe it is: Christmas = happiest holiday.

[Coeurli]

I'm Catholic, I go to the church and make a crib. As a Catholic I take it as Jesus' symbolic birthday (cause the Church set the date but according to historians he was more likely to be born around spring...)

But I see Christmas as the family time of the year more than anything. During a few days, I'm all about family, giving/receiving joy, and I try to relax. I really can't think about school during this time. All about family (and now Coldplay :lol: :wacky: )

IMO the most important in Christmas is the Christmas spirit, the whole "get together to give and receive" thing, you know ? We should all be in that kind of state of mind more than just a few days at the end of the year, but, hey, that's still something, a minimum, right ? :D

 

Merry Christmas everyone :)

[Destrokk]

I don´t hate it, I used to love it but it´s kind of just like another day. The only thing we did this year was geta tree :blank: