Is it time to rethink Christmas?

Agree that Christmas is cultural rather than Christian. Thats why Christians round the world do christmas very differently from each other: some barely at all

Well said janea. Coming to the realisation, I don’t have to do this, has been very liberating. Indeed, people indulging in what is now, a hugely expensive anticlimax have a choice whether or not to buy into it.

Not being religious, the 21st Dec has more meaning to me than the 25th. A happy acknowledgement that we are midway through winter and spring is on the way and thankfully, no stress involved.

Our Christmas has never been particularly OTT, and we enjoy it as it is, so won’t be re-thinking it.

As for the ‘Christian’ bit, a lot of people, inc. me, who aren’t at all religious still enjoy carols and the Nativity story - to some extent it’s woven into our culture. My dd and SiL aren’t in the least religious, but they still took little Gdcs to the children’s crib service at the little local church, where so many children could dress up as angels, Wise Men, etc., take part, sing traditional carols, and enjoy it all.

It was lovely, and if a lot of those who attended the service piled in afterwards to the lovely old pub just across the road for a glass of mulled wine, that’s part of Christmas for quite a few of us, too.

My sons always say it was better when they were children, and it was.

Whats stopping you all doing it that way?

Again with pressure, if youre a stressy person christmas is stressy.

There are people who bemoan having to make mince pies, and turkey with all trimmings. They put the pressure on themselves!

We've done "all trimmings" Christmases, we've gone on sun holidays at christmas, we've had fish and lamb some years, buffets others. Had big christmasses and low key ones. Whatever we feel and what suiys us at the time...

Nobody is making people get all tied in knots over the details!

I'm always glad to see the back of Christmas. It seems such a build up then it's all over. I just find it very materialistic these days. My sons always say it was better when they were children, and it was.

"People make such a big deal of it when really it is just another day. I understand completely the joy and pleasure to be gained when one's GC are young because it can be a magical occasion. However, it seems to me that it often ends in disappointment. Mixing 3 generations doesn't always work. Some people are very lucky and have a wonderful time, for others it's not so good."

You nailed it.

Christmas is what you make it. If you celebrate the birth of Jesus great, if you don't thats ok too. No one needs to spend vast amounts of money or panic buy to have a good Christmas.People put themselves under pressure. There is also alot of 'keeping up with the Jones's '. There is no need for any of it. You can just have a simple celebration.

But it is not the church or Christianity which impose the stress.
That is driven by people themselves, with the help of clever consumer-driven marketing.
No-one has to write 150 Christmas cards if they don’t want to.
No-one has to spend money they can’t afford on Christmas presents if they don’t want to.
No-one has to cook Christmas dinner for 15 people if they don’t want to.
No one has to spend time with people they don’t like, if they don’t want to.

And dare I say it, no-one except perhaps the very old and frail who live alone and who don’t have the means to get out by themselves, has to spend Christmas alone if they don’t want to.

Why do we have all this outpouring of sadness for people on their own at Christmas?

What happens to them on the the other 364 days of the year...it's very odd.

It may have gone on longer, but the pressures may not have been there. I don’t know. I do know that Christmas is celebrated all over the world, and Christianity has been rising in places like China and the Middle East, even though it is dwindling here in the Uk.

Some people need to rethink it. Some people like it as it is. Christina can keep it as celebrating the birthday of Christ. Others can celebrate it as a winter festival. Each to their own.

Wasteful people have wasteful christmasses. But they also have wasteful birthdays and weekends and Tuesdays.

I really do not think our family on either side has ever been particularly wasteful.
There is always an excuse to be wasteful if you are that way inclined

there have been mid winter festivals which predate Christianity yes I know, but Christians pinched it for themselves, and now it’s CHRISTIAN. I doubt the ancient celebrations had so many pressures attached!

Pre christianity it went on for longer (into the new year) and had more than one msin feast so..

We need a midwinter festival to break things up. Even people who do work, usually alternate having christnas or NY off, so its a rare time when you can actually get people all together at once.

there have been mid winter festivals which predate Christianity yes I know, but Christians pinched it for themselves, and now it’s CHRISTIAN. I doubt the ancient celebrations had so many pressures attached!

Jura2 I am not condoning the plastic going into landfill etc. but this happens all through the year - weddings, parties, halloween etc. Shouldn't we rethink all those too?
Nowadays it seems that credit cards, consumerism etc. are the answer to everything - perhaps if we imitated the humble birth of the Christ Child we would all be better off?

I would love to sit on a warm beach on Christmas day and eat cheese and tomato sandwiches! DH would love it but I couldn't leave my youngest son on his own DH is not his dad and there isn't that bond with DH and my lovely son. It's only one day and this year I really did enjoy it. BUT I do feel sorry for anyone on their own, homeless or estranged. I have 4 grandkids who I never see during the festivities as they are Too busy and I've got used to that. Christmas isn't all warm and yummy happy families. X

For me, it is time to rethink Christmas because of the massive ressources it uses, the massive consumerism and inequalities and pressures it creates- the huge amounts of food used and food wasted, and the ginormour waste it creates that all goes into landfill - including tons of sparkles and plastic stars, etc- that will end up in our seas and oceans.

We are trying in our town to accommodate anyone who is alone and doesn't want to be. There is a weekly community meal with food donated by supermarkets so it's free or a donation if you can afford to pay. It's cooked by trained chefs who aren't currently in paid work for various reasons.

On Christmas day this year, the organisers put on a 3 course meal for 40. I heard it was a great success.
Some of them have another family Christmas the following day.

I suppose there is obligation in some ways because you are made to feel like a failure if you are not having a happy clappy family, magical, sparkly time.

It's pretty difficult to opt out.

I never understand why non Christians celebrate Christmas

There have been mid-winter festivals which pre-date Christianity since ancient times, to do with the winter solstice and the turning of the year. There's something very basic & human about wanting to lift the gloom of the shortening days, and celebrate the lightening days that come once the solstice has passed.

I don't see any need to 're-think' Christmas. Some people like the traditional way of celebrating, and some don't. There is no obligation on anybody to spend it in any way they would prefer not to.

I never understand why non Christians celebrate Christmas. A few have said it’s about partying and having a good time, but you can do that any time of the year. So many people suffer such hardship as well, either financially, loneliness, or being with people they can’t stand! If you take Christ out of Christmas, there really is no point.

I know we’re lucky to be surrounded by children and grandchildren, but I feel like I need a holiday when it’s over, but it’s back to work, and before you know it, it’ll be here again.

I am lucky, in that I do spend the day with both daughters and grandchildren but I think it would be fabulous for individual lonely people to meet up and share Christmas together. If that’s a possibility offered on Gransnet for next year I think that would be amazing. I would certainly consider it if I was alone.

I love the family aspect of Christmas but do also like going to church and enjoying the religious connection to Christmas which is important to me.