OK when it is My Birthday you don't get a present and vise verse. So my question is why do we give presents to one another at Christmas when it is Jesus Birthday? If everyone jumped off the cliff would you..NO! I am thinking maybe we are to do for others that are less fortunate then us. And I know this doesn't sound fun but stop the Christmas shopping, think of how many will have a calmer Christmas, not worrying about buying the prefect gift. Cheers to all [_]? and have a Great Christmas
2007-11-26 17:44:05 · 18 answers · asked by ♥ LÄYDBÜG ♥ {_}?™ 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
Wow thanks you all are great. I know the Wise Men brought gifts to Jesus ( it was his Birthday!)
Reydi: I am very calm, and never think I can change anything or anyone. Thanks
Star: Good for you ^ 5
2007-11-26 18:06:21 · update #1
Unsure: I have already spearheaded my idea to everyone.
515r9: That is what this year will be all about, FAMLIY, PARTIES & FOOD, just being together.
Joy: I like it
Stay tune for my next Christmas question.
2007-11-26 18:17:48 · update #2
I agree. Christmas has turned into a frenzy of mad shoppers will to kill for the most popular gifts.
Originally, the gifts were supposed to be tokens of your affection for others. Cookies, cakes, candies, food, etc...
This year, I am only giving token gifts. I have resolved not to be paying for Christmas long after it is over. I am sincerely hoping that my family will follow suit, as I have told them of my intentions.
2007-11-26 21:58:34 · answer #1 · answered by PEGGY S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A good thought, but everyone loves a party and gifts and stuff like that. Tradition has it that when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, it merged the celebration of Christ's nativity (the real date is still unknown) with a Roman Holiday whose celebration included the giving of gifts. However, the practice seems to have come and gone through the ages, once more becoming in fashion about the 1830s or so; "The Night Before Christmas" poem by Moore and "The Christmas Carol" by Dickens date to that period.
2007-11-27 01:51:16 · answer #2 · answered by cattbarf 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
December 25Th is the day the sun begins rising again in the horizon and symbolic as the rising sun. some think everyday should be Christmas : a celebration of nativity and generosity. However the warping of a pagan holiday into a Christian like paradigm was the governing factor which also went along with cosmic relevance as established by earlier astro-theology. In the bible if true there were shepards at Joshua's birth and that could not have been on Dec. 25th .
Popularity is one reason for the evolution of custom lasting throughout the years I'm sure you can find other reasons .
vox poluli vox dei.
2007-11-27 01:54:28 · answer #3 · answered by dogpatch USA 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Giving presents originates from the three wise men giving presents to Jesus (gold, frankincense, myrrh) . Yes it is Jesus' birthday but He said whatever you do to the least of my brothers you do it to me. We cannot expect Jesus to come down from heaven to receive our gifts. It would be very ironic to say that we love Jesus whom we cannot see but cannot love the people around us whom we see everyday.
Giving presents is however not compulsory and not necessarily material. We need not to have shopping problems, there are things we have that we might not need, we can give them away.
There are 3 things that we can possibly give: time, talent and treasure. A busy father can simply spend some time with his wife and children on Christmas day. A dedicated teacher can simply teach beyond the required 8 hrs. Treasure can be material things or money. What's little for us may be very big for the unfortunate others.
2007-11-27 02:02:58 · answer #4 · answered by Joy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I suppose historically it's about the three kings, but you're right, in modern society it seems a little silly. I really liked getting tons of gifts as a kid, but gift buying is a real hassle as an adult. The better part of Christmas is seeing my family, drinking a lot and eating. I also don't think you should be allowed to buy presents on your credit card unless you can pay the thing off in January.
2007-11-27 01:58:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually, religious and scientific scholars all know that Jesus was actually born in late summer or early spring, NOT on december 25th.
The only reason that Xmas is celebrated on Dec. 25th is because it was the pagan winter solstice, a major festival, and the church stole the solstice and used it as Xmas, so that people would be more easily converted to christianity.
It isn't really Jesus' birthday, you're naive if you take it literally.
EDIT: Oh, we give gifts on the Solstice, because it is a celebration of the sun triumphing over winter and of the onset of spring and summer when the world is fertile again. We give gifts because, while we cannot give life to everything like the sun does, we can give gifts of food or possessions to our loved ones, as a representation of the sun giving life to the world.
2007-11-27 01:49:24 · answer #6 · answered by myleslr 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Calm down, you wont change the world on yahoo answers. We give gifts to represent the gifts from the three kings. It is fun to give tokens of our love to our families while still remembering why we do it. I do think Christmas is over commercialized and it would be better if gifts came from the heart not from the store!
2007-11-27 01:47:43 · answer #7 · answered by reydi 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
well... not only does everyone just love getting stuff... but i believe that somewhere down the line. gift giving came from the thought that the 3 wise men brought presents to jesus. and i think that it probably along the line got twisted to be an excuse to get stuff.
2007-11-27 01:48:54 · answer #8 · answered by Carl M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Religion has it that the Wise Men brought gifts when they came to see Jesus.
2007-11-27 01:49:37 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stopping the shopping would hurt retail sales and those ripples would affect not only interest rates but peoples' 401K plans.
But I do get the point. Jesus has a birthday and I have to go buy my aunt a DustBuster.â¢
2007-11-27 01:49:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋