I was just wondering how many of us prefer Xmas (a commercial and secular cultural holiday based on Christmas), and how many of us prefer the real Christmas (the Christian religious holiday)... and why? If you celebrate other holidays instead/as well, which ones? If you celebrate no holiday, tell us about it. :)

I celebrate just about everything  ;D. I celebrate Hanukkah to recognize my Jewish heritage. I celebrate the Solstice as a good Pagan should  ;). I celebrate Christmas because it is a tradition in my family (not to mention that majority of Christmas traditions stem from ancient Pagan Solstice celebrations). And of course New Years because I always like a good party.  ;)  The only ones that I don't celebrate are Kwanzaa, Boxing Day and Ramadan (sometimes it does fall in Dec.). I even celebrate Pearl Harbor day because it is my brother's and Carlos' son's birthday. Hey, any excuse for a party.  ;D




Cat

While I celebrate with Cat (almost every day, and sometimes more than that  ;), I choose Christmas because I like the idea of peace on earth, good will toward humanity, but deplore the crass commercialism of Xmas.

You forgot the "both" option.  I DO enjoy the xmas part of it, but also make sure to celebrate the Christmas part as well.


What Cheer said. :)

I also celebrate the fact that I get to pig out on delicious food and pay for it later with the bloated stomach. :P

Whether Christmas or xmas, I find the holiday to be a stressful nuisance and the rampant commercialism gets uglier all the time.

I want to celebrate "Festivus," a festival for the rest of us!
http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-2/festivus%2002.htm

the rampant commercialism gets uglier all the time.


You mean like watching housewives duke it out over a shoddy toy that their child will break within five minutes of receiving? ;D

You mean like watching housewives duke it out over a shoddy toy that their child will break within five minutes of receiving? ;D

Oh dear, what are they scuffling over this year?  I remember one year it was Tickle-Me-Elmo, and other year it was Beanie Babies, xmases '83 and '84 it was Cabbage Patch kids.  What else was there?
:o

What I really despise are those godawful xmas songs.  I don't like a single xmas song written after 1900!  I especially hate "Let It Snow," "Winter Wonderland," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," or whatever it's called.

BAH HUMBUG!
http://america-russia-news.com/news%2011/Scrooge-Moscow.jpg

I choose Christmas because I like the idea of peace on earth, good will toward humanity, but deplore the crass commercialism of Xmas.

Same here.


What I really despise are those godawful xmas songs.  I don't like a single xmas song written after 1900!  I especially hate "Let It Snow," "Winter Wonderland," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," or whatever it's called.


Personally I don't care for most secular "xmas" tunes myself either. :-X

What I really despise are those godawful xmas songs.  I don't like a single xmas song written after 1900!  I especially hate "Let It Snow," "Winter Wonderland," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," or whatever it's called.

BAH HUMBUG!
http://america-russia-news.com/news%2011/Scrooge-Moscow.jpg


Have you tuned into 103.3?  All oldies christmas songs all the time. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I celebrate the "holiday season"  or, as I also like to call it, festivus (for the rest of us). :)

I celebrate Christmas b/c I'm a Christian and to take out Christ from the holiday makes it just another day based on commercialism.

Tanya

    Well, some of my family celebrate a secular Xmas and some a religious Christmas. I am more along the lines of Cat's description as a Pagan. I dig all the Xmas stuff like shopping and gift giving, and I love secular Xmas music (not all of it, mind you)... The only holy aspect of the holiday for me is togetherness, and a celebration of the joys of the Winter season. As a Pagan, I deem the Solstice the actual sacred event of the season. I love the cold weather and I love the way people look when it's cold out. All rosy and whatnot. I love snow and Winter sports.

    I'm not a Christian, and the fact that so many Christmas traditions are Pagan in origin makes it very convenient for us to carry on like other people during this time. Commercialisation is annoying sometimes, but there's nothing I love more than to go shopping at Xmas with my cousins and pick things out for eachother. And then there's the best part... FOOD! I loves me some holiday food! Bring on the turkey and pop in "Christmas Vacation!"

Santa, elves, flying reindeer, candy canes, gingerbread men, yummy holiday treats, gaudy decorations, X-mas trees, wreaths, holly, mistletoe, jingle bells, red and green velvet bows,  the company of family and good friends, family traditions handed down through generations, new traditions started with this generation, sharing old memories and making new memories, a festive spirit of giving and good will, enjoying corny music, poems, stories, movies & television programs that go away for eleven months each year, voices lifted together in conversation, laughter and some of those corny songs.... 


As for commercialism, well, it makes my holiday a lot easier to put together, but it's not the focus of my celebration and commercialism is hardly limited to "secular" celebrations.  Last time I checked, those garish life sized plastic manger scenes, next to the plastic Santas at Wal-mart weren't sporting "Free, Take One" tags.  We live in a commercial society -- every day is a celebration of commercialism for those of us who don't weave our own cloth and hand-churn our own butter.     

Stick me in with the 96% of America that celebrates Christmas.  To be honest, I never knew there was a difference.  Oh well, another stolen holiday, along with all the non-jewish teenagers who now find it cool to have Bar-mitzvahs.

No kid screans on Christmas morning: "It's X-Mas!."  No normal kid anyway.

I celebrate Christmas b/c I'm a Christian and to take out Christ from the holiday makes it just another day based on commercialism.

Tanya


Same here, Tanya. :)

Stick me in with the 96% of America that celebrates Christmas.  To be honest, I never knew there was a difference.  Oh well, another stolen holiday, along with all the non-jewish teenagers who now find it cool to have Bar-mitzvahs.

No kid screans on Christmas morning: "It's X-Mas!."  No normal kid anyway.

I'm basically non-religious but the Jesus part of Christmas doesn't offend me, the Santa Claus part does because Santa has become the patron saint of materialistic guilt-tripping and drained bank accounts.

I would say it's just fine for non-Jewish teens to have Bar Mitzvah's, just as long as the agree to get circumcized too!

And Xmas is pronounced "Christmas."  I knew a guy in college named Christopher who liked to spell his name "Xopher."
:P

As for "stolen" holidays, ask the Pagans.  They had a few "stolen" over the centuries.  And FOX news is doing their d*mnedest to associate the despoiling of xmas with gays.  They keep harping on the one parade in Colorado that barred Christian themes but allowed in some weirdos who worship the spirits of dead gay Indians.

::)

What I really despise are those godawful xmas songs.  I don't like a single xmas song written after 1900!  I especially hate "Let It Snow," "Winter Wonderland," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," or whatever it's called.
There's one Xmas song that really chaps my @ss. "It's Most Wonderful Time Of The Year," by (I think) Andy Williams. What were the people who wrote this song thinking??? Were they sitting by a swimming pool one June afternoon getting all depressed because they missed SCRAPING THE ICE OFF OF THEIR WINDSHIELDS, or SHOVELING THEIR DRIVEWAYS, or DRIVING ON ICY ROADS, or just plain FREEZING THEIR @SSES OFF??? Whenever I have to shovel some snow, or if I see a car spun out in a ditch, or even if I just have to go outside when it's below 20 degrees, this song immediately comes to mind. Most wonderful time of year my @ss!

(Another one that just irritates the hell out of me is "The Little Drummer Boy." When it gets to that part that goes "Pa-rum-pa-pa-pum" it's like nails on the blackboard for me.)

There's one Xmas song that really chaps my @ss. "It's Most Wonderful Time Of The Year," by (I think) Andy Williams. What were the people who wrote this song thinking??? Were they sitting by a swimming pool one June afternoon getting all depressed because they missed SCRAPING THE ICE OFF OF THEIR WINDSHIELDS, or SHOVELING THEIR DRIVEWAYS, or DRIVING ON ICY ROADS, or just plain FREEZING THEIR @SSES OFF??? Whenever I have to shovel some snow, or if I see a car spun out in a ditch, or even if I just have to go outside when it's below 20 degrees, this song immediately comes to mind. Most wonderful time of year my @ss!

(Another one that just irritates the hell out of me is "The Little Drummer Boy." When it gets to that part that goes "Pa-rum-pa-pa-pum" it's like nails on the blackboard for me.)

That's what you get for living in Nebraska!  You must have enjoyed the movied "Fargo."  It doesn't get quite as COLD here in the Northeast (except northern Maine), but we've got all those other winter joys you mentioned.  In fact just yesterday I went gliding though a four-way, thank God nobody was coming in the other direction.  Stupid me, going 30 mph on glare ice!  And yet...I would miss the winter dearly if I moved to southerly climes. 
Anyway, whoever wrote "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" was sitting by the pool in Palm Beach drinking a pina colada!
I do like Elvis singing "Blue Christmas," and definitely the MacKenzie Brothers' "Twelve Days of Christmas," On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...a beer!
;D

I always thought X-Mas was just a sad attempt at shortening Christmas so it could fit better on Christmas cards.

The commercialism does bother me. Our newspaper prints letters to Santa every year. I admit that I do get a kick out of them but on the same token they do disturb me. Some classics: One kid asked for a checkbook. Another wanted a ball, a gameboy with games and a million dollars. These letters show that we teach our kids to want, want, want and give me, give me, give me. But, the one that really touched me was the kid who asked for peace on Earth, the homeless to have homes, and food for the hungry.

I do like giving gifts but only if I know the gift is something that the person would truly like or need. And I admit that I also like getting gifts, too but again, only if it something that I like. I hate gifts that are given just for the sake of giving a gift. To me, those are meaningless. Carlos and I don't really exchange gifts-unless we KNOW that is what the other really, really wants. Sometimes we will buy ourselves a mutual gift (last year was a DVD player and recorder and CD burner). We don't need gifts to say how much we love each other. A few years ago, I had a big birthday party and I said on the invations "No gifts". I did say if they insisted to bring food for the food shelf. Also for our wedding, we said "No gifts." (But, there were a few who didn't not heed our wishes.) I think the best gift we got was from Carlos' oldest. She gave us the gift of sponsoring a flock of geese to some family in a 3rd world country to help their family out of poverty. To me, that was the most meaningful gift and what we should be doing during this season and throughout the entire year-helping others.




Cat

I'm basically non-religious but the Jesus part of Christmas doesn't offend me, the Santa Claus part does because Santa has become the patron saint of materialistic guilt-tripping and drained bank accounts.

Beautifully put, Max :)


They keep harping on the one parade in Colorado that barred Christian themes but allowed in some weirdos who worship the spirits of dead gay Indians.

The spirits of dead gay Indians?  butts.

That's what you get for living in Nebraska!  You must have enjoyed the movied "Fargo."  It doesn't get quite as COLD here in the Northeast (except northern Maine), but we've got all those other winter joys you mentioned.  In fact just yesterday I went gliding though a four-way, thank God nobody was coming in the other direction.  Stupid me, going 30 mph on glare ice!  And yet...I would miss the winter dearly if I moved to southerly climes. 
Anyway, whoever wrote "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" was sitting by the pool in Palm Beach drinking a pina colada!
I do like Elvis singing "Blue Christmas," and definitely the MacKenzie Brothers' "Twelve Days of Christmas," On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...a beer!
;D
"Blue Christmas" is definitely a cool Christmas song. BTW Max, not to nitpick, but I don't live in Nebraska anymore--I moved down to Kansas City about 2 months ago. It's only 3 hours away but the climate is slightly milder.

Blue Christmas" is definitely a cool Christmas song. BTW Max, not to nitpick, but I don't live in Nebraska anymore--I moved down to Kansas City about 2 months ago. It's only 3 hours away but the climate is slightly milder.
Oh, Duh, that's right, you said so when you came back on board.  Well, it's still a continental climate, so it gets frigid in the winter, and bakes in the summer!

I always loved "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses (a new wave tribute to Xmas). I love the song "Merry Christmas Everybody" but not the Slade version so much as this one I jeep hearing on Muzak where the chorus is sung by a bunch of kids. I also like "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney. Then of course I love the standards by folks like Bing Crosby and Dean Martin and Burl Ives...

Christmas would have be my favorite/time of the year because...

1. Since I live farway away from my family, it's one of the few times of the year I get to see them.
2. My mom and brother have a birthday in the same month (my mom's in Dec. 21, my brother's in Dec. 14)
3. I love shopping for presents for friends and family (at the same time I am not a really big fan of over crowded malls).
4. Having Christmas dinner with friends and family.
5. The annual driving past Christmas lights and outside decorations.

I voted 'What's the difference?' Why? Take a look at this website and it will show the word 'x-mas' to have more than commercial connotations.

http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19981223

I too, love Christmas music-it has nothing to do with religious aspect but the music itself. Some of ones I like are (not in any order):

Oh Holy Night
God Rest ye Merry Gentleman
White Christmas
Oh Come Emmanuel
Ring Christmas Bells
A Soalin' (Peter, Paul, and Mary)
12 Pains of Christmas (Bob Rivers)
Santa Claus and His Old Lady (Cheech and Chong)
Grandma Got Run Over by a Raindeer



The ones I can't stand are:

Little Drummer Boy
Do You Hear What I Hear
I Wonder as I Wander (even though my mother sang this at Christmas Eve Mass one year)
Away in the Manger


I know there is more but that is all I can think of right now.


Cat

I'm looking forward to this Christmas.  My oldest is due any time now, and all my kids will all be together with the new baby for the holidays, along with me, Cat, my sister, and my dad.  Wish my mom could be there too, but she has been dead for a number of years now.

In any case, this seems like a good time to wish everyone

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Chanuka, Joyous Solstice to ALL

I always though X-Mas was just a sad attempt at shortening Christmas so it could fit better on Christmas cards.


I always thought the same thing, but not as a sad attempt at shortening the word so much as the lazy way to go! :D  Admittingly, I've succumb to pure laziness myself. :P

I celebrate Christmas and the Child that inspired it. :)

And Xmas is pronounced "Christmas."  I knew a guy in college named Christopher who liked to spell his name "Xopher."

Are you sure it wasn't "Xtopher"? ??? Because I've seen some people refer to Christnia Aguilera as "Xtina" (not "Xina"), so I thought maybe there was a pattern.

By the way, my middle name is Christopher.

i celebrate Christmas(i have always thought that xmas was simply an abbreviation that i've never enjoyed..learned something new here..)a few things i love about Christmas:
doing Christmas baking

unpacking my ornaments and enjoying the memories attached to each one(really into the shiny,hand-painted very thin and fragile ornaments that are of different shapes/characters/etc(look like foil-wrapped chocolate figurines) and decorating a real
tree with them

spending time with family and friends

following certain traditions like visiting different people on Christmas Eve and having tortiere(Canadian meat pie with ground pork and onions)at my mom's house..which i'll get to do this year since i'm going to spend the holiday with her  :)

i celebrate Christmas(i have always thought that xmas was simply an abbreviation that i've never enjoyed..learned something new here..)

Same here. I never knew there was a difference until I read this thread.


a few things i love about Christmas:
doing Christmas baking

unpacking my ornaments and enjoying the memories attached to each one(really into the shiny,hand-painted very thin and fragile ornaments that are of different shapes/characters/etc(look like foil-wrapped chocolate figurines) and decorating a real tree with them

spending time with family and friends


I enjoy doing things like that too. :)

I can't help wondering.. would Lennon have written:

And so this is X-mas
And what have you bought?
That last toy the shop had
For which you all fought
A present for X-mas
For your little boy
Can't see why he wants it
This crap plastic toy
And so happy X-mas
And please make sure that
The batt'ries ain't missing
Or leaking, or flat

hmm... this has potential, methinks ;)
..has potential indeed: finished and submitted :D

That is very clever, Philbo. Well done.  :)

Thanks, Bobby - the full version is here :)

Are you sure it wasn't "Xtopher"? ??? Because I've seen some people refer to Christnia Aguilera as "Xtina" (not "Xina"), so I thought maybe there was a pattern.

By the way, my middle name is Christopher.

It's Xmas, not Xtmas.  It is substituting X for "Christ."  As you know, the name Christopher means "bearer of Christ."  So it would be "Xopher."  The suffix "pher," more often "fer," meaning "to bear."  Lucifer is the bearer of light, an aquifer holds water.  I believe "Christina" is a feminization of "Christopher," so the X truncation should be Xina.  However, "Tina" is often short for "Christina," so "Xtina" sounds better.  Anyway....
::)
One of my friends from childhood was named "Christopher," but his parents didn't want him to be just another "Chris" so he was called "Topher."  I've encountered only two other "Tophers" in my entire life.

It's Xmas, not Xtmas.  It is substituting X for "Christ."  As you know, the name Christopher means "bearer of Christ."  So it would be "Xopher."  The suffix "pher," more often "fer," meaning "to bear."  Lucifer is the bearer of light, an aquifer holds water.  I believe "Christina" is a feminization of "Christopher," so the X truncation should be Xina.  However, "Tina" is often short for "Christina," so "Xtina" sounds better.  Anyway....
::)
One of my friends from childhood was named "Christopher," but his parents didn't want him to be just another "Chris" so he was called "Topher."  I've encountered only two other "Tophers" in my entire life.

Maybe because the "christ" in "christina" precedes a vowel rather than a consonant (as in "christmas"). :-\\

Maybe because the "christ" in "christina" follows a vowel rather than a consonant (as in "christmas"). :-\\

Oh, you mean precedes a vowel, as in "Christopher."
;)

Oh, you mean precedes a vowel, as in "Christopher."
;)

Yes, I do mean that. Sorry! I must've been thinking: "it's followed by a vowel" and I got mixed up by mistake. I changed it.

One of my friends from childhood was named "Christopher," but his parents didn't want him to be just another "Chris" so he was called "Topher."  I've encountered only two other "Tophers" in my entire life.


....... :-X

Thanks, Bobby - the full version is here :)


Very witty.  :)

I voted on the Amiright board.

It's Xmas, not Xtmas.  It is substituting X for "Christ." 
Let us not forget the real meaning of Xmas...to celebrate the birth of Jesus X.

I'm non-religious. There are many aspects of religion and spirituality that I don't really believe in, but I still celebrate Christmas for the togetherness. I actually enjoy Thanksgiving more because there aren't any religious ties to it and there's more food. Plus, you don't have to think about buying presents and crap. I'm practically broke this year (living with Mom), so I can't buy presents for my mother or grandmother. I really hope that I get a job soon.
I notice that during this time of year, those in organized religions suddenly get all lovey-dovey and caring about everyone and are so POLITE and during the rest of the year they act like crap to everyone. I think that's so phony. Either you are, or you aren't. Make your mind up. Be yourself. Santa doesn't really exist.

 

I just celebrate Christmas. I am not a Christian and do not believe in God, I see the holiday as a good time to relax and appreciate your family, plus it is technically secular becasuse it is a national holiday not just religious.  It also falls close to Yule, one of the Wiccan sabbats so I just celebrate the two holidays all meshed together kinda. Or I will, this will be my first Yule since I became Wiccan.

I just celebrate Christmas. I am not a Christian and do not believe in God, I see the holiday as a good time to relax and appreciate your family, plus it is technically secular becasuse it is a national holiday not just religious.  It also falls close to Yule, one of the Wiccan sabbats so I just celebrate the two holidays all meshed together kinda. Or I will, this will be my first Yule since I became Wiccan.

The Dude abides.

The Dude abides.


8)

WHERE'S THE MONEY LEBOWSKI???

You celebrate a day that has everything to do with Jesus Christ, but you don't acknowledge him (even though his name is the basis of the holiday's name?). Do you celebrate family togetherness on Hanukkah and Kwanzaa as well?

Tanya

You celebrate a day that has everything to do with Jesus Christ, but you don't acknowledge him (even though his name is the basis of the holiday's name?). Do you celebrate family togetherness on Hanukkah and Kwanzaa as well?

Tanya


I'm not exactly sure to whom this comment was directed, but I guess I will give a response. The answer is yes to all of those questions. The reason I personally celebrate Xmas without acknowledging Christ (instead of Hanukkah or Kwanzaa) is that I am neither Jewish nor African, and these traditions are entirely foreign to me. I was raised in a fairly non-religious yet technically Christian family. I say technically because we never went to church or discussed religion, but we did do Christmas and Easter and blah blah blah. If I have to approach the holiday season in a secular manner, choosing one of the holidays, I would obviously continue celebrating the one I had celebrated all my life. Do I care about Jesus? Not particularly. I mean, I am guessing he was a pretty decent guy, but who really knows who he was...? All anyone knows is what they've been told. I don'texactly equate the real Thomas Jefferson with the heroic status he's been given, and I'm not about to do the same thing for anyone else. I have no reason to believe that there was ever a perfect man to walk this earth. What I celebrate on Christmas is being together with my family and enjoying my time with them. Giving gifts is an expression of this.

We do call it "Christmas" today in this particular language. However, in English, we used to call it "Geol" (pronounced "yule") and this is a word which is still used for certain "Christmassy" things, and also by modern Pagans as a name for their Midwinter celebrations. The cognate of this word is still used in all the Scandinavian languages (our close linguistic siblings) for "Christmas." Hence the Swedish phrase "God Jul" (pronounced gud yool) which means "Merry Christmas." At some point in time, we Anglophones decided to put Christ's name in it, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't mean that everyone who celebrates Christmas has to believe in or acknowledge Christ. I don't think that there is anything that makes December the 25th have everything to do with Christ, in fact, I don't think it has anything to do with him at all unless an individual wants to make it so. That is up to said individual, but not applicable to everyone who decides to buy a tree, put gifts under it, and deck the halls with boughs of holly. All those things are pagan Midwinter traditions in the first place.

I may very well have misunderstood your meaning in this post, and if so, please don't think I'm trying to be antagonistic.

You celebrate a day that has everything to do with Jesus Christ, but you don't acknowledge him (even though his name is the basis of the holiday's name?).

A question for you: of all the Christmas traditions, how many are related to Christ (apart from the name, that is)?  Things like Christmas trees, giving presents, Father Christmas, mistletoe, holly... even the date?

...I've got a parody due to come out on precisely those lines - I'm not sure whether it's in the next update, though; it'll be up in a day or two.

I have said before that many of our Christmas traditions stem from Pagan traditions-even the date. As being a non-Christian, I have to say that I do believe that Jesus did exist but not in the way the Christians believe in him. Personally, I kind of see him as the Martin Luther King of his day-a minister preaching peace. But studying ancient myths and legands, not only Pagan ones but also Egyptian and other cultures, you will see they sound a lot like the Christian stories. Since there is really no knowing when he was actually born (I have heard somewhere that he may have been born sometime in July or August), the early Christians put his birthday close to the yuletide celebrations because Pagans didn't want to give up their festivities. (If you can't beat them, join them.)

An interesting book to read is The Story of Christian Origins by Martin A. Larson



Cat

You celebrate a day that has everything to do with Jesus Christ, but you don't acknowledge him (even though his name is the basis of the holiday's name?). Do you celebrate family togetherness on Hanukkah and Kwanzaa as well?

Tanya


Oh get off of it.  ::) Christmas is a national holiday, therefore it is secular as well as religious any American has the right to not only celebrate it but interpret it to mean whatever they want. And like Cat pointed out, many of the Christmas traditions have non-Christian roots anyway.

Oh get off of it.  ::) Christmas is a national holiday, therefore it is secular as well as religious any American has the right to not only celebrate it but interpret it to mean whatever they want. And like Cat pointed out, many of the Christmas traditions have non-Christian roots anyway.

My Puritan ancestors outlawed Christmas trees in the Massachusetts Bay colony.  Xmas trees were a big pagan no-no!  Actually, what we know today as Christmas was popularized in the 19th century, largely thanks to Charles Dickens.
Another funny thing the Puritans did was ban the use of the days of the week as we know them.  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and so forth, are named after heathen Norse and Pagan gods.  The Puritans named them the more biblical First day, Second day, Third day, and so forth, Sunday was, of course, called the Sabbath.

...I've got a parody due to come out on precisely those lines - I'm not sure whether it's in the next update, though; it'll be up in a day or two.

Have yourself a pagan sort of Christmas

;)

My Puritan ancestors outlawed Christmas trees in the Massachusetts Bay colony.  Xmas trees were a big pagan no-no!  Actually, what we know today as Christmas was popularized in the 19th century, largely thanks to Charles Dickens.
Another funny thing the Puritans did was ban the use of the days of the week as we know them.  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and so forth, are named after heathen Norse and Pagan gods.  The Puritans named them the more biblical First day, Second day, Third day, and so forth, Sunday was, of course, called the Sabbath.


Yup, knew that about the days. Also instead of Mr. and Mrs. they used Goodman and Goody.

We read the Crucible in English. I was the main part, John Proctor.

Have yourself a pagan sort of Christmas

;)




That's great, Philbo.  ;D



Cat

That's great, Philbo.  ;D



Cat


I concur.

Yup, knew that about the days. Also instead of Mr. and Mrs. they used Goodman and Goody.


Like in Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown." Looks like there was a lot of non-Goodmen in that story, at least in Brown's own mind. But I am certain that Puritan Massachusetts was full of charletons.

:)

I thought this was an interesting article in today's local paper.


http://timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041219/NEWS/412190303/1013/FEATURES04


It mentions many of the things that were mentioned in this thread so I thought it was approprate.



Cat

Let us not forget the real meaning of Xmas...to celebrate the birth of Jesus X.

That sorta looks like "Jesus the 10th" (a little roman numeral humor). Of course, the X in "Malcolm X" is just the letter X, not a roman numeral (although I do remember one episode of Family Matters where Waldo made a reference to him as "Malcolm ten", treating it as a Roman numeral).

Since it's that time of year again, maybe I should give this thread a bump for anyone who didn't get to see it last year.

I don't know if anyone came in with this, but in my fount of useless knowledge, the reason Christmas
is sometimes spelled Xmas is because for a time it was considered sacriligious, to the point of heresy, to write the word Christ, I was raised to always bow my head when saying the words "Christ or Jesus".  And never say them unless it was in prayer. That being so people who celebrate XMas, are actually doing it in a more pious fashion than those who celebrate Christmas.

It's almost that time of year again, so I figured I'd bump up this thread for those who weren't here a year ago and didn't get a chance to see it. :) (Also, an explanation of "Chrismtas" vs "X-mas" is explained on the 1st post of this thread.)

Christmas.  End of.

I have said before that many of our Christmas traditions stem from Pagan traditions-even the date. As being a non-Christian, I have to say that I do believe that Jesus did exist but not in the way the Christians believe in him. Personally, I kind of see him as the Martin Luther King of his day-a minister preaching peace. But studying ancient myths and legands, not only Pagan ones but also Egyptian and other cultures, you will see they sound a lot like the Christian stories. Since there is really no knowing when he was actually born (I have heard somewhere that he may have been born sometime in July or August), the early Christians put his birthday close to the yuletide celebrations because Pagans didn't want to give up their festivities. (If you can't beat them, join them.)

An interesting book to read is The Story of Christian Origins by Martin A. Larson



Cat


Dang girl, you're good.  I feel the exact same way, though I'm not nearly as eloquent as you are.  :)

I don't know if anyone came in with this, but in my fount of useless knowledge, the reason Christmas
is sometimes spelled Xmas is because for a time it was considered sacriligious, to the point of heresy, to write the word Christ, I was raised to always bow my head when saying the words "Christ or Jesus".  And never say them unless it was in prayer. That being so people who celebrate XMas, are actually doing it in a more pious fashion than those who celebrate Christmas.



I'll bump my answer in answer to the initial question

The biggest misconception about Xmas? People tend to think saying Xmas takes Christ out of
Christmas. This is not the case at all. The letter X is a symbol for the Greek letter Chi or the first
letter in Christos.Saying or writing Xmas is not sacreligious at all. Remember Christ is a title not
a name.

Neither.  I had in the broom closet and wait for it to be over.

Christmas.  End of.


Festivus for the rest of us!

I loved Christmas as a child, but the nicest thing about moving away from home was not having to deal with putting up decorations just for the sake of taking them down again a month later.  And more importantly for this board, apart from John Valby's parodies and the South Park Christmas Album (which has brought on at least one lawsuit this year), the music sucks!

I don't know if anyone came in with this, but in my fount of useless knowledge, the reason Christmas
is sometimes spelled Xmas is because for a time it was considered sacriligious, to the point of heresy, to write the word Christ, I was raised to always bow my head when saying the words "Christ or Jesus".  And never say them unless it was in prayer. That being so people who celebrate XMas, are actually doing it in a more pious fashion than those who celebrate Christmas.


  Yeah, 'X' takes Christ out of Christmas.  M-m-m, kind of like 'Xianity', 'X' being an unknown quantity, or somesuch...

  So, I celebrate Xmas, now, but I really do like the backstory and trappings of Christmas...

Neither.  I had in the broom closet and wait for it to be over.


Usually, we go out for Indian or Chinese or Thai food and then to a movie. Family tradition. The world on Christmas in the NYC area is owned by Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims.

Usually, we go out for Indian or Chinese or Thai food and then to a movie. Family tradition. The world on Christmas in the NYC area is owned by Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims.

Yeah, xmas is one of the days I would rather be in NYC with the advantageous of a concentrated diverse population.  Around here, as in most of the country, they assume everybody is a practicing Christian and wants to stay cooped up with fam drinking egg-nogg and singing xmas carols all day!  Even the frikkin' Denny's is closed.  Of course, only Christians work at Denny's.  The place ain't exactly kosher!
:P

Christmas I guess, we go to mass on Christmas eve...which used to be midnight mass but now it begins and ends before 11. Probably because a lot of the elderly folk can't hold out that long.

Christmas I guess, we go to mass on Christmas eve...which used to be midnight mass but now it begins and ends before 11. Probably because a lot of the elderly folk can't hold out that long.



I still go to Midnight Mass with my family....it's one of the few times I go to church anymore.