Why celebrate Christmas?
By benhilo
@benhilo (871)
Tripoli, Libya
December 12, 2010 1:00pm CST
For many years now I have not really celebrated Christmas. Sure, I have bought the occasional present during the holidays, more out of social obligation than anything else. I usually find during this time of the year more sadness than good cheer. I remember when gifts were given from the heart and it did not matter what the present was. It was thought that counted. It seems that we have loss the true meaning of the season. Maybe some of you could restore my faith in Christmas, tell me why you celebrate it.
2 people like this
8 responses
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
12 Dec 10
I only celebrate Christmas becuase my family does and they do at work. Otherwise I would not at all! I lost my faith in Christmas years ago! I have had alot of lousey Christmas's! Christmas had never been what I thought or hope it would be when I was younger! I still feel the same way! I wish the whole world would just not celebrate! I think we could be doing more important things! Instead on that day we are then seeing children being spoiled rottan,people getting drunk, people arguing,people getting gifts that are the worset in the world ,people over eating,people being selfish and so many other unpleasent things to numerous to mention! The true meaning has been lost and has been for a very,very,very long time! I don't see it changing any time soon!
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@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
12 Dec 10
I most certainly agree with you right there. I know this won't sound much, but things do change with one person's idea, and now there's an awareness of the commercialism and madness, but well, selfish habits tend to die hard, I suppose.
About three years ago, I most likely would've been as venomous as you are in your posts, but now, since I know that peope aren't going to change, I think to myself, how can I be cheerful and do things for other people? And I know this is only what I can do for now, but each year, I hand out mini Candy Canes to people at church, and any one who comes to our door, whether it's the post man or a social worker, or my daughter's special needs tutor, there's something special in that simple gesture. I found that for myself, it has been very therapeutic for my soul.
I can only wish, and hope for a better future, but now, all I can do, is make people happy
hang in there, sis, this will pass.
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@maezee (41988)
• United States
12 Dec 10
Hehe, for me, it would be also more like a social obligation. But I seriously enjoy spending time with my family and friends, and having an 'excuse' to get together, hang out, chit-chat, have coffee, eat, etc. I find myself sad sometimes during the Christmas season, because I am single (and I was last year too) and it can seem a little lonely at times, when others are spending time with their loved ones and all you have is your family and friends. I think though, you just need to enjoy it as best you can. Spend it with your family, have lots of laughs, do things you enjoy. Even if you don't have a significant other, you can still be excited and happy to spend the day with people you love. For me,, the holiday is not religious at all, it's just about spending time with your family.
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@RULizzie (100)
• United States
13 Dec 10
Christmas for my family is more about the people we get to visit, some of them we only get to see once a year. My 8 year old loves giving Christmas gifts, because they make people happy. The importance of Christmas is to celebrate the life a round you, not to see how much you can spend. some of the fun for us leading up to holidays has been spending time doing activities as a family. This weekend we baked cookies together and went on a train ride with Santa. Last weekend we made clay ornaments to give as gifts to friends. Next weekend we will be having a 40th annual dinner with friends, where only the children get gifts because after 35 years the adults ran out of gift ides but we exchange ornaments. we celebrate Christmas in church and with friends, where one can find love.
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@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
12 Dec 10
In all honesty, I also need a good reason to celebrate christmas, I'm trying, and I know if I don't go along with Hubby and his family, all hell will break lose because it's happened before for the first seven years we were married.
The commercialism drive me crazy, and I grew up in a materialistic home, and I couldn't even make gifts, I had to buy them else my foster parents would get mad at me.
I think the true meaning of Christmas is family time, and this year, I really do hope to have some outdoor time, and doing things as a community...but well, community events don't happen anymore :-(
I never had an old-fashioned christmas, and I'd like to share one with my family. Maybe I'll try to make one up this year, and maybe you can with your family as well. Just do some outdoor time, play in the snow, invite your family friends out for a winter wiener roast and hot chocolate and skate by the pond if it's cold enough. Have a nice turkey dinner just yoiu and your family. Talk about old days, what happened in your parents' generations. If your kids are young, you can impress upon them that it's not about gifts, just family time. Maybe find a church that's open to reflect on the spiritual side of Christmas, as well.
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
13 Dec 10
Even though I grew up in a Catholic family and being living in the Catholic tradition in my entire life, Christmas for me is just a holiday. I never felt its significance though I admit that I appreciate the goodwill that it entails for everyone. However, I still feel some kind of hypocrisy in itself (by virtue of the people who usually practice hypocrisy at this time of the year and all year round). I never appreciated the material side of the event since it has been drilled in my head that Christmas is supposed to be more in spirit. I guess I celebrate it due to practice, obligation and tradition but I do not feel any care for it.
@angeline1 (144)
•
13 Dec 10
I have been celebrating Christmas every since I was small.I love to celebrate Christmas every year.Christmas is a time to celebrate and reunite with love ones, family and friends.It is also time to forgive and forget what happen.It also time to share gifts to others.
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@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
13 Dec 10
It seems to me that Christmas is build on lies. It is phony, forced and artificial. It is an excuse for excesses in eating and drinking and immorality. It is about material things.
If we look at the Bible, did Jesus ever celebrate is birthday? No, then why are we supposedly doing it? The Bible doesn't even give us the exact day of his birth. Doesn't that tell us something?
Take of the beautiful wrapping on Christmas and one will see the truth, what is really is. Many years ago I realized the phoniness of Christmas and stopped celebrating it.
If we want to give a gift and it's nice to do so and we should be generous, we can do that any time. If we want to get together with family or friends, which is also a good thing, we can do that anytime and we should do it often.
It's very artificial to me!
@bagputza (504)
• Belgium
12 Dec 10
Good evening dear mylloter friend benhilo , hmmm thinking a little bit of time upon your question made me think , and i cann start to say that when i have read the title of your discussion " Why celebrate Christmas ? " , it had tooked me back on a voyage when i a was still a child , i remember how innoncently i was waiting the coming of winter hollydays , and more specially waiting for the Christmas Eve to come . Why you ask ? Well surely because it was the time when a seducing smell of baking cookies and other specialty sweets , i remember the love that this speciall holliday was emanating , everywhere in the house and all the familly around Christmas time was togheter and i remember that even if during the whole year we had some members of the familly that we were disputed with , on this speciall moment of Christmas we were all siting togheter around the table , listening to Christmas songs , me , my sister my mother and my step father were dressing up the Christmas tree , putting up light collored bulbs on the windows and walls of the house , it was soo speciall for me , plus the coming of Santa Clause , that special night of Christmas Eve , was soo long waited , and i remember how i used to writte the letter to Santa Clause , one week before he's coming , and my mother helping me and telling me how Santa's helpers are watching us all the kids and how he knows if we were good and listening childs and that there is no used to lie in the letter.
I am telling you dear friend , this great holliday of Christmas it is soooo much worth celebrating it and sharing it with your familly first of all , because Christmas it is about familly and been verry happy togheter .
I wish you a verry great holliday and a bverry great evening dear friend.
Florin , Over and Out
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