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Old 12-03-2007, 03:05 PM
 
Location: Brusssels
1,949 posts, read 3,852,432 times
Reputation: 1921

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Just wondering how other non-Christians feel when surrounded by the entire Christmas culture.

I for one find it wonderful that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ - we Hindus celebrate in a similar ways. For example, Ganehsa Chaturati celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha...Krishna Janmashthami celebrates the birth of Krishna, etc.

Since I believe we are all worhipping the same God (by different names), it is easy to feel like a part of the entire Christmas celebration. I'm not into the entire gift-giving tradition but the meaning of the holiday does resonate.
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Old 12-03-2007, 03:24 PM
 
Location: huh?
3,099 posts, read 2,628,967 times
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i am happy that you are feeling the spirit.
i dont have any type of religious feelings toward or during christmas. christmas = santa (and family times) to me. i know that's bad!
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Old 12-03-2007, 03:50 PM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,286 posts, read 51,743,045 times
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I feel mixed about it... I'm all for the happy attitudes, colorful lights & decorations, "warm fuzzies," sales, music, even the endless Christmas movies! But this always comes with debates (Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas, separation of church & state, etc.), gross commercialization, crowds at the mall, and of course the non-Christmas celebrators feeling a bit left-out. I can't morally participate in this holiday, and some people actually make me feel guilty about it - saying things like "Where's your Christmas spirit?" or harping over the Happy Holidays issue. So if we could just eliminate this negative stuff, I'd have absolutely no problems with Christmas time.

For the record, I generally do the traditional Jewish things on Christmas eve & day... Chinese food and a movie, or just staying comfortably at home. Chanukah starts tomorrow evening, and I probably won't do much for that either - aside from lighting the menorah and saying the prayers. Now that my family is older, we generally just get together once (with each parent) around Chanukah, for latkes and gift exchanging. Yummy! We'll also attend the public menorah lighting, down where my sister & mother live... it's on my mom's birthday this year, so we're making it a joint celebration (she hates that, LOL).
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Old 12-03-2007, 04:00 PM
 
Location: Cali
3,951 posts, read 7,163,893 times
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I understand why some people do feel left out. I do feel for them. But facts are facts and eighty five to nintey percent of all people in the US celebrate Christmas one way or another.

Over at the religion and philosophy boards at IMDb.com many people have stated that they dislike christmas very much.
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Old 12-03-2007, 04:11 PM
 
Location: Mississippi
6,712 posts, read 13,425,675 times
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It doesn't matter to me. I don't look at Christmas as something special because it celebrates the birth of Christ. I look at it as a time to spend with my family and loved ones and that's all that really matters in the end. At least to me.
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Old 12-03-2007, 04:22 PM
 
Location: Florida (SW)
47,855 posts, read 21,879,068 times
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I celebrate Christmas as the midwinter festival. I honor the spirits of the forest and the magical lights that shine in the sky and reflected from candles and fires in the eyes of loved ones. I delight in the stories of how the animals celebrate Christmas by talking on this one day of the year. I remember going out and putting up suet for the nuthatch and chickadees on the day before christmas. I remember the wonderment of my childhood, "He Came! He Came!" I love Christmas as a time when people can stop and let the love flow. I especially thrill to the carols. If Jesus has anything to do with that...God Bless him too! I am a Unitarian-Universalist. I don't consider myself a Christian but I am open to the truths which that religion contains.
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Old 12-03-2007, 04:55 PM
 
Location: huh?
3,099 posts, read 2,628,967 times
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whoa! that sounds so special also! it sounds a bit paganish to me. is it? (you know, the forest and the animals and such?)
Quote:
Originally Posted by elston View Post
I celebrate Christmas as the midwinter festival. I honor the spirits of the forest and the magical lights that shine in the sky and reflected from candles and fires in the eyes of loved ones. I delight in the stories of how the animals celebrate Christmas by talking on this one day of the year. I remember going out and putting up suet for the nuthatch and chickadees on the day before christmas. I remember the wonderment of my childhood, "He Came! He Came!" I love Christmas as a time when people can stop and let the love flow. I especially thrill to the carols. If Jesus has anything to do with that...God Bless him too! I am a Unitarian-Universalist. I don't consider myself a Christian but I am open to the truths which that religion contains.
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Old 12-03-2007, 05:17 PM
 
Location: Working on relocating
800 posts, read 4,287,228 times
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I don't call myself Christian. I was raised that way, but I like all positive religions so I'm an Everything-ian

I dislike the commercialism of the holiday season in the U.S. We celebrate, but we don't give gifts to each other in my family. We use the time to spend with each other and enjoy

For me, my holiday passed...Halloween..."Bonfires burning bright, pumpkin faces in the night. I remember Halloween." Okay, I'm signing the Misfits' song
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Old 12-03-2007, 05:18 PM
 
Location: Florida (SW)
47,855 posts, read 21,879,068 times
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a bit pagan; a bit visionary mystic; a bit shamanic; a bit Shinto and a bit Toaist and a bit Christian. I am open and I have a wonderful time.
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Old 12-04-2007, 01:58 AM
 
Location: The Netherlands
8,568 posts, read 16,184,039 times
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I'm fine with Christmas, unless people 'force' me to be merry when I'm not feeling merry at all.
In those situations it makes me feel phoney.

The one thing I truly dislike about Christmas is the commercialism, I despise commercialism.
I'm also of the opinion that it only reinforces the gimme-gimme attitude of little children.
I find it truly disturbing that children stations around the world, especially during Christmas, bombard their little viewers with tons of commercials to manipulate the children into manipulating their parents to buy them the things they WANT instead of NEED.
So whenever they get what they want, it only strengthens their conviction that want should surpass need.
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