The problem about Christmas

[Kuroida]

Well, I guess it would be antichurch.

 

lol XD And the way that I'm sure others have said, atheists don't believe in anything. We like the free will and living life to its fullest thing as opposed to there is life after death and blah blah blah o.0

 

but I think it's up to a point. Technically, by definition and the way I've been told by friends and others, being atheist means you can't use phrases with the word "god" or "hell" or all those "religious" words and I use them all the time which is why I think that being dubbed atheist is also like a religion since it has "rules"....lets just say I don't like rules :P

 

And sure. I believe in evolution...but that doesn't mean I like to stick with it. Like come on, wouldn't it be SO COOL if we were like brought by the stork or if we were built like robots? XD

 

Anyways. Back to Christmas. Today my fav radio program is starting its "days of Christmas countdown" AKA we get christmas music until boxing day! Now I'm totally in the christmas mood XD

 

And to all you ppl in the US. Is it thanksgiving tomorrow? If it is happy thanksgiving! (what do you guys do during thanksgiving? I think I had a beef on my thanksgiving) o.0

[Cornflakes]

And to all you ppl in the US. Is it thanksgiving tomorrow? If it is happy thanksgiving! (what do you guys do during thanksgiving? I think I had a beef on my thanksgiving) o.0

 

Yeppers, it's Thanksgiving. :) Traditionally we eat a big turkey dinner with our families to commemorate the first American settlers eating with the Native Americans.

Though technically, that feast didn't take place in November, and they ate lobster, not turkey, but anyway.

 

Today my sister and I are making a big dinner and then we're going to play board games and enjoy each other's company.

A lot of people light their Christmas trees for the first time today also.

 

Thanksgiving is a good day. :)

[CAV of Gang Green]

but I think it's up to a point. Technically, by definition and the way I've been told by friends and others, being atheist means you can't use phrases with the word "god" or "hell" or all those "religious" words and I use them all the time which is why I think that being dubbed atheist is also like a religion since it has "rules"....lets just say I don't like rules :P

 

And sure. I believe in evolution...but that doesn't mean I like to stick with it. Like come on, wouldn't it be SO COOL if we were like brought by the stork or if we were built like robots? XD

 

I use those words all the time.

 

Evolution is real, mostly because the evidence we have makes it proven fact.

 

Back to Christmas. I'm watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade right now. Most of the music there is Christmas music. *facepalm*

[Seliphra]

Scientology is bullcrap. Any religon that you have to pay for is pointless.

I wasn't referring to Scientology. Thanks for assuming that. I think it's bull too, but what I WAS referring to was the Baha'i Faith. it actually makes a lot more sense in some aspects.

Back on topic, Canada celebrates thanksgiving before Halloween so that it's a bigger deal here and doesn't get swallowed whole by Christmas like Remembrance Day does.

[quit]

:rolleyes_anim: without the smile. I can't stand the "christmas is too commercialized" and the "christmas isn't religious enough" rant which usually goes with it (not in your post, just saying). I'm with Kuroida. Christmas is about buying stuff. Anything else about the joy the of season and giving is... kind of childish. But I'm a scrooge, and hate all holidays.

 

Why? Because what is Christmas? Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ. Who cares about Christ? I'd say about 1/5th of the world population. Me and my family? Well let's just say I'm not allowed to go to religious schools because I'll have to take religion o.0

And considering Christ's birthday wasn't even in December, and the fact that Christmas is based on pagan traditions... :yes:

[CAV of Gang Green]

I wasn't referring to Scientology. Thanks for assuming that.

 

Back on topic, Canada celebrates thanksgiving before Halloween so that it's a bigger deal here and doesn't get swallowed whole by Christmas like Remembrance Day does.

 

You're welcome. My thought still stands.

 

Yeah, but the US is more greedy than Canada, so Thanksgiving here in the US becomes completely forgotten until people realise that Black Friday is the next day.

 

"Are you ready for Black Friday, I'm going to camp outside of Target tonight."

 

"Wait, tomorrow is Black Friday?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Well that means today is Thanksgiving."

 

"Oh. I was wondering why people were dancing around in this....Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade thing."

 

"Well, happy Thanksgiving.

 

"Same to you. Now about Black Friday...."

 

Same conversation could be put for Rememberence Day, but without the Macy's parade part.

[Kuroida]

My radio station was talking about your Macy's thanksgiving parade.....apparantly there was a helium shortage during WWII...

 

Is it cool? Over here we don't get any thanksgiving parades...or at least i've never heard/been to one....then again. I've never seen a parade with balloons before either...I'm a deprived child -_- :P

 

And for me. Thanksgiving in Canada is just a day when we don't get school. If it weren't for that I don't think I or any of my friends would care :P

[Unstream]

Y'know it's Thanksgiving. So why did I just watch Elf on the TV? o_O

[CAV of Gang Green]

In the spirit of Thanksgiving traditions, I played Madden NFL 11. It's football isn't it?

 

But I missed the Jets game.

[Slinky]

I completely agree. Nothing much in this world has any meaning to it anymore, including christmas. It's been commercialized just like halloween, fathers day and heck, I wouldn't be surprised if a certain day of the year was picked as "National Sale Day" (Aka the "Lets rip people off day").

For me though, christmas has never been about either christ or gifts. In our family, it's basically about stuffing yourself until you feel like you're going to explode.

It's an excuse to indulge, no matter what you're indulging in - money, food...quality family time (yeah right, I don't know one family that does this on christmas day).

[Cornflakes]

For me though, christmas has never been about either christ or gifts. In our family, it's basically about stuffing yourself until you feel like you're going to explode.

 

haha, I like that. A simple, friendly way of looking at the holiday. Let's everyone just forget all the yucky stuff and eat.

 

Mmmm. Food.

[CAV of Gang Green]

Today is Black Friday, where all the Christmas sales begin.

 

Today a woman cut in line, and threatened to shoot everyone she cut in front of, even though she didn't have an actual gun. She was arrested. Full story can be found here.

 

 

Just felt the need to throw this out there, to show how much store sales have driven us insane.

 

It should also been known that Black Friday sales killed a man 2 years ago, when he was trampled on when he opened the doors to Walmart to let the shoppers in.

[Slinky]

It should also been known that Black Friday sales killed a man 2 years ago, when he was trampled on when he opened the doors to Walmart to let the shoppers in.

 

Are you serious?! Sometimes people act like a bunch of wild animals...literally. We're a greedy species and this proves it.

[jesse_rocket]

It should also been known that Black Friday sales killed a man 2 years ago, when he was trampled on when he opened the doors to Walmart to let the shoppers in.

 

Yeah, when I first visited my husband's family in America for Thanksgiving in 2008, I'd never heard of Black Friday. Then I had heard of it, and phew, stayed indoors that Friday and was glad of it.

 

But back to the topic at hand, I'm not ashamed to say, I adore Christmas.

 

It's something to look forward to, and gives a month or two a theme, and a sort of structure. Yes, sure sure it's become a giant bloated corporate megabeast of a holiday, but, dude, it is what it is. And what it is, is filled with lovely things. Like decorations! Who can honestly (and objectively) say "I hate Christmas trees! Baubles and fairy lights are the worst thing! Stupid candy canes, THESE THINGS ANGER ME!"? Sure, they're a bit (a lot) ridiculous in September (not kidding, I visited Atlanta this September and one mall already had Christmas decorations up, and even I was like "Dude, too soon"), but by the time you're in December, it's all good, it adds light and colour to an otherwise hideously dreary month. Oversized snowflakes and sparkles all over stuff? Great!

 

I love how I turn into a combination of super-crazy-50s-housewife and 7 year old for the duration of the month of December. I'm all, making candy for my husbands colleagues, and hoping it'll snow, and and making To-Do lists that I never stick to, stressing out and yelling at everyone, and crying at It's a Wonderful Life/Nightmare Before Christmas/any number of terrible made-for-tv holiday themed movies on Hallmark, and wrapping presents with all the grace of a blindfolded elephant, and really really REALLY wanting to believe in Santa Claus.

 

For me, Christmas is about the magic. And for all the grotesque spend-o-ramas, for all the screaming stress and pressure to make it perfect, for all the times I have to hear Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody", there's a whole lot of magic in there, when it all comes together and everyone's squealing and opening presents or getting bloated on the dinner I made or just chilling out watching the Doctor Who Christmas Special, with the Christmas tree lights twinkling away in the background. And it's in the little things too. My husband getting an extra couple of days off work. Having some new books to read or games to play or even some nice new socks (really though, new socks are GREAT). The remainder of a nice tin of biscuits that there's no excuse to have the rest of the year.

 

Christmas is wonderful. You just have to want it to be.

[FabKiwi06]

In my family, Christmas has always been a holiday to be with family. Yes, we give presents, but a lot of the time they're really thought out and personal.. you know? It's always been more about food and family and being together.

 

I think you see the increase in the commercialism in someways because each passing generation wants to give their children a better experience than they had. That threshold keeps raising and raising, and has become greatly inflated.

[Kuroida]

 

It should also been known that Black Friday sales killed a man 2 years ago, when he was trampled on when he opened the doors to Walmart to let the shoppers in.

 

Yeah. EVERYONE remembers that story. It's travelled all the way up here!

 

And I've never been a part of black friday (other than online). But on boxing day! Trust me. You line up at Canadian Tire at 8pm on dec 26th. You're a little kid and you can squeeze past all the other adults until your nose is practically pressed against the store door. The door hisses open and EVERYONE just RUNS!! All that random adreneline! It was the most epic thing I've been though in my life! XD

 

Speaking of which. Now I have to get my sister a christmas gift......hmm...

 

^ see. Another example. If you DON'T give a gift you'r considered mean and you feel mean inside XD

[jubinator]

Christmas is about gifts when you are little, but you eventually have to grow out of that. I'm 18 and if there's something I want, I can just get a job and earn the money for it (and if it's insanely expensive, like a car, then I wouldn't expect it as a gift anyway). Last year my family just donated the money we were going to spend on gifts for each other to charities, and we're probably going to do the same this year. Christmas means nothing to me except presents; plus it's an excuse to spend time to with my family. We live in a Capitalist country, it makes perfect sense to me that businesses would do their best to make as much money as possible during the holidays.

 

Tip: if you don't know what to get someone for Christmas or as a gift for any holiday or event, donate some money in their name to a charity. If they complain and whine about not getting a real present, it makes them look selfish, and you will look like a saint.

 

The one thing that does bother me about Christmas is that everyone chooses that time to donate food or help out those in need. Homeless and other people in need don't need any help around Christmas, they need it every other month of the year, when people conveniently forget about them. I wish people would be more giving on a regular basis, not just during that one month out of the year when it's expected.

[cranberrybellbottom]

Somehow I thought this was going to be about all of the "Jesus is the reason for the season" bologna. I guess that would be my tendency if I were to talk about Christmas being a problem. I'm an atheist, and I do not believe in forcing beliefs on others just because of the name of a holiday. I couldn't count how many religious Christmas cards I get each year from people who know that I am an atheist. It can be rather rude. There were celebrations during this time of year for many years before Christianity came into existence, and if Christianity were to fall completely, the winter holiday would remain. Christmas might as well be called Presentmas, as the presents and an occasional holiday song are all I like about it. I suppose the colorful lights are nice too.

[selusa]

I'm going to go right ahead and declare my Nerdhood by suggesting that everyone needs to watch the latest episode of "Community", because it was mindblowingly awesome and was also completely intelligent and eyeopening. It pretty much deals with one character's search for the true meaning of Christmas.

 

The final song goes like this (picture it being sung by Claymation Island-of-Misfit-Toys Characters, if that helps):

 

Christmastime is a time to sing, that's what Christmas is for.

Christmas can even be a Hanukkah thing, that's what Christmas is for.

And for a huge percentage of this God-fearing planet it's about the birth of Jesus Christ.

But for the rest of us it's still a good time to remember that it's good to be nice.

Music and cookies and liquor and trees, that's what Christmas is for.

Video games for two straight weeks, that's what Christmas is for.

Hanging out with the people you love, saying "I Love You!"

 

And afterward, the character comes to the realization that "the meaning of Christmas is the idea that Christmas has meaning...and it can mean whatever we want."

 

Christmas, to some, means spending obscene amounts of money in the hopes of getting that perfect gift for someone, either because they want to make that person happy or because they're expecting an equally great payoff of gifts in return. It can also be a nondenominational winter holiday during which nobody has to go to school or work and can play video games or watch the entire series of Lost on DVD. Whatever the reason, Christmas is there to be celebrated by people in their own unique way.

 

That being said, I do think that businesses have taken advantage of the 'PRESENTS!!!!1!!" aspect of the holiday (mostly because it's the most prominent one), but if buying presents is going to lead to good ol' fashioned family time by the tree with some rum-laced eggnog and a manic gift-opening spree, then so be it.

[Kazedo]

Its own Mascott (Santa)...

 

Hahaha, I couldnt help but picture a little Santa running around doing cartwheels on a football field. :P

[bunnyca568]

That's true, but that doesn't mean you have to live it that way. You don't have to buy all the things the stores say you should. You can celebrate Christmas the way you want to, not because some store says how to.

 

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