and specifically to pagans, do you celebrate christmas as well as yule? if so, what do you do differently for them?
my kids believe(d) in santa. we celebrate yule with a nice family dinner and ritual, then christmas is the time for presents and seeing extended family.
2007-10-03 08:51:31 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I BELIEVE IN SANTA.
when i was in 6th grade we lived in germany and my mom got hit ny a car. she was in the hospital and we were staying in a hotel. we just moved to germany and didn't know any one. the owner of the hotel would watch me till my father got home from work. I was taking german class in school and was soooo excited. i leaned about the german custom -- on the 6th of december the german kids would put their shoes outside their door. and st. nicholaus would come and fill their shoes with fruits and candies if they were good. and if they were bad then they got coal and sticks. so i was telling frau barbara what i learned and practicing my german on her. and she asked me if i was going to leave my shoes out and i said no.
well the cleaning staff, left my shoes out...
the next day i opened the door to find my shoes. and to my surprise there was lots and lots of candy and fruits!!!
so I believe!!
2007-10-03 10:12:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well I don't have any children yet. But they will believe in Santa Claus (I did). He isn't Christian. I even read somewhere that he may be based of off... Odin I think it was. He used to travel around wearing bloody flayed animal skins punishing bad children. Hence the red suit, lol.
I do celebrate Christmas and Yule. I assume I still will when i have kids. Since Christmas is really driven by the economy and not religion it's kinda easy to celebrate it without Jesus. Basically we celebrate Yule and open one or two presents and then save the rest for Christmas.
2007-10-03 12:17:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Yule Fairy is actually Mrs. Claus is our home. We celebrate with a dinner, family ritual, seasonal games and a few gifts and we all sleep in the living room, (me, hubby and 3 kids) hubby and I taking turns tending the Yule fire all night. Then when morning comes we have a special Yule breakfast. Christmas is when the extended family comes to celebrate and then ordinary xmas traditions are observed.
2007-10-03 09:03:50 · answer #3 · answered by Lilly 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i have to agree with you on this subject. christmas is great for the presents and family gatherings... but that's it!! and yule is,well, yule - the real thing. ;)you know.. it's hard to be the only pagan in the family and having to explain to them every christmas that jesus is a fairytale.. and that you need your space to do things differently.
(it's a cold cookie to digest)
i believe that as long as it doesn't hurt them (emotionally, psichologically), children should be let believe what they like..
they will eventually grow up and realise they were just children... playing a game, making up this fantasy world for themselves, a world where they feel safe and magic happens.
they may not grow up to be pagans, they could choose different, but they will always have in the back of their mind, in a corner ..a most precious memory, a "smell" of a world where they were free (to dream), ..a world that should occupie a special place in everyone's existance, a world called 'childhood'.
dreams are escapes from reality. escapades. as long as they learn there is much more than that to life, and how to make a clear difference between the 2, and that every now and then dreams are ok! -- there really should be no problem.
...if they choose to believe in santa or the tooth fairy... they are only children. good imagination doesn't hurt! anyway, it's a phase..
((i have no children; maybe someday.. who knows?!
2007-10-04 07:06:16 · answer #4 · answered by Brillian† world-beyoundsur 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My son is only 14 months old, and I'm pregnant with another, but my kids will definately be taught about Santa. It's just family tradition, and I don't think the myth gets in the way of any religious teachings.
My husband is non-denominational, with Christian roots. I was raised Catholic but have been Pagan for ten years. So of course we celebrate Christmas. It doesn't bother my husband that the seasons roots are deep in Paganism, and I don't mind going to church with him for the holiday. I personally celebrate Yule (a small ritual, either solitary or with a couple friends - followed by a feast for everyone), he's not too gung-ho on my faith, but is open to letting me do what I want. And we're planning on teaching our children about ALL faiths, and letting them decide for themselves what they want to practice and celebrate when they're older.
2007-10-03 09:01:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
My kids believed in Santa when they were very young. They have since figured out that Mom and Dad are the real gift givers.
We celebrate Yule as our religious holiday, and hold our ritual with those who believe as we do.
We celebrate Christmas as the mass-marketed, gift giving event that it has now become. It's more of a cultural thing than a religious event for us.
2007-10-03 08:58:26 · answer #6 · answered by PaganPaul 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
i think in Santa Claus or Father Christmas as we call him and the enamel Fairy. that's gods I actually have a undertaking with and the notice is Jeese (comes from Jesus). look you have faith what you decide on and that i visit do the comparable - now bypass away. Mo Atheist I do desire you're an ignorant toddler otherwise I concern there is no desire for you. How dare you be so rude approximately me? you do not understand me. i'm a mom and a grandmother with a loving family members who tries to stay a competent existence. At christmastime we continually help in a centre for homeless young ones and function our close by tramp (hobo) in for christmas dinner. we attempt to share our good fortune interior the spirit of christmas and a competent guy, Jesus, who i think existed yet grow to be mortal. Now - bypass away
2016-10-20 22:25:22 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am an atheist, but I would teach my children to believe in Santa.
I will add though for Christians who teach their children to believe in Santa that if you tell your children there is God, Jesus, Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc., when the finally realize that three fo the four are lies, they will be less likely to trust you. At least that's my theory. I can at least write it off to imagination.
2007-10-03 08:54:22 · answer #8 · answered by Allison P 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes the believe in Santa. Yes we celebrate both but I explain Christmas is a Christian holiday. They are surrounded by Christians. I have no desire for them to be ignorant of thier beliefs in customs just because we aren't Christian.
2007-10-03 08:58:37 · answer #9 · answered by ~Heathen Princess~ 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
My kids did believe in Santa Claus. I never told them that the holiday was about christian beliefs in anyway. I did tell them though it was about family. It was about being together with our family and enjoying that.
2007-10-03 10:05:57 · answer #10 · answered by Janet L 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't have children, but I'm hoping to have them, and I'm strongly considering not teaching them about Santa. I have no problem with the Christian context of him (especially since my husband is Christian), but the idea of lying to my child about a being I know is imaginary leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Same thing for tooth fairies and the easter bunny.
2007-10-03 09:07:02 · answer #11 · answered by Nightwind 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋