How Christian is your Christmas?

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.

Hear, hear Diplomat, Dan Walker can come across as a pompous stuffed-shirt but I back him completely on this point. 🤔

Well done Dan Walker, my sentiments entirely. Christ is the reason for Christmas. If you want peace and joy I recommend a Carol service, I know people criticise the church but let's look beyond that to the Word of God.

Wgat did she actually say then? 🎄
Or even mean?

Yvette Cooper would never have said anything so immoderate as that. That’s nonsense.

Stella14

Not remotely. We (like many) consider it to be a mid-winter festival to break up the dark, cold days and nights. We are atheists. Don’t like how excessively forced and over-commercialised it is though.

I think that is the way to see it - also as a good long break for those who are slogging away at work for most of the year

There's not much Christianity in the celebrations at my grandchildren's school. Many of the parents are from overseas, some of them are Polish and Catholic but Christians are definitely in the minority there. Many parents are from Africa or the East and definitely not Christian. I think that they do sing some Christmas songs but probably not with much of a Christian theme.
We're not religious at home either, though I had the full Christian Christmas treatment when I was a child.

Loved going to the Christingle services in church with our Grandchildren when they were small and joining in with the hymns and carols. We did used to go to Mass on Christmas Eve, not so much now, but we always have a Nativity with our Christmas decorations.

I was raised Lutheran and went to parochial school through 8th grade, so my Christianity was deeply embedded since childhood. I married and switched to Methodist in my adult life but when I divorced and had to work full time, my weekends became very precious to me for recuperating. There went the Sunday services.

In light of politics and Christian Nationalists making big, bad headlines I wasn’t all that cracked up about going to church anymore. Also learning more about the Catholic Church scandals really made me wonder about the whole organized religion movement.

It’s never stamped out my belief in God and I admit that I still hover between Jesus and the Christmas story, etc and also taking a more critical eye about it all. I pray and am currently listening to all the beautiful carols right now and other Christmas music. I start early. I’ve always been a Christmas nut with seven step-grandkids, and my nieces, nephews. Santa wins when it comes right down to it. I love it ALL. Either way it’s joyous.

yggdrasil

Christmas belongs to the Christians now. But the Romans brought the worship if Mithras here, and 25 Dec was his birthday. Also the old festival of Yule (21 Dec) has given us most of the traditions that go along with Christmas.
It can't be the birthday of Jesus, because no sensible shepherd would be looking after their flocks at night at that time of year. :-)

Quite right.

Apparently Jesus's birthday is probably Spring about 6 BC.

We attend the candlelit Advent Service, and get out the olive wood nativity scene we bought iin Bethlehem. But Baby Jesus isn't in it till Christmas Day, and the Wise Men are a bit apart.

We attend Midnight Mass, which to me is the real start of Christmas, the Cathedral is beautifully decorated, candles aglow and I can give thanks that Christ came among us.

That's not to say I don't go overboard on the presents, make too many mince pies and sausage rolls, and spend a lot of December preparing food!

She777

Perhaps the person who posted on social media saw the comment that Yvette Cooper made and decided to make a statement.
She said anyone who puts a tree in their window is displaying that they are racist and right-wing and should expect retaliation.
I am a Christian and I have a nativity scene as part of my decorations. I don’t go to church but I observe in my own way. Christmas and Easter are always observed by the family. We all went to school and all know the story of the Nativity, even the younger ones.

What rubbish. She didn’t say that at all. You sound like a member of Reform spreading disinformation

Not remotely. We (like many) consider it to be a mid-winter festival to break up the dark, cold days and nights. We are atheists. Don’t like how excessively forced and over-commercialised it is though.

Apparently that's fake news ( Yvette Cooper)

Thankyou Daddima and Fleurpepper for your insights.. I've always felt uncomfortable with Xmas so that's lovely to know.. I haven't celebrated Christmas for years being a buddhist but I do love to go to carol services and really respect all other religions.. I would be sad if we became a secular society

It seems unlikely to me. Is it the person replying who actually said it?
DH has just asked if that means anyone who puts lights outside their house is racist, or is it just a tree?

Somehow I don’t think Yvette Cooper would have said that.

She777
Is that really true? Did Yvette Cooper actually say that if we put a tree in the window we are racist?
Does that mean all of us who decorate a tree are racist? Or is it only if we put the tree in the window?

Perhaps the person who posted on social media saw the comment that Yvette Cooper made and decided to make a statement.
She said anyone who puts a tree in their window is displaying that they are racist and right-wing and should expect retaliation.
I am a Christian and I have a nativity scene as part of my decorations. I don’t go to church but I observe in my own way. Christmas and Easter are always observed by the family. We all went to school and all know the story of the Nativity, even the younger ones.

Ilovedogs22

Cabbie21

Yesterday Dan Walker on Classic FM , announcing a competition or something, asked people to text in with the word Christmas. He added “Not Xmas, put Christ back into Christmas”.

Hear, hear Cabby21, I couldn't have put better myself. 🙂

X is Christ

To quote Daddima:

"Xmas” is a common abbreviation of the word “Christmas”. The “-mas” part is from the Latin-derived Old English word for “Mass”, while the “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, translated as “Christ”.

Cabbie21

Yesterday Dan Walker on Classic FM , announcing a competition or something, asked people to text in with the word Christmas. He added “Not Xmas, put Christ back into Christmas”.

Hear, hear Cabby21, I couldn't have put better myself. 🙂

Daddima

Fleurpepper

Daddima

escaped

Cabbie21

Yesterday Dan Walker on Classic FM , announcing a competition or something, asked people to text in with the word Christmas. He added “Not Xmas, put Christ back into Christmas”.

Always.

"Xmas” is a common abbreviation of the word “Christmas”. The “-mas” part is from the Latin-derived Old English word for “Mass”, while the “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, translated as “Christ”.
There is a common misconception that the word Xmas is a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the “Christ” out of “Christmas”. While “Xmas” is considered to be an informal abbreviation, and should never be used in formal writing, it is historically correct.

Maybe Dan should have done his homework!

Your own words or from a link? May I share this, please?

From the Googles, so share away!

I was told that at Sunday School about a hundred years ago! Well, 70 at least.

escaped

I've sinned.
I took the Christmas out of Christmas today, and replaced it with this! I couldn't resist it!

Oops the Christ out of Christmas

No Christianity here. I am more pagan than anything, the Solstice has more meaning to me than a date plucked out of the air and marketed by the various churches.

We have a family get together but it does not have to be on 25/12. We find a date that suits everyone. Adult DC and partners may have plans to holiday or see other family. I couldn't care less if we don't see them on Christmas Day, we love them all just as much on every other day.

Decorations are lights, greenery and a slightly alternative tree. Lighting up the darkness and looking forward to the return of longer days goes back far beyond any Christians.

Each to their own, and I am happy to wish more religious friends and neighbours a happy Christmas.

I've sinned.
I took the Christmas out of Christmas today, and replaced it with this! I couldn't resist it!

Fleurpepper

Daddima

escaped

Cabbie21

Yesterday Dan Walker on Classic FM , announcing a competition or something, asked people to text in with the word Christmas. He added “Not Xmas, put Christ back into Christmas”.

Always.

"Xmas” is a common abbreviation of the word “Christmas”. The “-mas” part is from the Latin-derived Old English word for “Mass”, while the “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Χριστός, translated as “Christ”.
There is a common misconception that the word Xmas is a secular attempt to remove the religious tradition from Christmas by taking the “Christ” out of “Christmas”. While “Xmas” is considered to be an informal abbreviation, and should never be used in formal writing, it is historically correct.

Maybe Dan should have done his homework!

Your own words or from a link? May I share this, please?

From the Googles, so share away!