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You sure about that? Solstice has been celebrated by many ancient peoples. The design of stonehenge is in part to indicate the summer and winter solstices.
In MY belief the MAN Jesus existed and is a child of god just as and no more than ALL of us are a child of the godess. So to me "christ" is a newcomer over the Old Religion (paganism).
As for "christmas" its a national holiday. Since we do not celebrate based on religion since we are a secular government it is a secular holiday. I love it and the feeling of being with family, the traditions of tree and presents and spending time with family (which is from Norse pagan tradition) and the word "christmas" is just a name for the day. Japan celebrates Christmas and they are not christian but its a neat holiday.
I ALSO celebrate Yule (solstice) as a religious holiday. You are perfectly welcome to celebrate Christmas as one for you, but don't claim its not a holiday if you don't worship Jesus.
And I say "happy holidays" or more specifically "have a happy holiday" since whatever YOUR holiday is it should be happy.
Blessed Be.
I'm quite sure of what the Bible teaches = that Christ, as the Son of God (2nd Person of the Trinity) has existed forever. He is uncreated. God took on flesh and became a man while not losing any of His deity. Again, see John 1, Colossians 1, Hebrews 1, for example.
I realize the vast majority of people in the world do not believe the Bible...but the Bible emphatically teaches that Christ is eternal.
Blessings to all, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.
I'm Jewish and I'm happy that Christians are enjoying their Christmas holidays. I like the lights and stuff. I have no problem hearing "Merry Christmas." It's not my holiday but I'm not the Grinch either. I have no desire to ruin it for the others. That a lot of people celebrate Christmas does not diminish me as a Jew. If someone notices that I'm buying Chanukkah candles or a Chanukkah book for my children and they wish me Happy Chanukkah instead, I think that's nice. If they wish me Merry Christmas when they have concrete clues that I'm Jewish, I'll think they're a dope but no biggie.
Minorities need to accept being in the minority when it comes to benign stuff like this. To try to force the majority to yield to you on something like this is just narcissism. And it doesn't make you any more likeable.
Christians who take the "Christ" part of the word "Christmas" seriously feel that a greeting like "Happy Holidays" is a way of erasing the essence of their religious holiday, and I can sympathize with that.
A few years ago a rabbi wrote a good article expressing similar thoughts. He said that at Christmastime he took his kids into the city to see the Fifth Avenue store windows and the tree at Rockefeller Center, and it was always a fun activity for them. It didn't diminish his Jewishness any, because he was secure in who he was and passed that down to his children.
From another POV, I remember reading an interview with Steven Spielberg that always cracked me up. He said he grew up in the only Jewish family on a street that won awards every year for their Christmas light displays. People would drive up and down their street, and of course their house was the only dark one. He said he begged his father to just let them put up a few lights, but his father would say, "We're Jewish, Steven, we don't do that." Of course, when he got older he appreciated his father's lesson about being who you are and not trying to be someone else just because you don't fit with the majority.
You sure about that? Solstice has been celebrated by many ancient peoples. The design of stonehenge is in part to indicate the summer and winter solstices.
In MY belief the MAN Jesus existed and is a child of god just as and no more than ALL of us are a child of the godess. So to me "christ" is a newcomer over the Old Religion (paganism).
As for "christmas" its a national holiday. Since we do not celebrate based on religion since we are a secular government it is a secular holiday. I love it and the feeling of being with family, the traditions of tree and presents and spending time with family (which is from Norse pagan tradition) and the word "christmas" is just a name for the day. Japan celebrates Christmas and they are not christian but its a neat holiday.
I ALSO celebrate Yule (solstice) as a religious holiday. You are perfectly welcome to celebrate Christmas as one for you, but don't claim its not a holiday if you don't worship Jesus.
And I say "happy holidays" or more specifically "have a happy holiday" since whatever YOUR holiday is it should be happy.
Blessed Be.
And I hope your holidays, however you celebrate them, are wonderful, too.
I am Christian and I think that waiting for the solstice is something very ancient and innate within us. Even when I was a child, I knew that was the day when the light would turn and the days would begin to get longer again, and even though it would still be dark and cold for a few months afterward, I would check the sunrise and sunset times in the newspaper, knowing that minute by minute the light was coming back. Celebrating the solstice seems to be a perfectly natural thing, and I don't think that's anti-Christian at all. The idea that the early Christians tacked on the Christian Christmas concept of new beginnings/new life in one's personal life at this time of year makes sense, as does the celebration of the calendar New Year.
From another POV, I remember reading an interview with Steven Spielberg that always cracked me up. He said he grew up in the only Jewish family on a street that won awards every year for their Christmas light displays. People would drive up and down their street, and of course their house was the only dark one. He said he begged his father to just let them put up a few lights, but his father would say, "We're Jewish, Steven, we don't do that." Of course, when he got older he appreciated his father's lesson about being who you are and not trying to be someone else just because you don't fit with the majority.
I was raised Jewish in a similar situation so I can relate to being highlighted as the outsider. For whatever reason, though, I never longed to conform - in fact, I think I preferred it when I was accepted even though I was different and not part of The Group. Of course, that acceptance was never a given and still isn't.
I cannot believe how most Americans greet people as "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" during the Christmas season.
You celebrate the holidays for Christmas, not for anything else. I know there are are non-major holidays in December, such as Hanukkah... but we're not in Israel !
You do not say Happy Holidays for other holidays - it's only during Christmas season.
I know not everybody celebrate Christmas, but 97% of Americans do.
Just because we have nearly 2% Jews in America doesn't mean we have to change our world holiday greeting to Happy Holidays !
In Europe, millions of muslims lives there, but people still greet them Merry Christmas.
Who cares if they get offended? This is America, a by far majority Christian nation. I don't think people in Israel would get about changing their holidays and greeting for the Christian ones'
Don't get me wrong, nothing against the jews... I have many jewish friends. But right thing should be done.
Don't greet the Jews Merry Christmas if you are scared of them. BUT DO NOT CHANGE GREETINGS ON STORES TO HAPPY HOLIDAYS WHEN YOU KNOW IT'S FOR CHRISTMAS !
"Holiday cards, Holiday tree, Holiday lights, Holiday sales" - I mean it must be a joke!
Do we really have to listen to the same whine EVERY year? Don't want to say Happy Holidays then don't, want to say Merry Christmas go ahead, what on earth is the problem. FYI even though 97% of Americans celebrate Christmas does not mean 97% are Christians.
Casper
I cannot believe how most Americans greet people as "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" during the Christmas season.
You celebrate the holidays for Christmas, not for anything else. I know there are are non-major holidays in December, such as Hanukkah... but we're not in Israel !
You do not say Happy Holidays for other holidays - it's only during Christmas season.
I know not everybody celebrate Christmas, but 97% of Americans do.
Just because we have nearly 2% Jews in America doesn't mean we have to change our world holiday greeting to Happy Holidays !
In Europe, millions of muslims lives there, but people still greet them Merry Christmas.
Who cares if they get offended? This is America, a by far majority Christian nation. I don't think people in Israel would get about changing their holidays and greeting for the Christian ones'
Don't get me wrong, nothing against the jews... I have many jewish friends. But right thing should be done.
Don't greet the Jews Merry Christmas if you are scared of them. BUT DO NOT CHANGE GREETINGS ON STORES TO HAPPY HOLIDAYS WHEN YOU KNOW IT'S FOR CHRISTMAS !
"Holiday cards, Holiday tree, Holiday lights, Holiday sales" - I mean it must be a joke!
If we strong-arm businesses into saying "Merry Christmas" when they otherwise wouldn't...is that any better than muslims with their shariah law, forcing people to adjust to them?
I agree that Christmas is THE holiday....but I'm not sure we should force them to say it.
A few years ago a rabbi wrote a good article expressing similar thoughts. He said that at Christmastime he took his kids into the city to see the Fifth Avenue store windows and the tree at Rockefeller Center, and it was always a fun activity for them. It didn't diminish his Jewishness any, because he was secure in who he was and passed that down to his children.
Excellent point! I'm also Jewish, and I remember my Mom taking me to Macy's on Herald Square as a kid to see Santa Claus.
A few years ago a rabbi wrote a good article expressing similar thoughts. He said that at Christmastime he took his kids into the city to see the Fifth Avenue store windows and the tree at Rockefeller Center, and it was always a fun activity for them. It didn't diminish his Jewishness any, because he was secure in who he was and passed that down to his children.
From another POV, I remember reading an interview with Steven Spielberg that always cracked me up. He said he grew up in the only Jewish family on a street that won awards every year for their Christmas light displays. People would drive up and down their street, and of course their house was the only dark one. He said he begged his father to just let them put up a few lights, but his father would say, "We're Jewish, Steven, we don't do that." Of course, when he got older he appreciated his father's lesson about being who you are and not trying to be someone else just because you don't fit with the majority.
So Happy Hanukah to you!
Actually, my neighbor across the street, who is Jewish, puts up Hanukkah lights. The lights are all blue.
In my area , there are many Jews, and a fair sprinkling of Muslims and Hindus. Personally, I say Merry Christmas to people that I know are Christian, and Happy Holidays to people who aren't or I don't know. I used to say Happy Hanukkah to Jews but I screwed up the timing a few times (such as wishing them a HH after it was over)so just started going generic.
Hey nimchimpsky, how about Merry X-Mas River edge.
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