Christmas was originally a Religious feast, celebrating the birth of Jesus, but now it seems to me that the original meaning has been almost completely forgotten. Should we rename the feast as Presents' Day, Winter Feast, Childrens' Day or something like that, to be more in line with the common feeling?
2006-11-06 02:32:11 · 20 answers · asked by Grilla Parlante 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
The question was meant to be provocative...I'm a Christian and to me the only meaning of the feast is the religious one, but I don't see many people around me thinking in this way!
2006-11-06 02:50:16 · update #1
Muslims, Sikhs, Atheists, Agnostics...where are you? I would like to hear your opinion too!
2006-11-06 03:57:46 · update #2
I understand your way of thinking but in no way must we change the name "Christmas". Its up to us to keep the real reason we celebrate Christmas alive and ensure our children learn about it. As for those who are not religious, I cant speak for them, they will enjoy the christmas period in their own way. I am not a practicing christian, I just dont want it to get lost among all the present buying and the rest. Children who celebrate this time also enjoy the nativy at school and carol singing and we must remind them of it, not destroy it
2006-11-06 02:56:07 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The meaning has not been forgotten and the name does not need to be changed. Everyone has grown up looking forward to Christmas, there's a seciton in Hallmark for Christmas cards. Naming it something like Winter Feast, or Children's Day, will only make Christmas lose all of the real meaning that it had.
Chrismas has not lost it's original meaning, but changing the name will make it.
2006-11-06 10:44:37 · answer #2 · answered by Mimblewimble 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People of all faiths cannot celebrate Christmas - it is a Christian festival. You don't see Christian's celebrating Divali or Ramadan do you?!
As has already been pointed out, Christmas was a pagan festival first. The early Church just adopted the date of the Winter Solstice in order to get the pagans to join in with them!
Besides, Jesus was born in about September, not December. The easiest way to prove this is to look at the fact that there were shepherds out on the hills around Bethlehem - in December there is several feet of snow on these hills, no shepherd in is right mind would be out with his flock in this!
Also the bible states that Jesus was 33 and a half when he died - he died in March/April, as the Americans say, you do the math!
By all means celebrate Christmas if that is what you believe in, but not everyone wants to celebrate it, leave it as it is.
2006-11-06 10:45:01 · answer #3 · answered by PNewmarket 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ABSOLUTELY NOT! just because some people have forgotten the true meaning of christmas doesn't mean we all have. Christmas will always be a celebration of the birth of Christ for those that don't like it or only choose to recognize the commercialism and materilistic side thats up to them but im fed up with this country giving up its christian values and traditions to suit WHO exactly?
2006-11-06 10:40:33 · answer #4 · answered by Am I bovered? 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, we shouldn't. People of all faiths, and of none, celebrate Christmas, as well as other festivals. Christians (and there are still some of us around!) want to celebrate it - the 'mass' bit is Catholic, but we all recognise the name. There is no reason why its original meaning shouldn't be there for all to see.
You are incorrect, anyway; the mid-winter festival was called Saturnalia by the Romans, and along with other mid-winter festivals was appropriated by Constantine for Christians to celebrate the birth of their Lord. Jesus was most probably born in September, or in Spring, but when he was born, in my opinion, is not important. It's what he taught, and achieved, that we want to remember and celebrate.
2006-11-06 10:44:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To alot of it Christmas is still a time of celebration of the birth of Jesus. No we shouldn't change the name. People of any faith can celebrate the festive cheer by giving and receiving goods. We all celebrate for different reasons, but lets not change the tradition and the regigious aspect.
Me and my son lit candles for the indian celebration of light - Divali. We joined into the spirit of the celebration, but we don't want the name changing.
2006-11-06 10:38:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think we should do like the Canadians do. They reserve Christmas to be a holy day of celebration, and then the day after Christmas is Boxing Day - when everyone exchanges gifts and celebrates the commerciality of it all.
2006-11-06 10:39:52 · answer #7 · answered by emilystartsfires 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This idea is going on all over the country, to be PC we tell CHRISTIANS they may not call their holidays by their proper names. Spring break have been changed so it does not coincide with Easter. To me Christmas is about Christ and Family, now schools are changing vacations so people who are away from families cannot go very easily because there is not enough time.
It is time for Christians to stand up for there rights, we need to be allowed to Say MERRY CHRISTMAS to our fellow Christians, and HAPPY HANUKKAH, to our Jewish friends.
2006-11-06 11:12:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely NOT!!!! Christ is the reason for the season - it is suppose to be about everything Jesus believes in Love, Giving, kindness and consideration. Doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Why can't we keep that tradition alive? What is it with all the changes? TRADITIONS are what we have to keep memories and history alive, have you nothing better to do than sit and think of things like this!!!!!!
2006-11-06 11:22:01 · answer #9 · answered by HereweGO 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because the original meaning seems to be forgotten doesn't mean we should change the name of the holiday.
2006-11-06 10:39:27 · answer #10 · answered by Sherpa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋