How Christian is your Christmas?

There are so many layers in how to celebrate Christmas. From our own 1950/60s nostalgia, and the magic of Santa. From much earlier, we remember the medieval hyms and traditions with the holly, ivy and decking the halls, and mulled wine. Vikings gave us mistletoe. Further north, the idea of someone coming into the home through a hole in the roof. Romans gave us the date, 25th of December, for Mithras. Winter Soltice promised the return of the sun and hope for the future. Then we have all of the Victorian re-juvination, Christmas trees, crackers, cards. We are so lucky to have the chance now to join in the winter celebrations from other cultures, and their choice to join us in ours.
May you enjoy Christmas in your own individual way.

Milliedog

The above was my comment on a post saying that there would be no Christmas if it wasn't for Jesus.....

There would be a winter festival on or about the winter solstice, even without Jesus. It would be a festival of joyousness and renewal, with the knowledge that the darkest day is over and the shorter days and spring are on their way.

Almost every main religion, Christianity, Judaeism, Islam, Hinduism and many of the so called 'pagan' religions, all celebrate the winter solstice in one way or the other.

Christian clebrations are focussed on the way people in the northern hemisphere have always celebrated the solstice with fire, with greenery, and with general jollifications and, like Christmas, was broadly centred around home, family and community. All this would happen whether the celebration was called Christmas and associated with christianity or not.

grandMattie

I go to all the services - Carol, crib, midnight and definitely the Christmas morning one.
My family always used to go to them and we have all carried on.
Photos of one of my knitted cribs.

Those are fab. I can't knit so mine had to be sewn in felt.

pascal30

jocork

The Christian aspect of Christmas is very important to me as a Christian and regular churchgoer. My DiL is a vicar so DS and family will be celebrating at church. This year I spent many weeks making a hand sewn nativity scene with characters that velcro onto a background. All the pieces have been packed up in an empty advent calendar box that once had toiletries in, so the children will open a little box every day in December. I'm hoping that this will make the Christmas story exciting for them, although some of the boxes do have a chocolate treat inside as well. Hopefully my DS and DiL will bring the story alive for them as they open up a new item each day.

This is absolutely gorgeous Jocork.. I especially like the cow and the camel..

Thank you. I enjoyed making it and hope it becomes a family heirloom to be got out every year.

What a lovely thread! Thankyou Daddima for starting it. As A Roman Catholic still I do observe Christmas as religious festival.

I read a great book last year called A History of Christmas but I can't remember the author I'm sorry.

It was a great book which demonstrated the survival of this festival and how even when it has tried to be banned in various times and places it is still a robust and popular time for families and loved ones to get together for whatever reason.

It no longer bothers me too much that is seems to have lost its original meaning for many, it is still a time of year that brings us together to remind ourselves of what is important and I think this shows in the messages here.

You mean like this?

grandMattie

I go to all the services - Carol, crib, midnight and definitely the Christmas morning one.
My family always used to go to them and we have all carried on.
Photos of one of my knitted cribs.

Ps Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus are finished.

My sheep looks more like a pig.

grandMattie

I go to all the services - Carol, crib, midnight and definitely the Christmas morning one.
My family always used to go to them and we have all carried on.
Photos of one of my knitted cribs.

GrandMattie I've been struggling with them for years!
Retrieved them from the under stairs cupboard yesterday and started a bit more sewing up. So many fiddly bits.

@grandMattie ......I just love those knitted figures! Could you possibly send a link to the knitting patterns? TIA.

grandMattie

I go to all the services - Carol, crib, midnight and definitely the Christmas morning one.
My family always used to go to them and we have all carried on.
Photos of one of my knitted cribs.

My vote is for the shepherd's. They're brilliant, and the sheep.

My husband and I became Christians in our mid teens (I became a Christian before I met him). I love everything to do with Christmas - trees, stockings, decorations, family getting together etc. But the real significance of Christmas for me is that Jesus came to earth from heaven and was born as a baby in Bethlehem.
As the bible says 'For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life''. Everything else pales into insignificance beside that amazing fact...

The above was my comment on a post saying that there would be no Christmas if it wasn't for Jesus.....

Exactly!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-672334-img-1777.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-778660-img-1773.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-221893-img-1767.jpeg

I go to all the services - Carol, crib, midnight and definitely the Christmas morning one.
My family always used to go to them and we have all carried on.
Photos of one of my knitted cribs.

jocork

The Christian aspect of Christmas is very important to me as a Christian and regular churchgoer. My DiL is a vicar so DS and family will be celebrating at church. This year I spent many weeks making a hand sewn nativity scene with characters that velcro onto a background. All the pieces have been packed up in an empty advent calendar box that once had toiletries in, so the children will open a little box every day in December. I'm hoping that this will make the Christmas story exciting for them, although some of the boxes do have a chocolate treat inside as well. Hopefully my DS and DiL will bring the story alive for them as they open up a new item each day.

This is absolutely gorgeous Jocork.. I especially like the cow and the camel..

Grannymel12

Original Christmas was pagan festival so not Christian at all

No, all people of all religions and none have always celebrated the various solstices - and do so still.

Earliest man celebrated the main solstices as did all the people who became Christian. No religion or philosophical belief has any ownership of the solstices.

Christians associated their special festivals with the solstices because they already celebrated them, but didn't share the attributions other religions gave them.

The more I read the more I see how much in common all the great religions share in both basic beliefs and philosphical teachings

I am Pagan and my husband is an atheist from a devout Hindu family. We celebrate Diwali, Yule and Christmas. Diwali has no religious significance for my husband, as he isn't a believer, but it's a time for family. For me, Yule is the religious festival. Christmas is the big family celebration with all the usual stuff - tree, presents, feasting - though I might occasionally mutter that these are all Pagan things.

When our eldest grandson was a choir boy, we used to go to church to the Nine Lessons carol service. We also went to Midnight Mass each year and took him home. Though not a Christian, I always loved carols. (Husband had no idea what any of it meant but joined in gamely.) Eldest daughter and her family all emigrated to the US in 2014 and I don't think I will ever go to another carol service, as it would make me cry to remember those days.

Original Christmas was pagan festival so not Christian at all

The X in Xmas stands for the Greek word for Christ, I believe.

We attend all the special advent services and midnight mass on Christmas Eve. We have several nativity sets which go in each room. I love the Carol services on both radio and TV, it’s something I was brought up with so links back to a lot of happy times with my Gran we made mince pies, shortbread and clottie dumpling whilst singing along to the carols.

I love Xmas carols, words and music. I love many other hymns too. I feel a little more hopeful for the world at Xmas.

Thank you, Dan Walker. I am a practising Christian, and the birth of Jesus Christ is the most important aspect of it. I will be attending (and playing in) many services over the Christmas period. I will still enjoy the frivolous sde of it as well.
For Christians, Easter is the most important festival of the year.

When my kids were kids we did the expected decorations Santa etc, minimal religious input was covered by the school, once the kids had left home, decorations if any where minimal, now we have grandchildren we’re back to Santa a few wall decorations and a Christmas tree

That's lovely jocork.

Not at all. We celebrate it as a mid winter festival for a family get together.