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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Christmas With A Capital "C"

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I dont believe in any God and I dont like the capitalistic whore show that Christmas has become. But it doesnt bother me at all when people celebrate Christmas, I quess I love the way the kids (grand-kids now) are into it. Its funny how when they are young the wrapping paper is what they to play with the most.

joealbero said...

anonymous 8:49, I always find it a shame that a pussy like you would make such a harsh statement and hide behind anonymous.

Anonymous said...

I thought I was just being honest and tolerant of other peoples beliefs. You cant bait me Joe, maybe some of them you can, but not me. Dont waste your time trying.

Anonymous said...

If you try to use & play me as a pawn, I will leave you in yesterday.

Anonymous said...

Whos hiding now.

Anonymous said...

Christmas is celebrating the birth of Christ! If you don't believe in God, then why do you celebrate?

Alex said...

I agree with 9:21 it is the birth of Christ, but I also think that 8:49 has a point (I would use different words). Christmas has become way too commercialized. It's all about shopping and eating.
I think that very few people truly celebrated the birth of Christ.

Scott Phoebus said...

Anonymous 8;49
If You think it's a as you would call it "whore" show, why would you let your kids or grand kids enjoy it??

Anonymous said...

I dont, the kids and grand kids as they grow should be able to make the decisions about Christ on their own with no negative thoughts from me about it. I do it for the kids, they have members of the family that can expose them to religion. Then its their choice. Im fine with whatever they choose to believe.

Anonymous said...

How would it make them feel if I took Christmas away from them? They are two young to know what its about. I try to keep the spending to things they need anyway.

joealbero said...

anonymous 9:45, With all due respect, some parenting skills you have. I'll bet you believe Teachers should do all the work too.

Anonymous said...

Thats the dumbest thing you have ever said to me.

Judy said...

The kids in our church sang this song, I think it's worth reading:

Happy Birthday To You

Verse 1
We each have a special day
That comes 'round once a year
And when all our friends remember it
It shows how much they care
They send you cards and give you gifts
And bake a cake to bring
These loved ones gather 'round you
And someone starts to sing

Chorus 1
Happy birthday Happy birthday
Happy birthday to You

Verse 2
If the whole world knew your birthday
If it was marked in green and red
If they counted down the days to it
And then not a word was said
How sad you'd feel it they forgot
Your very special day
If even though they knew it
Now one took the time to say


Verse 3
Now Jesus has a birthday
Just like me and you
And though ev'rybody knows it
Still the fact is often true
That we forget to remember Him
On His very special day
We have our minds on others
And we never stop to say

Happy birthday to You

Anonymous said...

No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth probably occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible records shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter. So why do we celebrate Christ’s birthday as Christmas, on December the 25th?

The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.

In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking. It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born.

In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.

Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule itself means “wheel,” the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Hollyberries were thought to be a food of the gods.

The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshipping huge trees.

In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.

Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany. A prominent Lutheran minister of the day cried blasphemy: “Better that they should look to the true tree of life, Christ.”

The controversy continues even today in some fundamentalist sects.

From http://www.essortment.com/all/christmaspagan_rece.htm

Anonymous said...

I enjoy playing Reba McEntire's song at Christmas time too. It's Happy Birthday Jesus. It helps to remind ME what Christmas is about and the kids love it too.

The Delmar Chamber of Commerce is reminding everyone too by adding a special float category in their Christmas Parade called "Putting Christ Back In To Christmas".

I think it has just gotten too commercialized and people need to go back to the "simple" Christmas celebrations. In our family, it's not all about the gifts we exchange, it's the celebration and the coming together of family during a happy time.

Anonymous said...

To 8:49 & 9:45
I feel sorry for you two , you must live a horrible life. Maybe we could meet sometime and I would bring some joy into your lives. Just give me the word and we can meet somewhere , it would be a pleasure to take a load off your shoulders , I'm talking about your head , but then , I would have to pull it out of your a$$ first.

Scott Phoebus said...

Anonymous 8:49
So i guess even if you don't believe in God that some how he brings you together with your family,and you enjoy that day with them.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon 10:20

That sounds like a very Christian thing to do. Maybe you'd have joy in your life if you weren't such a psychopath.

Anonymous said...

It's great that the Delmar parade is doing that! Good for them! The last few Salisbury parades I went to, only a couple of participants mentioned anything about the birth of Christ. But then again, several churches have asked over the years not to have the Salisbury parade on Sunday so it would make it easier for them to participate. I don't think that is a concern for the Jaycees.

Anonymous said...

10:20, If you are a Christian and celebrate Christmas, you should be ashamed of talking to others like that. Your words are just as bad as theirs. Just my opinion.

Alex said...

I'm an Easter Orthodox and we celbrate Christmas on Jan 7. We consider it a very private religious holiday. Instead we exchange gifts New Years Eve.

Anonymous said...

I believe in Xmas with a capital X that's Xmas will always be for me

doug wilkerson said...

My,My,My...