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Have We Lost the True Meaning of Christmas?

As we come up to Christmas, it is almost impossible to avoid the huge plastic illuminated displays, tacky music and Christmas specials on TV. Is Christmas becoming too commercial? Should we return to more traditional celebrations? What is Christmas supposed to ‘mean’ anyway?

All the Yes points:

  1. Christmas starts too early.
  2. Society’s way of pushing us to work harder
  3. Christmas
  4. Christmas is too commercial and people have forgotten what it is really about
  5. Christmas is more important than presents!
  6. The True Meaning Of Christmas:

All the No points:

  1. Still plenty of options for a more traditional celebration.
  2. Christmas means different things to different people.

Christmas starts too early.

Yes because…

This year the Christmas lights went up in the Town Centre in the middle of November. The shops put up their displays even earlier. People want Christmas without having to wait, thus completely divorcing the festival from its season, its context and any accompanying meaning.

As soon as halloween is over ,we go straight to christmas.

No because…

There are so few bank holidays, especially in Britain, we need the festive spirit to occupy our minds, and we need it for as long as possible.

In these secular times, when religion plays little importance in our lives, we need something else. Festive cheer is the answer. Yes, the stores may start flogging Christmas good early in November, and lights may be turned on months in advance of the main event of Christmas day, but this does lift our spirits. We start to think what we should buy others to cheer them up; we talk to old family members, we even offer perfect strangers good will. If this spirit is prolonged by commercialism then surely it is positive and not negative. The good will of Christmas is prolonged, not ruined.

Society’s way of pushing us to work harder

Yes because…

Most people no longer believe in Christ. In a recent survey, less than three-quarters of children knew Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus, with 11 per cent believing it was the birthday of Father Christmas(1). This shows us that society sees Christmas as a shopping holiday and society is only too happy to keep this momentum going.

As a secular society, the idea of Christmas being religious is a distant memory, and society wants it to stay that way. Christmas is now just a way of society pushing its inhabitants to work. We have images of expensive sofas, big houses and big presents shoved in our faces; this is the old age trick of the carrot enticing the donkey. Work hard, earn money and this is what you can have. Christmas is now a tool used by the government and those in power to entice people into working all the hours God sends in the vain hope of achieving the Christmas dream; comfy house, 2.4 family and expensive presents.

In the current economic crisis, it is all the more important; ensuring that people keep spending to keep the economy alive.

(1) http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/67635/Santa-was-born-at-Christmas-wasn-t-he-

No because…

Christmas

Yes because…

It starts ludicrously early and all it means are presents. No true meaning left.

No because…

the presents we receive represent the gift the wise men bought the lord when he was young, so the presents are still part of the tradition

Christmas is too commercial and people have forgotten what it is really about

Yes because…

Christmas is supposed to be a religious festival where families come together and celebrate. It isn’t about plastic santas and lights. Tacky decorations such as these have nothing to do with family, respect or rejoicing for our fortunes. These are simply disgusting and contribute to destroying our planet for no valid reason what so ever. How can people possibly think covering their house in lights and sticking up plastic decorations could look christmassy!

No because…

Christmas is more important than presents!

Yes because…

Although we don’t have idea when Christ born, Christmas has taken an importance in our lives, even for the people that don’t believe in God and obviously in Jesus Christ but anyway they celebrate it. In my opinion Christmas ought to be a celebration where the people think about his relationship with Jesus, but nowadays the people is selfish and they only think in them, they are only worry in the presents and the money that they will need to buy these, this worry has been a big problem in many families because children are expecting many gifts with greedy, the children see and beg us for the most expensive things that they don’t even need. Because of this, parents spend every Christmas a lot of money on presents than the things that are important like feelings and the love in their families. The shops tempt people by reducing items, putting on massive sales months before Christmas has even started.

We must return to the original way of Christmas even if we don’t know exactly when Jesus born, we must don’t be selfish and think more in the Jesus’ love for us. That is the real meaning of the Christmas

No because…

The True Meaning Of Christmas:

Yes because…

Thank goodness ive finally found folk/people who share the same views as myself i think, as to when it comes to the matter of christmas. To believe that i seem to spend most of my days saying humbug to someone or somethink thats completely the ridicule/a whole sherade as to what christmas is really ment to be about. Here in leeds, practically ever shop/restaurant/takeway outlet/supermarket/banks/post offices/government buildings had all their christmas trees up, festtive lights, tinsel/decorations scattered around their environments 6/7 weeks before christmas is even due/here, still november and with myself just celebrating a friends birhday out a bar/restaurant with friends etc, what should be on the music box at a weatherspoons diner/bar but christmas music as to whilst im tucking into a sunday dinner with my friend trying to celebrate his birthday, madness, the whole world has gone mad, im going to boycott xmas this year, not a card, not a gift, a sunday lunch, just a visit on christmas eve for midnight mass, and then again on christmas day thats if the local vicarage is doing sermons on the most sacred day of the year, we shall see. All the best, thank you for reading my message if done so, may you and your love ones have a merry christmas indeed, and may the lord be with you, along with everyone that wont be spending christmas with their loved ones/friends/family, indeed.

No because…

Still plenty of options for a more traditional celebration.

No because…

In Sheffield, the Cathedral and Churches of almost every denomination have Christmas services, and so does the University, the University Chaplaincy and all the Christian societies in the Student’s Union. There is an opportunity to celebrate Christmas in any way you want to if you look for it.

Yes because…

Christmas means different things to different people.

No because…

To some, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ. To some, it means friendship, love, giving and receiving. To some it is a time to visit family and have a huge row. To others it is a day of feasting and merriment or even just a well-earned day off work. They are all celebrating it according to what they see as its ‘true meaning’. Criticising this would be intruding upon their personal lives.

Yes because…

One reason is that children are expecting many presents and are getting greedier every year. Because of this, parents and guardians are spending a lot of money on presents rather than the things that are important. Christmas time is the time when shops are receiving a large amount of money; this is their money-making time! Another reason is Santa. Although Santa is quite poplar to children in all countries, he doesn’t have much to with Christmas. However there is one reason; when Jesus was born, the kings bought him presents. So Santa has got a little to do with Christmas but originally his name was St. Nicholas! Christmas is a time to think about the birth of Jesus, and spend time with our families. It is a very religious time and Christians are meant to do religious practices however many don’t; going to church is an example and so is telling the Christmas story in detail. It is believed that 10 % of Christians know the full Christmas story and in detail however 90% of Cristians only know the outline of the story wothout much detail. Another massive exploiter of christmas are shops. They tempt us by reducing items, putting on massive sale months before christmas has even started. Our children see this and beg us for the most expensive things that they dont even need.

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Bob
7 years ago

No because it brings friends and family together to share the festive time of year and share what a great year they have had.

william
7 years ago
Reply to  Bob

i went into a large card shop at the weekend and after looking round for a good 5 minutes or more for proper christmas cards i. e.those depicting the birth of christ ,the nativity etc i couldnt find any,so i asked the shop assistant where they where, see took me to the back of the shop and there ,hidden amongst all the other stuff was a little selection of around 6/8 cards.i said is this all you have? and she replied yes. i said you have a shop here with thousands of cards with christmas on and yet these 6/8 cards are all you have depicting the real reason we have christmas. well i only work here she said i wasnt getting at her, but i found it shameful that a national card company had such a meager selection of cards depicting religious scenes,this allegedly being a christian country an all. so an other nail in the coffin of christmas cards depicting the true meaning of the event,give it an other couple of years and you wont get any at all, so many people are truly lost to its meaning.

wolf cook
8 years ago
Reply to  Dave

if people celebrated christmas in the way it should then the churches would be full and the pubs empty but as we have now with each passing year become more morally bankrupt where gods word has little or no meaning to many.where gods word has been watered down so we are politically correct christmas is just a big excuse to eat and drink twice as much as you normally do, i myself am a practicing christian one year i was out having a drink with my friends as you do i said to this woman standing at the bar beside me isnt it a wonderful thing what christ did for us, being born as man and to die on the cross for our sins .she looked at me in amazment as if i had two heads and said are you f—–g stupid you dont belive in all that crap do you,i said yes i do ,what do you think christmas means christ mas. i must have been really stupid to think people had the same outlook as me and unless you are a true christian and truly know what christmas represents youll know that you dont need to go out and spend a fortune on stuff youll know christ is with you all the time you know christmas is in your heart every day in the way you act towards other people. i love christmas for what it represents ,i hate what it has become, the world may change but gods word is unchanging. christmas if done properly can be uplifting and wonderful ,if done badly can bring sorrow and heartache,and in this consumer ridden world i think it is more likley to be the latter,where shops make a fortune and people get deeper into debt celebrating something they dont belive in or do for 48 hrs till its all done .to me the true meaning of christmas was lost years ago and its not coming back.

Alex Denison
10 years ago

many people have taken to spending more on presents than thinking of what Christmas is really about. Christmas was originally a Christian holiday celebrated for the birth of the Christian savior, Jesus Christ. It was celebrated to remember the sacrifice Jesus made by dying on the cross to forgive our sins, by giving presents, we are representing the sacrifice.

dutch national
10 years ago
Reply to  Alex Denison

In the Netherlands it’s more easy to separate the giving of presents and the celebrating of the birth of christ. In the more traditional families we don ‘t give any presents at christmas. We give presents at st. Nicolas (dec 5th), mainly to children or to adults as small surprises, always without names, all the presents are given by st. Nicolas. This ancient tradition devolved within the US into Santaclaus (=st. Nicolas) within the large dutch speaking population (19th century) of New York state.

Nowadays some families celebrate christmas in the american way, with presents. I, being a bit traditional, prefer the traditional st. Nicolas and a traditional Christmas, without stuffing myself with too much food.

Alex Denison
10 years ago
Reply to  dutch national

my mother immigrated from Holland, so we actually celebrate in some of the same ways! that is so awesome!!! I love eating pepernoten during the Christmas season!

Julia
11 years ago

I don’t think society has lost the true meaning of christmas…in fact if you search online you’d fine millions of people who don’t just want peasents. They want what I want. Midnight mass with the family, playing with snow outside and drinking hot chocolate afterwards. I do agree that sometimes christmas starts a little bit to early but does it matter?! People shouldn’t think if christmas as a chore! A mother should not feel stressed because she has to cook the Christmas dinner and a father should not feel guilty if he can’t afford to get something for everyone. If anyone feels like that then they should just stop…and pause. Think of all the good things that make up christmas. Think about your family laughing around the dinner table and think about your children laughing and running into your arms when you give them the best present of all…the grift of love and fun. And just to let you all know, I am only 15 years of age. I don’t know if you care or not but this just goes to show that even our future generation know the true meaning if christmas

Alex Denison
10 years ago
Reply to  Julia

no, Christmas should not be a chore! :) But there should be thought of why you are celebrating it. are you celebrating it because it is fun, or are you celebrating it because Jesus was born and died for you, so that you could be saved from your sins.

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