The "True" Meaning of Christmas?

[fhbnfghnbfgbsnbg]

Christmas. We all know it as a time to get gifts and give gifts, perform kind actions and give kind words.
But what is the "true" meaning of Christmas?
Is it to give and be kind?
Is it to recieve things?
Is it a simple tradition?
Is it to celebrate the birth of Jesus?

And so, I ask:
What do you think is the meaning of Christmas? (Adding why would help, too.)  

[Sanguvixen]

Christmas? I don't see why I should use such a word/

There is a holiday that is celebrated in December. To me it is nameless but many people celebrate it. It deals with the idea of being just a little nicer to people or trying to at least, and giving what you can to other people. It deals with sharing time with friends and family, and remembering those who are not there but you wish were.

To me the true meaning of the holiday is togetherness, and humanity, at it's best and it's worst. All the good or positive things are often drowned out by the aspects of humanity that makes us what we are. But it is there, that aspect that prompts us to buy, bake, and give.  

[PathlessPlot]

I was in Tallahassee last Saturday and saw this.


On the other side, it said "Love one another". I couldn't believe it.  

[Lemon Jally]

As an American, it just looks like an excuse to indulge in the very patriotic act of shopping.  

[whateverbloatswiththeboat]

This vacation was like a normal one for me. No X-mas tree, no carols, no seasonal stuff.

And it was better than other "Christmas" vacations.  

[[The Looney Bin]]

It's purpose is to boost the economy back into the black~

Without it we'd be in even worse shape than we are now.  

[Serendipity Splendor]

Um, the poll forget to mention getting together with family??

For me, Christmas will always remind me of my childhood, and driving halfway across the country (Baltimore to St. Louis) to see my Mom's side of the family. They're the Christian half of my family I hardly ever got to see and when we got together in my Grandma's big house we would decorate the tree, and eat yummy food, and just be happy together. heart

*sigh* Of course we haven't done that in a while.... but I can still be nostalgic.  

[Serendipity Splendor]

Granny Duck

I was in Tallahassee last Saturday and saw this.


On the other side, it said "Love one another". I couldn't believe it.

Well, I was raised as a religious Jew up until my early teens... and I FREAKIN LOVED CHRISTMAS! biggrin It's ultimately a pagan holiday anyway let's just enjoy it people
Almost all of my Jewish friends love Christmas.

I've seen so many Ridiculous things written on these billboards outside Churches....  

[Zach mit Kase]

Christmas is more or less a secular holiday as of late. I enjoy the family togetherness, I suppose.

Oh, did I mention that Jesus wasn't born on December 25th anyways? True strike.  

[fhbnfghnbfgbsnbg]

Zakarias.exe

Christmas is more or less a secular holiday as of late. I enjoy the family togetherness, I suppose.

Oh, did I mention that Jesus wasn't born on December 25th anyways? True strike.

I believe they (the people trying to convert the rest of the world) made Jesus be born on that date to ease the crossover from the pagan religions to the new, christian one.
Some earlier celebration, but I cannot recall what it is.

People reply to this a month after Christmas. Somewhat funny.  

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

KuroFur

Zakarias.exe

Christmas is more or less a secular holiday as of late. I enjoy the family togetherness, I suppose.

Oh, did I mention that Jesus wasn't born on December 25th anyways? True strike.

I believe they (the people trying to convert the rest of the world) made Jesus be born on that date to ease the crossover from the pagan religions to the new, christian one.
Some earlier celebration, but I cannot recall what it is.

People reply to this a month after Christmas. Somewhat funny.

Winter solstice or Yule.

 

[Paraldehyde Kool-Aid]

Christmas does have a strongly secular element in it these days. I think that's what has a lot of Christians up in arms and getting kinda loud about that whole "putting Christ back in Christmas" thing. But, they don't have the monopoly some of them would apparently like to have on whippin' out the punchbowl at that time of year and gettin' all merry up in there. The 25th, according to the older Julian calendar, was the Winter Solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least), and celebrations around that time in one way or another are extremely ancient and widespread. Besides, the Bible indicates that there were lambs in the fields at the time that Jesus was supposedly born. There just aren't any of those left anymore by December because of the mating schedules and gestation periods amongst sheep, so the idea that it's his birthday anyway is pretty much nugatory. Moving that celebration to the Solstice when everybody else is partyin' down is blatant syncretism in action. Just like the Saturnalian evergreen tree inside the home, decorated up to the nines, complete with lights. Go Team Pagan!

That said, the incessant carols played on loudspeakers everywhere turn me a rather unfestive shade of green around the gills. So seriously tired of the same damn'd 7 songs, repeated ad nausem. But, to keep myself happily insane in the face of all that, I have a few CD's of popular carols, reworded in sometimes the most hilariously blasphemous fashions. They amuse me. My favorite two are Lovecraftian and often twist it all merrily back to Solsticetide festivity, even if it does involve tentacled monstrosities from "beyond the stars." And anymore, when someone wishes me a Merry Christmas, I just use the opportunity to wish back at them a Felicitous Brumalia or Io Saturnalia. It usually confuses people a great deal and they often seem to feel too weird about not knowing what I actually mean by that to demonstrate as much by asking. To everyone else I just wish a Happy Solstice. It's all one, after all.

Still, it's getting to the point anymore where I am beginning to actively loathe a pretty good chunk of what's left of Christmas. The commercialism is a heavy burden. It's an awful lot of pressure, after all. The perfect gift for everyone, all obtained in a rather short amount of time. And absolutely tons of highly populated social obligations. It's an awful lot to recover from and there's just too little time in which to effectively do so. Maybe next year, everybody just gets sun-shaped snickerdoodles and beaded ornaments, particularly if I start the ornaments early. Or I cop out entirely and everybody gets mail-order pears from a certain company in Oregon....