It seems to me that Americans have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas and that is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior of all mankind. I do not understand how people can celebrate this day, if they do not believe in Christ. This is not a bashing for non-Christians and I am not trying to argue over the existence of Jesus. I just want to understand how and why people celebrate this holiday.
2006-10-27 12:50:29 · 25 answers · asked by Charlee's Mama 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
i'm a christian and i definitely believe in God and Jesus. and yeah, many people do lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. every year on Christmas eve, we go to my grandma's house so we can go to my other grandma's house on Christmas day. at her house, we sing happy birthday to Jesus and at my other grandma's house, we give thanks to God and Jesus. but we always do that.
2006-10-27 16:22:03 · answer #1 · answered by Lacy L 2 · 2⤊ 5⤋
I celebrate it on and off. Some years I celebrate it, some years i don't.
Christmas is just a tradition. Besides, what else is there to do? Almost everything is closed on Christmas. What I don't understand is why Americans make Christian holidays official holidays like Christmas, Easter and Good Friday but not other holidays of other religions like Kawanza and Hanukkah. I mean, you don't see stores closing early on the eight days of Hanukkah, so why are they closing early for Christmas. If stores are closing early on Christmas because it's a Christian holiday, then it would violate the Constitution because i don't think that a store would have all Christian employees and then you'll have to question if it was also violating the Constitution.
In short, Christmas is no longer a Christian holiday. No, it has become a holiday that everyone can celebrates whether they be Christian or Buddist or Hindu, etc. It is an exchange of gifts and a day to spend with your family.
Besides, a Christmas tree isn't even Christian. It started with people who worshipped trees.
2006-10-27 16:04:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
Christmas is a religious holiday for many. But for a lot of us, it's not. There are many secular elements to Christmas. Let's see: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, Frosty the snowman, & Santa Clause and his elves. There's nothing remotely religious about those things.
Christmas is probably not the birthday of Jesus anyway. There was an older pagan holiday held at that time of year, and Christians decided they'd just replace the holiday with Christmas.
So, pagans could just as easily say, "You're not pagan? Why are you celebrating Christmas? You've lost sight of the true pagan meaning of Christmas!"
We all have to live together, and Christmas is really fun. You should just be glad that non-religious people are willing to good-naturedly join in the fun and celebrate it, too.
Christmas is just part of the culture for most people, though of course some people choose not to celebrate it for religious reasons. That would include most Jews and Muslims, I guess.
And guess what? Some Christians do not celebrate Christmas because they consider it a pagan holiday, not a Christian one.
2006-10-27 12:59:54 · answer #3 · answered by Angry Gay Man 3 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Angry Gay Man has it right.
Christmas, Easter, Halloween... Those are Pagan holidays originally. Christians just decided to one-up, in a way, thinking if they steal the holidays (and revamp their meanings) they'll stamp out the Pagan faith.
There's an irony in the complaint your raise: You say we have "lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas"... YES! That's true: in reality the Pagans should be the ones to complain about this issue, not Christians. Christ wasn't even born in December, yet people believe Christmas is about his birth--why? Shouldn't such holidays be celebrated during the time which is suppose to really correlate to the event?? That is true of Easter, also (Christ isn't believed to have died and been resurrected at that time... but that's when it's celebrated, and a lot of people think that's when it happened). After the holiday was "borrowed" from the Pagans, Christians TURNED it into a Christ-bearing holiday; that originally had no relation.. well, except that Pagans celebrated Solstice, or the cycle of life (birth of the new year, kinda... the sun stops setting earlier and earlier, and now begins to set later again).
Due to a number of reasons--not least of which is that Christmas is the most publicized and well-known holiday in the U.S.--Christmas is now a wholly generic and ambiguous holiday that everyone now freely has a right to celebrate, regardless of what their belief system may be. No company outside of Retail (and the like) doesn't shut down for at least Christmas Day, if nothing else.. even if half or more of their work force doesn't care or doesn't celebrate. This is true especially of Government, which is suppose to be secular; thus, making Christmas more secular.
I find another irony in this topic, because just last year people were complaining that stores are saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"; despite "holidays" being more accurate: There are more holidays to this season, and particularly December, than Christmas alone (Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa and Chanukah primarily.. but, Halloween, Thanksgiving and New Year are holidays too, are they not? Or should it ONLY be about Christmas that is mentioned, even way out in November?). There are many people who complain that Christmas is not being celebrated for it's so-called "true meaning" and think secular celebration of it should cease. The irony in this is that (and I know this, because I have encountered tons of people who have this contradictory thought-process) those are the same people who say stores should have their employees be Christocentric in their well-wishing during the Holiday Season.
How can it be that we should both prevent non-Christian celebration of it, and simultaneously force non-Christian-based (religious and non- alike) populations to be excluded from Holiday cheer by elevating Christmas above all others? It's a contradiction at its core, and it's disrespectful of non-Christian beliefs. If people didn't want Christmas becoming so non-secular and ambiguous, perhaps it would have been best not to fight so hard against allowing anyone else their own cultures and beliefs; perhaps it would be better NOT to try to require stores to specify "Christmas"--but not other holidays--in their well-wishing.
As it stands, Christmas is too wide-spread to correct everything and go back to the day's roots (which, again, would actually be Paganism)...... perhaps Christianity should simply disown December 25th as Christmas, give it back to the Pagans, and choose a new day for their celebrations. Though, please, leave the Pagans alone (Christianity has already "borrowed" several holidays from them). Steal--err, borrow--it from someone else this time.......... March 13, anyone? Or perhaps April 8th next?
My basic feeling is: I don't see anything wrong with people celebrating any day they want to, in any way they see fit (obviously so long as it does not harm or hinder the person or property of others and so forth). Christmas just happens to be the most prominent right now; the same would be occuring if it were a different holiday--such as Chanukah--that's most prevalent. If we must be so insistent on making Christmas the center of attention, and making it the ONE holiday EVERYONE (regardless of belief) has off from work, school, etc, why SHOULDNT people be able to celebrate on it??
Should the rest of us really waste that one Universal day-off by not being with family, exchanging gifts, or whatever our tradition, just because Christians claim ownership?
P.S. Scientologists would probably get that little "steal March 13" joke... :P and Buddhists would understand April 8th...
2006-10-28 11:04:24 · answer #4 · answered by Laius Slain! 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Because there are people that truly celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, Christ's birth.
Then there are others who celebrate a time for family to get together and enjoy each other and for them it has nothing to do with Christ.
I'm in the 2nd group.
2006-10-27 17:35:04 · answer #5 · answered by daljack -a girl 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It is hard to understand. Billions have celebrated in this fashion. It has turned into a commercial holiday. Even as a Christian, I can get caught up in it until I come to my senses and remember the true reason. IMO we should make a bigger deal out of Easter. After all, anyone can be born, but the fact Jesus died and rose again is something no one else has done. It is the basis of our faith.
2006-10-28 05:12:23 · answer #6 · answered by Ceci 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I celebrate a holiday with my family. I don't have to call it Christmas for it to be special to us. Besides, Angry Gay Man is right, Christians hijacked Christmas from the pagans. It's not about Christ and never was until the Christians decided to take it over.
People celebrate for a myriad of personal reasons. There's NOTHING WRONG with celebrating it for reasons other than Jesus. There's no "false meaning" in that.
2006-10-27 13:04:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
There are many reasons why non-Christians celebrate Christmas. Could you imagine living in a society that was say, predominately Buddhist, and you were raising your children and your community totally (stores and all) were celebrating a great holiday, with gifts, cute reindeer, parties, singing etc. and then try not to be in some way part of that--or explain that to your children who are surrounded by that.
2006-10-27 12:55:48 · answer #8 · answered by kobacker59 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I believe in God and Jesus christ as our lord and savior. But my Fiance is athiest and his family celebrates... they say it's just a day to get the whole family together and love one another.
2006-10-27 19:21:18 · answer #9 · answered by momofthreemiracles 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I celebrate Yule. But there's no reason why non-christians can't celebrate the love of family and friends. Just as christians hijacked it from the pagans . . . there's plenty of room on the coattails for non-christians as well.
2006-10-28 03:42:01 · answer #10 · answered by mrssamikeyp 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I enjoy holiday traditions. I celebrate the joys of family and friends, of singing, of one more year of hoping for peace on earth.
Plus I really like shopping.
2006-10-27 13:00:04 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋