Just wondering, do you celebrate Christmas, Hannakuah (sp), Ramadan or any other traditional religious holiday? If so, Which ones? And the commercial part only? Or do you have your own?
2006-09-02 15:57:58 · 35 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
How about Easter and Passover?
2006-09-02 16:03:22 · update #1
OK people I know that Pagans believe in God(s). And I know that Christmas wasn't Jesus' birthday. I was just wondering what you did on those days....come on I am trying to be well informed! I thought you people hated misinformation and bigotry due to ignorance! Well I'm trying to lessen my ignorance....
2006-09-02 16:11:30 · update #2
Look I never claimed Jesus was born on the 25th....read the QUESTION, not what you think is behind it!
2006-09-02 16:14:32 · update #3
Yes, I do celebrate many of the "mainstream" holidays... I did it first because of my kids... Even though I am Pagan, my kids are still kids and deserve to have the same holidays that their friends have... We educated our children on many religions. so that when it came their time to choose their religion, they could make informed decisions... (I just knew someone would start questioning the issue of my kids and religion, so I just wanted to cut that one off at the pass...)
But back to your question... Now that my kids are grown, I still celebrate some of the mainstream holidays... Mainly because they coincide with what I'm already celebrating...But also because many of my friends are celebrating and it's nice to have friends to be with during these times...
So, in private I'll celebrate my Pagan Sabbats... Publically I'll celebrate the mainstream... Hope that helps...
2006-09-02 17:45:21 · answer #1 · answered by StormCat 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a Pagan...
1) I do believe in God. Just not the same God you do.
2) I do celebrate "Christmas", under its original name of "Winter Solstice" or "Yule". It's the day that unto us the Sun is Reborn. Ever wonder why those shepherds were lying in fields in the middle of winter watching over their sheep? Christmas was overlaid on top of the older Pagan celebration to help convert Pagans to Christianity. Keep the holiday, but get the people believing that now it's in celebration of a "different" God.
Easter? Look at Ostara (where do you think Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny come from?). The Feast of St. John the Baptist? June 24, "coincidentally" also the Summer Solstice. Even Groundhog's Day has Pagan origins.
That being said, no, I don't celebrate Christmas the same way Christians do. To me, the "reason for the season" is that the days start growing longer, the nights start growing shorter, the Wheel continues to turn, and Spring will come again in due time. A time for hope, as well as a time for introspection.
2006-09-02 16:13:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a Pagan, I have several Gods and Goddesses. If you do your research Christmas is celebrated when it is in an attempt by the early Catholic Church to clean up the winter holiday Yule. All of the other religions have something to celebrate this time as well. Yule is the celebration of the shortest day/longest night. If you research the tradition of Easter also look up Ostra. It is a holiday celebrated in the spring for fertility for the coming growing season. There is a reason a bunny and an egg are common at Easter. And if you think about it...........Jesus was killed on a Friday, rose three days later on a Sunday. Monday is actually three days after Friday.
Mostawsome
2006-09-02 16:53:50 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I generally celebrate Yule and Ostira (the Pagan festivals that Christians assimilated to fit their own beliefs and called Christmas and Easter), Samhain and Beltane. To a lesser extent the other traditional Pagan and Wiccan Sabbaths. Sometimes if I feel right i will do some little work on a full moon but generally I use everyday to keep in touch with Nature and don't worry so much about tradition.
2006-09-02 16:13:19 · answer #4 · answered by Sage Bluestorm 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No I hate Christmas, and by the way, Christmas is not a religious holiday really, man put Christ in Christmas, it was really a pagan time in the Roman Days.
And no Jesus was not born on Dec. 25th. Just read your Bible and you will learn that he was born in the time when the sheep were still on the meadow, a warm period not a cold period and just where does it say he was born on Dec. 25th. I've read the Bible and it doesn't say it was Dec. 25th.
So what have you learned here? That you don't know much about the book you call the Bible or the fact that Jesus wasn't born on Dec. 25th.
I think Christmas is just one big shopping holiday for people to go into debt big time and no one really gives a dee double damn about the poor at Christmas, just how many poor have you brought into your home at Christmas time to share your bounty?
2006-09-02 16:05:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Only time I do christmas is if there are kids around. I do it because the toy and gift makers and walmart has made it in to such a big thing that the kids would be hurt if they did not have a christmas. But there is no praying just family time and lots of food and gifts.
But normally try to have a good meal ready incase the grand kids showup. We always setup a small tree because the kids will end up at our home to pick up the gifts and have a turkey leg.
If it was not for the kids and grand kids we would not do much at all.
I am atheist and she is budist.
2006-09-02 16:11:56 · answer #6 · answered by Don K 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Hey all you..."? Eesh... Nice way to greet people...
Yes, my family has always done Christmas and Easter, it's just a family oriented holiday for us and have people over for dinner. It's focused on family and tradition, not commercialism even if the 'icons' of the holidays are.
Edit: Really most non believers probably do it because it's just been passed down in the family, so those that became non believers wouldn't necessarily stop celebrating it since it can be very family and tradition oriented.
2006-09-02 16:14:50 · answer #7 · answered by Indigo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My family celebrates Christmas, and none of us are Christians. We enjoy the festivity, the commercial aspect, and love Santa Claus. Since the holiday was around before Christianity and the Christians took it over when they couldn't get rid of it, I see no problem in celebrating it.
We sort of celebrate Easter, but it was mostly when we we younger. Now we just get a small basket of candy from the Easter Bunny.
Both my parents grew up in Protestant households, and even though they don't believe and haven't for years, they both liked to celebrate the holidays anyway, though my Mom spearheads them.
We don't celebrate any other holiday with ties to religion, except for Halloween. I do enjoy marking Passover by watching "The Ten Commandments" with Charlton Heston on TV, but that's really just because I think the movie is cool.
I don't celebrate any Jewish holidays because there is no Jewish in me (technically being a Jew means both race and religion). My friend is Jewish by blood (it's past down through the mother), but leans toward Buddhism now, but she still celebrates them because her family does and wants to include her.
So, no other religious holidays for me, unless you count St. Patrick's Day, but that's only because I'm Irish and I want my corned beef and cabbage.
2006-09-02 16:13:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christmas is a Pagan holiday. I'm not an athiest, pagan, or anything like that ,but I just thought you should know before you make a fool of yourself claiming its Christian. Christians dressed Christmas up to pose as Jesus' birth month inorder to convert Pagans who were already celebrating this holiday which consisted of partying, getting drunk, sexual escapades, and "sinning" in general. Of course this wasn't sinning by Pagan standards as they don't have quite the same set up as Christians. Historically Jesus was born during April so in reality the entire Christmas celebration is an elaborate facade. To its credit it is the time of merriment and good will toward men(a bit misdirected) so "Tis the Season!".
I don't mean to be rude just informative:)
2006-09-02 16:07:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Pagan here. I do not celebrate Christmas as it is a Christian holiday. I do celebrate the Winter Solstice.
EDIT: I celebrate the Solstice with gift giving. Usually hand-crafted. I do this because I am thankful that I have survived the darkest part of the year and I am sharing my abundance. I decorate a tree with white lights, stars,suns, stags, and red balls. For me these things represent the birth of the Sun/Son.
I acknowledge the Summer Solstice, and both Equinoxes. I celebrate Brigid's Day, Beltaine, Lugnasad, and Samhain. There are things I traditionally do on these days as well.
If you are interested in more information about our holidays, please visit the following link...
http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/Holidays/sabbats.html
Blessings )O(
2006-09-02 16:01:54 · answer #10 · answered by Epona Willow 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋