Christmas Day 2012 falls on Tuesday, 25 December 2012.
Traditionally a Christian holiday, Christmas in many countries is now also a celebration of the secular part of the holiday, with lots of shopping, entertainment, Christmas lights, and Santa showing up in full furs despite the fact that some are smack in the middle of the tropics.
In Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, and other Asia metropolitan cities, streets and shopping malls are lit up with stunning electric light displays that blaze through the cities prime shopping and entertainment districts every Christmas season. This, combined with the late mall hours put in place during Christmas season, make nighttime shopping in way more fun for shoppers.
Some churches are trying to guide Christmas day celebrations back to the religious spectrum, and you can’t fault them for trying, but for many, the whole point of Christmas is shopping, with malls doing their darndest to entice shoppers into their doors as Christmas time approaches.
It’s not like there’s anything about Christmas that’s Christian to begin with, so honestly it’s a lost battle. This is especially true when considering that there’s no company that wouldn’t bolt at the opportunity to get a lot of money through people that buy their products as gifts.
The traditions are very Christian, but their meanings have been lost in the hustle and bustle buy buy buy me me me of the modern celebrations.
The Christmas tree
The reason I say it isn’t Christian is because there are many people who think Jesus was born on the 25th, which isn’t really provable considering it’s nowhere in the Bible.
I’m not sure which ‘traditions’ are Christian here, to be honest.
The Christian connection may have been lost for you but there are over 1 billion Christians in the world who would think otherwise. Giving gifts began with the Wisemen and their gifts to the Christ-child. Attending Mass on Christmas Eve is a highlight for many – so beautiful! You should go and see what it is like.
Actually Christmas is based on the pagan worship of Winter’s Vale – which included the passing of gifts – this element was changed to fit into the story in the Bible, which by the way, were entirely separate stories (Three wise men came on Jesus’ second birthday) But then, most Christian things are of Pagan influence anyway.
Love it!
We definitely put Christ into Christmas, but it’s a battle. I knew a family that celebrated Epiphany instead of Christmas. That’s traditionally recognized by the Catholic church as the time when the Magi presented their gifts. It’s 6 days (I think) AFTER Christmas, so this family had very much opted out of the secular focus on Christmas being all about gifts and lights. I don’t have the strength to do it, but I admire their conviction!!
What a thought provoking post! For me, Christmas is the birth of Christ. Sure we decorate a tree and do all the other stuff. But, I also set up a nativity scene and Christmas Eve is spent in a candle-lighting service reflecting on the sacrifice made on my behalf. Thanks for visiting my site. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a new year filled with amazing possibilities!
I like it! A good read. I think it’s right to accept modern society happily. The Church has lost it’s following not because there’s anything wrong with people but because it didn’t stay relevant and many vicars were into God waiting to punish people all the time, the inability to do anything right, and I think that people rebelled in the end. But shopping for your loved ones and friends and being excited about Christmas Day so that you can spoil them and cook for them with love is a great thing.
Not everyone would agree with you that the Church has lost its following and that it has lost its relevancy. I certainly would not agree as Jesus and His Church is very relevant to me. Actually- look it up on Google – many people join the Church every year.
I am an atheist and to me Christmas is mostly about family, spending time with our loved ones.
Christmas consumerism has gone a bit too crazy in recent years.
Leon – you are right about consumerism going a bit too crazy. It is nice that you spend time with your family at Christmas even though, as an atheist, remembering the birth of Jesus has no meaning for you. May you someday discover the wonder of it. Have you read the TS Eliot poem in which he wishes he could believe again as he did as a child (I’ve forgotten the name of the poem).
Just wanted to stop by and thank you for checking out my blog on wordpress.”simplemeditations” There is no doubt that the holiday of Christmas celebrated on the 25the of December is controversial. Research on the subject brings up a lot of pagan practices on that day. Ephipany is the other date that some people celebrate for their Christmas. I like to celebrate the birth of Christ on Dec. 25 anyway. For me it is a deeply spiritual holiday so I tend to ignore the rest.
Going to malls during Christmas is always fun even when your goal is not shopping, but just listening to the Christmas songs being played. Unfortunately lots of kids nowaday don’t know the real meaning of Christmas because all the decorations they see are presents and Santa, nothing about the birth of Christ. Thanx for stopping by my space Emily. I love your website
I agree about it being nice to go to the mall during Christmas time! When I was a teenager I used to play board and card games on fridays in the food court, and I always loved to be in the mall around Christmas with the aura from all the people going about ^_^.
Even though Christmas was originally a pagan festival, for many years it has been and still is a christian symbol of the Christ being born. I appreciate when non christian people are celebrating christmas for it means to them (family time, gifts, shopping, rest…) but for us Christians, it remains a day when we rejoice that the promise of God sending us a messiah is fulfilled in Jesus. Churches that remained true to the message of the Bible have never moved away from celebrating Christmas for what it is. What use is the salt if it’s losing its saltiness? Merry Christmas to you and may you find as much joy and peace in it as I do!!
I agree with taking Christmas back to church or at least back to what it is. Not what it has become.
We’re calling it the pagan present-giving season at our house! And I believe the initial celebration of Christmas was an effort by the church to coerce pagans to convert to Christianity and still have a reason to celebrate during the winter solstice. Someone needs to check that though cause I might have dreamed it. Thanks for liking my post!
Hallo
I’ve a christmas card for you! : ) You can pick it up here http://summer4soul.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/1022/
Have a nice day
Sweet greetings, Summer
Hey there…thank you for stopping by!
FIRST—THANKS FOR VISITING AND LIKING THE “OFFICE SEASONING” POEM ON bythemightymumford.wordpress.com…come back anytime! I really appreciate it! SECOND—Most of us are aware that the early Church DELIBRATELY set the celebration of Christ’s birth at the December fertility rites—supposedly to invite people into the church, but so often today it is the other way around! See my poem, ‘LET’S GIVE IT BACK!”, at the above address/ blog….BY THE MIGHTY MUMFORD.
!
Thanks for visiting my post recently… I appreciate it.
I don’t really care how or if others celebrate Christmas, but I don’t think it is anyone else’s responsibility to force me to not celebrate or PC it.
My personal opinion of Christmas is that it is or has become whatever the family teaches. I know we were taught that it was a combination of the story of St. Nicholas (who became Santa) and the birth of Christ… which true, wasn’t on Dec. 25th but is celebrated on that day. We always donated good gently used toys to the needy each year or Santa wouldn’t leave us any new ones. LOL… Also celebrating the birth of Christ from the religious aspect of view. For my children, we did both … Santa and Christ’s birth. We do give a few materialistic (bought) gifts, but the stress is on made gifts or things that stir up good /funny memories. Our Christmas has never been on the powerful dollar. I think if you research, you could probably say that many holidays were off-shoots of old, usually thought of a Pagan, rituals, but have evolved into something totally different now. But I could be wrong…
AnElephantCant tell you just how much he likes
Your adorable blog about Christmas
He hopes that you know
All about mistletoe
And you stand under it waiting for his kiss
Actually, in Asian countries like Singapore and Japan, the romance and buzz around Christmas is good marketing for Christianity. The churches get super active at this time with lots of evangelism, and I wouldn’t be surprised they have high conversion rates at this time. So it’s how you look at it!
Beautiful presentation! Suits the content quite fittingly. Thank You for sharing your gift with us! … and for “Liking” my Bookbinding post. I can see you may actually be ahead of me in the art & artisanry area.
Thanks for stopping by our blog… truly appreciated!
Your blog is unique and imaginative. Well done. Keep up the good work!
Merry Christmas.
Very good information on Christmas and very nice blog, by the way. Merry Xmas!
Love the Santa picture!
beautiful blog
Happy Yule, and it is sincerely hoped that the essence of this time of the year will fill your hearts with love of Family, self, and folk.
I personally definitely like Thanksgiving a whole lot more than Xmas. Its the only holiday that is truly focused on love and family, the only two things that truly matter in this life.
Merry Xmas
I love your blog and have nominated you for Blog of the Year – read more here if you like: https://sunfieldart.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/award-nominations/
Congrats!
I was a die hard loving Christian for 38 years. Most of my child hood we did what we could for Christmas, not always presents but enjoying the season and celebrating Christ’s birth and so on. Then we came to understand that all the traditions, including the Madonna and child, originated from various pagan practices so we no longer celebrated Christmas but rather felt that celebrating the birth of Jesus should be a year round thing.
I just so happen to be an easy going loving agnostic pagan ( or you could say wiccan) now so I have a blast celebrating Christmas and I don’t feel bad about it at all. It’s wonderful to do. We also enjoy celebrating Winter Solstice and Yule with friends. Even though Jesus was not born in the dead cold of winter, he was a wonderful teacher and if folks want to celebrate the birth of a great man in December, then by all mean do! There is no shame in that. Just because the traditions of Christmas came from the pagan solstices doesn’t mean one shouldn’t enjoy it regardless.
The idea is not exclusive, winter solstice type celebrations were in effect all over the world long before Christianity existed in all cultures. It’s a time when the cold harsh and often deadly winter is finally making it’s last stance and celebrations help give hope that new life is on the way. So no matter what you believe there is reason for hope and celebration.
People will always market what ever they can so it’s just gonna happen. But it is good to remind people to not let it get to you or become what you are celebrating.
What bugs me is how terribly grumpy and rude people get during this season. That’s just not right. When you do go out to shop remember to take patience and loving kindness with you. Smile at the cashiers and just be friendly. You never know what they are going through and how rude people have been to them. We don’t need to add to their discomfort and troubles.
We can make this a happy holiday season by showing kindness where ever we are.