Can't we think of a way better than the giving of presents to celebrate the birth of Christ?

Question

Every year at this time, I find myself sickened by the amount of materialism and greed the Christmas holiday seems to give rise to. As a single parent of 2, I can't help but wonder just how far from the true meaning of Christmas the whole "shop til' you drop" dogma is. I'm not even a true Christian, and it really ruins the holiday for me. What do you think? Is there any way we - as a society - can ever return the true meaning to Christmas? Or have the money changers and corporations got us all by the you-know-whats?

Answer 1

Celebrate by going to church! Don't let the secularism spoil your happiness.

There's nothing wrong with giving gifts. God is generous, and we should be, too.

Answer 2

Wow - what a great question!

I agree that the materialism of Chirstmas has gotten out of control. On the other hand, I love buying presents for people, and the gifts I give remind me of the gifts God has given me, most especially the gift of His Son, Jesus.

Sometimes I think we would all be better off if only Christians celebrated Christmas. It would be a more private remembrance of our faith - but as it is , I take it as a time to express our believe that what God is really all about is love, peace and joy. We as Christians seem to need constant reminders that this is the message of the gospel.

Keep focusing on your children - you sound like the kind of person who will do a good job in helping them to grow up knowing what Christmas really means.

Answer 3

For those who insist Christians co-opted "their" holiday--we are talking of the birth of Christ, not a winter solstice--n matter the date!

We can all make the holiday the best it can be. I agree, volunteer at a soup kitchen, partake in your United Way food drive, take one family a Christmas dinner, have your child help you as he/she grows, to also get in the right spirit. One by one we can change the way it is celebrated.

Answer 4

There's always been a great way to celebrate - go to Mass and worship the newborn King!

Despite the commercialism and greed you see around you do not despair because faith is alive and millions go to Church on Christmas Day to pay homage to the Christ child. Just remember to do your part every year to praise Him and love Him. Don't worry about what the world is doing and don't let it spoil your joy. God will be the judge.

As to gift giving.....it's simply a tradition that developed in the spirit of Christmas. We were given the greatest gift of all by God and we honor and keep this spirit alive by bestowing gifts on others.

The Feast of St. Nicholas (December 9th) is also tied to gift giving, as this saint was famous for his generosity. In fact, the idea of Santa Clause developed from legends about St. Nicholas.

Pax Vobiscum+

Answer 5

I watched the movie (see link below) and was blown away!

Because of something having to do with "planetary retrograde motion" and astronomy software . . . it is possible to see a 'star' resting over Bethlehem . . . and this is seen on Dec 25 . . . and there is a good chance the "wise men" gave their gifts to Jesus that evening: therefore, the first Christmas!

We watched the movie, it was purchased at "Lifeway" Christian bookstore, and only cost 13 bucks . . . and saved on the shipping . . . priceless!

Answer 6

Aw, lighten up, people! I don't ponder it heavily, I just like giving presents! I like making people happy, that's all. If you think about something a certain person would really like & gift them with it, isn't that a good thing? Christian, Pagan, whatever.

Answer 7

i agree that we all are materialistic...but i also know people who give the gift of a cow or a sheep as a present to someone in Africa for example....raise you children to know that it isn't the cost etc that it is the meaning. When my children were little..i have six of them...we made presents and would sometimes give them $2.00 each..they could cobime the money and buy one gift or they could buy their own gift...teaches them how to work with each other and it is not the cost that counts....i now have all my shopping done before Christmas so i don't have to put up with the Tv ads etc...

Answer 8

We have to remember that Christmas was orginally a pagan holiday, it had non-christian origins...
"Pre-Christian origins
A winter festival was traditionally the most popular festival of the year in many cultures. Reasons included less agricultural work needing to be done during the winter, as well as people expecting longer days and shorter nights after the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
In part, the Christmas celebration was created by the early Church in order to entice pagan Romans to convert to
Christianity without losing their own winter celebrations.

Certain prominent gods and goddesses of other religions in the region had their birthdays celebrated on December 25, including Ishtar, Sol Invictus and Mithras. Various traditions are considered to have been syncretised from winter festivals including the following:

Saturnalia
In Roman times, the best-known winter festival was Saturnalia, which was popular throughout Italy. Saturnalia was a time of general relaxation, feasting, merry-making, and a cessation of formal rules. It included the making and giving of small presents (Saturnalia et Sigillaricia), including small dolls for children and candles for adults. During Saturnalia, business was postponed and even slaves feasted. There was drinking, gambling, and singing, and even public nudity. It was the "best of days," according to the poet Catullus. Saturnalia honored the god Saturn and began on December 17. The festival gradually lengthened until the late Republican period, when it was seven days (December 17–24). In imperial times, Saturnalia was shortened to five days.

Natalis Solis Invicti
The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, "the birthday of the undefeated sun." The use of the title Sol Invictus allowed several solar deities to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian (AD 270–274); and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin. Emperor Elagabalus (218–222) introduced the festival, and it reached the height of its popularity under Aurelian, who promoted it as an empire-wide holiday.

December 25 was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma. It was therefore the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours. (When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar in 45 BC, December 25 was approximately the date of the solstice. In modern times, the solstice falls on December 21 or 22.) The Sol Invictus festival has a "strong claim on the responsibility" for the date of Christmas, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Several early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ should be born", Cyprian wrote.

Yule

Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in the late December to early January period. Yule logs were lit to honor Thor, the god of thunder, with the belief that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. Feasting would continue until the log burned out, which could take as many as twelve days.[8] In pagan Germania (not to be confused with Germany), the equivalent holiday was the mid-winter night which was followed by 12 "wild nights", filled with eating, drinking and partying. As Northern Europe was the last part to Christianize, its pagan celebrations had a major influence on Christmas. Scandinavians still call Christmas Jul. In English, the Germanic word Yule is synonymous with Christmas,a usage first recorded in 900.

So Christmas doesn't just doesn't have to do with the birth of Christ, but many things. So when we get upset when people start to forget the true meaning of Christmas, we have to wonder what is the true meaning of Christmas.

Answer 9

We could all acknowledge the Winter Solstice, like the Pagans did, back before the christians co-opted their celebrations and used them against them in conversion attempts.

That's about as close to celebrating the true meaning of Christmas as you're going to get.....

Answer 10

Why not obey him by not celebrating birthdays at all and celebrate his death and ressurection weekly like he wanted? Not one believer in God in the whole bible celebrated birthdays with God's apporval the only ones you even read about doing so are pagans.

The bible does not tell the month and day Christ was born because it is not the birth that he wants you all to remember but his death and ressurection and not just once a year on yet another pagan holiday.
BB

Answer 11

granted maybe the gift giving has gone overboard- but giving gifts is not wrong- even wise men brought Jesus gifts. To remember the true meaning, put Jesus first, and then the gift giving will be put into perspective.