Forum menu
and if yes is it because you're a christain?
Isn't the original meaning of Xmas a holiday invented in the middle of winter to raise morale??
Nup and nope. Couldn't care less about it to be honest, I just like getting drunk and getting two weeks off on holiday.
No - why would I? it's just a holiday that for me and most others (in the UK at least), has absolutely nothing to do with religion, irrespective of its origin.
A pagan celebration to mark the Winter Solstice?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/wintersolstice.shtml
has absolutely nothing to do with religion
Pretty much sums it up - I am deeply not religious but I shamelessly enjoy Christmas as the family get together, we get each other small gifts, we all get a break from work and get to eat/drink too much.
I do, but I'm soon p*ssed enough to stop 🙂
It's only right that we consider the fact that it was when Santa was killed on the cross, to save us from something.
I've already told you, Santa didn't die on the cross - Jesus rode to the rescue on a dinosaur!
Santa died so we could party. Thank you Santa
[img] 
[/img]
as above I think CHristians stole the festival from the winter solsistice festival.
In the sense you mean no because I am not one of your flock.
Sadly for you the message has largely died as the new religion of consumerism has now "stolen" it.
My family celebrate the solstice.
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Original meaning,sorry you've lost me ?
No - why would I? it's just a holiday that for me and most others (in the UK at least), has absolutely nothing to do with religion, irrespective of its origin.
What he said.
A bit, I did today because there's a picture of the nativity occurring underneath Castle Hill in Huddersfield in town. Which I don't think is how the story goes.
But since the story is all utter nonsense anyway I don't care too much and just get on and enjoy myself. It is, after all, a big family party and a lot of fun.
The Christmas message is one of good news that Christ has come, that through Christ there is a possibility of salvation. If you're not a Christian, that message is meaningless. So just enjoy the holiday 🙂
Sorry guys ..I thought the original meaning was related to jesus in some way.
Myself ..I'm certainly not a christain but do feel a bit saddened by the greed/stress and panic that it seems to bring out in many people .
the nativity occurring underneath Castle Hill in Huddersfield
Better than the dogging eh? 🙂
I think it's a nice tale about the birth of Jesus and all that. But it is just a story.
I like xmas because I get time off work and don't feel guilty about breaking open a Tennents Super at 08:30 😛
Personally I couldn't give a monkeys, but my wife's a catholic so she's all about Jebus at this time of the year.
It's a nice story for kids though.
Besides, the true meaning of the 25th of December has nothing to do with Christianity, it's just a day that the Western Church chose. It's the same time as a the Winter Solstice (in the Julian calendar not in the current Gregorian calendar) which Rome chose in order to ease the conversion of heathens to their religion.
Also, the Western Church decided Jesus was born on the 25, the Eaastern Church decided on the 6th (hence the 12 days of Christmas).
There are many who believe that Jesus was born between March and June.
Just noticed that I've repeated what Junkyard said....never mind.
Original meaning?
To gorge ones selves on food and drink shower each other with gifts so the righteous can tell us there's small children starving in Africa and we should give them the money instead of spending it on ourselves even though there's another 364 days in the year when we can do that too.
The original meaning? Yeah, sure. Pagan mid-winter feast. I get pissed and stuff myself senseless. I draw the line at painting myself blue though.
The air be a bit blue as the day goes on though.
Original meaning? Celebrating the fact that nights get shorter and days get longer? Yrs, a little bit. Mainly I like the fact the phone stops ringing at work so I can actually clear some of the backlog
Yes and yes.
I draw the line at painting myself blue though.
just run around in the nip for 10 minutes you'll soon look like a smurf with the current wintery weather 😀
I don't!
Christmas is a time where everyone is expected/pressured into spending a pile of money on presents, food and drink.
People are under presure to have a "happy day" and to get along with people they'd sooner avoid.
Great for the kids though!
Kids aside, the best Christmas would be in a catered ski chalet in the Alps, where most of the day is spent out in the fresh air.
yes we do. we are not christians though.
I do in accordance to the accurate explanation provided by South Park.
the nativity occurring underneath Castle Hill in Huddersfield
Better than the dogging eh
That WOULD be an exciting twist in the tale. Make people listen to it.
I don't and for the same reason don't celebrate it.
It's eco friendly too.
I do. But then I also love reading a lot about both the history of all Christian ceremonies, and how they are derived/plaigarised/have hijacked the older pagan ceremonies, and also how many Biblical stories are adaptations of much older Sumarian stories. Oh, and it is also interesting to look at all the saviour/resurection myths and see just how much commonality there is, for example between Christ/Quezatcoatl/Mithrais/Dionysus/Krishna/Pythagoras/Zoroaster you name it.
I am more a winter solstice kind of person really.
I actually find the winters solstice has more "meaning" than the fake christian festival which has been grafted onto it. I think we should re-align the calendar so that the new year starts at the solstice, then do away with having two separate winter festivals.
I should also point out that, when I was just a lad, christmas was a much less important event in Scotland than it is now. Most folk still worked on christmas day.
Nope, excuse to eat, drink and make Gran blush. Pervy little brother still gets excited bout Xmas morning, bless him. Love it. New year eve for partying though
Oh dear. I agree with Druidh.
All for the traditional Pagan mid winter fest and it's connection with the seasons and nature.
Am disappointed but not surprised in the Christian celebration of Jesus's birth when the dozens (or thousands depending on what you read) of young children who were murdered at that time scarcely get a mention.
As for the rampant ,capitalist consumerist orgy well 'nuff said.
Raised in a very catholic household so the Christmas tale is pretty hardwired into my psyche. Nowadays I'm more freewheelin' and theologically broadminded. The overly cynical consumerism element of christmas these days bugs me a bit though I enjoy the casually drunken merriment and feasting. I prefer to see Christmas as an opportunity to reflect, be thankful for what I have, recharge the batteries and spend time with the people the matter to me. My son however just thinks about presents and cake (well he is only two after all). Have a good one STW massive! 🙂
It's a time of year when you are forced to spend to much money ,your invoices get paid late and suppliers have a long holiday.
They were discussing the celebration of Christmas on Radio 4 this morning and, if I remember correctly, much of how we 'do' Christams is a Victorian invention, much of it courtesy of Albert. As was their want the Victorians tidied up a lot of the more folk customs that surrounded Christmas before. So what we have as Christmas now is only about 100 years old; there have been about 1900 years that may have had a very different look to them.
id go for a pagan winter solstice orgy any day
those christians hijacking the solstice have sucked out the true meaning of xmas
(fortunately? its been replaced by norwegian wood, a fat man with a beard and a rampant conumerism orgy)
i think we all contemplate the true meaning to some extent, the days are so short the nights long, it nicely marks the end of 1 year and we are looking forward to the new one
its natural to want to celebrate surviving another one and party hard on the darkest day of the year
[img] 
[/img]
Things like this thread make me wonder what the meaning of life is, I mean if Xmas as we know it now is as good as it gets then we are all in trouble as a race.
Some of the posts above have been a hell of a lot more eloquent, but the outcome will probably be the same.
...Correctwe are all in trouble as a race.
I spend a lot of time pondering the original meaning of this festival -the return of our home towards the sun. Most welcome. Also, I like elements of the christian festival too and elements of the modern consumerist festival.
That's what being English is all about, embracing the myriad of cultures.