https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:52:22 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas/page/2#post-438508 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:25:39 +0000 Adira 438508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: @Arden: @tororojo: @jedeve: Just a couple quotes I thought you all mind find interesting:</p> <p>"In the 4th century CE, Christianity imported the Saturnalia festival hoping to take the pagan masses in with it. Christian leaders succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate the Saturnalia as Christians.</p> <p>The problem was that there was nothing intrinsically Christian about Saturnalia. To remedy this, these Christian leaders named Saturnalia’s concluding day, December 25th, to be Jesus’ birthday."</p> <p><a href="http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas/page/2#post-438459 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 18:42:53 +0000 jedeve 438459@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: I think part of that is because Christmas (as in - the mass of Christ, not as in Saturnalia) started as a Catholic holiday, and for Catholics we tend to set aside certain times to focus on certain events in Christ's life. So no, it's not a birthday party or anything that was celebrated initially, but the point is to take time to focus specifically on Christ coming into the world. We have days to focus on other important events/concepts too - the death of Christ, his resurrection, the annunciation to Mary, etc. So in that sense it makes sense that there is a specific day for it, not just a way to incorporate a non-Christian holdiay.</p> <p>@tororojo: agree! I think part of it is that we are debating "Christmas" which is obvious from the name Christian. If we were debating winter solstice holidays or heck even Easter, since that name has nothing to do with Christianity then we could argue which came first and who stole whose ideas!</p> <p>Again, I have no problem with people secularizing Christmas, and especially not people who choose to recognize the solstice (although I think secularizing Christmas is far more common than the latter), I just find it funny when cheesy Hallmark movies end on the "let's talk about what Christmas is really all about....feeling warm and fuzzy." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas/page/2#post-437902 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:19:24 +0000 tororojo 437902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: @Arden: We definitely have different views on the origins--I see Christmas as a separate holiday from Saturnalia (the pagan festival that ended on 12/25 and is the reason for the choice of that day), not just a twisting of the original celebration. I know a lot of people have celebrated both or fused the two together, especially back in the day (I don't know anyone who celebrates Saturnalia today like the old school people did!) but that's not the case with the modern Christian church in my experience. Admittedly, there are all different kinds of churches who probably do things differently and I'm sure we all were raised with different Christmas traditions... Whatever the case, I'm glad so many people from all different backgrounds are able to enjoy the holiday season! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas/page/2#post-437679 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:17:27 +0000 Arden 437679@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tororojo: Yeah, I think celebrating New Year's makes more sense for our family. We have time to decide though, more than a year! :)</p> <p>I don't think we see the origins the same way though. The "birthday" of Christ was not celebrated until years and years (centuries even) after His life, so how can it's origin be a celebration of His birth?<br /> It went from being a non-event (since no one even knew His birthday anyway) to a "Christianization" of an existing, unrelated holiday and a new name was slapped on it. </p> <p>I still don't have any problem with people celebrating it that way, but I don't think the origin has anything to do with Christ. It isn't an issue of the timing, it's the event itself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas/page/2#post-437642 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:03:31 +0000 mrbee 437642@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tororojo: I think we have different takes on the origin of Christmas! I had understood it was more than just borrowed timing. That said, I will do some more research on this so that I'm more informed on the origins of the holidays traditions that I love and follow! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas/page/2#post-437625 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:54:33 +0000 tororojo 437625@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: I would like to get away from doing presents on Christmas morning, but I had so much fun believing in Santa that I think I'll at least do it when the kids are young! I think New Year's could be cool, especially since you'll get deals like @mediagirl mentioned. Although all of your kids' friends would have already gotten their stuff! But if you're living all over the globe that might not be an issue.</p> <p>@mrbee: I don't have a problem with people who aren't Christians celebrating a secular holiday, and quite honestly I enjoy both religious and secular parts of Christmas! Didn't mean to sound intolerant, I just feel like sometimes people go out of the way to take Christ out of what was intended to be a religious holiday (admittedly with unoriginal timing), and I would never do that with another religion's celebrations. But I'm sure it's just as frustrating to feel like people are forcing something on you that you don't believe! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437583 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:32:45 +0000 mediagirl 437583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: if you do that, you could buy all your presents after Christmas and get super good deals!!!! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437580 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:32:23 +0000 mrbee 437580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tororojo: Some people prefer the word Xmas. But that doesn't really secularize the holiday, as discussed here:<br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas</a></p> <p>Wish I could convey what it is like to live in a culture where the dominant religion isn't something you believe in... but you grow up exposed to and embracing a lot of the traditions! I do feel bad though that the flip side of things sounds difficult too... :( Sorry to participate in secularizing the holidays! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437574 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:29:44 +0000 Arden 437574@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tororojo: :) Well I don't want to add religion to it. We've thought about making it a New Year celebration, and just doing the tree and presents and stockings and all on New Year's Day. We may do that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437569 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:27:28 +0000 mediagirl 437569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We celebrate Christmas as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. We give gifts as part of that celebration. We were taught as children that the wise men brought gifts to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus and that is why we celebrate with gifts. My husband and I carry on that tradition. Every year, our cards say Merry Christmas (and Happy New Year) and that will never change. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437565 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:26:12 +0000 tororojo 437565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: <a href="http://www.festivusweb.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.festivusweb.com/</a> ??? Or you could do Chrismukkah if you want to combine religious holidays. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437552 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:18:15 +0000 Arden 437552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tororojo: I agree, it would make more sense to call it something different. My husband and I have been discussing the possibility of calling it something else for our family (even though we are Christians we don't celebrate the holiday as a Christian holiday as I mentioned above). We still haven't come up with a good name though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437541 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:14:56 +0000 tororojo 437541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: I agree that everyone has the right to celebrate in their own way, I just think it's a little...interesting to say that Christmas isn't about Christ, kind of like @jedeve mentioned above. If someone wants to alter the holiday's meaning to include their own celebrations of friends/family/festivus, I'm not going to try and stop it and I would never insist that someone do things my way, but wouldn't it make more sense to call a non-Christian celebration something that doesn't contain the word "Christ"? I think Happy Holidays makes a lot more sense than Merry Christmas in a lot of instances. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437503 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:00:19 +0000 Arden 437503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tororojo: I have no problems with Christians putting Christ into their own Christmas if that's how they choose to celebrate it. I have a problem with Christians trying to put Christ into everybody else's Christmas. There are many different religious (and non-religious) backgrounds in the USA, and everyone has an equal right to celebrate it in their own way. </p> <p>I think the phrase "Happy Holidays" is completely appropriate, because it includes everyone - Jews, Christians, Muslims, and their individual holidays. Why do we have to make December only about our version of the holidays? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437496 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:56:18 +0000 tororojo 437496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: To be fair, Christmas is a Christian holiday, named to honor Christ and celebrate him. I think wanting to Christ back in Christmas is perfectly valid. Christmas was created to take the place of Saturnalia, and I do think wanting to put Christ in Saturnalia would be silly...but they're 2 different things, really. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437468 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:44:13 +0000 Arden 437468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Well I didn't want to offend anyone either, and I realized from your comment that it might have been the wrong word choice on my part.<br /> I just meant that Christians changed it, it wasn't originally "our" holiday. I get a bit bothered by the "Put Christ back into Christmas!" movement since He wasn't in it to begin with... :)<br /> Non-Christians have every right to celebrate it in any way they wish. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437465 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:41:17 +0000 mrbee 437465@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: oh you can use any word you want! I was just clarifying my earlier comment... didn't want to offend anyone! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437457 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:39:38 +0000 Arden 437457@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: Sorry, I should have chosen another word. </p> <p>I meant the second definition of the word - "Having been corrupted or distorted from its original course, meaning, or state."</p> <p>I probably should have chosen another word that is clearer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437435 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:33:34 +0000 mrbee 437435@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: I personally would not use the word perverted to describe what happened here!! Just want to be clear! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437428 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:31:53 +0000 Arden 437428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: I agree. The holiday we now call Christmas is not Christian in origin. If anything, Christians are the ones who have "perverted" it from it's original form. And I think I can say that, since I'm a Christian. lol<br /> Just because Christians celebrate it as a Christian holiday does not mean it really is one. See my response on the way my family celebrates Christmas above. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437383 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:17:06 +0000 tororojo 437383@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For me it's also about celebrating Christ's birth, even though I know he wasn't born in December! I also love singing carols, giving gifts and spending time with family. And Christmas cookies! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437381 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:16:21 +0000 Arden 437381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are Christians, but DH and I have chosen not to celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday since the origins are not Christian. I think the "takeover" of the holiday by the Christian church is odd, and not something I really want to participate in.</p> <p>We celebrate Christmas as simply a wonderful winter holiday and celebration of the end of another year. </p> <p>I don't want my children to confuse real/fantasy and to me the holidays have nothing to do with Christ in reality.</p> <p>We celebrate Him all year, there is no need to celebrate His birth on a day that wasn't even His birthday. He never told us to keep Christmas in remembrance of Him, so we don't.<br /> We will talk to our children about His birth throughout the year, not just in December.</p> <p>So for us, Christmas means family, wonderful food, exchanging gifts and being thankful for the year that has passed, celebrating the end of another year and the coming of the new one.</p> <p>P.S. We understand that other Christians don't see it that way (including our own parents and extended relatives) and that's okay. Our children will grow up in multiple cultures, so we will teach them the background of the holiday and why other Christians celebrate it the way they do. Hopefully they will view it as simply another culture's way of celebrating, and not be confused by it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437354 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 11:01:07 +0000 Smurfette 437354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>To me it is celebrating the birth of Jesus and spending time with loved ones, family and friends. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-437332 Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:53:49 +0000 808love 437332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A celebration of the love of Christ-showing love through kindness, gifts, sharing food, and gatherings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-435291 Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:54:39 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 435291@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsBrewer: I agree! I also think it's a time to spend time with your loved ones. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-435286 Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:53:51 +0000 yoursilverlining 435286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>To me Christmas means a day/time to focus on family and taking care of one another (taking care of family, friends and society as a whole). I also think its a day to be thankful for what you have and celebrate your blessings, and also a reminder to help those who have less throughout the entire year so that they too may have a happier Christmas.</p> <p>I am an athiest so I don't believe in God, Christ or any religious aspect. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-435271 Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:48:05 +0000 Adira 435271@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: @jedeve: That's my understanding as well - the Church tried to stop Pagans from celebrating Saturnalia and tried to convert them to Christianity, and when that didn't work, they decided to incorporate aspects of Saturnalia into their religion instead and infuse them with Christian meaning. I guess it worked though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-435263 Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:45:29 +0000 mrbee 435263@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jedeve: I actually have the opposite perspective! I had always viewed the holiday season as originally being from other cultures.... and then the Christian religion said, "Oh it's really about this..." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-435257 Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:43:28 +0000 mrsjazz 435257@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@.twist.: Agreed. I was raised in a Christian household but am not religious--it's still a cultural tradition--and it always meant a time for family to get together and show love &amp; appreciation in my household, Christian or not. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/the-meaning-of-christmas#post-435251 Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:40:57 +0000 jedeve 435251@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Yeah, I don't think Christian's celebrate it thinking it's the actual day of Jesus's birth, lol!! Just a day to recognize it. In Catholic tradition, part of the reason it's celebrated in December is that Jesus' birth represents light in the midst of the darkness of winter. So for me I always grew up knowing it was a symbolic date and incorporating the change of seasons in the natural world.</p> <p> @.twist.: Oh don't get me wrong, I don't have any problem with people celebrating it who aren't Christian. Or having a different reason for celebrating it. I just think it's funny when people say "oh it's really about this..." </p>