Who did not celebrate Christmas, because of commercialism?

Question

I did not do the Christmas thing because I am tired of the one time a year visit from friends and family who want only the gifts and then bye bye

Answer 1

My family and I celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas; we ignore all the commercialism.

Answer 2

Personal Opinion: Christmas is what you make it.

If you dont want it to be about all the materialism, then make it about community service, donate in the name of someone who you might have givien a present too, to their favorite or important charity.

Go spend time in a nursing home, gives x mas cards to a stranger in the phone book..

christmas doens't have to be about commercialism, it can be about something else and can still be celebrated inspit of the other thing it has in some aspects turned into.

Not all hope is lost as long as you find other ways.

Answer 3

That would be discouraging; however, have you made an effort to contact them other times of the year? Could be they want to remain in contact with you, but you have avoided them and Christmas becomes their only path to you. By connecting with them the rest of the year, you can judge if they are truly friends or just materialistic bums.

You could always let them know back in September your are not buying presents but would appreciate a list of their favorite charities for you to donate to. True friends would appreciate that. They may still get you a gift, be gracious and accept it...you can give it to charity the next day.

Then find a meaningful way to spend the Christmas season.....say working at a food bank making up food baskets for the needy.

Answer 4

Personally I love Christmas, I love giving gifts to friends and family. I don't care if I get anything, I just love seeing the looks on my loved ones faces when they open the gifts. I love that feeling of being able to do something for someone else.

I love how they take time to call, to stop by to visit, and to say hello. Life is so hectic and I know that I don't always have time to call or visit everyone. So it's nice to know that there is at least one time in the year when everyone can refocus, get back in touch, and remember to show others they care.

Answer 5

You are letting them win. By "them", I mean the people behind this capitalist system who are trying to associate the meaning of Christmas with gift-giving. You should not forget the true meaning of Christmas, and still celebrate it for what it is supposed to be celebrating. You can refuse to let it be defined by commercialism, and make the holiday what you want it to be.

Answer 6

Is the Christian free to celebrate a holiday that not only has pagan origins, but also is used by the unbelieving world a promotion of commercialism? In my opinion, it depends.
The Christians must hold his standard of righteousness and devotion to God above those of the world. The Old Testament says that we are to worship God in truth according to the dictates that He has established (Exodus 20:1-4; 24:12-31:18). Christmas was not established by God. In addition, there are no records at all of the early church celebrating the birth of Christ.
On the other hand, there are those who say we have freedom Christ and can celebrate any day we want to. Paul says, "All things are lawful, though not all are profitable" (1 Cor. 6:12).
Should we then participate in the celebration of a festival origins and exceeding commercialism?
It is my opinion that we are free to celebrate the day. This is why.
In the Bible in 1 Cor. 10:23-33, Paul speaks about meat sacrificed to idols. This meat was often sold in the meat market and the question arose, "Should a Christian each such meat?" Paul said in verse 25, "Eat anything that is sold in the meat market, without asking questions for conscience' sake." The origins of the meat were, essentially, pagan. Many animals were raised for the purpose of sacrificing to pagan deities and their meat was offered in the market place. In reference to this Paul said it was okay to eat the meat.
Then in verses 28-29 he says, "But if anyone should say to you, 'This is meat sacrificed to idols,' do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience' sake; 29I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?" (NASB). Paul is saying that if you are with someone who might be stumbled by your eating meat that was sacrificed to idols, then don't eat it -- not because of you, but because of the other person. In other words, eating that meat won't affect you. The false gods are not real. They have no power.
1 Cor. 8:-7-9 echoes this idea. It says, "However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." Though this passage requires a bit more examination, it still carries the sense of freedom. And, Jesus has definitely set us free.
However, if you are not comfortable with this conclusion and you don't want to celebrate Christmas, that is okay. You must answer to the Lord.

Answer 7

I tell my kids (both under 10) that every day is Christmas because of Christ. They understand the WHY of Christmas.

So they get 1 or 2 important toys for the Day. But we avoid the once a year visit thing,by visiting throughout the year.

Balance. It's the key to life and to pizza.

Answer 8

The True Followers Of Yahweh
Do Not Keep Pagan Celebrations.

The followers of Yahshua, the Disciples and early believers, did not celebrate these pagan days. Do not be deceived, these pagan celebrations were being observed even during the time of the Apostles, but Yahweh's People did not observe any of these pagan celebrations.

The Apostles and early believers kept the commanded Holy Days of Yahweh—the weekly Sabbath, Yahshua's Memorial, the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Day of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.

The Apostles and early believers never taught the pagan custom of Christmas. This deception was brought into the congregations after the death of the Apostles.

This celebration was not a new teaching by any means. The pagans had been practicing these celebrations hundreds of years before Yahshua was born.

These celebrations were condemned by the early Prophets. Yeremyah had this to say about the pagan celebration which early Christians renamed Christmas:

Yeremyah 10:1—
Hear the word which Yahweh speaks concerning you, O house of Israyl.

The world does not hear Yahweh's Words. The reason this world does not hear the Word of Yahweh is because Satan has deceived this whole world, as we are told in Revelation 12:9.

Yahweh's Word is very clear, the world knows what the Prophets have written, they even believe the Prophets spoke these things; yet they do not practice what the Prophets under Yahweh's Inspiration taught, as we see written in:

Yeremyah 10:2—
This is what Yahweh says: Do not learn the way; religious practices, of the heathen; Gentile nations; and do not be deceived by the signs of heaven; though the heathen are deceived by them; using them to set their feasts.

Notice what Yahweh says in Yeremyah 10:3. This custom that all the world practices is a vain custom. This custom will not bring Salvation, but its vanity will most definitely bring death. We are also told in Yeremyah what this vain custom is that Yahweh tells us not to learn:

Yeremyah 10:3-5—
3 ...For one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, so that it will not move; topple over.
5 They are upright, like a palm tree, but they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not give them reverence! They cannot do evil, nor is it in them to do righteousness!

This vain custom that Yahweh commands us not to learn is practiced by all of Christendom every year. They cut their evergreen trees, and they deck their trees just as they did in the time of Yeremyah. This world thinks nothing of practicing this vain custom, although it is a custom of worship to pagan gods.

The breaking of Yahweh's Law is sin (I Yahchanan 3:4). The wages you earn for practicing sin is death (Romans 6:23).

It was through ignorance, and the dread and fear of the signs of a dying sun, that this vain custom of Christmas was introduced, though it was not called Christmas at that time. What is even more amazing is the fact that today's educated world still worships Satan through these vain customs that pagans practiced because of their ignorance.

Yeremyah 10:8—
But they are altogether senseless; as one THEY ARE CONSUMED BY THEIR FOOLISHNESS; their stock is a doctrine of vanities; preaching aboutworthless gods (elohim, teraphim) made of wood!

This custom practiced during this month of the year is not a new doctrine ordained by any of the followers of Yahweh. This custom named Christmas is an old, pagan practice from the worship of Baal.

The Apostles warned against and taught against this pagan practice. However, this pagan practice was brought back into the congregations by the Christians who claimed they were following the Apostles—by men whom Shaul described as grievious wolves in Acts 20:29.

Answer 9

I celebrated Christmas, and still gave gifts.

I made them. It beats the commercialism, and the gifts mean much more because my time and love was put into them... that is more valuable than money.

Answer 10

Sounds like you need a new family... You can come celebrate at my house.... We'll make a yummy dinner, and watch goofy stuff on TV, drink some wine, tell bad stories and eat dessert, wear our pajamas all day, go walk the dog, visit an elderly neighbor and collapse at the end of the day! That's what I did........ next year, be at my house at noon........ presents not necessary.