Christmas Time Questions?

[Godshouse777]

1: If a lie is a lie is a lie, why do we tell our children there is a Santa Clause when there is not?

2: Why do statistics show that christian families spend billions of dollars each year on Christmas decorations but give a small fraction (If any) to the needy?

3: Why is it that the only two holidays that are intended to commemorate Christ are the only two holidays that use Mythical Characters for symbols? (ie: Santa & the Easter Bunny) Why doesn't George Washington have to share his birthday with Santa Clause? Jesus does.

4: Since December 25th was the ancient pagan gift giving holiday before Jesus was ever born, why do we still celebrate on the same exact day in the same exact fashion? We should start to clebrate Moses's birthday on October 31st, and tell all the children to dress up like witches and goblins and go trick'er treat'in in his memory.

Just simple observations, just wanted to hear what everyone else thought. Hope no one gets offended.

Thanks

 

[CSMR]

1&2: People are liars and selfish *******s.
3&4: Irreligious people want to celebrate when the Christians are celebrating, but not what they are celebrating.

 

[rodjerdodjer]

1&2: People are liars and selfish *******s.
3&4: Irreligious people want to celebrate when the Christians are celebrating, but not what they are celebrating.

1) I have to admit, when my kids were 4 and younger, I had fun with the whole satan clause thing (I mean sANta clause). After 4, I came clean. I just felt guilty lying to them.
2)See CSMR's 1&2 except insert "Those" in front of people, right? (Surely you and I don't fall into that category DO WE?)
3)I'm a conspiracy theorist here. Those two days a direct attack on Jesus and what he stands for according to the Bible. All part of a "plan" I think. Or maybe "The" plan.
4)Pagan beliefs will be the majority until the return and eyes are opened. I think...

 

[Innocent Bystander]

To some no-believers, they might see eating turkey and putting up a tree as celebration of a child being raised by someone who is not his biological father Obviously we know the symbolism, full story and traditions, so we see it differently.

I agree that non Christians try and celebrate without knowing what it is for. I think we need if anything to regress from the newer "traditions" and get back to celebrating properly.

I personally don't see the symbolic relavance. What my parents usually do is come down the stairs in the morning and read the whole of the Bible passage on Jesus' birth before we do anything.

We don't have the right to forbid people from celebrating without understanding though, it simply isn't possible without some sort of advertising campaign.

 

[Norea]

Many of the traditions in Christmas existed prior to its actual inception with pagan parallels[Yule, and such]. So I personally say if you want to talk to your kid about Santa, that's fine but remember if your kid figures out there is no Santa, you better accept that position unlike my parents who chided me for not believe in the fat man.

-- Bridget

 

[trunks2k]

3&4: Irreligious people want to celebrate when the Christians are celebrating, but not what they are celebrating.

Actually, you have it backwards. Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter were placed on the festivals of Pagan holidays in order to make Christianity more palpable for people of pagan religions. Since they are placed around traditional holidays, those traditions will tend to be infused with the new Christian traditions.

Christmas is, IIRC, placed on or near the Roman celebration of the winter soltice. If you look at the bible, it makes more sense for Jesus to be born in spring because it references lambs. Lambs wouldn't be born in the winter. I believe that for a while, many churches did not celebrate Christmas partially or wholly because of this.

Easter uses rabbits and chicks as symbols. Why? Because they are symbols of fertility. Fertility was the focus of the pagan holidays on which easter was placed.

Edit to add:

Speaking of pagan symbols. Does anyone know what the current "Jesus Fish" (I forgot the real name for it), and also one of the symbols in Lukcy Charms is derived from? Hint: turn the fish 90 degrees counter clockwise.

 

[Blessed2003]

1: If a lie is a lie is a lie, why do we tell our children there is a Santa Clause when there is not?
Hey, I totally agree, why lie. Make it about family, food, fun, and giving, but lying, nah, I don't like it either.
2: Why do statistics show that christian families spend billions of dollars each year on Christmas decorations but give a small fraction (If any) to the needy?
Apparently, we need to get our priorities straight.
3: Why is it that the only two holidays that are intended to commemorate Christ are the only two holidays that use Mythical Characters for symbols? (ie: Santa & the Easter Bunny) Why doesn't George Washington have to share his birthday with Santa Clause? Jesus does.
Humm, I have no answer to this....
4: Since December 25th was the ancient pagan gift giving holiday before Jesus was ever born, why do we still celebrate on the same exact day in the same exact fashion? We should start to clebrate Moses's birthday on October 31st, and tell all the children to dress up like witches and goblins and go trick'er treat'in in his memory.
Yeah, a lot of people don't know that December 25th is not really Jesus birth day, so maybe what initially started as a Pagan holiday is now celebrated by Christians in "ignorance" (means UNINFORMED) What do you think? Is it harmful?
Just simple observations, just wanted to hear what everyone else thought. Hope no one gets offended.

Thanks

I see all of the 'American' holidays like this. Since it is celebrated by most, I don't like for my kids to be left out, but I tell them the truth. I still do "christmas" and "Easter" and "Halloween" even, It is more of a time for family fun, sharing, and eating to us...Maybe I'm wrong,but I'll have to answer for it, so in my opinion everyone should do what in their own heart they feel is right.
Blessings
B

 

[GMRELIC]

I never did the Easter Bunny thing with my Children, but I did do Santa, If I had it to do all over again, I still would do Santa, Just the pure excitment in the Childrens eyes,
helped to make the Hollidays wonderful. I lost one of my Children this last Christmas, so it is going to be difficult this Christmas, but oh how he loved Christmas.

 

[Why?]

I don't care how others celebrate it, I only care about how I (and my family) celebrate Jesus' birth.

 

[aimejl]

I won't tell my children about santa or the easter bunny. I rather spend time with my family for the right reasons and that is to celebrate Jesus' birth and ressurection.

 

[fuzzyh]

1. Personally, when I have children, Lord willing, in about 2-3 years, I will not tell them about Santa Clause. I will problem tell them the story of where it came from, but nothing more.

2. My personal opinion is to no longer celebrate Christmas, but my wife is against that. We still therefore don't buy too much decorations or a ton of money on gifts. This Christmas, I'd like to send a mission agency a good chunk of money by not spending a ton of money on gifts. I personally hate the materialism that goes with Christmas. I worked for Wal-Mart for 2 1/2 years and have a growing hatred of the whole Christmas season.

3. Of course Jesus should share his birth with Santa Clause. What about those people here in the US that are so anti-religion. They need something too. (I'm being a little sarcastic.) Again, my personal opinion is to not celebrate Christmas, but until I convince my wife, there will be Christmas in our house.

 

[Ryal Kane]

I've always rather liked Christmas, though I don't recall ever believing in anta or Jesus. It was a nice holiday (in summer) when families got together (no thanksgiving in NZ). I liked getting presents and the smell of pine always reminds me of Christmas (we decorated a pine tree branch in our house)

I think that it has become too comercial. Too much pressure to but really expensive gifts on parents who can't afford it. They start advertsing christmas in October!

Though not as magical as it was when I was young, I still like christmas. I like christmas trees and carols and tracking down cheap but relevant gifts for all my friends. (usually books)

Ryal Kane

 

[All4one]

Godhouse... Great observations but I never recall Christmas being a pegan gift giving holiday. Please explain this and where I can get more information about it as well. I give gifts to be kind and commemorate the gifts given to Christ.

In Christ,
All4one

 

[Norea]

Ummm it's Pagan not pegan. Also who cares, holiday is just a holiday[holy day]. I think it's rather irrational to hate having fun or being free. I wish some people would loosen up and enjoy the life they got.

-- Bridget

 

[trunks2k]

Godhouse... Great observations but I never recall Christmas being a pegan gift giving holiday. Please explain this and where I can get more information about it as well. I give gifts to be kind and commemorate the gifts given to Christ.

The gift giving tradition apparently originated with the Roman festival of Saturnalia. During this celebration, gifts were exchanged.

A bit of history on christmas:

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/real.html
http://www.holidays.net/christmas/story.htm

 

[rodjerdodjer]

Um I think the issue at hand was not whether you enjoy it or not but about lying to children about the existance of Santa Clause

 

[The Bellman]

To all the christians who are advocating being honest with their children and telling them the truth about Xmas and Easter (ie., how they relate to Jesus)...why don't you be REAL honest and tell them that the holidays were originally pagan ones that had nothing to do with Christianity, and that the early Christian church co-opted them so that their celebrations would fit in easier with those of the pagans? You could tell them that December 25 originally had nothing to do with Jesus, but that it was 'adopted' by early Christians, and nobody really knows when Jesus was born (except, as someone above pointed out, it wasn't anywhere around December). You could tell them that Santa has as much 'right' to the celebration as Jesus does, since they were both later additions to a much older holiday.

No? Too much honesty for you?

 

[Onemonthman]

1: If a lie is a lie is a lie, why do we tell our children there is a Santa Clause when there is not?

2: Why do statistics show that christian families spend billions of dollars each year on Christmas decorations but give a small fraction (If any) to the needy?

3: Why is it that the only two holidays that are intended to commemorate Christ are the only two holidays that use Mythical Characters for symbols? (ie: Santa & the Easter Bunny) Why doesn't George Washington have to share his birthday with Santa Clause? Jesus does.

4: Since December 25th was the ancient pagan gift giving holiday before Jesus was ever born, why do we still celebrate on the same exact day in the same exact fashion? We should start to clebrate Moses's birthday on October 31st, and tell all the children to dress up like witches and goblins and go trick'er treat'in in his memory.

Just simple observations, just wanted to hear what everyone else thought. Hope no one gets offended.

Thanks

You are right. I do celebrate Christmas but I do not allow the world to come into it. I do not allow satan, er, I mean santa clause to be part. I only allow decorations that can be redeemed and have a meaning for Jesus. I know that the original holiday was pagan but I find that it is a wonderful thing to take such things away from the enemy and redeem them for Jesus. I do not feel like halloween is one that can have this done so we do not partake of that holiday in any fashion. I am going to list some of the things we do for Christmas and Easter and how we explain the decorations to be of Jesus below as they have really been a blessing for my family.

Christmas;
Again, no santa clause

Tree- Green for creation. Tree for the cross. tree is in the shape of a triangle for the three points of the Trinity. red, gold, purple, white decorations for the blood of Christ, His Kingdom, His Royalty, and His purity.

Wreath for the eternal round of God without end.

Three candles for the Trinity and the Light of the World.

Nativity scene which we use to act out the first Christmas scene throughout the month of December which culminates in the Christ Child being in the manger on Christmas morning when my daughter wakes up.

candy canes- upside down they are the shephards crook, right side up they are a J for Jesus and the white is for His purity and the red stripes are for His blood and the stripes He endured for us.

We make a birthday cake for Jesus and have a little thank you party for Him. Usually I will use a red cake mix to represent His blood shed for us and white frosting for his purity and then put three candles on it for the Trinity and again, the light of the world.

Giving to others, of course, instead of concentrating on self

Limited gift giving but concentration on the gift of eternal life. Spend time instead with family having loving fellowship and prayer to Christ for thanks. A nice dinner is so much better then a room full of gifts anyway. We do a couple of gifts but we don't allow this to become Christmas.

There are many more and you can really go places with this to show Christmas as Jesus.

Easter;

No easter bunny. My daughter gets a stuffed lamb instead to remind us of the Lamb of God which we then get to talk about.

We do a egg hunt. We talk about the egg being a new life and how the egg is three parts that represent the Trinity. We can talk about how God comes out searching for us and how we hide like the eggs.

We read the stories in the Bible of the resurrection and spend time in prayer. Go to Church and participate in the festivities there. On the Friday before Easter, we attend a service where we pound a nail we have carried all week into a large wooden cross representing our sin that put Jesus on it. On Easter morning, we attend a sunrise service outside to watch the sun come up in the east just as the Son rose on that first Easter morning and how He will come again in great glory from the East.

I hope that some of these ideas will help you and give you some ideas to incorporate for your families and if you have some suggestions, I would love to hear them. I make these things very filling and memorable for my kid and would love to have more.

God bless.

 

[Onemonthman]

I never did the Easter Bunny thing with my Children, but I did do Santa, If I had it to do all over again, I still would do Santa, Just the pure excitment in the Childrens eyes,
helped to make the Hollidays wonderful. I lost one of my Children this last Christmas, so it is going to be difficult this Christmas, but oh how he loved Christmas.

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Just remember that this Christmas will be even more amazing for your prescious child as He will be celebrating it with Jesus. I know it does not make it easier but it can be comforting. God bless you dear brother.

 

[Onemonthman]

To all the christians who are advocating being honest with their children and telling them the truth about Xmas and Easter (ie., how they relate to Jesus)...why don't you be REAL honest and tell them that the holidays were originally pagan ones that had nothing to do with Christianity, and that the early Christian church co-opted them so that their celebrations would fit in easier with those of the pagans? You could tell them that December 25 originally had nothing to do with Jesus, but that it was 'adopted' by early Christians, and nobody really knows when Jesus was born (except, as someone above pointed out, it wasn't anywhere around December). You could tell them that Santa has as much 'right' to the celebration as Jesus does, since they were both later additions to a much older holiday.

No? Too much honesty for you?

Well, up until now this had been a great discussion. Who would have guessed that the bellman would have ruined it? Oh, yeah that's right, everyone could have.