Category: News and Views
hey all,
I have noticed lately the stress that people are feeling about christmas and having to buy gifts for everyone. I was wondering wht people thought about all of this.
Do you think that christmas has become too comercialized, and that the real meaning has been destroyed? I feel that it has, and that we need to stop and think of other things like our families and stuff, and remember that the reason for chrismas is that christ gave his life and was born for our sins.
Commercialism is inevitable, and to be honest I don't think the true meaning has been lost. It's there, if you choose to contemplate and preserve it.
this is true, cuz i know that i still believe in the true meaning.
Amen to that then, I say, and those who lose sight of the true meaning might well be the poorer for it, unless of course they didn't consider it that important in the first place which is a possibility for which we must always allow of course.
I hear a lot of people complain about how commercial Christmas is and that the meaning has been lost. I think these people protest a bit too much. The meaning of Christmas is about what you want it to mean, as there are now different ways to observe the holidays. Commercialism doesn't bother me that much at all. I get caught up in the spirit of hte holidays and feel like a kid again. I consider myself agnostic bu am not bothered by the religious aspects. So I say let Christmas mean whatever you want and just have fun.
We ndon't feel the poorer for enjoying an atheist Gothic crimbo its a personal choice we made and in doing so we freed ourselves from the all consuming nonsense flung at us from the church ect.
This holiday season has so many meanings for so many different people that for me, it all just gets confusing. I'll call it Christmas around the people who celebrate it, but personally, I seek to carry on the old Pagan Yuletide traditions. I'm afraid to decorate a Yule Log though and put it in our wood burning stove, but I'll sing the non-religious carols and popular rock songs of the season and have fun. I just usually get small gifts, nothing too fancy as long as it comes from the heart
good stuff!
Why are you afraid just do it and remember the wreath is also a pagan symbol yet christians love them.
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We have a luminous 6ft skeleton standing by the front window in the living room he's wearing a santa hat and giving everyone the middle finger salute,are we scared not a bit but our neighbours definately are.grin.
Everyone seems to think Christmas is too commercialised, but I enjoy it. I accept that not everyone has the same beliefs as me which is why I never ever talk about mine. Just because I believe or not in something, doesn't mean that I feel the need to force it down someone's throat. I do however think that Christmas is in danger of being lost forever, and if or when it happens, it wont' be commercialism that takes it away from us. Now, don't get me wrong, I am no racest and I believe that everyone has the right to believe in whatever they like, providing it isn't abusive in any way. However, why is it that Britain is in danger of no longer being allowed to call Christmas Christmas? Because we are trying to be over pc? It is ok for the Muslims to celibrate Ramadan, excuse spelling, and I wouldnt' expect anything different, but when British people suggest that we shouldn't call Christmas Christmas because we are making people from other religions and backgrounds feel less welcome, I get angry. That's ridiculous, i'm sorry. Do we see other religions saying that they will stop celibrating their religious festivals in the way they do to make us feel better? No! So why should we?
Amen to that, i say. I'm going to rehash the example I always give because I think it's the most striking illustration of the misguided buffoonery that seems to be in vogue at the moment: now, Stoke City Council in October encouraged all public officials, police, and locals to embrace the holy month of Ramadan. Enlightened thinking, perhaps? Not a bit of it! Now, Stoke's mayor, Mike woolf, says that the city is celebrating a winterfest rather than Christmas because it might offend religious minorities. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to mince my words and if that's me being less diplomatic than sugar, then I apologise but don't read on if you're easily offended. This is political correctness gone mad! Why oh why do we have to pander to the minority groups, fall over ourselves to make them feel like they're back in their intolerant environments from whence they came, yet disenfranchise those of us who are used to this country following the christmas tradition? Christmas is wonderful, for everyone in this country, and I'm not going to apologise for confessing that I love singing carols, I love the midnight service of the holy nativity on TV, I love everything about christmas and I'm fed up of my love for christmas making me a racist in the eyes of woolly-minded tossers such as Mike woolf, and the idiot in charge of the eden Project who referred to Christmas as 'The C word' a few weeks ago. If some religious minority feels upset about christmas, I say to them, fair enough exercise your personal preference and stay out of it! Celebrate your religious festivals as you see fit! But if you think we should pander to the likes of you and protect you from ideas and celbrations you might find offensive, you don't belong in our tolerant society. therefore leave and return to an intolerant, one-dimensional society where you're shot for expressing the wrong opinion about whichever deity may prevail in that particular environment, and see how you fare. We in britain are tolerant, just as they are in America where I believe this is also a problem. So merry christmas!
lol! As I expected LL, I do totally agree with you, However, Like I said about my beliefs? lol.
As I said before, I'm agnostic but Christmas in the religious aspect as well as anyone else's celebration don't ruffle my feathers a bit. Heck, I'm going to a solstice party later today and I look forward to the thing. I think all political correctness has done is made us all afraid of being sued for fear of unintentional offence, as if offending somebody not like us is going to be our first automatic response. Let's take the case of disability for example. So people already don't know how to act around a disabled or blind person, but now they have to figure out what the newest unoffensive phrase is to describe us which makes them even more afraid to interact with us lest we fly off the handle for being called the wrong thing, as if that would be our first natural reaction. Are we all really that thin-skinned and reactionary?
I'm not one of those who thinks everybody should just assimilate to my culture or suffer, but there really has to be some kind of middle ground here without all this walking on eggshells.
I'm not asking anyone to assimilate to a culture stricto sensu. What I am asking is that if you choose to adopt a religion, or not to adopt one, fine, but you must conform to that part of our culture which is tolerance, tradition and free speech. If you can't do that then you'd best take your despotic preferences back to a despotic regime where you might be happier. I had a discussion with representatives of the bar council concerning the blindness thing, and I told them to delete the phrase 'visually impaired' from their application form. The problem with 'visually impaired' for employers is that it tells them something and nothing. On the other hand, if you say 'blind' or 'partially sighted' they are much more in the picture. There'll be no walking on egg-shells while the lawlord's still a zoner!
hahahh go ll
Exactly, LL. This evasive language makes things more muddier in the name of softening a concept rather than clarifying things.
amen to that.
Well, I think that when I was younger, I really was more into the presents, but I still loved seeing my family and all. But now I think that as people get older, teens especially, there's this big rally about "if I don't get a present from so-and-so, then they don't like me," and on and on. I think people need to lighten up a little ,and not worry so much about gifts. However, I think it's a fun part of Christmas, the gifts. Caitlin
Yup in fact there is no "Christmas" in my book anymore. When from 18 til now we use to do Christmas at my mom's father's place. All the cousins would be together, everyone would put their problems way for one visit as it was the holidays etc. We'd do midnight mass every year or watch it on tv. Well not anymore. All about the presents. In fact I stopped doing that because last year I went all out for people and one person spoiled it by just giving out cards without notifying any of us that she was going o do this. Another cousin gave me unaccessible board games, the print was so tiny you could tell this was a gift from their closet. And another just gave me a nutcracker in a book from some realitive and here I gave both girls $20 gift cards. Then mom gave them both $30 make up bags "I added it on from Jess because gift cards don't mean much." And sis got worn out boots. And it's the thought that count but still neither get the hint that I can no longer see small print. Sheesh and I even gave them a demo with the maxport (portable cctv). Then as time went by and families bickering left and right, sis and I saw little of our other cousins, it was the same ones every year. Then I get abandoned so much for group activities. So I said the hell with Christmas it's no longer meaningful because now I gotta spend Christmas with my dad's side of the family in January. So ba humbag Scrooge took over my holiday spirt. Not to mention, when you do something meaningful like making something for the holidays as a present topper or another gift, no one appricates the thought and time process and the energy and motivation you put into it. I know one year I made a ceramic quilt basket for my cousin's son who was born and I never got a thank you. In fact mom came home with no gifts this year from either cousin for either sis or I. The greed I tell you, and the nutcracker i was painting for him in Ceramics? Took it home, made a lousey excuse and put it on the table and purposly broke it. So much for holiday cheer. So now I stop buying gifts for the cousins, mainly the grandparents, parents and my sister.
Not to mention the 24 hour Christmas music I hear on 3 of my favorite channels. Or I see alot of commercials promoting gift giving ideas or products. Very little do I hear a seasons greetings message on the radio or news. And very few holiday shows. Mainly I think TBS or TNT does the 25 days of Christmas etc.
Oh what a vale of grief, to quote from dickens again.
wow that sucks! WSorry that your christmas was ruened
At least Her Majesty the queen still wishes us happy Christmas every year, and she still has the Lawlord breaking off from his Christmas pudding and wine to stand during the national anthem and salute at the end of it. Long live the queen!