Christmas?

[Sampanviking]

The shortest day, the death of the old sun and transit through the heart of darkness when all life is withdrawn from the earth itself.



What a special time, to remember to reflect and to consider. The day that the sun started to come back has always been special on these Islands and its not hard to see why. The Mid Winter Solstace is so far more profound than the Midsummer.



If you strip away the Middle Eastern Imports and the mindless consumerism and just think about it as in these terms, you really do get the most powerful link to the soul of your every ancestor that has ever wandered these parts.



For me, this is special.

[johnofgwent]

In a straight answer to the OP I think it was C S Lewis who wrote a tale of a strange land where the people held two "festivals" one an observance of a deity the other a  mad orgy of eating and drinking ... but the weird thing is both take place on the same day.



I think we all know exactly why this came about. Among those who believe a child who would be crucified by the Roman's was actually born, how many actually believe this took place at the winter solstice, and how many believe the Christian evangelists, arriving in this heathen land, took one look at the feasting and excess that took place exactly nine months after a fertility festival and decided both needed to be overwritten by days marking the new religion ....



So the reality is there are many reasons, nothing whatsoever to do with the Christian religion, for a bit of a party at the time of year that is without doubt the most miserable, most depressing, and most likely to kill off the weak and the old.



And that's before I chuck in Hannukah and Diwali.

[johnofgwent]

I too am Viking - through my father. I will tell you once again that it is no fairy story and once again you will tell me reasons that I am wrong. There will be a time when we will all realise the truth, perhaps then we will be able to compare notes.  :hattip



I take it you simply drink through the holiday season.

Actually Toots, I f*****g hate Christmas



Sorry to put it that way but over the last 55 years there has not been a year in which I have not taken someone to A and E, been there myself or been in need of an undertaker between the 8th and the 30th Dec



There was one day, the 13th, which was clear.



Until this year.



Moira fell down the stairs friday night  broke her nose and eye socket, knocked herself right out, stopped breathing as the blood blocked her airway, and the 999 service declared this NOT a priority... so I took her to a and e myself in the car...



The ambulance did turn up several hours later



They got no answer as we were in the hospital as I had done their job for them



So they called the police who broke into my home



And when they saw the blood, launched a murder hunt



Four fully taser toting plod rocked up to a and e to demand my explanation.



After I'd put them straight, even the resus unit head apologised for their rocking up.like that.



We drink very little



Until 8pm on dec 31st



Then I go.up the pub, and go nuts.



Happy New Year

[T00ts]

I am a viking.



On the winter solstice we start drinking



We stop when we have run out of stuff to drink and the hardest of us has sobered up enough to notice the day is perceptible longer than it was last week ...



Some jerk tried to peddle this fairy story that he died and was brought back from the dead in three days.



We pointed out that Odin did this already, hanging on Yggdrasil until he was dead, whereupon he used the knowledge of runes he previously gave his eye to.learn, to bring himself back from the dead....

I too am Viking - through my father. I will tell you once again that it is no fairy story and once again you will tell me reasons that I am wrong. There will be a time when we will all realise the truth, perhaps then we will be able to compare notes.  :hattip



I take it you simply drink through the holiday season.

[Sampanviking]

I am a viking.



On the winter solstice we start drinking



We stop when we have run out of stuff to drink and the hardest of us has sobered up enough to notice the day is perceptible longer than it was last week ...



Some jerk tried to peddle this fairy story that he died and was brought back from the dead in three days.



We pointed out that Odin did this already, hanging on Yggdrasil until he was dead, whereupon he used the knowledge of runes he previously gave his eye to.learn, to bring himself back from the dead....

Hailsa!



"I wot that I hung there for nine days and nights, from that windswept tree

From whose root springs, from where no man knows

Wounded by a spear and given to myself - Odin given to Odin

No one offered me meat - no one uplifted me the drinking horn....."



My Yuletide will be a good one and I hope yours will be too!

[johnofgwent]

I was just wondering. Do those people who don't believe in God or that Jesus Christ is the Son of God still celebrate Christmas? I believe that they probably do but I wondered why.

I am a viking.



On the winter solstice we start drinking



We stop when we have run out of stuff to drink and the hardest of us has sobered up enough to notice the day is perceptible longer than it was last week ...



Some jerk tried to peddle this fairy story that he died and was brought back from the dead in three days.



We pointed out that Odin did this already, hanging on Yggdrasil until he was dead, whereupon he used the knowledge of runes he previously gave his eye to.learn, to bring himself back from the dead....

[T00ts]

I've got mixed up feelings about this. My eldest (now 36) absolutely loves to celebrate Christmas. We will be helping her and their 2 little ones to do so. We'll no doubt have the full dinner, trimmings, crackers etc. However, her husband is an atheist or agnostic, and he is more calm about the whole thing.

Our local Indian restaurant (Muslims) gave us gifts on Sunday, our last visit - when they asked us if it was our last before New Year.

So, if they can celebrate Christmas and spread the love, why shouldn't anyone?



It's all pretty anti Biblical. Nowhere are we told to celebrate Jesus's birth day. So for most it's just an excuse for a binge, giving and receiving mostly unwanted presents and brightening up the darkest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, where 90% of us live.

That's really interesting. I thought you of all people would be up for Christmas. I agree with you about the bingeing, but there seems to be no end of excuses apart from Christmas for some to binge. We are perhaps not given an instruction as such to celebrate but I would disagree that it is anti-Biblical to celebrate. I guess it depends on what is classed as celebration.  As a non drinker I suppose my celebration is less full on than many and I don't overdo the food etc. Perhaps the reservation is more about the general excesses that seems to have overtaken the real meaning.

[Barry]

I was just wondering. Do those people who don't believe in God or that Jesus Christ is the Son of God still celebrate Christmas? I believe that they probably do but I wondered why.

I've got mixed up feelings about this. My eldest (now 36) absolutely loves to celebrate Christmas. We will be helping her and their 2 little ones to do so. We'll no doubt have the full dinner, trimmings, crackers etc. However, her husband is an atheist or agnostic, and he is more calm about the whole thing.

Our local Indian restaurant (Muslims) gave us gifts on Sunday, our last visit - when they asked us if it was our last before New Year.

So, if they can celebrate Christmas and spread the love, why shouldn't anyone?



It's all pretty anti Biblical. Nowhere are we told to celebrate Jesus's birth day. So for most it's just an excuse for a binge, giving and receiving mostly unwanted presents and brightening up the darkest days of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, where 90% of us live.

[T00ts]

Well T00ts celebrate it ? not me



 People scratching their heads and buying stuff people don't want,massive queues at supermarkets and people getting enough supplies for a couple of months when they are only shut a couple of days and neighbour wars by lights that would put Blackpool illuminations to shame,a lot of false bonhomie and drunks fighting each other in town centres......bah humbug  



Christmas is for kids and the idea that it celebrates the birth of Christ was adopted by christianity to take over pagan festivals,people are mad sometimes and religions in reality have brought about the deaths of millions and hatreds that endure to this day.



It would be great if people were just nicer to one another and accepted that there are many differences that often don't really matter that much.

I do agree that it has become a bit OTT. Our family has set quite strict limits this year on presents and money spent as well as restricting packaging/wrapping etc. I believe that Christ was born in the Spring in fact but as you say tradition puts the celebration into the Winter. Faith and religion goes back to the very beginning according to the records available and the diversity that has occurred has created a rivalry possibly born of the Adversary, but again that is all foretold.

I agree too that it would so nice if everyone was kinder to each other every day. I love Christmas, but I expect you would guess that.

[cromwell]

I was just wondering. Do those people who don't believe in God or that Jesus Christ is the Son of God still celebrate Christmas? I believe that they probably do but I wondered why.

Well T00ts celebrate it ? not me



 People scratching their heads and buying stuff people don't want,massive queues at supermarkets and people getting enough supplies for a couple of months when they are only shut a couple of days and neighbour wars by lights that would put Blackpool illuminations to shame,a lot of false bonhomie and drunks fighting each other in town centres......bah humbug  



Christmas is for kids and the idea that it celebrates the birth of Christ was adopted by christianity to take over pagan festivals,people are mad sometimes and religions in reality have brought about the deaths of millions and hatreds that endure to this day.



It would be great if people were just nicer to one another and accepted that there are many differences that often don't really matter that much.

[T00ts]

I was just wondering. Do those people who don't believe in God or that Jesus Christ is the Son of God still celebrate Christmas? I believe that they probably do but I wondered why.