I'm reffering to exchanging gifts, going to church, sitting round the table for Christmas dinner. Nowadays it's more of a commercial festival with stores selling products earlier each year. Has anyone seen those Asda commercials. The meaning of Christmas is there but they've stuck a price tag on it.
2006-11-29 21:01:49 · 37 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
In our family we arn't religious, but we have always celebrated Christmas as a family time and a time to re asses our values as a family. As I am getting older I am appreciating the spiritual side a lot more. In our house we hardly have the television on in December and listen to Christmas songs all the time, we sit up and talk late into the night. I love Christmas. For years now we have only been allowed to spend £20 on presents so although me and my sister are now both in our 20's we still get cheap craft sets to sit and play with on boxing day. (I'm quite the dab hand making bead bracelets now). For me Christmas is the best time of the year and in our family the commercial side of it has become less and less important to us as time has gone on. Unfortunately due to ill health this will probably be our last Christmas together and you can rest assured that Christmas may have lost its meaning to the masses, for my family it is the most special time of year, and I intend to enjoy it to the full. There'll be mosaic picture frames for all! Merry Christmas everyone! xxx
2006-11-29 21:14:39 · answer #1 · answered by joanna b 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The "meaning of Christmas" was lost from the beginning about 4AD. Christ was never really the beginning celebration. It was the Winter Solstice, a Roman Pagan Holiday. You and your family can make Christmas anything that you choose to. I would suggest if you are a CHristian that you visit Church EVERY SUNDAY. Celebrate the Death, Burial, AND Resurrection of our Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST. That is what we were instructed to do in the New Testament. Participate in the Lord's Supper as a remembrance of HIS Death, Burial, AND Resurrection as we see in the New Testament Churches every Lord's Day. Study with others, read and study God's Word on your own and make sure that what you are doing is found in the Bible. Christmas can be a fun Holiday but it is JUST THAT! The children can have a great time and the adults can take part with them. It doesn't have to be so frustrating to anyone. If gifts are a problem, settle for a special get-tofether with friends and family at a meal or gathering to watch TV. Make gifts for friends and loved ones. Give away something that you cherish as "special". But most of all... Christmeas is about your friends and family loving one another. It is NOT a true celebration in the Christian Churches and it is NOT found in any Bible.
2006-11-30 01:00:43 · answer #2 · answered by Eds 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jackpot, you are right about it becoming a commercial festival and little about "giving" and "family."
I think they take away from the church part because some people argue that it is the actual day of Jesus Christ's birth, so they've made it more of a "Santa" thing. Even so, if you combine it, you can still make merriment, right? But many don't, so the church part is kept quiet. I don't even recall seeing too many shows on TV they'd made in the past that celebrate Jesus' birth - to remind us. Instead, we see movies of a bumbling Santa, which is okay because it makes the kids happy when Santa finds his sleigh or delight in Elf (I love that movie).
But the exchanging of gifts definitely changed for my kids as they became older. The twins would have a "love fest" with each other, buying all the best gifts to delight one another, leaving their older brother out of the picture. Then they would leave to go to their girlfriends and come back just to stuff their faces. This happened some years ago and made me decide to go to the movies and not wait to have a family dinner since that was not going to happen. The boys were too busy going from house to house of their friends, collecting gifts. They gave some out too but everyone seemed to delight more in the receiving end of the gift giving part. :(
I won't even go into advertisements on television and the way the stores geared up for black Friday.
Hopefully, people will try to get their families back into the spirit of Christmas, the way it used to be.
2006-11-29 21:56:46 · answer #3 · answered by terryoulboub 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Totally agree, although I try not to let it bother me (becoming quite hard). It's all very well having the presents, after all it's part of the event but it's shameful that parents everywhere (Christian and non-Christian alike) will go for the whole time and not mention God or Jesus. Even if you go to a carol service, it doesn't really cover all the bases. I went to one last year where they opened up with the theme from A Team. Now I'm a big fan of George Peppard and the boys but I'm not sure that their place is in the house of God at Christmas.
2006-11-29 21:24:12 · answer #4 · answered by James M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, jackpot my dad agrees with you and only said the same thing last night. He reckons it's gone all commercial but I do think some people make a effort and enjoy no matter at what expense.
I love christmas and couldn't live without once a year. lol I suppose it does give a great oppurtunity to the shops to make a lot more money but people has to think why they are making more money so people can buy stuff and enjoy the festive season. :)
2006-11-29 21:17:49 · answer #5 · answered by FuturisticKid 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Couldn't agree with you more. I used to love Christmas but now I try to avoid it as it has become so tacky and commercialised. There was a time when Christmas only started two weeks before the big day. Now it starts as soon as Bonfire Night is over and thats no exaggeration!
For the past couple of years I have escaped to Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt for a couple of weeks during the Christmas period to enjoy the desert sun. Given how busy it is down there during this period it would seem that most of Britain has escaped down there with me! Even Tony Blair spends his Christmas breaks in Sharm these days and he's a committed christian!
2006-12-01 07:28:30 · answer #6 · answered by pagreen1966 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its funny, hubby and I were talking about this last night. NO ONE out of all my friends would be able to tell you the last time they sung a carol in a church, or saw a nativity play, anything like that. Personally, I love that side of Christmas and even now at 26 still find christmas eve carol services and readings in a church to be a powerful thing. I think, as a previous answerer said, you have to block the commercial side out if you dont like it and concentrate on whats important. Good question! :O) Bex xx
2006-11-29 21:15:02 · answer #7 · answered by Secret Squirrel 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts.
This is the meaning of christmas I found it.
2006-11-29 21:06:08 · answer #8 · answered by wrongjon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I do agree with you totally. It's very commercialised now but as it is actually a Christian celebration, I wonder why everyone, religious or not, decides to celebrate it (along with Easter) every single year with no acknowledgement to what it actually represents. People who don't bother praying, going to church or practise being spiritual in any way are suddenly quite happy to get into the swing of things when food, alcohol and presents are involved! Mainstream media and retailers all reap the benefits and it's all crackers, mulled wine and indulgence with none of the due respect.
2006-11-29 21:25:31 · answer #9 · answered by Hotpink555 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that Christmas has kind of lost it's meaning. But kids nowadays are growing up having christmas' where it's all about the presents and stuff, so they're not going to know any different are they? I was like that when i was younger as i grew up being spoilt rotten as Christmas, but now i'm getting older i'm more looking forward to just getting to spend ssome time with my family.
2006-11-29 21:12:26 · answer #10 · answered by kb1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋