Forgive me in advance if you find this blog offensive, but sometimes the things people do daily OFFEND me.
Last time I checked, CHRISTmas was a religious holiday. It represents the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without the Christ, you just have "mas," which means nothing. Because of this OBVIOUS connection, I struggle with how people can celebrate CHRISTmas with little to no recognition of its religious beginnings.
For example, why do we say Season's Greetings? Technically, couldn't I say this at all points of the year, "Welcome to Summer, Season's Greetings." What exactly does it mean?
Next, "Happy HolidaysSSSSSSSSSSSSSS." Exactly what holidaysssssssss are we celebrating? I know that when someone tells me that, I'm baffled, I only celebrate ONE holiday and you may as well say MERRY CHRISTMAS!
This morning in the post office, the clerk asked the woman in front of me, "CHRISTmas stamps?" The woman replied, "Yes." The clerk then said, "Religious or non-religious?" The woman said, "non-religious." ERROR, ERROR, ERROR! NOT POSSIBLE. You cannot celebrate Christmas non-religiously, if you do, then you are clearly celebrating something OTHER than Christmas because Christmas is inherently religious.
Please explain to me how a person is celebrating Christmas if they do not believe in Jesus or recognize his connection with this holiday. If this is the case, then you are celebrating, Santamas or St. Nickmas. I'm sorry for being harsh, but I'm sick and tired of people taking all the perks of Christmas, like presents, days off and parties, but they choose not to take the MEANING of Christmas with it.
Feel free to lend your insight.
Monday, December 3, 2007
"Holiday" Tirade.
Posted by Samantha at 7:18 AM
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9 comments:
my husband and I purposly say merry christmas to people at stores, resturants, or wherever that are helping us. I always hope it hits home somehow.
So cute...one of my students is writing a Christmas story and in it he has a character saying if they don't know why we celebrate Christmas it's a sin. That is how serious this little boy takes the meaning of Christmas....to always know it's because of Chrsit's birth.
on 93.9 fm there is a commercial for home run inn pizza, and it starts off with the mom asking the kids, "Do you want to get pizza after Holiday shopping?" Who says that? Just because that irritates me, I won't buy that brand of pizza. Just to make a small point.
It is very sad and frustrating... lot's of people choose to ignore the real meaning of Christmas... and are so easily distracted by all of the events that we create.
But maybe we can look at this time of year (where we are in contact with so many more people than any other time of year) as one great big opportunity to set an example and or bring someone to christ?
So many people just simply don't understand. Because if they did they would love Jesus too and never want to ignore him.
haha. gotta love st. nickmas! i am a genius.
As someone who isn't religious and celebrates Christmas, I think I can say a few things on the subject.
First, there are many very religious Christians who do not celebrate Christmas. The Bible indicates that Christ was most likely born in September (Shepherds--as described on the birth of Jesus--would not have been herding sheep during the cold month of December). Christmas was chosen to be celebrated in December because it helped convert people of other faiths. Pagans celebrated the winter equinox in late December, Roman's celebrated the shortest day of the year with festivals, and Hindus celebrated the birth of one of their gods in late December. It's easier to convert people if they can continue celebrating their holidays. It was the perfect time of year to *choose* to celebrate Christmas. I could turn to a Pagan in the United Kingdom and say, "of *course* you can still celebrate the winter equinox! You can still have your trees and yule logs and mistletoe. We just call it something else. We call it "Christmas," and as long as you call it Christmas, too, you can keep your festivals!" The idea of a tree for Christmas was also taken from the Pagans (the Druids), as did yule logs and mistletoe.
The point is, the origins of Christmas have very little to do with Christianity, which is why many strict Christians do not celebrate it. They see it as Pagan.
I am not religious. However, I grew up celebrating Christmas, just like so many kids do. Christmas was a time for family gatherings, decorating our (Pagan) tree, exchanging gifts with our friends and family, making decorations and cookies, sending out cards to the people we care about, going shopping, and waking up early on Christmas morning to get our gifts from Santa. All of these gatherings have more to do with family, with love, than they do of any particular religion. Should I not bake cookies with my mom because I'm not religious? Should I not send out a holiday card every year? Should I simply get gifts from people, but stop giving them out?
I think people need to be tolerant of others and other religions. Christmas has become so much of a cultural holiday as opposed to a religious one. Now, it's certainly OK for people to celebrate it in a religious way, but it's not necessary.
Finally, we say happy holidays(s) because it's a season of holidays, plural. First, we have Thanksgiving and New Year's. In addition to those holidays, many people celebrate Christmas, many celebrate Hannukkah, and people celebrate Kwanzaa.
I work in retail, and I have for ten years. At first, I used to always say, "Merry Christmas," but about 1/3 of the time I'd say it, someone would respond, "Thanks, but I'm Jewish," or "Thanks, but I don't celebrate," or "Thanks, but Christmas isn't for those who are truly devoted to Christ." I learned that I couldn't assume everyone celebrated the holiday. What would I say if someone told me, "Happy Hannukkah?" I'd probably go along with it, but I can't assume everyone is like me. I don't want to offend people, which I was obviously doing. So I learned to say, "Happy holidays," and that's something that works for everyone.
Again, the point is tolerance. I know you're Christian. Understand that Jesus embraced love and tolerance, and if that's what you practice at Christmas time, I don't think he could ask for anything more. Would Jesus want you to be angry at people for giving gifts to their loved ones and spending time with family? I doubt it. So don't worry about a name, don't worry about who calls what celebration what. Love each other. That's what the season is about.
And I say that culturally ;-)
In response, Becky, I have just a few things. (some of which is not directed at you in any way). I find it funny that re: religious holidays or the like, people always use Jesus and implore "Christians" to tolerate EVERYONE else. What's ironic is that while everyone wants US to be tolerant NO ONE wants to be tolerant of our beliefs. I have a few teacher friends who wanted to teach their students about numerous holidays around this time, YET, she was only allowed to speak about Hanukkah and Ramadan and was FORBIDDEN from speaking about the different origins of Christmas. She was forbidden from making any reference to these holidays. Arguably, Hanukkah and Ramadan are religious in nature and she COULD tell her class about them. Talk about tolerance.
The reality is this: People are supposed to tolerant of everyone and everything, EXCEPT christianity. People can say and do whatever they want - even if it is offensive to my religion.
If people want to give gifts and the like and "love" their families, that's fine and great. But I'd also like to be able to share openly with people about why I celebrate CHRISTmas. And I think that children should be equally exposed to it if a description of other RELIGIOUS holidays is presented. I'm sorry if this is yet ANOTHER tirade, but I'm frustrated with this idea of "tolerance."
Christians have always, are presently, and will until the end of time be persecuted for our devotion to the most peacekeeping, loving, and sacrificial God. Sam, what you speak of is true. Tolerance is for all others but definitely not for Christians. Tolerance is for Jihadists and atheists. It is absolutely not for the most charitable and caring people of the world. This is so evident across the world and sadly now in the U.S. Things are changing and all we can do it stand strong and pray. God will hear us but we are no doubt exempt from persecution. Because we carry His name, we will be persecuted just as Christ himself was persecuted. Scripture makes clear of this. However, it also makes known that in the end our reward will be great. All we can do is press on and know that Christ does not forget His people and great is out reward in Heaven.
I think maybe it seems that way because you are a Christian. I'll have to disagree completely with the person who said that Christians are always picked on and pursecuted... I don't think any other religion has had to face the difficulties and obstacles the Jewish people have had.
My point with the history lesson was to explain that even Christmas is not solely a Christian holiday. Even the date has nothing to do with Christ. The holiday has more to do with Pagan traditions (specifically, Druidism) than it does Christianity. Therefore, to me, it's not a Christian-religious holiday. In support of my point, a lot of Christian sects do not celebrate Christmas because they also see it as Pagan. The Jehoviah's Witnesses are the best example of that (did I spell that right?).
Many, many people celebrate Christmas in the cultural sense of decorating their trees and homes, giving gifts to the people they love, and writing their annual family letters. These are all traditions people of many faiths can embrace. They do not have Christian significance. That is, can only Christians send holiday greeting cards? No. Decorating a tree for the winter solstice is Pagan. So why can only Christians do that? What about volunteering and trying to spread cheer by carolling? Would Christians frown on others doing those activities?
I'm trying to explain to you why celebrating Christmas, to many people, is more cultural than religious. To me, this also explains why the non-religious can celebrate.
I can understand why you don't like my example using Jesus. I don't mean to offend. My mind set at the time was to point out that, if Christmas is a religious time for you, then that should mean embracing the values of your savior. I'm not as educated about Christianity as you are, I'm sure, but I do know that Jesus embraced and loved even those who were shunned by society--the lepers, the diseased, and the prostitutes. Would he turn his back on someone who wasn't religious? Would he be angry at someone who celebrated Hannukkah instead of Christmas? Maybe this is just my naivity, but I would think that someone who embodies love and tolerance would simply love the spirit of the holidays, and love the fact that people of all faiths and backgrounds come together during the season to volunteer and spread cheer.
I have two best friends. One is from China, and she's Buddhist, and my other friend is from India, and she's Hindu. The three of us bake cookies every year, go shopping together for gifts, do a grab bag, and have gone carolling! We've volunteered together, and this year, we're burning a Christmas carol DVD with us singing our favorite songs. Is any of this bad? Should this make someone mad?
I'm sorry to say this, but if that truly makes someone mad because we're not Christian, then I just can't care. I would like to think that they'd be happy that the spirit of Christmas extends beyond their religion, and that people of other faiths can enjoy the Christmas traditions as much as they can.
I like whirledpeas' comments here. I think they bear a lot of weight here because they come from someone who (in her own words) "isn't religious". She's right in her comment that Jesus probably wasn't born in December (although it has more to do with the harvest and other clues from Scripture than the temperature). I have a phenominal teaching about this from Ray Vanderlaan as an mp3 if anyone is interested (it will change your perspective of the Christmas story).
Anyway, I can't speak for Sam, but I think any frustration I have on the topic is more related to people's desire to remove or deny the religious aspect of the season.
Just as this season of celebration and gifts is cultural, it also holds significant spiritual meaning for people. To try to tear one away from the other doesn't work.
So, without trying to be too diplomatic, or wishy washy, I agree with Sam and whirledpeas. It's an intensely religious time that also carries significant weight within culture. To deny either one is to make it something it is not. The problem arrives when people try to force this holiday into just one of these areas. With all of the pagan, religious, political and other historical aspects of December 25, I find it hard to believe that any one person or group can truly say that they "own" all aspects of the holiday.
Now, this doesn't change my approach and viewpoint of Christmas. It doesn't make it any less spiritually meaningful to me. What I mean is that in my celebration and recognition of the holiday, I understand that there are cultural and "non-spiritual" aspects of the customs and elements of the season (Santa and flying reindeer, anyone?).
One more thing, I've got to agree with my wife. "Holiday shopping" just sounds silly to me.
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