How much do you like Christmas?

[Murfreesboro]

Yes, I've heard of various groups that do that. I believe the Eastern Orthodox church does that, at least, the ones in Europe do. And when I studied French years ago, I learned that there were areas of France where the children got their gifts on Three Kings' Day. I think that was true in old Russia as well. I don't know how many keep to those traditions today, though. I have also heard of Pere Noel in modern France, and that sounds a whole lot like Santa Claus to me.

I stubbornly keep my decorations up through Epiphany, but on January 7th I'm ready to take it all down.

[WackyWonder]

I love everything about it! I love decorating the tree, baking cookies, listening to Christmas songs and watching Christmas movies and tv shows. I love the snow and seeing other people's decorations. I love spending time with my family. I just love it.

[Andybev01]

My favorite part of Christmas is the olde English tradition of telling ghost stories.

[Murfreesboro]

I love pretty much everything about Christmas. I celebrate it as a season, not just a day, and there is never enough time to do everything I want to do in any one season, so I have to spread my plans out over two or three years to get around to it all.

I agree that there is a haunted quality to Christmas. That's one of the brilliant insights in Dickens's Christmas Carol, IMO.

As I've gotten older, the religious side of Christmas has meant more to me. I make it a point to observe Advent, read the Bible, go to Lessons & Carols as well as Christmas Eve services, that sort of thing. For those who feel Christmas is mainly for kids, I would recommend immersing yourself in that more serious side of the holiday.

[MacPhantom]

I generally loathe Crimbo until about the 20th of December. Then I sometimes like it a little bit. But mostly cause I want presents.

[Andybev01]

If you were true to your convictions you would eschew all Christmas gifts, as accepting them would make you appear flip-floppy.

[MacPhantom]

If anyone wants to get me an early gift, I could actually use a new pair of flip-flops. Size ten and a half; elevens if whole sizes only.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I generaly have mixed feelings about Christmas. I love the old traditions. I love putting out the Advent Wreath, I love putting up the tree and strings of lights, and I love throwing my Tree Trimming Party that I do every Decmber for my little nieces and nephews, but I don't like how the day, istelf has degenerated in my family. To my knowledge, my younger sister, older sister and I are the only ones who still celebrate Christmas as a Religious holiday. For everyone else, it's just a day for "yucking it up" and for games and the like. That's just my own take on the holiday. I still very fervently celebrate CHRISTmas as was allways family tradidion since long before I was born.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

I know that many people--maybe most people nowadays--do celebrate Christmas more as a cultural than a religious holiday. Certainly a person can do that. But IMO the holiday becomes deracinated when people do that. It starts to wither when it is cut off from its roots. I love all the aspects of it, but at its core, for me, there's a religious mystery.

[Pumpkin_Man]

For me, the magic of the Christmas Season was very much because of it being a Religious holiday. The Baby Jesus was as important to that as was Santa Clause. Even more so, as it was my belief when I was a child, that Santa Clause was brought about by the Baby Jesus.

So Religion was allwasy an important part of my Christmas Celebration Tradition.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

Well, you were right, I think. Santa Claus was brought about by the baby Jesus. No baby Jesus, no Santa, either. And Santa is a saint, after all, not just a commercial mascot.

[Spookymufu]

If I wasnt married and had kids I wouldnt celebrate Christmas, it would be just another day and I would volunteer to work so others who care could have it off.

[Murfreesboro]

Well, that's a sweet thought, Spooky. Ironically, your desire to volunteer so others could enjoy the day is probably a lot closer to what Jesus would want people to be doing! Of course, with your family, you aren't free to do that right now. Perhaps when your kids are grown up, you can!

When my husband was in the military, there was a Jewish officer in his unit who always volunteered for Christmas duty. We all appreciated it very much.

[Spookymufu]

Well, that's a sweet thought, Spooky. Ironically, your desire to volunteer so others could enjoy the day is probably a lot closer to what Jesus would want people to be doing! Of course, with your family, you aren't free to do that right now. Perhaps when your kids are grown up, you can!

When my husband was in the military, there was a Jewish officer in his unit who always volunteered for Christmas duty. We all appreciated it very much.

oh, my non-interest in celebrating has NOTHING to do with what I believe, I simply hate the whole idea of gifts and commercialization, but I have no problem with letting others be home with their families if they choose to. Before I had a family I volunteered to work all the holidays so others could be off

[Murfreesboro]

You may be on the same wave-length as my husband. He is a Christian believer, but he dislikes disruptions to his routine, and he generally gets out-of-sorts around Christmas. So much expense and hoopla and overly-crowded schedules. He does like the holiday meals I cook, though!