Hijacking Christmas

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by Seattle, Dec 24, 2016.

  1. Seattle Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,857
    Christianity has managed to "hijack"

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

    Christmas. Yes, I realize Christmas originated with Christianity but, other than some symbolism, Christmas today has little to do with Christianity. It's just one of the most popular holidays (in many countries).

    Can you imagine if "be nice to your neighbor" was the message behind the holiday on Dec. 25th and all of the symbolism, lights, decorations had to do with cooperation, world peace, etc?

    Since Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) is probably the second most important holiday and since it's based on cooperation with Native Americans, which is probably offensive to Native Americans since that's not really our track record, we should consider Thanksgiving to be up for "re-purposing".

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!



    Thanksgiving can be "be nice to your neighbor" day and maybe in the future we can re-purpose Christmas to just be national (international) gift-giving day?
     
  2. Guest Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  3. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    18,935
    If A begets B, but then B changes so it no longer resembles A, that's not exactly A hijacking B.

    More like A de-hijacking B.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

    (as if the hijackers parachuted out and let it continue on its way)

    All seriousness aside, what it really is is C hijacking B, where C is commercialism.
     
  4. Guest Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  5. billvon Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    21,635
    Nonsense! Christmas has become persecution day here in the US, where fundamentalists wail and carry on about all the horrendous bigotry they are forced to accept. People saying "happy holidays" instead of "merry Christmas," people using snowflakes that look like Jewish stars instead of crosses as symbols for Christmas - even Starbucks using green cups with no mention of Christmas whatsoever!
     
  6. Guest Guest Advertisement



    to hide all adverts.
  7. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    18,935
    It still is that way. Just because the media would sell you the deal that it's about spending doesn't mean you have to buy it.
     
  8. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    18,935
    As many always will.

    It doesn't have to change our own ideas about what Christmas is. Buy a homeless guy a hot meal.
     
  9. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    54,036
    I think Christmas is a secular holiday that's about being nice. We took it back from Christians a while ago.
     
    danshawen and DaveC426913 like this.
  10. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    18,935
    Also well said.
     
  11. danshawen Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,951
    Being nice is something everyone can agree on. Not ramming your own religion up other people and culture's collective wazoo's or governing a diverse people that way isn't just one more way to be nice or politically correct. It's the right and moral and legally mandatory thing to do.

    The limits of freedom of religion are defined by whether or not they interfere with other human and civil rights and / or someone else's freedom to practice their own religion subject to the same limitations. No single enumerated right in the Bill of Rights is more equal than the others.
     
    Last edited: Dec 24, 2016
  12. Seattle Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,857
    Christmas has never been about being nice to your neighbor in the global sense. Sure you might give a present to your neighbor and it's the media that is feeding that.
     
  13. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    18,935
    Right. Christmas is about what individuals decide it's about.

    I buy a hot meal and coffee for the homeless guy outside McDonalds.
    I use Christmas as an opportunity to get together with friends I haven't seen.
    I don't buy presents for anyone.
     
  14. Seattle Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,857
    Christmas would have more meaning if you bought a hot meal and coffee for the homeless guy outside McDonalds everyday since he gets hungry every day.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  15. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    18,935
    That would be more gooder, but wouldn't give Christmas more meaning; it would in fact dilute it. (Which isn't a bad thing in the larger picture.)
     
    Seattle likes this.
  16. Seattle Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,857
    That will be my new line when someone asks me for money on the street...."I'd like to but that would dilute Christmas now wouldn't it?"

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
    DaveC426913 likes this.
  17. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    13,077
    Commercialization has stolen Christmas.

    Yes, I realize Christmas originated with Christianity

    Errr no it didn't.

    Christmas (of course was not called Christmas at the time) was stolen from Pagans.

    ......Romans had a series of pagan festivals near the end of the year, so Christmas may have been scheduled at this time to appropriate.....

    So certain events were stolen from fun practices connected to pagan natural rhythms of seasons.

    Then christians turned the holidays into idolization.

    Then comes commercialization.

    I still think the mix, such as it is, provides a time of reflection and assessment.

    Sort of a collective frantic yoga.

    Humpty Dumpty and Poe waiting under the pagan mistletoe.
     
    Seattle likes this.
  18. birch Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,077
    I must say there is something so right and original about the way the europeans have traditionalized christmas. It's that whole harry potterish, disneyish, charles dickens, swiss colony etc theme of christmas. There is something about traditions that are so lovely because they are 'traditional.' Did i mention Burl Ives? I cant get 'have a holly jolly christmas, its the best time of the year!' out of my head.

    Also christmas is not complete without the cold weather (snow is ideal), tree (prefer traditional decorations) with an angel on top, fireplace (stone or brick), the little decorative village that lights up and stockings hung on the mantle, old christmas or family friendly movies, hot cocoa, eggnog, gingerbread house, hickory farms gift sets etc. It's just so wholesome, cozy, nostalgic with a touch of magic and the whimsical.

    Christmas and thanksgiving are two holidays i prefer as reminiscent of a bygone era and old worldish as possible. I cant stand these holidays to be contemporary, it just whitewashes and sterilizes away the spirit, charm, spice and nuance of it.
     
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2016
    Seattle likes this.
  19. Stoniphi obscurely fossiliferous Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,256
    Yes, the Yuletide winter solstice celebrations were renamed the "Christ Mass" pretty much the same way that Carnival became Mardi Gras, the first day of Lent. The Eaostre celebration of the vernal equinox became Easter etc....

    Gotta give a shout - out to Constantine and his momma for rewriting that whole religion too.

    The commercialization of all of that stuff is just how contemporary western culture milks pretty much everything it can for a few bucks.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     

Share This Page