What irks me about the Holidays?? Not much about Thanksgiving or New Years, but I am quite annoyed with the secularization of Christmas. I'm a Christian. Christmas is the day that we have selected to celebrate the birth of Christ. If you're not a Christian, or don't care about Jesus, you don't have celebrate Christmas...fine. If you want to celebrate the "season" go right ahead. But I wish people would stop attaching non-religious cultural elements to Christmas.
- Christmas trees have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, and are a symbol of paganism and commercialism.
- Christmas is NOT about about giving. It is about humanity receiving Christ...a/k/a Emmanuel = "God with us."
- I take mild offense to the use of "Xmas." Why replace Christ with an "X"?
- Many of the standard holiday decorations like stockings, popcorn strings, evergreen garlands, etc. have nothing to do with Christ. I prefer angels, stars, wise-men, mangers, etc. I particularly like lights because Jesus is the light of the world.
- Songs like "Let it Snow," "Frosty the Snowman," and "Jingle Bells" are really celebrating winter rather than Christmas. There are thousands of songs that have been written over the centuries that concern Christ, so I don't see the need to stick seasonal music into Christmas.
- The Grinch didn't steal Christmas, he stole a bunch of objects that were purchased as part of the commercialization of a religious holiday.
- Santa Claus needs to go...and his little elves too.
People always talk about "the meaning of Christmas." Its pretty clear to me: humanity was in such a sorry state that God had to send His son down here to save us. During Christmas we celebrate that act of grace.