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The problem many have with the Christian aspect of the Holiday being under 'attack' is that the main aspects of the modern Holiday (celebration of Jesus' birth) are solidly Christian. The rest of the historically pagan traditions that were folded into the whole of the Christmas holiday have been celebrated by Christians for as long as any of us have been alive.
The recent 'attack' on Christmas is seen by Christians as attempts to marginalize its Christian origins (the Christmas Tree isn't Christian, Jesus wasn't born in December, etc.). Regardless, the whole of these traditions became part of the contemporary Christian celebration. These elements of Christmas were present when my Grandparents were children 80 years ago and have been relatively unchanged. In the modern era, however, it's become PC to dismantle the Holiday out of fear of offending those who do not celebrate the Christian "Christmas."
We don't care that some of the Christmas traditions had pagan roots. Christmas, as we've celebrated it for generations, is being trivialized and that is very upsetting to many of us and why we feel Christmas is under 'attack.'
It cannot be trivialized to you unless you let it. And there's no reason to care or get upset if someone else does not see Christmas the way we we do.
I do apologize to you if I angered or upset you in any way.
Actually, I wasn't speaking to you directly. I was posting a general comment to a thread being read and responded to by lots and lots of people.
As one who follows the teachings of Christ as I understand them -- take careful note of the fact that I do not call myself "Christian", for reasons we'll not go into now -- I admit a great deal of frustration with Christians who get their noses all out of joint about "Christmas being under attack"; insisting that everyone say "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings"; insisting that everyone celebrate the Season the way THEY want them to.
The ones that get me most riled are those who insist, either directly or indirectly, that other religious celebrations around the Winter Solstice are "copying Christmas." Ignorance of the facts is one thing; arrogant ignorance is something else entirely.
I am sorry that you somehow caught some of the flak.
Wishing you and yours the very best of the Season, however you celebrate it.
I have no problem with Christians wanting to celebrate thier holiday along with ours. If they want to celebrate it then that's just fine, but please pratice what your Christ preached. Peace.
My point was to simply ask if other holidays incorporate a decorated tree into their celebration. If there aren't any other holidays at this time of year which involve decorating a tree, then what's the big deal with calling it a "Christmas" tree? It doesn't matter where the tradition originated from, or how long the celebration of Christmas has been around...the fact is that for many years it was simply called a "Christmas" tree. So why is that changing now? If a decorated tree has been associated with any other holiday at this time of year, then why didn't people get grumpy about it years ago?
Personally, I wouldn't call it anything but a Christmas Tree. But why do you, or should I, care what others choose to?
... find some other occasion...like, say, New Year's, which isn't religious and therefore not specific to a particular segment of the population.
The January 1 New Year is not secular, it is the Christian celebration of the circumcision of Jesus of Nazareth.
In 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII adopted the current calendar, one of the changes was to move the date of the New Year from the March 25 Easter to January 1st, and not to the Christmas Day.
One of the reasons that the Christian year begins after and not on the Christmas Day is because of Jewish law.
A Jewish child does not get a name until 8 days after birth, which for a boy baby is also the circumcision day.
January 1st is the Feast of the Circumcision and hence when you lift a cup or kiss someone at Midnight, you are celebrating the circumcision of Yeshua ben Yuseph, otherwise known as Jesus of Nazareth.
"Prayer Book Anglicans still celebrate this Feast under that name, but most Catholics now, with the revisions of the Mass that followed the Second Vatican Council, celebrate January 1 as the Solemnity of St. Mary, the Mother of God, also a holy day of obligation. Likewise, contemporary Anglican calendars give January 1 as the "Naming of Jesus"."
How about this as a compromise. Let Christmas be a Christian holiday--not plastered all over the media and shoved down everyone else's throat. You want to celebrate it? Celebrate it in the privacy of your home, where it probably belonged in the first place.
And do so by taking a day off work since it won't be a national holiday. Leave that for secular events. You'll have to trade days with one of your non-Christian coworkers or burn a vacation day to stay at home and do the Christian thing. Seems fair enough.
And do so by taking a day off work since it won't be a national holiday. Leave that for secular events. You'll have to trade days with one of your non-Christian coworkers or burn a vacation day to stay at home and do the Christian thing. Seems fair enough.
Thank you!
By the way, I've done that at work; I'm Jewish, and anyone who was ever willing to cover for me on Yom Kippur had the favor returned on Christmas Day.
I'm Jewish and Christmas Day is NOT a secular holiday. The reason for it is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Santa was St. Nicholaus (bishop who lived in Turkey/Greece area) who gave gifts to children, and Christmas tree is comming from Germany. Nothing is pegan or secular at all.
You put up Christmas tree, lights etc. for Christmas, not for any other holidays.
New Year's Day is NOT secular either, because it's Pope Gregory's calendar. The reason why it's year 2011 is approx. when Jesus Christ was born, that's why they picked that date/year.
The Gregorian Calendar (Christian) was not founded by an atheist or non-believer.
I'm Jewish and Christmas Day is NOT a secular holiday. The reason for it is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Santa was St. Nicholaus (bishop who lived in Turkey/Greece area) who gave gifts to children, and Christmas tree is comming from Germany. Nothing is pegan or secular at all.
You put up Christmas tree, lights etc. for Christmas, not for any other holidays.
New Year's Day is NOT secular either, because it's Pope Gregory's calendar. The reason why it's year 2011 is approx. when Jesus Christ was born, that's why they picked that date/year.
The Gregorian Calendar (Christian) was not founded by an atheist or non-believer.
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