Who Celebrates Christmas, and why?

[niamhwitch]

So, as Christians, you all feel its ok to mix a supposed Christian holiday with a pagan one?

I'm not a Christian, whiskeychris, I am a Pagan.

 

[niamhwitch]

and welcome to RF, whiskychris!

 

[Yerda]

do you really think God would approve it?

Has God said otherwise?

 

[jewscout]

So, as Christians, you all feel its ok to mix a supposed Christian holiday with a pagan one?

this is of course assuming that Dec. 25th was at one time an actual christian holiday, not a pagan one hijacked for converts during the early years of the church

Remember, regardless of "you" celebrate christmas, I think you need to consider how God views it. do you really think God would approve it?

well my mother enjoys christmas and He did say to Honor thy mother and thy father...

 

[CaptainXeroid]

this is of course assuming that Dec. 25th was at one time an actual christian holiday, not a pagan one hijacked for converts during the early years of the church ...

I think it's been well established that 'the Church' moved the celebration of Jesus' birth to December 25 to 'counter' the pagan rituals for the Feast of Saturnalia. I guess they felt Christianity would be more 'acceptable' if the dates coincided with celebrations the pagans were already holding. I don't think wiskeychris was suggesting Dec 25 was originally a Christian holiday but rather one the church 'hijacked'.

This past Christmas, IIRC, the Discovery or History Channel ran a feature in which they used scientific information to support that Jesus was more likely born in late May and visited by the Magi in September 3 BC.

OK...to the question in the thread title. My family celebrates Christmas as the recognition of Jesus Christ's birthday. As to the why, we think it is more important to remember and understand the lessons Jesus was trying to teach rather than quibble over the exact date he was born.

In 2005, December 25 falls on a Sunday, so Christmas has extra meaning because our church was founded Christmas Day, 1921 which was also a Sunday.

 

[anders]

well my mother enjoys christmas and He did say to Honor thy mother and thy father...

Good enough for me as well (besides having one day when as many local relatives as possible congregate). Most of it is just boring to me, but my sisters, nieces and nephews all provide excellent food on days like Xmas eve, so I'm quite happy to be there as well. And watching my mother (88) watching her great-grandchildren open their prezzies also makes it worthwhile.

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

I came across this and just had to find somewhere to post it.:biglaugh:

 

[Stormygale]

It is all a family thing. People don't get to together to open gifts and worship the birth of a 'baby Jesus'. I have heard, and was raised to believe that this was one of the religions made up and adorned by the Roman Catholics. Is that true. I am not sure anymore.
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People attend church on the Sabbath, probably for the first time all year, out of habit. Out of tradition. Not to worship the 'birth' of christ...
Not saying that is how all people are. Some do worship Christmas as that, yet, I have yet to meet any....

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

Seems to me that Christmas is a pretty big load on parents shoulders. Mine included. The only ones who truly celebrate Christmas are children and retail stores.

 

[Ronule]

My husband and I celebrate Christmas, but it is more secular as well as an extension of Yule (The Winter Solstice, the holiday we celebrate). We actually do most of our Yule celebrations on Christmas Day. Our celebration of "Christmas" is in no way Christian. We are not celebrating the birth of Jesus, we celebrate the return of the Sun God. On Yule night we have a tradition where we all open one present under the tree. Its the presents with xmas pj's in them. Every year we get new pj's for everyone with a winter/xmas theme to them. We open them on Yule (while wearing the ones from last year) and wear the new ones on xmas eve and xmas morning while we open all the other gifts.

That's a really cool way of doing things.

I celebrate christmas because my family celebrates it. Other than that, the holiday doesn't mean much to me.

 

[Original Freak]

I celebrate Christmas as a time to be with my family, as a magical time for my kids and as a dedicated time for presents and needed purchases. I don't think it's just kids that celebrate Christmans because I think I enjoy it just as much as they do.

This year will be the first year I've ever had a live tree.

 

[dan]

Its fact that Christmas has its roots in pagan sun worship. There is also no command found in the bible to celebrate the birth of Christ. This is all besides the obvious fact that Dec. 25 was not the day Jesus was born.

The date is irrelevant. The Catholic church needed a date and decided to use their sun-God Saul's birthday. It's an arbitrary connection. Christ was born on April 6th. The heavens and the earth celebrated his birth with shouts of joy and hymns of praise. It's our way of saying that we appreciate it as well.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

The heavens and the earth celebrated his birth with shouts of joy and hymns of praise. It's our way of saying that we appreciate it as well.

And you determined that how, precisely?

 

[dan]

And you determined that how, precisely?

Determined what, that the heavens shouted with joy or the method of adoration for the birth of Christ?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Determined what, that the heavens shouted with joy or the method of adoration for the birth of Christ?

The April 6th date.

 

[dan]

The April 6th date.

Oh, it was given by revelation.

 

[michel]

I shall never forget the year Andy was born; he was due on 16th December, but he is always first in the queue - he is always in a hurry, and so he made his apperance on the 8th December.

As Marie spent quite awhile in the post natal ward (one or two minor complications - and andy was slightly jaundiced), I had the house to myself. I went out and bought a great big real tree, and spent a couple of days going crazy with the decorations. That year, Johnny Mathis was at No 1 with 'When a child is born'. When I brought Marie home with andy, I shall never forget the look on her face when she saw all the decorations.

That was Christmas.

 

[dan]

No doubt a beautiful experience.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Oh, it was given by revelation.

To whom? When? Where is it documented? How is it confirmed?

 

[Sava]

The nativity is the 2nd most important celibration in the Orthodox Church, next to the Resurrection.