Bah humbug

[Rob Williams]

I don't celebrate Christmas or any other holiday, but I couldn't help but burst out laughing over this article:

http://www.slate.com/id/2155906

A contract consultant sends word that the company to which he is currently assigned recently sent out an e-mail to some 2,000-odd consultants. The company would give away two $100 gift cards—to two of the brave souls who would commit to work 80 hours between Dec. 18 and Dec. 31. As our correspondent noted: "Hey, if you work Christmas, we'll put you in a pool of 2,000 other folks to maybe win a hundred bucks."

 

[Jakal]

I don't celebrate Christmas or any other holiday

W-what? Aww come on Rob. That ain't right. Those times are some of the best. Being around great friends and family. Well.. maybe we'll just let the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future show you the joy of the season~

 

[Rory Buszka]

Even some of my atheist friends and acquaintances celebrate Christmas. In their mind, if they have the opportunity to profit from what they view to be the stupidity of others, they have an almost Darwinistic obligation to take advantage of it. So there's really not much excuse to avoid getting into the spirit of the season. Still, here's hoping that something happened to make your Christmas more special than the other days of the year.

 

[Rob Williams]

"Even some of my atheist friends and acquaintances celebrate Christmas."

That's truly ridiculous. To them, it has nothing to do with the "true" meaning, but they celebrate it "just because". Would a straight guy go to a gay bar to meet a mate? I think most of it has to do with the fact that "everyone else" celebrates it, so they'd feel like idiots to not bother. Kind of like smoking in mid-school. People do it because it's the "in" thing to do. I have a lot of people tell me they hate Christmas, they simply celebrate it because it's commonplace.

"So there's really not much excuse to avoid getting into the spirit of the season."

Heh. Ok, because it's "that" time of the year, I'll be nice to people and they can be nice back. But **** it the rest of the year... no need to get along then.

I won't argue about this, I could go into lengthy reasons as to why I don't celebrate it (and other) holidays, but I don't have that much time. Simply put... why would I celebrate a holiday that really has nothing to do with what most people give it credit for? Simply because I am told to? I can buy presents for people and see my family any time of the year. I don't need a schedule to live by.

 

[Greg King]

While my beliefs are somewhat differant than those of my childhood but I celebrate Christmas not for the underlining message of the holiday, but for my family. There isn't anything on this earth like watching your children open gifts on Christmas morning. It's not about me believing or not believing, it's about the respect I have for my family. I personally did not ask for a thing this year for Christmas. It was only through the generosity of my friends and family that I recieved anything. Thats waht Christmas is today, the exchange of gifts. It's sad, I know, but it would seem that it's what it's become.

Season's greetings y'all.

 

[Rob Williams]

"Thats waht Christmas is today, the exchange of gifts."

Exactly... so why do I get questions asking me why I don't celebrate it? It seems -no one- celebrates it for what religion sets it out to be, so why is it so odd that I choose to have no part? I don't celebrate it at all, you guys don't celebrate it for the "right" reasons. In a way, we are in the same bout.

There's no hidden barrier that stops people from giving gifts any other time of the year, or to get together with family. I still live with my immediate family, I don't need to be told a day of the year to get all fuzzy inside while being around them.

 

[Tech-Daddy]

For religious observations, I am bringing my son up with the initial understanding of "why" we celebrate Christmas. Later, as his comprehension improves, I will explain to him the *facts* behind Christmas, why we celebrate it when we do, and how to make the holiday more family centric and "respectful of the meaning" of Christmas and less about the hoopla of the feeding frenzy that is Christmas Shopping.

I think I understand your frustrations Rob. The whole commercialization of Christams added into the fact that this date is questionable at best as a "birthdate" of the Christian Christ Jesus, as well as it's less than circumstantial occurrance of transpiring near the winter solstice as a way to make it easier to swing paegans into the early Christian church and convert them.

There are a lot of problems with the way Christmas is celebrated. However, as stated earlier... given the proper frame of mind and thinking, I don't find it improper to "pay tribute" to Jesus' birthday even if it is on the wrong day. Chances are, we will never know the "exact day"... so December 25th works for me.

And I Like your thinking about "adhering to someone else's schedule" for gift giving, and I agree whole heartedly. You don't need to wait until Christmas to be nice to people... it should be daily!

I knew there was a reason I liked it so much over here!