Are You Into The Real Meaning Of Christmas? Or...

[Changing4Best]

Are you into the real meaning of Christmas, or are you hustling and bustling around shopping for gifts and putting up a tree and some lights? Or both?? Or...?

 

[arfie]

The real meaning of Christmas? Shouldn't that be plural and more plural every year?

Sincere question. Every participant seems to have their own reality for it. I'd sooner look for a single meaning in random chaos. Wasn't it some dude's birthday once upon a fairy tale?

 

[Barberian]

I wish the "tradition" of giving gifts would stop. When someone I know has a birthday, only the one with the birthday gets the gifts. Not everyone exchanging gifts with one another.

There is SO much stress during the holidays. The stress one puts on themselves. The stress one puts on others. The stress the advertisers puts on everyone. The stress.... you get the idea. I don't like social stresses. Like me or don't, for who I am, not what I do or don't give.

For me, "Ideally", for Christmas, I am celebrating one birthday, for one person. I try to celebrate THAT birthday. I try to say happy birthday and give thanks to that person on that day. Not for a month(s) in advance. Christmas day is societies best guess on the actual date. Unfortunately, "tradition" dictates that I give gifts to family, and receive gifts as well from anybody who bothers to go through the trouble and expense. I'm not very much into material possessions other than my computer, camera and a comfortable chair.Gifts I receive rarely make me happy. The gifts are often just more stuff I have to store or take care of and pretend I really wanted that ___________ .

Luckily, my wife does all the shopping. It's something she enjoys. We pretty much gave up on wrapping stuff a few years ago. Now we just put a bow and name on something in a bag and call it good.

 

[Abstract]

What I think of when I see the question is celebrating the birth of Christ. Is that what you mean or do you include a family time? Or do you just mean to ask if we enjoy the time or not? Thanks.

 

[nursenurse]

I love Christmas. My family is very small, so Christmas isn't generally a hassle. However, I am working up in the frozen north accessible by bush plane only. I don't leave until the 23rd, to get home on the 24th. My shopping was finished before I left, but if the weather turns, as it sometimes does, I could be spending Christmas away from my family.

Barberian, you sound like my ex father in law. His expression with every gift was "Oh boy!!!" Used to make me laugh :) But if he genuinely liked the gift, there was a certain animation with the "Oh Boy" that set it apart from the others, and then you knew you had a hit.

I too try to keep the true spirit of whose birthday it really is. Gifts are modest. I think one day I would like to spend a Christmas in one of the countries where I do my medical missions. The poorest of the poor are some of the most joyful and thankful of people I have met, with a spirituality unheard of these days. I would like to witness their celebrations.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

There's no "real meaning" poll answer!

 

[Notsowild]

• However, I am working up in the frozen north

So nursenurse where are you working ? I'm from Canada

 

[DMerish]

The title - the question assumes there's consensus on the definition of what "real Christmas" is :alien:

 

[HemlockGrove]

I like getting gifts (If it's something useful...or not I'm a pack rat too :P) But I miss the days when Christ was talked about more (Or even mentioned). It's become too materialistic (Christmas lights don't count. I would have my tree up all year if it wasn't so tacky looking). However - I would rather deal with people who are too worried about presents than have to explain that Christmas isn't ACTUALLY His birthday!

 

[Barconian]

I believe Christmas is meant to be about love!

 

[RussH]

I love every aspect of Christmas. We, most certainly, celebrate the real meaning of Christmas: The birth of Jesus. However I also love the concept of Santa, and all the secular parts of Christmas. It is truly my most favorite time of the year.
We celebrate as a family, and that is really good.

 

[Kas_Can_Fly]

I've grown up with a mixture of pagan beliefs from home and Christian beliefs from school and the majority of others around me, but I hold agnostic beliefs. As a family, we do celebrate in a commercial way(ish), in that we all give gifts, though mostly handmade or not of enormous value, though more than anything use it as an excuse to get things couldn't otherwise don't buy because we're broke. This year we are more likely to be doing "Christmas" on the 21st and celebrating Yule and that won't have been the first time either (I way totally prefer Yule log over Christmas pud btw :P).

For me personally Christmas/Yule/Winter Solstice isn't about the presents (to which I prefer giving that receiving), or the history or the god/spirits/customs involved, it's entirely about being close with the few people I love, not seeing as many people as possible and giving a small meaningful gift to someone who would never have asked or expected anything, but mostly about being happy.

So if it's about the birth of a child that brings us together or the idea spirits who travel the sky and the practice gift giving to celebrate midwinter adjoined with the warmth and safety of a light through the darkness and a feast in the cold, I don't mind. I'll keep my Holly, Mistletoe and irregular diverse beliefs pulled from every which way and say I just like a celebration that combats SAD and brings our close-knit family even closer together, so we can celebrate ourselves.