Whether or not you attend a service or sing religious songs, is it trees and Santa and Presents, or religious nativity-based? My family has gotten away from the religious side, though it is still there with us. Your thoughts? NOT LOOKING FOR ADVICE ON HOW I SPEND THE HOLIDAY!!!! Just looking for other perspectives.
2006-12-28 02:09:54 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Other - Holidays
religious
in Russia New Year is the most important holiday, Christmas is for those who believe
2006-12-28 02:12:24 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For me it's pretty much split down the middle. We always have at least two Nativity scene ornaments hanging on our tree and I personally have Nativity scenes set up in the house year round (I collect them). We don't sing songs at our house, but we do play traditional tunes on our satellite, cd player, and in the car. We already attend church on every Sunday, so that's not a big change for us, except that we go to Midnight Mass and I always try to take in the Advent mission. I also explain why we Catholics celebrate the holiday, which is the birth of our Lord.
However, with all of that said, I do tend to spend too much on Christmas gifts that will probably be forgotten within a few weeks. I eat more than I should. I have Harry Potter and Disney ornaments on my tree next to the Nativity scenes. I also like to hang up way too many lights, so if that's what you consider secular, then that's the secular side of my Christmas holiday.
2006-12-28 11:22:43 · answer #2 · answered by kenrayf 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definitely not religious! It's a time to put up lights to light up the long nights. A time for family to have time off from work and spend time together. yes, we decorate a tree, but that has nothing to do with religion - it's just fun. We have mulled wine when we're decorating the tree, and we talk about the memories - the fuzzy orange moose sent one year by a friend who lived in Alaska, the lovely ceramic ornaments my mother decorated the year she was recovering from a serious illness, the wooden nutcracker we bought in Germany, etc. It brings us together in special ways and has NOTHING to do with religious mythology, Christian, Mithran, or any other.
Presents are fun, too, but decorating the tree has become the focus of our family celebration, along with good things to eat and catching up on each other's lives. This year everyone was at our house - next year we'll be elsewhere, with different decorations and different memories to share. But it's all good and all secular.
2006-12-28 11:06:32 · answer #3 · answered by Maple 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We do both. Christmas eve, we go to church then come to my house to eat. (Oyster roast this year) We then sing Christmas Carols (religious and secular) and end with Amazing Grace. THEN - we open the gifts. We do the santa thing for the little ones but try to instill the real meaning along with the fun of being a child during the time of year. We open all of our gifts Christmas eve then the adults sleep in and relax the next day! "Santa" brings the gifts and puts them under the tree while we are at church.
2006-12-28 10:19:47 · answer #4 · answered by kiki 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personally, xmas has nothing whatsoever to do with gods, religion, christianity, paganism, nativity, or anything of the sort. It has to do with good food, giving and getting gifts, spending time with my relatives, and doing a strange and neat thing by bringing a tree into the house and stringing tinsel and lights and ornaments on it. Sounds fun, huh?
Don't feel sorry for anything you have said, none of it is offensive. If some people are oversensitive and feel that their beliefs are extremely special and deserve the utmost respect from all others then that is their problem. They may feel that their beliefs are of a very special status, and should not be spoken of badly in any way, but in reality their beliefs are just as valid as anyone else's. Everyone should have the right to speak out openly against something they do not believe in. That is something that our modern society, increasingly based on fear, social/racial/political segregation, is starting to forget. Nobody is special, nobody is better, nobodies beliefs should be immune from open criticism. When we forget these rules, trouble starts to grow, walls between peoples grow bigger, ignorance, hatred and ill will will grow and begin to fester.
2006-12-28 10:23:48 · answer #5 · answered by Brendan 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We do go to church services, but for our family, it is about giving. I use the time of year to teach the kids about giving and helping those less fortunate. We put a lot of thought into what we want to do and this year we did toys for tots, and we were inspired by kansas city's secret santa and they each picked a total stranger and gave them 50 bucks. It's all about the warm fuzzies for me this time of year. I don't really think about the religous side that much. I'm just grateful that in the middle of the cold, hard winter, that everyone's heart melts a little and everyone is a little more patient and kind. I love it
2006-12-28 10:17:43 · answer #6 · answered by elfkin, attention whore 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, you've got no balls *(Apologies to other traditions)* For me it's a religious one, but it seems to be more secular for everyone else, which is fine, to each their own...oh and grow a pair, don't apologize for not including everyone, whoever's offended b/c you didn't ask about their religion, isn't worth the effort anyways.
2006-12-28 10:13:23 · answer #7 · answered by Desiree D 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
To me Christmas was and is always the joy of giving and taking
2006-12-28 10:14:26 · answer #8 · answered by Remnants Of Yesterday 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋