What is the meaning of Christmas to you?

Jsy3k

It has been a while since I created a new thread in Free For All although I am a forum moderator of this section ^^

Well, anyways, I just want to ask fellow forumers about the meaning of christmas in your own context and opinions. I felt that different people have different perceptions when they look at christmas.

I think nearly all of the people in the world will celebrate christmas regardless of race, religion and languages. Christmas has been set as international occasions where a lot of people will celebrate.

As for me, I am a christian so I knew why all of us, be it christian and non-christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus into the world. In the end, he is the one that brings in salvation to all human being, according to scripture in the bible and also the faith that I believe in. It is to show our thanks and appreciation of god becoming human just to be sacrificed by his creation for the sake of human's salvation.

For me, that is my context and opinion and also the meaning of christmas to me. I know it may sound very spiritual, but for me, that is the meaning of christmas to me. How about you?

As a side note, please do not post just a few lines of comments. If you have to comment, then please do so, but please post your opinion too about christmas. That is all and I hope that I can hear a lot of interesting thought and opinions about this event.
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Reefah · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 8:42 pm Post subject:

Well..You did ask for an opinion...

For an Atheist, Christmas really isn't that special. I just find it as another material "holiday", another day off for some people. A lot of people treat it as such, too. I, personally, don't mind the few days off for school. I just don't understand why everyone makes such a big deal out of Christmas. It's basically the same as any other holiday, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan. But, why is it publicized so much? I don't see a main reason. Just because Muslims don't rely on a fat man in a red suit to bring them gifts doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to have some sort of media recognition. They never do, though. Which is why I think Christmas is just a material sort of propaganda. Intended for a certain type of person, but its target is everybody. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? It's a bit complicated, I guess...But, here, I'll have an example. Let's say you're at school the week after Christmas break. Everyone's asking "What did you get for Christmas?" Yet, the few weeks, and even months before that, do you eve recall so much as one question towards what the little Jewish boy in the class got for Hannukah? Maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing...But, you asked for my opinion, so I gave it. =)

Edvin · Conscript Joined: Dec 10, 2004 Posts: 135

I'm sorry if my comment will be short..and dpressing..I just feel the need to express it.
Christmas has become somewhat of a depressing time for me lately. Everyone's all happy back home, or with their girlfriends and stuff..and here I am, stuck out in the middle of nowhere, alone, and exposed to plenty of media that tries to commercialize this wonderful event. In fact, everywhere I look, I see fancy Christmas trees, Santa, and people buying gifts. There's never any of that warm and fuzzy feeling anymore. (or at least they're just so few and far in between).
As such...I'm just sad. I don't see why people, especially Christians, would get lost from the Christmas spirit so much. What's worse is that no one even realized that people should always act as if it's Christmas everyday! Jesus died for us to save us for eternity--not for one day every year!

Frundock · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 9:01 pm Post subject:

Christmas was moved by the catholic church on the same day as the "Celebration of the Sun". So for many cultures, they celebrate the Sun. It was placed on that day to help convert the "infidèles" Wink

As for me, christmas is the day to celebrate love and joy with family and friends. It's the beginning of winter, the time where everyone likes to see other people. That's why I celebrate christmas.

quosimos · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 10:33 pm Post subject:

did anybody watch the Grumpy Old Men Christmas special? if not you definitely missed out
Christmas is about tinsel, pine trees and annoying Christmas music in early November
Christmas is about gratuitous consumption and maxing out your credit card
Christmas is about getting smashed
Christmas is about pretending to appreciate the present your aunty gave you
Christmas is about smiling to people you dont know or particularly like
Christmas is about friends and family
Razz

rag_gurl · Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2005 10:54 pm Post subject:

for me, christmas is a time where the weather gets cold and my family gets all together.

ethylenediamine · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:20 am Post subject:

byrc · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 2:24 am Post subject:

I have a hard time understanding why people who are Athetists have a problem that Christmas has lost its true meaning. Wouldn't atheist not care, since religion shouldn't be the prime focus of holidays?. The problem that I have with "some" so-called atheists is that they end up being the least tolerant of all groups. Just because holiday isn't special to you doesn't mean that everyone else has to think the same way. Not everyone celebrates christmas as a purely material holiday. If you define everyone by what you see on tv and how the media represents religious or cultural celebrations then you are highly mistaken. This is not just a defense for christmas, but for all other cultural and religous holidays.

People in general need to stop basing their opinions what they see on tv. Sure the media makes christmas into a material holiday, and good amount of Americans lose sight of the familial aspects of the holiday, but that doesn't mean that the holiday itself can not be celebrated. If you don't like christmas don't celebrate it. It is as simple as that. I know people use the excuse that it's not that simple since we live in a country that shoves Christmas down our throats. Well, my answer to that would be that it is the consquence of living in a country whose majority of the population deem it acceptable to celebrate a Winter holiday.

Another statment that people make is concerning over how little other holidays have face time in the media. Well if you live in a country whose background majority is either catholic or protestant then it will be very likely that christmas will have a bigger influence in the media. If you lived in a different country then you would see a different media blitz. It also seems to me that you guys might be living in a different America that I live in. Most schools that I've went to never allowed christmas to written in school newspapers or refrenced solely in any school related activity or memo. In my highschool and middleschool teachers were told to say happy holidays and never Merry Christmas since that might offend other people who celebrate something else. If you think I"m exaggerating i'm not. Our days off is called winter break. Nothing in my past schools ever refrenced Christmas as the only holiday of the season. Heck the signs in my city all say Happy holidays and season greetings, nothing to do with Christmas. Am I whining about this? Heck no, I think its great that we acknowledge that there are other winter holidays out there, but at the same time I don't think we need to make a big hoopla over whether you say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. If someone tells me happy kawanza or hannukah I'm not offended. I'm actually happy when some wishes me a great holiday no matter what religion or culture its from.

Most cultures have a type of winter holiday, is it wrong to celebrate such holidays? Is it wrong to diminish the value of such holidays only because the media packages and markets it as a commodity that can be commercialized and sold? Many people belittle chrismas as nothing more than a commercial holiday, that maybe true to others, but for many "real" Christians, christmas has a very special meaning (even if the dates are based on inaccurate facts). Just because your family may take Christmas as a greedy holiday in which you only care about gifts doesn't mean there aren't other families out there who either celebrate for religious reasons or actually consider it as a time to enjoy with love ones, either they be family or friends. Hannukah has a very religious and cultural importance to the Jews, just because one day the Mainstream media takes it upon themselves to commercialize it, does not mean it loses its validity to those who celebrate it for its true meaning.

If christmas to you means nothing more than a fat guy wearing red and giving away gifts then you have some issues you need to work on. Not everyone has to take christmas in its religious context or media hype, you can see it as a holiday about what it means to share and give to others and to enjoy the company of friends and family. If you let the mainstream media control what you celebrate and how you celebrate it then you lose. You don't have to celebrate christmas or any other winter holiday or any other holiday for that matter. Just get it into your heads that you shouldn't cry out just because other people are enjoying and celebrating their cultural or religious holidays.
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sakuraglory · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 3:57 am Post subject:

hmm..

like exchaning gifts, feasting , family reunion..
and most important is celebrating jesus birth here in on earth..and thanksgiving
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virgii · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 4:49 am Post subject:

Christmas means freezing to death, staying inside, watching as your money accumulates, no homework, lots of money and presents! Yeah I know that most of the things I listed ar negative but that's what I think.
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Fenix · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:28 am Post subject:

Christmas is a chance to be with your family and showing people you care about them. Christmas is supposed to be canny and wonderful!

I don't believe in god and therefore christmas means nothing spiritually for me, but I do go to church the 24. december, just 'cause it's a tradition.
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pyrorecca · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 9:02 am Post subject:

two words: presents

IT's all take and no give on christmas!! Free stuff. Free food. Free love. Thank you.
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subzero · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 10:53 am Post subject:

christmas means you get to be with your family, friends, and with your love one... you got to exchange gift, drinking together, singing, playing, eating and cherishing with each other... the time comes once in a year... so enjoy it while you can...

p/s: I dont celebrate christmas but I do respect it

n_n
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Edvin · Conscript Joined: Dec 10, 2004 Posts: 135

Loveless · Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2005 5:49 pm Post subject:

The somber feeling of sitting in the shadow by a fireplace.