Are we seeing the demise of Christmas?

I get fed up at this 'Happy holidays' stuff. Its Christmas!

Gosh - I think the opposite - Christmas is coming out of our ear holes from October onwards!

Religion is on the curriculum in schools - pupils, quite rightly, have to learn about all religions and their festivals and thus learn tolerance. Christianity has been central in all the many school Christmas celebrations I have attended in the last couple of weeks. And rightly so - the message of Christmas is not lost on me as an agnostic and the symbolism is powerful. The government has not stopped religious assemblies in school - they just represent a variety of religious belief.

No-one is stopping anyone from putting a nativity scene in a shop window - where does that idea come from?

I do not know why your town has banned a Christmas tree - it certainly has not happened here or anywhere else I have been during this run-up to Christmas.

Shops opening over Christmas is not ideal for shop workers, but I am sure they would prefer to have a job than none. And Christmas with the family is not a rest for many!!

I have no problem with how things are in the main. I do not think that the real message of Christmas is lost - you only have to look at all those people who give up their time to provide meals for the street sleepers, or to give company to the lonely. OK, the commercial stuff is a bit of a pain, but religions have been heavily into this themselves over hundreds of years - go to a catholic cathedral or Lourdes if you want to see what real commercialism is about.

The tenor of the posts here on Gransnet is evidence of Christmas being celebrated in a loving spirit.

I think you should take a look at the positives - there are plenty to find.

I agree Luckygirl, Christmas is too commercial these days. As for schools, well yes they do teach other religions, which I have no argument with, but when I asked my GS how long they taught about Christianity he said two lessons. Compare that with the other religions and you will see there is a marked difference.

As for positives, Father Christmas visited us last night!

How many Christmas posts mention the birth of Christ Luckgirl?

Urban myth.
All this Winterval /ban on Nativities,/Winter Festival stuff surfaces Year on Year.
Ignore and "have yourself a merry little Christmas"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ6yQgBvuoI

the Government have stopped religious assemblies in schools

Since when??

I don't know whereabouts you live in Yorkshire but would be interested to know which shops have been prevented from displaying Nativity scenes.

The whole country, media, shops & schools etc are full of Christmas.

I think you are just goading and fueling ill-will.

People who want to use Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ are perfectly free to do so.

People who want to celebrate it as the passing of the darkest day of the year are also free to do so.

And anyone who wants to call it holidays is free to do that.
It's called freedom.

There isn't a problem.

The birth of Christ is implicit in the word Christmas Annie - and so many of the posts have been about loving and giving - that will do for me.

I do not see any problem at all. There is sharing and giving at this time of year whatever the motivation of individuals is. I love Christmas and love being with family and friends. I am not looking for things to grumble about!

thatbags, Yorkshiregal is asking about the demise of Christianity st Christmas

OK, thanks, ab. Well, I have seen it reported that there are a lot fewer Christians in the UK than formerly, so maybe it's just that the Christian aspect doesn't feature so highly nowadays. It'd be odd if there were more evidence of Christian Christmas celebrations when there are fewer Christians.

There's nothing to stop any Christian who wants to from making it as Christian an occasion as they like.

So there still isn't a problem.

This is nice: Oxford A Capella group singing All I want for Christmas is You.

I agree thatbags. It is a holiday but no longer a Christian celebration for the majority

I always stress Christmas with a capital C. We have Muslim friends who get a Christmas card. They can send me an Ede one if they wish.

For many people Christmas is still about celebrating the birth of Christ. Carol services are still traditional as are Nativity plays in schools. Of course it is more commercialised but I don't have any problem with that. Where would we be without the dear CocaCola inspired Santa or Victoria-inspired trees? Every year I think how mad it is to bring a tree into your house but I still love it. In the middle of winter all the bright lights and decorations are very cheering. Even without the religious aspect it is a time for loved ones to get together for the few hours that are within most people's tolerance.

I disagree about the Nativity plays in school. I went to three this year and the core of each performance was about the birth of the baby Jesus.

True - there were some off topic pieces - but mostly that's to let as many children as possible take part. I'm Christian although not a church goer particularly and each of my grandchildren as they reach an age able to understand get to hear the story of the Nativity . I see no reason to rely on school doing that necessarily.

I think the true meaning is alive and well

I'd be quite happy for schools to 'ignore' christianity and all other religions. Christmas to the vast majority is a time to get together with family and/or friends (if lucky enough to have either) during the blackest and bleakest part of the year.

There was definitely a nativity theme at one of my DGS's school. "What are you doing in the Christmas play? - I am a shepherd and I pull the baby Jesus out by his feet!" That's the way to do it!

I always wonder why the 'No work on Christmas Day' brigade only talk about Shop workers. My Dad, a power supply controller, always worked a shift on Christmas Day, I was sometimes 'on call' for Women's Aid, my DH and FIL were 'on-call' being Undertakers as well as joiners and DH played with his band at a Dinner Dance every evening for a fortnight over Christmas/New Year I was very grateful to the plumber who turned out one Christmas morning when we woke to frozen pipes and to the Pakistanis who kept their shop open as usual for essential supplies - in that case bottled water.

Not to mention Road & Rail workers, essential services of all sorts and carers - how would we manage if they all had 3 days off?

This turned up on one of my Christmas playlists

Not sure how it got there but it made us smile.

its hard to celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus because we now know he wasn't born then and most of what happened, the shepherds and the 3 kings were on other dates.

A large part of the New Testament was written years afterwards so when we enjoy Christmas as a religious event it is just an acknowledgement of Jesus' birth.
I really think the winter solstice is the reason for Christmas holidays when the farm hands had less work to do and could go home for a few days.
The rest is pure commercialism and I don't celebrate Christmas any more. We meet up as a family and the children get presents, because in Germany the shops are closed for 3 days and everyone has time to visit.
I can't see the end of Christmas as a fixed calendar date, too many people make their living from it

I take your point granny23 and would like to add to your list my 16 yr-old DGD who has volunteered to take on a shift on Christmas day in 'her' home for the elderly so that those with family responsibilities can have the time off.

Granny23, six years ago our toilet got blocked on Christmas Day. We were very grateful for the plumber who came out that day to unblock it. My mother was a nurse, and nurses used to enjoy working on Christmas Eve, going round the wards singing carols.

I have been to four concerts this year, to support the youngest granddaughter, all of them mentioning the nativity, one in the CofE church, the other three in schools.
I think because of all the problems in the world, people are taking refuge in traditional festivities more this year.

Just had an email from MYsociety, wishing Joy, Peace and Transparency. I like that greeting.

I can't imagine what town you live in Yorkshiregirl but here everything is as normal if not more so Nativity plays are still held we have a town Christmas tree the local vicar played Father Christmas all the churches have nativity scenes
I ve never heard anyone say Happy Holiday

As a poster previously said I think this is a anti non Christian thread simply looking to provoke

As for working at Christmas I hope you don't get ill as with your strict no work rules you won't get a bus or taxi to the hospital the doctors and nurses even the cleaners and cooks will be at home with their feet up no pharmacy to honour your prescription and no hospitatily at hotels or restaurants no cooks no one to meet and greet no duty dentist if your raging with toothache for two days ohhh yes I hope you re not going to watch Tv or listen to the radio no emergency services don't let your house catch fire or get burgled because there ll be no police on duty and so on and so on ......poor shop workers eh