[Closed] What does Christmas actually mean to you ?

More importantly, did you get the glitter?

Baby Jesus died so i can live for ever in heaven

Rampant capitalism/consumerism

Neither appeals tbh

Long before Christianity, humans - friends and family (tribe) - in the northern hemisphere gathered around fires in the midwinter solstice and did the best thing since the invention of hibernating - feasting. This alone is what I celebrate, crave even, during the dark days of mid-winter. You can stick all the rest of it.

There is a middle ground you know.

For me it's going back to my home town, seeing my folks and siblings for a few days and having a few old school nights with friends that I haven't seen for a while.

Every other year it's off to Wales for an extended family get together, which I also love.

An excellent opportunity to ask pointless questions lifted from the letters page of the Daily Mail

A hedonistic orgy of food, drink and stuff. It brightens up a crappy time of year. Which is what it's for.

Time off work so I can badger my wife to go out on my bike during daylight hours. think: 'Aghhhh daylight, it burns, it burns!' I haven't asked about a Christmas day ride yet but probably more likely boxing day.

Christianity and spending time with my family.

Also means traffic and no car parking spares.

Over inflated prices when a household item breaks down.

Scrooge.

Humbug!

For me its a time for living, a time for believing. A time for trusting, not deceiving, Love and laughter and joy ever after, but that's just how I roll.

Driving 850 miles in the space of three days.
Being very tired.
Undoubtedly having to mediate in a massive argument.

It's not all year you get to have a punch up in Marks and Sparks over some fowl.

Family time, yes you can do that any time of the year but the fact is over this week work is very quiet and we get 3 public holidays (inc New Year).

Even if you are not religious Christmas can be a time to think of others, send e-cards with a gift to charity (eg Great Ormond Street hospital) and yes there is a lot of commercialism but it attracts VAT at 20% so think of all that support for the Welfare state and it pays retail staffs wages.

As digga says, it's a time of feasting during the darkest part of the (northern hemisphere's) year. Makes total sense and nothing to do with Christianity.

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Plus, mince pies.

It's a nice time to get together with friends and family.

But... the weather's looking nice on Christmas day so for us two it will be smoked salmon and scrambled egg followed by a bike ride and dinner with lashings of booze.

No Thursday night ride.

We'll be sat around a fire feasting on good food, drink, spending time with family and friends, having a laugh and giving each others gifts. A bit like it's original meaning before church was invented for those who don't understand the true meaning to get all preaching about it in place of safety.

Rampant capitalism/consumerism

This I'm afraid. I use to love christmas..now I'm sick of it by the start of december.

the fact that shops take decorations down on christmas eve really boils my piss...

Time for parties and celebration, People dancing all night long, Time for presents, And exchanging kisses, Time for singing Christmas songs.

Time off work, time with family, yes you can do it any time and I do but this means doing it one more time. The gift giving's fun too.

This year? Hopefully a successfully delivered 2nd baby girl. Would be great if she can wait 'til Boxing Day or later tho..

less than nothing! and a massive inconvenience! other than that, its Great 🙂

Family get together, where everyone just has the time off work. It's fun.

Spending time with family ? Which you could do at anytime of the year
Time off from work ? again you could do this at anytime of the year, going to church ?

I get 2 weeks off work to spend with my kids and it only costs me 3 days annual leave. That can't happen at any other time of year!

You could arrange it at any time of year, of course, but it's a widely accepted time for most people to be off at the same time. Certainly in my family we are. Wether is generally crappy so we just socialise, eat and drink together. Good times 🙂

Commercialism doesn't affect me. I consider people close to me then buy inexpensive gifts (as they do for me). I don't go into town on Saturdays before Christmas cos it's too busy, so no real issues. Don't watch TV with adverts either.

A Sunday roast midweek ,invoices being paid late ,businesses shut for over a week .I see friends all the time and dont want family time as we are not close like that .I dont do God so that wont come into it and avoid sending cards .This year I dont have a materialistic girlfriend so I wont feel compelled to buy loads of crap designer gifts either

All the usual stuff really. Except the religious bit, obviously. Why do you ask?

unfitgeezer - Member
Spending time with family ? Which you could do at anytime of the year
Time off from work ? again you could do this at anytime of the year, going to church ? eating ? receiving presents ?

Greed....

Utter bollocks. I enjoy all of those things and certainly wouldn't define them as being greed.

You're missing the collective point of it all! EVERYONE (well, most at least) is/are off, happy, merry and geared up to spending time, money, thoughts on each other at this one time of year.

Decorated houses, pretty lights in towns, joyful music, happy people and lots of nice food and good camaraderie, all at one point in the year where [b]everyone[/b] can enjoy it.

Forget the religious connotations, forget the bah humbug - "I don't do Christmas" mentality. It's a great time of year to just enjoy LIFE in all it's aspects....well, except perhaps sun and long, light days.

Wine, mistletoe. That kind of thing.

The birth of our lord god jesus christ.
I reckon this whole god and christianity thing could have been averted if Mary hadconfessed to having slept with another man instead of making out that she got magically impregnated by the creator of all the heavens and the earth. & What a mug Joseph was for believing it.

Today, it seems to be the opportunity to worship at the altar of conspicuous consumption.

We have come a long way....

Happy Christmas nonetheless - however, you chose to celebrate it!

Today, it seems to be the opportunity to worship at the altar of conspicuous consumption.

We have come a long way....

Indeed we have. Some of us still think it's about a big sky wizard giving birth to himself, though.

Interesting to think which represent progress!

(There is some wonderful confusion between Easter and Christmas going on too!)

Decline and fall anyone?

Asking my girlfriend to wear a Mrs Claus outfit I bought from Ann Summers.

Sorry Mod.

One thing at a time.

Today, it seems to be the opportunity to worship at the altar of conspicuous consumption.

Not yet. I've got a meeting at work but then after that it begins. 😀

I wonder what unfitgeezer does for Xmas?

A genuine stress and anxiety that I wont sort out presents in time followed by vague unease that my brother will have bought me more and better than I get him followed by a day of relaxing drinking and eating with some selection of the people who mean most to meand the unalloyed joy of seeing my sons pleasure in the day.

not a smidgen of religion infects our day . The Christians should stick to their own special day jan the 6th or 14th when they make their minds up.

It's all about the baby cheeses, innit.

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Somehow, this is how I picture the OP

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It's all about the baby cheeses, innit.

Awww I love the baby cheeses

time off work, over-indulging with the family and hopefully getting out on the bike

2 weeks off.
That's what it means to me...

I truely believed in christmas I wouldn't be celebrating on the 25th of December.

Oh yes I'll be serving at the altar of cheeses too.

3 kids and all birthdays in september, what do you reckon.

We spent euro 40 on cheeses in Paris supermarket on Sunday before the eurotunnel home, to be honest that's just a normal shop though !