Why celebrate Christmas?

[Outta here]

Dexter made and interesting and (imo) extremely relevant comment in another thread on the reasons why as an atheist, he celebrates Christmas:

It's about family and friends and connections with the people I love best, and sharing our good fortune with them all, welcoming them to my home, feeding them, caring about them, laughing with them... That's all there is, in my view, Joe and Mary and the Magic Baby mean nothing to me, religion plays no part in my life. But love and laughter, and interest in and concern for the people I care most about certainly does.

I felt a gentle recognition of the sentiment he shared about what Christmas has come to mean to him,(thank you Dex) and it set off a chain of thought within me to wonder just how many of us continue to celebrate something we now consider to be an archaic belief in the event we call the birth of our Saviour.

I (like many?) have grappled with what my beliefs in relation to Christianity are over the years and have come up with such a hybrid version of spirituality that it can no longer be called Christian, nor new age nor anything in between. It serves me well, yet every year I haul out the Christmas decorations, and engage in the flurry of activity all Christians undertake in preparation to celebrate the birth of a being I'm not entirely sure I believe in - at least not as presented to us by the scriptures and the various Christian denominations.

What I do believe in though, is the message this being is purported to have brought to us - the message that has become encapsulated in the expression "the spirit of the season". Love of our fellow man, peace on earth.

I cling to the ways I was raised with in the celebartion of that hope - because regardless of how the message was received, it remains as worthy an ideal to hold high and revere as it was when I believed it was delivered through an immaculate conception.

It appears I'm not alone in this - according to today's Globe & Mail Poll, only 34% of people will be attending a religious service of any kind to celebrate this holiday season:

Yes - 34% - 444 votes
No - 66% - 856 votes

I've checked back on this poll a few times this morning - the number of respondents has increased each time, but the percentage has remained consistent at 34% and 66 %.

Yet I'm fairly certain that far more than 34% of this country stops everything long enough to celebrate this holiday.

This says something to me. It says I'm not the only one grappling. It says our traditions and beliefs as a society are undergoing a pretty significant transition - but the intent and desire to honour an intrinsic hope remains as strong now as it ever was. It also says Christianity is not the only religion that is feeling the effects of this transition. Are these numbers a comment on our belief in a deity of any kind? If so, then what exactly are we celebrating at this time of year?

What do these numbers say to you? Which percentage do you fall into? Why?

 

[Kreskin]

I think of it as celebrating family, the end of a year, and the beginning of a new year. Within an hour or so I will have a house full of family that, for some, I usually only see at this time of year. It's a chance for all of us to forget, at least for a short time, all the things that cause us stress. It's our time to have some fun and celebrate being a family.

 

[darkbeaver]

It is the oldest human celebration, it predates the written word, it is universal and primal and very much a celebration of power and hope.

 

[AmberEyes]

For me, it's a celebration of love and life during a season in which life dies. The similarity between the birth, death and resurrection of christ is a lot like the seasons - life is born in the spring, dies in the fall, and is reborn in the spring. The transition between life and death doesn't necessarily have anything to do with spirituality, it is a fact of the world in which we live - a byproduct of our position with respect to the Sun. To celebrate this cycle, this life, is a wonderful experience - it gives us a time to visit with family, to truly appreciate what we've got, and to be greatful for each other.

 

[tracy]

It's a more of a cultural celebration or a tradition to me than a religious event. I've never celebrated Christmas as a religious event because my parents never made it one. I knew about Jesus and all, but Christmas was more about Santa and reindeer. It's just a time of year for family and friends to get together and enjoy each other and a time for strangers to become a little nicer and a little friendlier. Plus, we get good desserts!

I actually work this Christmas, like I do most years, but I went home for four days last week for an early Christmas visit with my parents. It was nice to spend time with them and with friends I haven't seen in a while. We exchanged gifts and decorated the tree and I ate more shortbread and almond rocha than I have in years. That's what Christmas is about to me If anything, I think that's truer to the origins of Christmas than Jesus. Christianity simply adopted that date to celebrate the saviour's birth because it coincided with the winter solstice celebrated by pagans anyways (similar to how Easter was adopted). As far as I know, there is no real reason to believe Jesus was actually born December 25th.

 

[gopher]

Celebrate Christmas with the Singing Dogs:


http://www.bobshannon.com/specials/dogs.html

scroll on down to Singing Dogs Clemens MasterMix

 

[#juan]

Quoting Dexter Sinister It's about family and friends and connections with the people I love best, and sharing our good fortune with them all, welcoming them to my home, feeding them, caring about them, laughing with them... That's all there is, in my view, Joe and Mary and the Magic Baby mean nothing to me, religion plays no part in my life. But love and laughter, and interest in and concern for the people I care most about certainly does.

Actually, Dexter recites almost exactly the message of Christmas and then takes the time to deny any connection with the man who gave the message in the first place. I'm not particularly religious but I was raised in a Christian family and in that family, Christmas was a time of giving and sharing and helping those less fortunate. Today, my own family celebrates Christmas in exactly the same way though we don't put the same religious detail into it.
In any case, I wish you all, including Dexter, a very merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year.....:smile:

 

[Sal]

Dexter made and interesting and (imo) extremely relevant comment in another thread on the reasons why as an atheist, he celebrates Christmas:

I (like many?) have grappled with what my beliefs in relation to Christianity are over the years and have come up with such a hybrid version of spirituality that it can no longer be called Christian, nor new age nor anything in between. It serves me well, yet every year I haul out the Christmas decorations, and engage in the flurry of activity all Christians undertake in preparation to celebrate the birth of a being I'm not entirely sure I believe in - at least not as presented to us by the scriptures and the various Christian denominations.

What I do believe in though, is the message this being is purported to have brought to us - the message that has become encapsulated in the expression "the spirit of the season". Love of our fellow man, peace on earth.

I cling to the ways I was raised with in the celebartion of that hope - because regardless of how the message was received, it remains as worthy an ideal to hold high and revere as it was when I believed it was delivered through an immaculate conception.

It appears I'm not alone in this - according to today's Globe & Mail Poll, only 34% of people will be attending a religious service of any kind to celebrate this holiday season:

Yes - 34% - 444 votes
No - 66% - 856 votes

I've checked back on this poll a few times this morning - the number of respondents has increased each time, but the percentage has remained consistent at 34% and 66 %.

Yet I'm fairly certain that far more than 34% of this country stops everything long enough to celebrate this holiday.

This says something to me. It says I'm not the only one grappling. It says our traditions and beliefs as a society are undergoing a pretty significant transition - but the intent and desire to honour an intrinsic hope remains as strong now as it ever was. It also says Christianity is not the only religion that is feeling the effects of this transition. Are these numbers a comment on our belief in a deity of any kind? If so, then what exactly are we celebrating at this time of year?

What do these numbers say to you? Which percentage do you fall into? Why?

Your description of your religious/spiritual belief sums up my own quite accurately. I do not label myself as anything yet I feel the presence within my life and call of a higher power. I have nothing against a religious service and if I had kids I would have made sure they had a Christian upbringing to reject since if no options are presented there is no choice to be made.

I believe Jesus walked the earth and encouraged peace. Was he the son of God, aren't we all? Do I have to embrace him to live for eternity? Absolutely not.

I am all about energy connection between people and all things actually. Therefore the positive loving energy of Christmas is a wonderful thing albeit a tad stressful. The stress is something I do to myself as I get sucked in to the "perfection" of the season.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate life, and love and giving and sharing for that is why we are here upon this earth... to grow and to love.... embrace the day whatever it may mean to you.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Actually, Dexter recites almost exactly the message of Christmas and then takes the time to deny any connection with the man who gave the message in the first place.

I just offered a somewhat elaborated version of the Golden Rule. No serious Christian would agree that's the message of Christmas. Jesus was supposedly the Messiah, the Saviour promised in various passages in the Old Testament. He's announced as such in the New Testament, most strongly by Luke. His appearance on earth was about redemption and salvation from the burden of original sin, and whatever sins you've committed since his dad hung the original one on you.

 

[gerryh]

I just offered a somewhat elaborated version of the Golden Rule. No serious Christian would agree that's the message of Christmas. Jesus was supposedly the Messiah, the Saviour promised in various passages in the Old Testament. He's announced as such in the New Testament, most strongly by Luke. His appearance on earth was about redemption and salvation from the burden of original sin, and whatever sins you've committed since his dad hung the original one on you.

With what you've stated above, you've only got a small sampling of the why's and what for's of Christ's reason for being on earth 2000 years ago. That makes it a little difficult to make an informed desission, wouldn't you say so? Not taking all the "facts" into consideration when making up ones mind?

 

[darkbeaver]

Jesus was a Zealot and a Nazarine, he riled up revolt against the Romans and thier puppet Gov;
his real name was James, maybe.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

With what you've stated above, you've only got a small sampling of the why's and what for's of Christ's reason for being on earth 2000 years ago. That makes it a little difficult to make an informed desission, wouldn't you say so? Not taking all the "facts" into consideration when making up ones mind?

I'm well aware of that, and yes it was a difficult conclusion to come to, since I grew up in a deeply religious household, but it was fully informed, carefully thought out, and discussed with many people over a long time. What do you expect here, 5000 word essays? Nobody'd read a post that long. Suffice it to say that I find the "facts" and arguments offered by believers to be completely unconvincing, and the counter arguments much more sensible.

 

[#juan]

I just offered a somewhat elaborated version of the Golden Rule. No serious Christian would agree that's the message of Christmas. Jesus was supposedly the Messiah, the Saviour promised in various passages in the Old Testament. He's announced as such in the New Testament, most strongly by Luke. His appearance on earth was about redemption and salvation from the burden of original sin, and whatever sins you've committed since his dad hung the original one on you.

Have a great holiday Dexter. I was just trying to stir the pot a bit.....I've met too many hypo-christians to be a serious Christian myself. To me Christmas is a time for giving and sharing and loving that we seem to somehow forget the rest of the year.

 

[Outta here]

To me Christmas is a time for giving and sharing and loving that we seem to somehow forget the rest of the year.

... and that is what I was getting at in my OP - we do all seem to feel the need to remember and celebrate what we hold most dear - no matter what name we give it, we're all celebrating the same things.

Thank you all for your wonderful replies here... and no matter how you celebrate, what you call it, or whom you spend this season with, I hope you all have the warmth of loving family and good friends to remember and share your blessings with.

 

[gopher]

Why celebrate Christmas?

Why not?? It's a great time of year!