I miss!!!

[wil]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Leaving aside the issues around paganism and Jesus actually being born on whatever date (July the something? I don’t know…)….....Christmas is pretty much a secular occasion. ....I know of just one Christian who treats the occasion as a religious one and (entirely understandably to me) finds the way it is “celebrated” by most so-called Christians in a western society to be totally disgusting. Christmas is supposed to be about celebrating the birth of Jesus I thought

Namaste Snoop, appreciate and empathize with the rant.

Truth is we can't leave the pagan aspects aside really can we? As a celebration of Christ birth, it was marginalized from the beginning when 12/25 was selected as the date. It was selected to counter and bring in those celebrating the winter solstice, just as the Sabbath was moved to Sunday to form a separation from the Jews and an alliance with those worshiping the Sun.

Yes Christmas is secular....last year I was lambasted for pointing out that the Sunday nearest to Christmas is typically the second largest day for Christians to show up at church....but since Christmas fell on a Sunday I expected a smaller than average turnout across the world as proof the secular (opening presents and partying) would be more important than attending a service.

I personally enjoy the heck out of the contemplation of the Christ spirit and the mind of Christ growing in me...and the reminders of same both at Christmas and Easter....and in a lot of ways, the materialism, the concept of giving, caring for one another, helping out at the holidays....it coincides..we may have to look for it, but it does...

as with anything...be the change!

[flowperson]

Hi Snoopy...As you noticed elsewhere I have an affinity for back-in-the-day comedy recordings...you know...like the one you earn royalties from in your dotage.

There was a Stan Freeburg recording made in the 60's titled, Green Christmas. I'll bet you could find it in a vintage vinyl store across the pond there, or even somewhere on the net.. He was a master satirist and knew how to deftly skewer the cultural trends of the times, in this instance the secularization of the Christmas holiday season.

I have found that listening to comedic recordings may sometimes compensate for the temptation to rant, and IMHO, the best of the genre were made in the 60's and 70's. But, then again, sometimes ranting is still the best medicine for what ails one. Just a thought .

flow....

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by flowperson

There was a Stan Freeburg recording made in the 60's titled, Green Christmas. I'll bet you could find it in a vintage vinyl store across the pond there, or even somewhere on the net.. He was a master satirist and knew how to deftly skewer the cultural trends of the times, in this instance the secularization of the Christmas holiday season.

I have found that listening to comedic recordings may sometimes compensate for the temptation to rant, and IMHO, the best of the genre were made in the 60's and 70's. But, then again, sometimes ranting is still the best medicine for what ails one. Just a thought .

flow....

I've heard of Freeburg but never heard stuff by him. Maybe I should go looking in the local dumpsters while I'm trying to find some more books too .

s.

[Muslimwoman]

Originally Posted by InLove

Even some of the swankier restaurants here decorate this way. Very pretty!

Salaam habibty

They do that on the med and most holiday resorts too, I love it. Night time, the twinkly lights, soft breeze - ooooo goosebumps. Great idea, I may just say what the heck and go for year round twinkly's.

Originally Posted by wil

Festivus, the festival for the restuvus.

Love it Wil, my new July holiday is now called Festivus. It has no religious significance whatsoever and simply celebrates .... twinkly's. That is it, it is the celebration of enjoying celebrating when there is nothing to celebrate.

Originally Posted by LeoSalinas22

i don't miss christmas at all whatsoever since my family since as long as i can remember could never afford one. never did have enough money for that sort of thing. then i find out that the majority of these so called holidays are of pagan origin, i mainly steer clear of them so that i don't i worship false gods. just my thoughts. i love the cold weather though, but where i live it just doesn't last long. the most probably is, what? 3 weeks? and then when it is cold, its muggy or it is a rainy cold. i guess i am the way i am due to geographical reasons? oh well...

Hi Leo, I am so sorry you didn't have special family Xmas's, that one stopped me in my tracks. Do you want to join me in celebrating the joy of twinkly lights? I just love snow but it is years since I have played in really deep snow - oh no another thing I really miss.

Originally Posted by Snoopy

Leaving aside the issues around paganism and Jesus actually being born on whatever date (July the something? I don’t know…)….

Rant away my friend, it has no religious significance for me, I just like the lights and all the chocolates, oh and the presents and yes I am 42 years old but my Mum still sends me a stocking to Egypt. I am never going to grow up (hopefuly).

[Snoopy]

Originally Posted by Muslimwoman

Rant away my friend, it has no religious significance for me, I just like the lights and all the chocolates, oh and the presents and yes I am 42 years old but my Mum still sends me a stocking to Egypt. I am never going to grow up (hopefuly).

It seems to have no religious significance for many Christians either ...

...which is how my Sikh friends can participate as "fully" as the "Christians" do, since the Christian basis for the festival has been largely removed (in the west at least).

s.

[Muslimwoman]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

It seems to have no religious significance for many Christians either ...

...which is how my Sikh friends can participate as "fully" as the "Christians" do, since the Christian basis for the festival has been largely removed (in the west at least).

s.

I agree for most it has become about the capitalism. The one I hate is the Xmas cards. They were designed to be sent to someone far away, to touch base at a special time of year. We now feel obliged to hand them to people at work we never speak to. I also know people that count how many they get and compare that to last years number - they can remember how many they got last year Get a life, watch the twinkly lights, each another bowl of trifle!!!

[Pathless]

Honestly I am a Scrooge. Christmas sucks. I've worked in retail and other get-no-holiday jobs long enough for Christmas to seem like the elite consumerist binge and hangover that it is. Jesus is just alright with me, but this horribly wasteful holiday that has grown ostensibly to celebrate his birth is a blight. In cities, people get cranky and bitchy while shopping because of the pressure to buy, buy, buy. It's the closest thing to Hell I can think of!! Okay that is an exaggeration for shock value. But I still despise the holiday. My newest gripe has to do with exorbitant airline prices, which now that I live 2500 miles away from my family of origin, I am beholden to.

So screw Christmas. Somebody pass me some coal.

[Muslimwoman]

Originally Posted by Pathless

So screw Christmas. Somebody pass me some coal.

Yo Pathless my friend - bah humbug LOL

Don't talk to me about airline prices or shall I have to rant too, what a rip off.

I think I realised about 20 years how bizarre Xmas had become. My family were friends with what I may call 'true Christians'. The first year they came to visit us at Christmas, their 3 children brought us a sunflower they had grown themselves in a decorated margarine pot and a home made card. We gave them some expensive cr*p we had bought in a hurry without much thought. Boy did we feel silly & guilty. Yet 20 years later I remember their gifts but have no idea what other people have spent thousands buying me over the years.

I shall just stick with the twinkly lights and the stocking containing bisto gravy granules, rowntrees jelly cubes and cat wormers. (when you can't get them it is amazing how important they become)

[Pathless]

Originally Posted by Muslimwoman

I think I realised about 20 years how bizarre Xmas had become. My family were friends with what I may call 'true Christians'. The first year they came to visit us at Christmas, their 3 children brought us a sunflower they had grown themselves in a decorated margarine pot and a home made card. We gave them some expensive cr*p we had bought in a hurry without much thought. Boy did we feel silly & guilty. Yet 20 years later I remember their gifts but have no idea what other people have spent thousands buying me over the years.

I shall just stick with the twinkly lights and the stocking containing bisto gravy granules, rowntrees jelly cubes and cat wormers. (when you can't get them it is amazing how important they become)

Excellent. That's the true Christmas spirit. I am going to write 'hand-crafted margarine flower pot and sunflower' on my list this year. Along with some nice food, a warm blanket, a roaring fire, coffee, true holiday cheer and true family and friends, that's all I need. That's what Christmas should be about.

Screw that other kind of Christmas. Bah Humbug indeed!

[17th Angel]

Originally Posted by Pathless

Honestly I am a Scrooge. Christmas sucks. I've worked in retail and other get-no-holiday jobs long enough for Christmas to seem like the elite consumerist binge and hangover that it is. Jesus is just alright with me, but this horribly wasteful holiday that has grown ostensibly to celebrate his birth is a blight. In cities, people get cranky and bitchy while shopping because of the pressure to buy, buy, buy. It's the closest thing to Hell I can think of!! Okay that is an exaggeration for shock value. But I still despise the holiday. My newest gripe has to do with exorbitant airline prices, which now that I live 2500 miles away from my family of origin, I am beholden to.

So screw Christmas. Somebody pass me some coal.

I used to be like that mainly to show my hatred for christians... Although jesus wasn't even born in freaking december, but that is a "minor fact" I guess.... lmao.... Then I moved on to hating it because I have to pay for gifts for others.... And I had to beat the ship out of assholes knocking on my door and singing at me...... That really got to me... "I don't even freaking know you get the freak outta my face and off my freaking door... NOW."

Now I am more passive I couldn't give a flying freak about anything lol... People are happy.. I might as well go with the flow and be happy... Get stoned out of my face share the love get in on the crappy little games you play, watch the cheesey shows/adverts receive the gifts.... Get a few days off work, then build up to new years eve... Get totally mashed up lol and then back to work looking like the retun of the living dead... Good times...

What's the point in getting all shitty bro? If you feel pressured to "buy buy buy" Simply don't lol... No one has got a blade to your throat... Just chill out go with it

[Francis king]

is Kwanzaa in July? Its an african celebration..?

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

Originally Posted by Francis king

is Kwanzaa in July? Its an african celebration..?

Kwanzaa is "celebrated" at the end of December, and it is an African-American invention (not every African-American person celebrates it, either.) As far as I know (and as far as one of my former instructors knows) there is abso-freaking-lutely nothing like Kwanzaa celebrated on the African continent.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[wil]

Originally Posted by Muslimwoman

The one I hate is the Xmas cards.

I'm ok with cards....and I'm just fed up with the PC aspect...look I'm Christian...I'm sending Christmas cards...It don't mean anything but the spirit of giving and saying hello...if celebrate something else...send me your card...ie I'd love to see Hanakah or Ramadan or Kwanzaa or whatever cards...edumacate me!

Originally Posted by Muslimwoman

Don't talk to me about airline prices or shall I have to rant too, what a rip off.

What are you fussing about the pennies per mile?? Where can you get a better deal?? I go round trip coast to coast for $300, that is five cents a mile and I get there in 6-7 hours... Now yes, I'm sure you pay more...but if it is any distance at all, I'd bet it is less per mile than any other form of travel...especially when you add in the costs of time/hotels/food etc.

[China Cat Sunflower]

I miss smoking in bed.

Chris

[Muslimwoman]

Originally Posted by Francis king

is Kwanzaa in July? Its an african celebration..?

Originally Posted by Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

Kwanzaa is "celebrated" at the end of December, and it is an African-American invention (not every African-American person celebrates it, either.) As far as I know (and as far as one of my former instructors knows) there is abso-freaking-lutely nothing like Kwanzaa celebrated on the African continent.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

Hi ladies. What are they celebrating?

Originally Posted by wil

Where can you get a better deal?? I go round trip coast to coast for $300, that is five cents a mile and I get there in 6-7 hours... Now yes, I'm sure you pay more...but if it is any distance at all, I'd bet it is less per mile than any other form of travel...especially when you add in the costs of time/hotels/food etc.

I was bitching about the hike in price at Christmas Wil. If I want to travel in October I can get a flight as cheap as £169 (just over $300 I think) but at Christmas it more than doubles. What the price of fuel goes up or they need more because it is colder? They are just ripping me off because they have a captive audience.

Originally Posted by China Cat Sunflower

I miss smoking in bed.

Chris

I still do that