|
|
|
Dr Shari
Skeptic Friend
135 Posts |
 Posted - 12/19/2002 : 03:10:51
|
Do you celebrate Christmas? We put up a tree, give gifts and enjoy the parties. Should we ignore it? Do you think a commercialization of a religous holiday is OK? Should we take it off the calender?
Whats your thought and Holiday traditions?
|
Death: The High Cost of Living
It is easier to get forgiveness then to get permission! |
|
|
Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2002 : 05:23:47 [Permalink]
|
| I just don't enjoy it at all. When I got divorced, I told everyone that I was ignoring Christmas. My new wife doesn't like that a lot, but she lives with it. I like the time off work, but if we lived in a wealthy country, we'd get plenty of time off work anyway without having to make excuses. I don't know anyone with a lot of money, so I hope they use their money to enjoy their lives, and let me use what little I have to enjoy mine without having to buy something for someone else that they don't care about just because of some custom. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
|
 |
|
|
moakley
SFN Regular
USA
1888 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2002 : 06:04:32 [Permalink]
|
My celebration involves visiting with family and friends. We still put a tree and outside lights up. We don't celebrate the birth of of J the C, though I suspect that my wife still would if I would. Such as attending xmas eve services. The last xmas eve services I attended the minister talked more about the resurection than he did the birth. He had kind of a whiny sing-song delivery so his noise made it difficult to focus on what he was actually saying.
My Mothers birthday is a few days after the 25th so as best we can my brothers and sisters and grand kids get together and have a party for her. The strength and heart of the family. |
Life is good
Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned. -Anonymous |
|
|
|
Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2002 : 10:05:23 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by Dr Shari
Do you celebrate Christmas? We put up a tree, give gifts and enjoy the parties. Should we ignore it? Do you think a commercialization of a religous holiday is OK? Should we take it off the calender?
Whats your thought and Holiday traditions?
Yes, I celebrate Christmas\Yule. Its a time for our family to make a concerted effort to get together and spend time together. My wife loves Christmas.
You already have the commercialization of several religious holidays such as Easter and Halloween. Christmas is unique by way of the Santa Claus fellah.
Should we take it off the calendar? No. Too many have plans around it being a national paid holiday. We shouldn't take it off the calendar. Why decrease the number of paid time off days for working stiffs? If those folks don't want to celebrate the season, it is their right. It's not like they're hurting anybody including themselves.
Heck, if you want even more paid holidays, work for the government. In Illinois, you get Kasmir Pulaski Day for fucks sake.
|
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
|
|
|
Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2002 : 10:26:35 [Permalink]
|
| Well, if it's for fuck's sake.... |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
|
|
|
|
Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2002 : 10:29:47 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by Gorgo
Well, if it's for fuck's sake....
It seemed to be one of those things that you could actually prove.
 |
|
|
|
chainsaw
Skeptic Friend
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2002 : 12:29:11 [Permalink]
|
I celebrate any all religious holidays, particularly the ones with gift giving or kissing. I don't discriminate.
I even appreciate from an historical perspective all of the music, art and ritual that accompanies any religious holiday. Sort of kin to pagan and witch craft rituals.
You don't have to "believe" to enjoy the times and have fun and get together with family. |
You can "believe" what you want, but you do have to get your science right or you'll flunk science. |
|
|
|
TEDPOX
New Member
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2002 : 20:16:39 [Permalink]
|
Well, of course I celebrate xmas. I celebrate Veterans Day even though I wasn't even alive around W.W.II. Same thing with Columbus Day, Thanksgiving (nothing to do with Pilgrims and Indians), Mother's Day, Father's Day (I'm not a mother or father)...etc...etc.
What I'm saying is that a celebration doesn't always take place for the reason it was originally intended. I gather around friends and family for my own selfish reasons and enjoy their company for my own sake. All of us, I'm sure, have our own motives for holidays and what we believe how we act and partake. Just because it's xmas doesn't mean I, as an atheist, shouldn't enjoy myself and, yes, I am well versed in and know about the pagan origins of many of the rituals celebrated in different countries.
If you're opposed to the bloody history of certain religions or movements and the scar so many have left upon the world then, by all means, don't celebrate or give credence to them. So many atrocities have been committed "in the name of God" and I will never celebrate this holiday for the sake of that, or any, god.
|
I've had about enough of me. |
|
|
|
Terryt88
Skeptic Friend
USA
120 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2002 : 22:54:32 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Well, of course I celebrate xmas. I celebrate Veterans Day even though I wasn't even alive around W.W.II. Same thing with
I don't mean to be rude to your post, but Veteran's day isn't just a remembrance of WWII. |
|
|
|
TEDPOX
New Member
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - 12/19/2002 : 23:42:53 [Permalink]
|
Terry,
Don't apologize to me for a mistake I made. You are correct in that it is for all veterans.
Thank you though for correcting me.  |
I've had about enough of me. |
|
|
|
Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2002 : 01:17:29 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by TEDPOX
Well, of course I celebrate xmas. I celebrate Veterans Day even though I wasn't even alive around W.W.II. Same thing with Columbus Day, Thanksgiving (nothing to do with Pilgrims and Indians), Mother's Day, Father's Day (I'm not a mother or father)...etc...etc.
What I'm saying is that a celebration doesn't always take place for the reason it was originally intended. I gather around friends and family for my own selfish reasons and enjoy their company for my own sake.
Well said Ted.
I've always loved xmas but I think they made that holiday for me. My birthday is just at that time too so I figure all the colorful and sparkely lights are for me. Only bad thing is, I only get one present a year, ''it's for xmas and your birthday'' 
In Thailand they give New Years 'gifts'. Usualy a basket of fruit or something practical like that. For people you respect or want to remember. Even before I know about Thai culture I'd give gifts to people who I wanted to 'repay' for something nice they did for me during the year. So xmas is not anything religious to me just as good a time as any to pay respect to someone who's been a friend or helpful or whatever. |
|
|
|
Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2002 : 06:35:12 [Permalink]
|
| Let's put the X back in Xmas! |
|
|
|
ConsequentAtheist
SFN Regular
641 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2002 : 11:07:25 [Permalink]
|
December - Birthday; Grandson #1
December - Birthday; Granddaughter #2
December - Hanukkah
December - Birthday; Grandson #2
December - Christmas
January - Anniversary
January - Birthday; Granddaughter #1
January - Birthday; Daughter-in-law #4
Febraury - Birthday; Wife
February - Valentine's Day
February - Birthday; Son #1
Febraury - Birthday; Son #3
========
All I want for Hanukkah/Christmas is a Babies-R-Us credit card that offers points and miles. |
For the philosophical naturalist, the rejection of supernaturalism is a case of "death by a thousand cuts." -- Barbara Forrest, Ph.D. |
|
|
|
Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2002 : 03:05:45 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by ReasonableDoubt
December - Birthday; Grandson #1
December - Birthday; Granddaughter #2
December - Hanukkah
December - Birthday; Grandson #2
December - Christmas
January - Anniversary
January - Birthday; Granddaughter #1
January - Birthday; Daughter-in-law #4
Febraury - Birthday; Wife
February - Valentine's Day
February - Birthday; Son #1
Febraury - Birthday; Son #3
========
All I want for Hanukkah/Christmas is a Babies-R-Us credit card that offers points and miles.
That's realy great. At least you get it over with in one fairly short span of time. And for Hanukkah you don't even have to give gifts. You can give that cheap chocolate wraped in gold foil.
If there's any left over you can recycle it, unwrap the foil, melt it togather, shape it into a heart and wah la.... a Valentine
Then the rest of the year is all saving money.
Lucky you.
Most all our birthdays were in December too, just my brother was the odd one, there. Born in May, the nerve! |
|
|
|
Mr. Spock
Skeptic Friend
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2002 : 04:50:59 [Permalink]
|
Well, if you are fishing for a scrooge, you've found one. I fucking hate Christmas. Perhaps it's because I'm just not that festive. Here are some other reasons:
1) The comepletely unapologetic presentation, by the mass- media and others, of christian dogma (the next time I turn on my classic rock radio station and hear "Hark the Herald" or some other such nonsense, I might go postal).
2) I hate to tell you, but not all of us enjoy getting together with the family. The prospect of having to make small talk for hours with people I hardly know, and really woulnd't care to know unless they were related to me, reperesents the opposite of fun--sort of like Sartre's concept of hell.
3) That whole gift thing is a trap, too. I do what I feel obligated to do as a member of this consumeristic society, but I don't enjoy it. I feel that if one gives a gift, it should be because one genuinely wants to do so, not because a certain date has arrived on the calender.
4) Peace and goodwill? Bullshit. People give this a lot of lip service, and might actually exhibit some of it among folks in their in-group, but I generally find people in a rotton mood this time of year because they are stressed out and fearful that their Xmas is not going to turn out as perfect as they had imaginged. If you have ever worked in retail, or have driven in holiday traffic around the shopping malls, you know what I mean.
I could go on and on, but I suspect that I have already done enough to convince you all that I'm a horrible person. Just remember that not all of us share your joy for the season. Personally, I'll be attending a solstice bash tonight, though, let's be honest, it's little more than an excuse for us members of the A-team to get together and party.
Happy whatever,
--Mike
|
"The amount of noise which anyone can bear stands in inverse proportion to his mental capacity." --Schopenhauer |
|
|
|
Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2002 : 18:45:56 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by Mr. Spock
Well, if you are fishing for a scrooge, you've found one. I fucking hate Christmas.
2) I hate to tell you, but not all of us enjoy getting together with the family.
3) That whole gift thing is a trap, too.
4) Peace and goodwill? Bullshit.
I could go on and on, but I suspect that I have already done enough to convince you all that I'm a horrible person.
Happy whatever,
--Mike
Mike, I do know you are not a horrible person. But are you sure you don't want to change your name from Mr. Spock to Mr. Scrooge?
BTW, I'm sitting here alone, no one to be with on the holidays (execpt Woody the Cocker-see photo adjacent) but still happy about it, so you don't have to hate xmas because you have to be with relatives you don't like or give gifts that you think are insincere. |
|
|
 |
|
Topic Locked
