Christmas – Time for Christians, only?
Christians all over the world look forward to Christmas, feast days which they celebrate for hundreds of years world-wide.
In these days, that’s my impression Christmas has become obsolete fort the young generations in special!
How about you? What’s your meaning of Christmas ( does it means anything for you? ) How was Christmas celebrated by your parents ( if they were? ) by your family? Do you have any Christmas traditions that has survived the time?? Is this a time with a special impact for you, your children, grand children.
Many families here in Germany turn their back on Christmas and have booked some extra holidays on sunny coast in the world.
Now we have come to a point were your personal view ( meaning ) is wanted.
Come on let’s hear your opinion,
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Hello Michael, my opinion only of course, but Christmas today has become very commercialised……….I do not see much religious element in it anymore, I think the children still do the nativity play but in a more upbeat version……….children seem to receive toys and expensive techy stuff all year round, and they most probably know exactly what “Santa ” will bring them, the surprise element has gone…….I enjoy if for the family gathering and love to give gifts…….Christians and Christmas….well I guess they will attend the Church services………its the done thing…..but a whole new ballgame how I would see a Christian…….and its not just about attending Church…..so there I will leave it..xxx
Your meaning seduces me of underlining every single word of your comment
dear Star. I see it the same way like you.
But, a great ** but ** should be asked: Religion always was and in some
countries still is the candle light in the darkness of fast pacem, pressures of a
materialistic society, egoism, have fun and forget etc.etc.etc,,,,,,,,,
Christmas can bring us hours of silence, ti me for contemplation but also time
to forget and forgive. Christmas time only asks us to find a way to ourself and
opens the door for reminiscences of people that have passed away as well as
situations that may have change our life.
Which other event has so much power? I don’t see one! xxxM
“And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, every one!” Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Very true thoughts expressed in nice words by Mr. Charles Dickens. Thank you for posting them. Michael
Thanks, Michael! One of my favorite stories.
I am not and never have been a believer, but Christmas was special when my kids were little. Watching their faces on the morning was something I’ll never forget.
These days I think it’s just an excuse for the shops to up prices on things they always sell and charge silly prices for “christmas” goods that they don’t usually carry.
Yes Way Christmas has gone down hill ( I think you say that in the Englisch
language?
Anyway it means the same on the Continent here in Germany. Michael
I have seen 88 Chistmases and clearly things have changed dramatically , but one things which I feel is so important, is that it continues to bring people together who might have drifted apart and hopefully at least, The World Is A Happier place for at least one day!
Yes Drummer, Christmas can cure from open wounds. 88 Chistmases are the
perfect witnesses for what you are saying. Michael
Forever and vonmichael, I totally agree. All is well. We’re not alone! P.S. Doncha just love those advent songs? Many are on YouTube.
Christmas is a time of sharing and caring. Without Christmas to look forward to at the end of each year would be like living without hope. Religion has become obscured by fanatics who want to push their own agendas. Churches have been tainted by sexual abuses and people have stopped attending. I attended Church as a child, an adolescent, and was married in the Church. I call myself a Christian as I still believe in God/Jesus Christ, but I no longer attend Church. I do believe Christmas has become too commercialized, but Christmas brings family and friends together and can be a most wonderful time. If we lose Christmas – we lose hope !!!!
Well FY ** hope ** and wish are those words for implementation a better
kind of life than the ending year was.
Hope is the last anchor for changes that we have. You nailed your inner
conviction. Michael
……….” If we lose Christmas – we lose hope !!!! ”
Amen to that
Harry lad, My hope is not based on Christmas.
Love Christmas and everything about it. Raised Catholic and being Polish and German, we celebrate mostly on Christmas Eve. The family would be very sad without it. I decorate every room and the front porch. Little lights and red and green everywhere. I’ll do it until I positively can’t anymore. Haven’t paid attention to the commercialism for years. Music, good food, little gifts, lots of cookies and candy and great smells. My oldest daughter converted before she married, so we always have the Menorrah ready if it’s a day to light it. It is a magical time for us, all of us. Snow does make it better but Santa makes his way without it, can’t always count on a white Christmas here but dream about it with Bing Crosby. Always play Perry Como’s “Oh Holy Night” early in the season in memory of mom and dad’s favorite Christmas song and I have my Christmas cry and am motivated to do all the work.
Family, food, decorations, music, smells, lights, colors, love and my faith…..who wouldn’t love that? Christmas? I wish everyone could feel this way.
P.S. I posted this on Starlette’s blog a while back….so this is the same one…I just copied and pasted it on this one.
A fine art of doings Rose to give Christmas the fitting external frame of what
this event means to you Rose. Christmas music, good ( special ? ) food, little gifts, lots of cookies and candy and most important great smells are the
excellent companions for this day and expresses our inner feeling of what
Christmas really means to you.
You have Polish and German roots if I understand your first line correctly?
My roots are Russian and Prussian means we have special ties to Reliion,
Church and Family which reach the highest peak with Christmas. Michael
vonmichael, my dad’s parents came from Prussia and Germany, my mom’s from Poland. I’m sure that brought my love and reverence for Christmas down through our family. Advent songs as we get closer….so beautiful. My dad would drag out his violin during the Xmas season and play. Now my children play the songs on their guitars. Beautiful music! We always sang tge carols even in harmony during this time even just doing the dishes. So glad I was raised loving all the beauty of Xmas and don’t even pay a bit of attention to commercialism and Black Friday crazy shopping. Don’t care. Don’t have to….for Jeses’ birthday? I think not! There is Magic in Believing.
Christmas……in many ways what you love about it changes as we age. As a kid, it was the magic, the idea of getting gifts, we did not get that many gifts as they do now but I do believe we appreciated them better than they do now. It was the long build up to Christmas, this started in October in my house , when we spent a day, stoning large raisins and cutting up cherries etc. Helping Mum make the Christmas cakes. Learning Christmas songs in the choir, writing to Father Christmas and letting out little letters burn in the fire for the smoke to carry our wishes. Helping Mum make our new dresses to wear on Christmas day. Going out to gather ivy, holly and stuff to decorate the house. The candle lit church on Christmas eve, we sang with gusto but could hardly sit still on the hard pew. Then the day itself, the great foods that we only got at Christmas, the relatives and friends, the King’s and then the new Queen’s speech a feeling at one with everyone in the world.
Then the years working in hospitals and making it as happy and festive as possible for patients. Each ward was sent up a great trolley of food and an enormous roast turkey about 25lb-30ibs in weight. The senior consultant or the professor would come in to carve the turkey. Guinness beer could be prescribed for patients as a tonic and a source of iron in those days. In the months before Christmas, we nurses would coerce any passing doctor to sign patients up for Guinness then we would hide them so we could offer all patients a beer with their Christmas dinner.I’m sure the authorities turned a blind eye to this……..bet it does not happen now! as young nurses from the teaching hospital we got invited to all kinds of functions and balls. We spent more or less a month’s pay on a ball gown then we would ‘pool’ them so we did not always wear the same dress.
Then as a Mum myself with little ones making magic for them and their Christmas. Going to the pantomime and the Nutcracker. Watching their eyes big as saucers experiencing the magic of live theatre.
Now Christmas is very quiet, no appetite for the rich foods, so many loved ones gone, almost dreading receiving Christmas cards as they tell of someone gone or suffering. I still have a little tree but it is the Christmas music which endures.My special favourite is a disc of the choir of York Minster singing Christmas carols . Silent Night must be one of the most sung carols but the York Minster version is perfect for me. You can feel the vast space of the place, wonderfull low male voices, all very atmospheric. Listen in candle light it spells Christmas for me.
You’ve commented your comment very, very nicely and to be honest Rock;
you’ve tasted to wonderful side of Christmas.
I’ll follow your path saying time hase changed, people have changed, christmas
preparations have changed, with one word we don’t celebrate Christmas as
our parents did it.
Whereas many, many old Christmas songs have a fixed place in our livingrooms
and in the hearts of our children. Christmas without Bing Crosby incredible,
isn’t it??
It is the same old story, when times are hardes people move tighter together
with their thinking, feeling, doing a.s.o.
Cristmas is the only feast in 12 month of the year which is able to do this with
us.
Thank GOD that we still have, that it has survived different times. Michael
Michael, thank you for your blog. All the answers are informative. I am confused about the celebration of CHRISTMAS as I have. Been for many years. I did decide several years ago that I would not stress myself over it.
I will say there is a dark side to CHRISTMAS. And it is caused by the added stress on families that lack the time and money for extra things.
Some people write their checks to charity in December and that is a good thing to do.
I try to focus on peace and good will to all.
If Christmas is about hope,how do we nourish that?
Hello Rose,
thank you for your comment and showing us your ways of celebrating the
Christmas time in your home.
Could you dear Rose explain a little misunderstandig of American habits to
me?
** Besides the great international religions you have so many of what
we call sects in your country. Many, many Americans have turned
their back to the great and well established religions as far as I know?
The spirit of those religions doesn’t mean anything to them and their beliefs
lead into other directions like ours.
How comes that Rose; in nearly every film production to see and read this
expression appears so very often:
** Oh my God. oh my God! **
The way these 3 words are being said sounds to me like a appeal for help!
A scene in which expression is been said seems a bit strange to me. To other
Europeans too I could imagine and it would be very kind of you offering me
a candle in the dark. Have a nice weekend, Michael
e
Von Michael, Americans do have many sects as you call them. American was settle during the Protestant reformation and many people came to practice their religion. Our constition guarantees freedom of religion. A’s people read and interpreted the Bible they formed different beliefs and different churches. The church I grew up in was totally independent of any outside control. As people migrated to new frontiers, they were cutoff from outside control, so our history explains our many diverse churches. A’s for OMG, it has become an expression and not a cry for help. I sometime say oy vey, in the same way. I am not a believer in structured religion. I also use Hallelujah, but it is also just an expression also; devoid of its original meaning.
Our religions are unifying and becoming political and that is not good for a democracy, so I like independent churches.
If you need further information please feel free to ask any question. Many European people in countries are not following traditional churches.
Rose, I believe you’ve answered that question yourself, not to stress yourself out. You probably have Christmas in your heart and, perhaps feel obligated to do more than you can or want to do. That would make you feel resentful and you could not be the person you truly are.
Back in 1988 both my hands were burnt from a gas space heater fire in my kitchen on Dec. 12 th. I had everything set at work that it would be my last week to work before I took my vacation. Being the person I am, my house was totally decorated, Xmas presents gotten, Xmas cards were written….came out of the emergency room with both hands totally wrapped, wasn’t allowed to get them wet….ferocious pain….came home to a kitchen black as coal from the fire. At that time I was just thankful that it was only my hands that were burnt and that my 3 cats were okay. Everyone pitched in to help with everything and it was a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They all came, brought all the food and spared me any stress that could have come.
Christmas is love and giving love to others, it doesn’t have to be stressful. Merry Christmas, Rose! Just sit back and enjoy it.
I’m just a big kid at Christmas, plus I have 3 young grandsons, so that makes all the more fun. Some of my Christmas traditions…baking shortbreads and making up tins to give out..putting up and decorating my tree…watching the Christmas classics on TV..It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street (the original black and white version) and of course, A Christmas Carol, the British 1951 movie with Alistar Sim as Scrooge, which, in my humble opinion, was the best. I don’t buy into all the hype, like you say, I just sit back and enjoy it. Merry Christmas!
I think, from where I see it, our religions boil down to Christian, Jew, and Atheists.
Christians believe in Jesus Christ. Jews believe in God, not Jesus Christ as king as Christians do.
Atheists do not believe in God.
Then, I guess, some are Agnostics. I think they just don’t know in what to believe! Amen. (must go the plumbers are here!)
Please, anyone, comment if you know any different. I would like to hear for my own info.