Give christmas back!

[Rapscallion]

Slightly different reasons for this concept, I suspect

I don't mind christians having their celebration. I don't mind people having a national holiday. What I object to is the two being merged together. Where in the bible does it say that some fat bastard is going to dive down your chimney and stuff presents in oversized socks? I also object to the season going on for so damned long. I saw a report of a village in Europe that banned all mention of the season (and advertising thereof) until two weeks before the event. Sounds like bliss...

Rapscallion

[SongsOfDragons]

I'm an agnostic; so do you mean that I'm 'not allowed' to enjoy my month off from university in December-January? Thanks.

We start thinking about Christmas presents in June in my family, avoiding the huge rushes. We haven't had more than me, mum and dad around on the day for nearly a decade. We decorate our plastic trees with silver/blue or red/gold baubles and we eat dinner together, play our crappy board games and drink alcohol. None of my family are religious in the slightest and we don't deign to be; the only thing barely there is my old Nativity set on the mantelpiece which has been a constant for 15 years.

That's how we celebrate the end of the year. I'm fed up of people telling me to call it something else. This is my Christmas and I'll keep it the way it is, thanks.

[Rapscallion]

I'm an agnostic; so do you mean that I'm 'not allowed' to enjoy my month off from university in December-January? Thanks.

Shrug - I think everyone should enjoy themselves all the time. There's no allowing or forbidding involved. However, by saying that you're agnostic you're proving my point. It's a religious festival. You're not tied to the religion that has it as one of its festivals. Why celebrate christmas? As I said, I'm intent on enjoying myself all the time - not just at a specific time of year.

Your family isn't religious, yet has a nativity set? I'm baffled.

Rapscallion

[protege]

Your family isn't religious, yet has a nativity set? I'm baffled.

My family has one too...and most of us aren't religious. Getting dragged to church every Sunday for 20 years and attending a Catholic grade school will do that, I guess. Anyway, for us, it's a time that the family gets together to be merry.

In fact, last year was my first Christmas at my house--I didn't have anyone over though, since my parents only live 2 blocks away, we had the feast and presents there. I did put up a tree and lights though, much to the annoyance of the cat

[powerboy]

Well said, rahmota!!!!!!! I like the whole giving gifts and the being with family concept, but I hate how people will get mad at me because I'm not "in the Christmas spirit" or whatver. It's just pretty hard to do so when there is so much going on in the world today and meanwhile a bunch of over-zealous grandmas in their snowman sweaters are getting ready to have an all-out brawl over the last tickle-me-Elmo, and there are traffic jams, cussing out store employees for not knowing when the Wii is coming, and people just being pushy and rude to others. Call me jaded, I think it's just a bunch of overrated bulls**t. I just like to relax with my friends and family and eat some good food, and get a few nice gifts and write nice cards. But for the most part, it's just a really depressing time for a lot of people and I wish that more people realized that.

Exactly. I love spending time with the love ones. I enjoy both giving and receiving gifts. What is sad, is that people will kill, so they can get someone a present.

I try to buy gifts early on in the year. So, I can avoid the huge mess around Christmas

[Seshat]

I'm one of those who gets depressed around Christmastime. Like rahmota, December and early January contain anniversaries of family deaths.


I don't have a nativity. I don't usually put up a tree, or much in the way of decorations. I do have a nice little wooden set of figurines that an aunt gave me, that holds nice memories, that I sometimes put up.

I do, however, make sure to send something to my family. It matters to them, and it isn't hard to do. One year, I found a lovely nativity set on a clearance sale. It turns out they'd been looking for a nativity, so that was cool. (And they are Christian, and raising their kids Christian, so it's appropriate.)

My family is doing the same sort of Christmas I recall from my childhood: a time of getting together with family, reinforcing the birth-of-Christ story with the kids, and being close. Church with the kids in the morning, presents and celebrations in the afternoon.

Me? It's just another day, and one where I stay OFF THE ROADS. Too many people drunk and in a hurry to get from his side of the family to hers, or vice versa.