Author Topic: What irks me about the holidays  (Read 156786 times)

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #40 on: December 17, 2010, 01:25:04 pm »
Exactly.  Many people have a blind spot where this kind of thing is concerned.

You spread doubt and appear to the be skeptic of something they hold very dear and associate themselves with and base their entire lives on, betting that their form of religion is 'true' and that all the positive things about it are true...likely they're not going to thank you for it.

At best that might roll their eyes and consider you some sort of killjoy or party pooper.  :-\
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #41 on: December 17, 2010, 01:27:49 pm »
I may have too much faith in the cultural literacy of my fellow citizens, but I would guess that at this point most of them probably realize that the tree custom was originally borrowed from pagans rather than anything directly to do with Jesus. They might, however, argue that it has become embedded in the Christian holiday tradition.

Much might depend on the leducation level and sophistication of the people you're associating with. Considering the course of American politics over the past decades, I'm afraid you do have too much faith in the cultural literacy of your fellow citizens.

Oops, my elitism is showing. ...
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline milomorris

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #42 on: December 17, 2010, 01:51:57 pm »
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.
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Offline louisev

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #43 on: December 17, 2010, 01:57:10 pm »
you can blame Queen Victoria for the popularization of the Christmas tree in the United States.  It was an image of the Royal Family in the 1860's that was republished in the United States that caused Christmas trees to proliferate here.  Prior to that it was more or less limited to Germans and German immigrants.  (Of course, that's where the royal family started it, because of the House of Hannover taking the English crown.
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Offline Monika

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #44 on: December 17, 2010, 02:07:59 pm »
People celebrate Christmas for different reasons. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate Christmas. I celebrate because it´s fun. I like to receive and give presents, I love the food and I enjoy my Christmas tree. Leave us sinners alone to have some fun before we marsch off to hell.


Why people write Xmas? Because it´s shorter  

Offline brianr

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #45 on: December 17, 2010, 02:15:04 pm »
I agree with much of this Milo.
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.
I only send cards which relate to the Christian story. However I do not object to friends who send me other types of cards as i know the Christian aspect means nothing to them but it is one of the few times when I make obvious my Christian beliefs . Down here in the Southern hemisphere, those snow songs are ridiculous in mid summer. Our family stopped giving presents at Christmas many years ago, so my Christmas shopping was 20 nativity cards and one carton of beer for my brother-in-law and one box of glaced fruit for my sister as they host my Christmas dinner. This year I will be spending 10 days with them as I now live 3000km away so cannot drop in for the day. However I will be hosting them here in February. As I will be away I have not put any decorations up but I only use to put up a few items, mainly a nativity scene and a few (I know) santas and a wreath on the door. I use to like putting up Christmas lights in the trees but sold them all at the garage sale before I left my previous home. When I decided to emigrate, I promised my sister I would return for Christmas but I am not looking forward to it as it is the time when the humidity I hated so much is beginning. I will be home again before New Year. Easter is much more important to me because it has not been so commercialised.

Offline delalluvia

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #46 on: December 17, 2010, 02:25:38 pm »
I thought the X in Xmas had a Christian connotation.

And yes, blame Prince Albert for Xmas trees.  I suggest that anyone celebrating Jesus' birth - which arguably if it happened was in the spring not on the date of the celebration of Sol Invictis - take them down immediately.  ;) :laugh:
« Last Edit: December 17, 2010, 09:42:12 pm by delalluvia »

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #47 on: December 17, 2010, 02:39:01 pm »
I thought the X in Xmas had a Christian connotation.

Supposedly it does. It's supposedly the Greek letter Chi.

Wikipedia's entry for Chi Rho: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_Rho
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Offline Meryl

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #48 on: December 17, 2010, 02:48:42 pm »
Supposedly it does. It's supposedly the Greek letter Chi.

Wikipedia's entry for Chi Rho: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chi_Rho

Thanks, Jeff.  I hadn't been aware of that.  Very interesting.  8)
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Offline milomorris

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Re: What irks me about the holidays
« Reply #49 on: December 17, 2010, 02:58:33 pm »
People celebrate Christmas for different reasons. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate Christmas. I celebrate because it´s fun. I like to receive and give presents, I love the food and I enjoy my Christmas tree. Leave us sinners alone to have some fun before we marsch off to hell.

That's what I'm talking about. They are hitching their own secular meanings/celebrations to a religious holiday.

What if people decided to celebrate Ramadan by drinking every night at sundown? Or if millions of people created a tradition of having a pig roast on Rosh Hashana? Sure, you can do whatever floats your boat on any day you choose, but don't call it a celebration of that particular holiday.
  The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.