Christians that don't observe Christmas

[Grace from God]

I personally don't observe Christmas for various reasons, and I was wondering what other Christians that don't observe Christmas do instead? My family loves doing it because its "tradition" and the last thing I want is cause problems on a holiday that's supposed to bring people joy.

What I think I'll be doing is just go to family gatherings if I'm invited just out of kindness, but I don't plan on giving anyone gifts (except a Bible if any of my catholic relatives don't have their own personal one yet...). I do, however, would like to send out gifts to Christian orphanages across the world and mail out childrens Bible's and maybe clothes to wear as well. I might actually want to try to volunteer somehow somewhere during the Christmas week as well.

Any other suggestions?  

[Nyssa Traken]

There is a thing called Operation Christmas Child.. you fill a shoe box up of non war items and they are sent to a wear house to make sure no breakable things are in them.. from there they are placed on a plane and sent world wide... It helps poor children all over the world.. give me a minute or so and I'll find the link and I'll put it on here for you.

1. http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/

2. http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/

3. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/gift_catalog/

here are a few links for you to check out or you can volunteer with local soup kitchens to feed the homeless or under privileged people in your area.

Hope this helps  

[Grace from God]

Sprit_of_the_wind

There is a thing called Operation Christmas Child.. you fill a shoe box up of non war items and they are sent to a wear house to make sure no breakable things are in them.. from there they are placed on a plane and sent world wide... It helps poor children all over the world.. give me a minute or so and I'll find the link and I'll put it on here for you.

1. http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/

2. http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/

3. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/gift_catalog/

here are a few links for you to check out or you can volunteer with local soup kitchens to feed the homeless or under privileged people in your area.

Hope this helps

This is what I've been wanting to do ever since I got a Samaritan Purse letter a few weeks ago! Get an old shoe box and fill it up with stuff.. ^^ There's this used bookstore close by that sells bedtime bibles for only $0.50 and I'm thinking of buying a lot of them, and some clothes, blankets, and socks and pack them for children. biggrin I find more joy helping those that really need the help than just giving friends and family something from their wish list.  

[Nyssa Traken]

I did this for several years with my old church and volunteered at the warehouse in Atlanta. I quite with the group and the warehouse because of all the criticizing because of my health issue and could not work fast enough. So i do this on my own and deliver the shoe boxes to the local Christan book store that is involved in it. I also try and work with the local soup kitchen during the different holidays to get connected to the other folks out there.  

[squeakygirl]

Those are good ideas. I do however celebrate Christmas.  

[Nyssa Traken]

I celebrate two.. Christmas and Hanuka with my massiac Jewish friends.. why not look into other organizations that help others during the holiday.  

[JrSuper]

I celebrate Christmas cuz its my birthday -3 -  

[Shadows-shine]

Why wouldn't a Christian celebrate Christmas? It's celebrating the birth of our Saviour. neutral



Participating in charity-like events is great too, don't get me wrong. But the tradition of giving gifts isn't a bad thing, nor is decorating the tree or the house, or baking cookies with family.  

[Nyssa Traken]

Here is an exert about Christmas from Answers.com

There are many theories surrounding Christmas, such as the belief that it was created simply to convert pagans and/or replace the pagan celebrations around the winter solstice. The problem with these theories is two-fold. First, there is a lack of evidence. There was no big push in early church to create a birthday celebration for Christ. Of course, the church was and is "in the business" of spreading Christianity so there is no doubt that the early church fathers wanted pagans to convert and wanted celebrations to honor God.

Second, pagan worship practices were seasonal and on-going. That is, almost any date or time frame could be said to be a pagan "Holy" day. That Christian Holy Days would clash with and even replace pagan days was inevitable.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_and_how_did_Christmas_start#ixzz169pP8IhE  

[Shadows-shine]

You realize that Pagan is just a blanket term and can describe any religion, including Christianity?  

[Nyssa Traken]

Yes I know, I was just showing you that some Christians don't celebrate it because this wasn't Yeshua's birth date as well as it was a celebration of non Christian holidays.. that is all that I was saying.. not trying to start anything..  

[Kyo the III]

Shadows-shine

Why wouldn't a Christian celebrate Christmas? It's celebrating the birth of our Saviour. neutral

Great point Shadow. Because we don't know his real birth date we calibrate Jesus's birthday on the 25th even though he was born in spring. we give gift because Jesus was our gift from god so they have symbolism. However most people get caught up in the gifts the Jesus  

[Shanna66]

i know some christians dont celebrate it because of how commercialized its gotten. for the average persona christmas has nothing to do with religion anymore. its a holiday where many faiths have put in some of their traditions. i dont usully think of christ at all during christmas (though this will be my first christmas as a christian so who knows) i think about spending time with my family and trying hard to get my dad something good that he will like  

[squeakygirl]

My husband and I discussed Christmas when we got married.

I told him that kids today just want presents, most often they don't know the meaning behind Christmas.

I said, "if we have kids, we are doing 3 gifts per child to symbolize the 3 gifts from the Wise Men".  

[Shadows-shine]

@ Spirit- I was just merely pointing out the facts.


@ Kyo- True. But the tradition of celebrating His birth on Christmas has been around for several years. As long as you know why you are really celebrating the Holiday then I don't see a problem with it. Just like Easter. We are celebrating the Resurrection of Christ, not the Pagan aspect of fertility and what not.


@ Squeaky- My husband and I are trying to instill on our kids that Christmas isn't about presents. It's about celebrating the birth of the Saviour and it's about Him. It's also a time for giving, which is why we give presents to each other. But we also like to decorate and enjoy the other traditions that go a long with Christmas.