The True Meaning Of Christmas- Page 2

[bdwaygirl]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:28am

A Charlie Brown Christmas is on Tuesday. I wish they'd at least wait until December to start airing the Christmas shows.

[cturtle]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:30am

christmas is all about love. if you survey civilization on the earth, there's a whole lot more love than hatred. christmas is a reminder to us all that love can and will overcome hatred, and that is true hope.

... we return you now to your regularly scheduled thread ...

[vbplayer]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:34am

:) = turtle

I couldn't agree more.

[vbplayer]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:37am

bdwaygirl, when they are on DVD you can watch whenever you want. There is never a wrong time to watch. It's a classic.

[tazber]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:39am

Rudolph
Charlie
Emmett
Grinch
Wonderful Life

Every year without fail.

[scott68]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:45am

It's A Wonderful Life! I always forget it because it's a legit movie, not a special per se, but it's definitely just as important.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 2:43am

I watched The Wedding Singer tonight. I am in a bah humbug mood.

I need to pull out my CD of Cher singing Oh Holy Night. And Bing Crosby's Christmas.

Too bad Sara doesn't have Christmas CD that she isn't just in chorus on. That would absolutely put me in the mood. (Not a Christmasy one, really.)

[bschneid76]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 9:04am

Christmas is never Christmas until A Charlie Brown Christmas is watched. Also, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Also, there is a film with similar clay-mation called The Life and Adventures of Santa Clause, it's a bit on the strange side, but compelling and imaginative.

[iHeartMyGeek]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 9:06am

THere is only one film that means Christmas to me: "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". THAT is the true meaning of Christmas.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 9:18am

People have been saying Christmas is overcommercialized since Scrooge's time. It's a point too obvious to be made and, as several posters have said eloquently, misses the larger--and deeper--point.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 9:38am

Long before the "birth" of "Christ" the time around the winter solstice was special. The world would get colder and darker and people would feel anxious and depressed. So they began to celebrate that while things might seem bad now, they would get better. In fact, only a couple days after the shortest day of the year, (December 21) things are getting better already- the days a little longer, the sun a little brighter. So they celebrated. The celebrated the coming of the light. They celebrated that some trees were still green. They celebrated that life had a cycle and all those spring births were just around the corner, so to speak.

Along comes an upstart religion looking to gain some traction. There are all these pagan festivals around the last week of December. So they put the "Birth" of god on the 25th of December and called him "The Light of the World." They told people they could still celebrate those evergreen trees- just call them Christmas Trees. And so on and so on.

So when someone whines that we've forgotten the true meaning of Christmas, agree and urge them to get back to pagan rituals and druid tree worship- the REAL Christmas.

[Taka]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 11:27am

Starting this year, I'm making it a point to watch "Woodland Critter Christmas" from "South Park" every year.


But in all seriousness, there are several things that make Christmas to me. Aside from it being a joyous day filled with family, love, and Jesus's false birthday that we might as well celebrate on Christmas as we really have no idea when it actually happened, it's also the only time of year where it's acceptable to blast Christmas carols from the stereo. These carols range from the traditional "Silent Night" to the contemporary "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".


But there's nothing that makes me more mad then someone manipulating the true meaning of Christmas in order to make a quick buck. "Christmas Shoes" is a perfect example of this.

*waits to be shot, as everyone I know loves this song and says, "aww, it's so sad!"*
Updated On: 11/24/07 at 11:27 AM

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 11:38am

Not to be a downer, but I wanted to make another point about Christmas, and in fact, the whole holiday season.

To me, this time of year is all about family and friends, celebrations, gift-giving, doing all the hustling and bustling of shopping and cooking. Parties and get togethers abound.

If I'm not mistaken, this time of year is high on the list of suicides and related depression. I think of all the people who have no one, no shopping to do, no parties to go to. Although I have some family (but we don't celebrate Christmas) and I have wonderful friends, I usually feel a little blue during this time of year too. I'm happy when it's over to tell the truth

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:15pm

I actually read that while it is a time of increased depression, (probably due to extra time with family) that suicide rates actually go down. The rise is an urban legend.

Christmas to me is just time to spend with friends and family.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:25pm

Not to worry, taka, usually Christmas Shoes is high on the list of the songs people can't stand around here.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:28pm

I don't like the holidays.

[iHeartMyGeek]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:31pm

Over the years Christmas has become my absolute least favorite time of year. I dread it. When you're young it's exciting, but as you get older it just becomes fake and forced and frustrating. That might sound very Scrooge-ish, and maybe I'm being cynical, but "holiday cheer" just does not apply to me.

My dad feels the same way. We aren't really celebrating this year. No Christmas music, no decorations, no tree. We're going to exchange one gift each and that's that. Some complicated stuff has happened in our family on past Christmas days, so we just don't get enthusiastic about it anymore.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:34pm

Same with me, Geek.

With multiple job losses and deaths in the family, the "spirit" of Christmas has been lost to me. It kills me every year when I see the local lady's guild or lions club puling up our driveway with pre-wrapped gifts for our family. I'm grateful, of course, but I still hate it. It's ruined my holiday season for years now.

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:36pm

Geek, I'm glad to see that I"m not the only one who's not wild about the holidays!

[iHeartMyGeek]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:39pm

And I'm glad to see I'm not the only "Grinch" on the board. Everyone here seems so cheerful about the holidays, I was starting to feel like the downer of the group.

[Jane2]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:40pm

Haha, well leave it to me to make the "downer" post!

[MotorTink]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:47pm

With the losses my family has had to endure this year, I am trying to make this holiday season SO much more meaningful. I'm normally a nut about this time of year, because for me, it is an entire season of doing things with and for each other. Most times, two or more people put up a tree, decorate, shop together, have holiday parties to enjoy each others company, etc.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 12:57pm

If the commercialization of Christmas bothers you, WHY did you go shopping on "Black Friday"? This reaction is no one's fault but your own.

[mominator]

Posted: 11/24/07 at 1:23pm

I have already posted this response in another thread but it works here as well.
"My son keeps on asking me what I want for Christmas. My answer is simple, I already have it, you are able to be here. Next year he may be in Iraq. So this year we are celebrating everyone good health and being a family."