It’s the reason for the season. Or, so the neon sign says in my neighbor’s yard. Ironically, also in his yard is a large figure of Santa with his reindeer. So the reason is? Santa and his magical reindeer? Consumerism?
We have real issues with Christmas in this country. On one hand, we shop, shop, shop buying meaningless stuff for family and friends who already have too much stuff, while on the other hand, we insist that the 25th of December is a religious holiday. If we are celebrating the birth of Christ, why do we even ask for gifts? Why do we encourage our children to ask for stuff for themselves when we are celebrating the birth of Jesus? Why do we pile meaningless stuff under the tree and pretend that Santa brought them? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to say that God brought the gifts?
This holiday is just a guise, of course. It is about us. We are the reason for the season.
Of course, we could buy gifts for Jesus’ birthday, but where would he wear that tie?
There is a family in our neighborhood who set up an ornate Christmas lawn and house display every December. Blowup Santa on a second floor balcony. Inflated, light-up globe with life-size spinning Santa on the lawn. Lighted reindeer made from twisted wire. And of course, lights on house and bushes in front. And in the middle of this ornate display: a life-size nativity scene, with blowup Joseph and Mary, standing behind a wooden cradle with Jesus doll. Imagine this all set in midwestern snow. Poor baby Jesus in his swaddling clothes always looks very cold. And every once in a while night winds will blow over the cradle or bring Joseph to his knees.
@Fai…I know….Kind of ironic to see things like that. You wonder if they owners even think it’s ironic.
You have got to watch the Grinch Stole Christmas. It’s like you just summarized the first half without the ending and moral theme.
Developing views relative to the wrong of others is flawed logic. If anything, the more wrong one sees in the church should not lead to a diminishment of faith. On the contrary, God’s word warns of this frequently enough, that it should serve to confirm your faith. God frequently came down hard on the Church for doing/practicing the same things you complain about in your BLOG posts. This stuff is not new, and you would know this if you read Scripture. We are frequently warned and admonished in the Bible not to do these things.
You are right Dam,
this country really has an issue with Christmas or Easter. Under piles of gifts, chocolate eggs and bunnies people lost the essence or the initial message that was encoded in these traditions..
I’m not religious and I am not atheist. I’ve on been on both ends as well as came through all possible spiritual stuff. Right now I teach the middle way – understanding the essence of God as absolute Logic and common sense.
I teach my kids that Christmas is not about Santa and even not about divine infant that was born long time ago. The sacred lost meaning of Christmas is about looking inside, facing, and discovering inner Truth. It’s never easy to be absolutely truthful with yourself. It’s the reason why it supposed to be a big celebration for those who dared to be truthful.
When it becomes a big celebration only on a physical level without the deep spiritual meaning, it becomes a bunny-day or Chrstmas-tree-eve.
so glad to know those who look for Truth…
warmly,
Elena
@ Elena Thanks for your insights.
I think it’s ironic that some of the “religious” will excoriate those who celebrate Halloween, when Christmas is, in essence, originally a Pagan holiday. Along with many of the trappings. (They have no clue as to the essence of many “Christmas” traditions.) As is “Easter.” (Yule and Ostara, anyone?) It seems to me that far more non-believers are more tolerant of the Christians and other religious faiths than some of those religious folks are of the non-believers. And yet, the religious faiths frequently call for kindness, loving thy neighbor, yadda yadda.
But, I guess if you don’t believe how they do, it shouldn’t apply to you.
No, I’m not saying all are like this, of course. And yes, there are obnoxious atheists and agnostics who want to “convert” the religious. It’s not a one-sided problem.
But I think people take themselves, and their beliefs, way too seriously sometimes and miss the forests for the trees.
I see a frequent Facebook meme that says, “I worship Nature. Don’t laugh, I can prove it exists!” LOL If people spent more time focusing on THIS world instead of any hypothetical religious one that might or might not exist, if they spent more time worrying about their own lives instead of meddling in others’, it’d be a happier place indeed.
@ Hi again Tymber Dalton…And yes, all pagan holidays…It’s kind of ironic. I mentioned a book on here that you might like: Christianity and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas. Very intersting. And yes, yes, yes, I agree with you….
So, do you celebrate Christmas? I just stumbled upon your blog and I love that you’re giving a voice where a voice needs to be heard. Christmas is something I struggle with. My children know that I am not a ‘believer’, and frankly at least two of my children are agnostic and my daughter is having an inner struggle, I think. They are not young children. Two of them are grown and do not live at home anymore, but my 13 year old son has referred to himself as agnostic most of his life (funny, he feels the need to put a label on it when it seems like he should be able to just “be”). We don’t pretend that we are having a Christian celebration, but we still have gifts and decorate our home. It sometimes feels wrong. The only way I can justify it is that for us Christmas has always been about family. It is such an embedded tradition in this country, I really don’t have the heart to go the “I don’t really believe in that, so we aren’t participating” route. And if I’m honest, it is worth it, to have this really special time of the year with my family.
@Daphne Thanks for taking the time to write. Yes, we celebrate Christmas. There are really two: the Christian version and the secular version. I definitely agree that you and I should continue to celebrate Christmas.
I just the piece on CNN. Very well stated. I am not a parent, but if I were, I would raise children to understand morality and compassion. Not having children, I find Christmas very tiresome and it gets worse every year. If there were a church nearby that taught spirituality and morality, instead f hocus pocus, I’d probably go. (There is the church of positive living, but Living in the Bible Belt, I doubt I’ll ever see one,
@Rick Thanks for taking the time to comment. Do you have a Unitarian church near you? I think that is a progressive church that might fit your views better if you want less dogma.
A great book is “The Evolution of God” which addresses many of these issues, such as the development of a religious order in every society as a means to: (1) explain the unexplainable and (2) subjugate the lower class.
The book is not a treatise on the nonexistence of God; on the contrary the author can be found in church on occasion. It’s rather a well-formulated study on how ‘god’ in the three Abrahamic religions was a dynamic ideal, tweaked out to fit a new society’s religious beliefs (syncretism), which was common in most religions the world over.
And as for Christmas being a Pagan holiday, it was sycretism in its truest sense when the Christians hijacked the festival of Saturnalia (7 days of lawlessness, lust, crime and murder) to try to bring the Pagans around to their senses.
Research the history of mistletoe (represents the Druid ideals of sexuality during Saturnalia with the poison used to murder the chosen victim) and you might be hard pressed to feel the same warm & fuzzies when you listen to Christmas carols next year.
Personally, we celebrate the season of Christmas in the sense of good will and charity, but we discuss the issues of reality and magic v. divinity et al with our kids. And guess what? They are well-rounded, well liked among their peers, kind (not to each other) and generous; all without religious dogma.
Thank you for writing this blog.
What could you get for a deity that made everything?
@ Lott Holtz I give up, what?
Daphne – I am 100% with you. As my kids are getting older (they were ony 4 & 5 this last Christmas) I’m starting to realize I need to get off my lazy butt and start formulating a way to explain to them what you and dam are expressing. I HATE the consumerism of Christmas and find it so hypocritical but I love the family traditions and the excitement on their little faces! But I don’t want to be a hypocrite either. Thank you dam for this blog – I think it will help me deal with these complex issues.
@samc99 We’re all in this together, and collectively we can support each other and brainstorm. Thanks for reaching out and commenting.
Got here through CNN as well.
The holidays are a special time for me. I live in New England. The days get very dark.VERY DARK. Sun up is 7:30 am. sun down is 4:00 pm. To me… all those garish decorations, ridiculous presents etc, are a way of staying cheerful through the darkest part of the year.
The evening commute is cheered by lights.
The depression associated with the lack of sunlight are lessened by the good feeling of giving a gift.
For me… the holidays are all about surviving the darkness of winter.
@Kimber….I agree. I love all the lights and the sentiment of Christmas. You know those Courrier & Ives pictures, the xmas music, I still love it. We can still appreciate xmas, even if we don’t celebrate that it is the birth of Christ (and it probably wasn’t, the actual day he was born).
Yep! In fact I wrote a whole paragraph about Saturnalia and how Jesus was likely born in May… But deleted it because I felt it marred the whole purpose of the cheer felt around that time of year.
Seriously… “Keep the Christ in Christmas” bumperstickers annoy me…
@ Lott Holtz… not a thing. A god that created the universe wouldn’t care if you got it a necktie, any more than it would care who you had sexual intercourse with. Well, maybe a “Cthulhu” tie might generate a yoctosecond of godly mirth.
The BIG spiritual question of Xmas is, how the hell will I explain to my daughter why Santa Claus brings rich kids more presents than poor ones?
@dam, I do have a Unitarian church not too far away. I was going for a while, but their services were kind of all over the road. I should check back in periodically, though.
Rhetorical, dam. And cthulhu, that was the joke.