Why is Christmas compulsary ?

Message

Gio · #16 Post by **Gio** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:38 am

fatboy wrote:By compulsary I mean its impossible not to get caught up in the chaos, try finding anything usefull in a supermarket after 3pm on Christmas eve.
I will get asked What are you doing for Christmas ? so many times by joe public when Im working, its hard not to reply Same as last year,clearing up after you lot

Maybe then I'm lucky, I've not got caught up in any commercialism, "what are you doing at Xmas", I did all my shopping months ago (just for my little nephews and nieces).
We will be having a party on 23rd December, where we will all catch up on whats happened over the last year and a few drinks and snacks. On Christmas day we will go to church because we want to and I know everyone will be polite and not moan about how they hate the human race.

To me its a time for reflection, think about all those who are no longer with us.

BikerGran · #17 Post by **BikerGran** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 1:33 pm

Little things that make a difference - I'm looking forward to it more now. I was sitting for my grandchildren last night and had to collect them from their village church where they were practising for the nativity. They live in a tiny village with one street, and maybe half a dozen children.

Rather than interrupt their practice, I sat in the church porch and listened to them through the slightly open door - children from 6 to 14 enthusuastically taking part and making suggestions which is cheering in itself as it reminds you that not all children or teenagers are bad, they just don't make the news.

And while I sat there I was entertained by a couple of tiny wrens popping in and out of the church porch feeding on the insects attracted to the light, and chatting away to each other in their loud chirps quite out of proportion to their size.

It made me realise how seldom we experience an oasis of peace and cheerfulness.

fatboy · #18 Post by **fatboy** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 7:45 pm

Gio, my main moan is the commercial hi jacking. Im not religious,more leanining to spiritual or pagan views.
It is mid winter,time to think on the months gone,think of months to come,as you say a time of reflection.
I have been known to turn up at midnight mass simply to hear the carols,just dont tell me I must wear a bloody stupid hat, get pissed with people that ignore me for the other 363 days a year ect. ect

blinkey501 · #19 Post by **blinkey501** » Tue Dec 04, 2012 7:59 pm

I am not religious and i never used to make a fuss about xmas. Now i have two kids one at 3 and one at 6 year old.
Its the look on their faces when they open their presents on christmas morning that make it worthwhile.

lazarus · #20 Post by **lazarus** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:22 am

So its Ebenezer Fatboy now! Or Ebbie for short.

D-Rider · #21 Post by **D-Rider** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:27 pm

Well, we've got an emoticon so might as well use it ..............

Yes I loathe the commercialism of Christmas

* shops plugging it from the end of summer
* Ridersite posts full of santas (above)
* people with their "I want" lists
* "Happy Holidays" - the lack of acknowledgement of why we even have Christmas
* People getting into debt because they feel they have to

My wife often helps with the chrismas meals for the homeless - while I cook the meal for the family which we have when she gets in.
Then there's Operation Christmas Child - always a good thing for very little outlay to bring some joy to poor children across the world
This year the things I'll enjoy are our Alternative Carol Service on 16th - singing carols to their original folk tunes
Candlelight carol service on 23rd (I'm on video projection that night)
Watch-night carols starting just before midnight on Christmas eve (I'm on video projection that night)
Christmas morning service (I'm on video projection that morning too)

Then there's the family times - grateful that Joy's still here for another one (and doing much better than originally expected) - plus it's the last one her parents will have in their current house (and I think that's very likely to be the same for my parents too). So yes we'll get together and enjoy being together.

Yes I like Christmas but please scrap all of the modern paraphernalia.

struv · #22 Post by **struv** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:39 pm

whats religion got to do with christmas

santa,s birthday innit

christmas trees are a pagen thing anyway the colour red symolises the animal sacrifises the green represents new life.then of course the christians didnt like the competition so they killed all the pagens off .was christ born on the 25th doubtfull.
and yes i love christmas purely because my mrs allways has to work a double shift christmas day so i go to the pub get pissed then sleep on the settee all afternoon

D-Rider · #23 Post by **D-Rider** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:58 pm

struv wrote:whats religion got to do with christmas santa,s birthday innit

LOL

struv wrote: christmas trees are a pagen thing anyway the colour red symolises the animal sacrifises the green represents new life

Indeed - such trees have been used by different cultures for a very long time but just 'cos a newer group use the same thing, it doesn't have to be regarded as only belonging to one or other.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree
Actually I regard christmas trees as a bit of a distraction to christmas - much as the santa stuff and the commercialism etc.

struv wrote:was christ born on the 25th doubtfull.

Almost certainly not but as nobody actually does know the date if you are going to celebrate it then you've got to pick one of the 365.25 that are available ....

struv wrote:and yes i love christmas purely because my mrs allways has to work a double shift christmas day so i go to the pub get pissed then sleep on the settee all afternoon

Sounds nice - have a happy christmas

Aladinsaneuk · #24 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:16 pm

to add my own sceptical thoughts

santa is in red thanks to cocacola - advertising campaign a long time ago

the original tree thing was to do with the celebration of the winter solstice / beltane

and i believe it was the catholic church that set the date for christmas day to remove the focus for the pagans etc.... (4th century iirc??)

current christmas tree was all down to prince albert - the man not the willy adornment - i think he introduced as it was the custom in germany

me - I am a nurse - so therefore I work over christmas - even this year I will be going into work on the morning. I think I have had one christmas off in 20 odd years of nursing... But i am not a christian so thats fine.
I do like it for the family time but thats it - I hate the comercial side of it now

(Obvious exception is the young totty wandering in Miss Santa outfits......)

MartDude · #25 Post by **MartDude** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:43 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote: and i believe it was the catholic church that set the date for christmas day to remove the focus for the pagans etc.... (4th century iirc??)

current christmas tree was all down to prince albert - the man not the willy adornment - i think he introduced as it was the custom in germany

Dec. 25th. ( or thereabouts ) was the Roman feast of Sol Invictus - The Unconquered Sun - itself a relic of ancient sun worship - days getting longer after the winter solstice. Date was settled on by one of those innumerable church councils instituted by Emperor Constantine. The church was neither Catholic nor Orthodox - still one church under the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Christmas trees were introduced by one (forget which ATM) of our Hanoverian kings.

History lesson over; back to my afternoon nap.

D-Rider · #26 Post by **D-Rider** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:53 pm

MartDude wrote: Christmas trees were introduced by one (forget which ATM) of our Hanoverian kings.

The mention of cash machines just about sums things up at this time of year ......

fatboy · #27 Post by **fatboy** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:37 pm

The pagan winter solstice falls on Dec 21st, the shortest day of the year.
Supposedly, the Romans hijacked the winter soltice,moved it to the 25th to discredit paganism and make it all fit in with the Gregorian calendar ( correct me if I'm wrong, i usually am )
We all seem to agree on a common theme, the commercialism is obscene,freinds and family are what it really is !
So Happy CocaCola,

As Im not close to my family, my christmas present list is usually a donation to the Red Cross Soc., Mediceienes Sans Frontiers or any other charity that supports the poor bastards suffering natural disasters ect

fatboy · #28 Post by **fatboy** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:51 pm

D-Rider, lot of problems trying to log on to Op C C, Firefox couldnt find ect..... that my laptop being poo again ?

D-Rider · #29 Post by **D-Rider** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:01 pm

fatboy wrote:D-Rider, lot of problems trying to log on to Op C C, Firefox couldnt find ect..... that my laptop being poo again ?

Might be because the page I linked throws up a pop-up and possibly you have pop-ups blocked.

If you Google "Operation", Operation Christmas Child is the first thing in the list of results (which opens without a pop-up)

fatboy · #30 Post by **fatboy** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 7:55 pm

Thanks D-Rider, sent a modest tenner with gift aid, but unfortunately not @ the same rate as Starbucks