Topic awaiting preservation: I have a question

I was talking to a certain individual. (one who used to post here, YoYo Freak!) We got on the topic of holidays. YoYo Freak says he does not celebrate Easter nor Christmas, while I do. Now, I just want a yes or no answer, with an explanationon of why you answered what you did, should Easter and Christmas be celebrated?

These pages may help you with your decision: http://www.origin-of-christmas.com/
http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract1.html

Do unto others before they do unto you

Only if you believe in the original motivations behind them.

Even for non-Christians, the holiday of Christmas has come to be associated with family and the principle of generosity. Naturally, every day should be an occasion to rejoice in one's family and friends -- but why not set aside a special day or week for it? And if so, why not Christmas?

Those who commemorate the day solely as the anniversary of Christ's birth -- what's this nonsense about keeping the day "pure?" Saying that's it's been "corrupted" by commercialism? If you truly feel that the day is corrupted, that's because your own faith and focus is insufficient to tune out distractions. If Christmas is purely the Mass of Christ, then celebrate it as such! Who's stopping you? Certainly not Santa Claus. He's fine with it... after all, one of his historical inspirations is, in fact, a saint. Jesus and saints get along quite well, last I heard.

edit: As for Easter, that's a more fundamentally religious holiday. I don't understand what Easter has to do with bunnies or candy. But my basic argument holds true: if you believe that Jesus wants you to use Easter solely for remembrance of his death and resurrection, then dedicate the day entirely to him and ignore all the rest. Otherwise, why not use the special day as a chance to get together with your friends and family, have a nice dinner, and do something fun with your children (which might well involve colored eggs)? Jesus likes children. Nobody's stopping you from going to church on Easter, also. Same goes for Christmas.

[This message has been edited by Perfect Thunder (edited 12-27-2002).]

Yah.... Slime is bang on there.

I celebrate it because I believe it.

And... could the question also include Halloween? I believe it falls under a the same mantle, only it is centered around demons and the like.


                                     

easter and chritmas only depends on ur beliefs so its in u or ur religion...

Ars Longa Vita Brevis!

Hmmm...hard to answer as simply yes...or no. I'd say no. Unless someone really believes in the reason behind the two holidays, they shouldn't be celebrated...

Of course, they both have become commercial reasons, these days...and because of the children, not to celebrate them has a definite negative impact on them...

It's kind of funny, really, of just how commerical they are. You do know, that Santa Claus wears the colors red and white because of the Coca-Cola company, right? Originally, the colors of Santa Claus were quite different. Don't know why Santa Claus is actually a part of Christmas...doesn't make a lot of sense. Or the Easter Bunny, for that matter. What does an Egg-bringing rabbit have to do with Christ? Or a jolly, present-bringing fat man, in a red and white costume? Somehow, they became a mainstay of those holidays...and the real reasons, are largely ignored...or entirely forgotten.

The "real" reasons are rather hard to define, seeing as - like most christian celebrations - they are actually based on existing pagan holidays.

Eastre was the germanic diety of spring and visited the world in the form of - you guessed - a rabbit. She would do this around the beginning of spring...or well, around easter time

Christmas takes place at the time of the celtic celebrations of winter solstice. There were a variety of 'pagan' (meaning non-christian...not actually being a religious denomination....) celebrations that took place at that time, and what better way to convert pagans than by matching their holidays =)

The christmas tree also spawns from those pagans, who happend to see the evergreen tree as a divine entity.

Saint Nick, of course, is based (loosely) on a real person, though I don't recall the details...
German or Slavic I would think, and he would go through the town and give gifts to the poor? Something like that. Pretty sure he didn't have any elves though


So, whether or not you believe in jesus has never had much to do with celebrating these holidays. I believe in the holidays as well, but not in jesus!

So....hell yeah, celebrate away.




[This message has been edited by DL-44 (edited 12-27-2002).]

DL-44 - yea, on Easter. I am pretty sure the bunny represented the mother, or the bringer of new things, and the eggs represent rebirth.

As far as Christmas, I tend to agree with Perfect Thunder in that it has more to do with family and with giving. I also feel that it is more of a tradition, and part of our heritage. Even if I had no idea what Christmas was about, I would still enjoy the feeling of giving gifts to my family and seeing the look on their faces as they open them up. Like for instance, this year I gave my wife a card that I wrote a poem in, something about love and stuff like that...I'm sort of poetic. And she started crying. I think that was the best moment of my Christmas. So, basically...I would say I celebrate Christmas just for the simple fact of giving gifts to my family and seeing the happiness in their faces as they open them.

Cell 816~teamEarth~Asylum Quotes

[This message has been edited by Gilbert Nolander (edited 12-27-2002).]

That's my point: celebrate the season if it means something to YOU. If you believe Jesus doesn't want you to buy presents for your friends and family, or if you believe Jesus doesn't want you to listen to Christmas songs at the mall, or if you believe Jesus has a problem with festive cheese logs, then don't get involved with Christmas. But I honestly don't know why God, Jesus, or anyone else in Heaven would have any serious objection to Christmas, even as it's celebrated in the corporate-controlled First World.

The season is based on values that are echoed in every form of Christianity that I respect: love, friendship, generosity, enjoyment of life.

Now if anyone wishes to say that Christmas (Santa and all) should not be celebrated by any responsible Christian, could you please give me a counter-argument that addresses the core values of Christianity -- not just the old anti-pagan or no-god-before-me arguments? After all, the current Christmas tradition doesn't involve any actual belief in paganism.

What I'm asking, quite simply, is "Would Jesus really object to the Christmas tradition?"