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General Discussions => General discussions => Topic started by: Anatta on December 24, 2011, 04:30:42 PM

Title: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Anatta on December 24, 2011, 04:30:42 PM
Kia Ora,

Is Christmas something you celebrate ?

Is it a religious time for you ?

Is it a time for partying ?

Is it a time for family get togethers ?

Is it just time off from work ?

Is it just another day, nothing special ?

What does it mean for you, is it something special ?

This thread is open to all, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, Agnostics...Whoever wants to express themselves... * And not forgetting 'Pagans' after all it wouldn't be Xmas without them ;)

Metta Zenda :)

Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Devlyn on December 24, 2011, 04:45:22 PM
I'm not religious, so it is about being with friends and truly being happy to spend a special day with them enjoying a feast and exchanging gifts. Merry Christmas! Hugs, Devlyn
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Anatta on December 24, 2011, 04:51:30 PM
Quote from: Devlyn on December 24, 2011, 04:45:22 PM
I'm not religious, so it is about being with friends and truly being happy to spend a special day with them enjoying a feast and exchanging gifts. Merry Christmas! Hugs, Devlyn

Kia Ora Devlyn,

::) And a MERRY XMAS back at ya  ;) ;D

::) I guess for many people it's still just a Pagan celebration...

Metta Zenda :)
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: LordKAT on December 24, 2011, 10:40:02 PM
It means I get paid to do what everyone wanting off isn't doing.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Mahsa Tezani on December 24, 2011, 11:09:04 PM
It means more money for the capitalists.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Anatta on December 24, 2011, 11:43:58 PM
Quote from: Mahsa the disco shark on December 24, 2011, 11:09:04 PM
It means more money for the capitalists.

Kia Ora Elle,

Pink Floyd - Money - Live 8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl6NfQyNLto#)

::) Pink Floyd might be a bit before your time but still........................

  "Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad" [Farsi]

Metta Zenda :)

Metta Zenda :)
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Felix on December 25, 2011, 01:43:54 AM
Lol Christmas means to me the same thing as Divali or Pi Day or any other holiday. It's an excuse to be happy and go through good motions.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: cindianna_jones on December 25, 2011, 01:51:22 AM
It's a holiday. I get my friends together. We have a nice meal. Some years we exchange gifts. It's nice.  I'm not a big Christmas shopper. I've only been to a grocery store twice this month... nothing else.  And for Christmas dinner, I'm fixing a Tai curry chicken dish.

This year, my friends and I have been searching for the war on Christmas. We thought it might be entertaining to watch... but only one channel has any coverage. ;)

Cindi
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: annette on December 25, 2011, 01:53:14 AM
It means nothing special to me, it's a matter of fact I'm working, just like any other day.
The only difference is that it pays more, to work on that day.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Keaira on December 25, 2011, 02:15:18 AM
For me it's a tough one to answer. On one hand, I get homesick. I miss my parents and brother. They live on the opposite side of the globe in 3 countries. We had great Christmases together. But I have my family over here too. And yet, since I started my transition, I have lost a lot of them too. So, beyond seeing my children unwrapping their gifts, it's just a reminder of the family times I miss most.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Felix on December 25, 2011, 02:36:19 AM
Sometimes it reminds me how broken and alone I am, and it can also make me feel incredible pressure to invite in or at least give presents to homeless people. They take gifts more graciously and joyfully than most anybody.

The materialism sometimes makes me feel like a stupid rich american.

The childishness and sparkliness of it all pleases me greatly. :)
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Keaira on December 25, 2011, 03:40:15 AM
Well then Felix, for this one Christmas, let us forget that which we miss and loathe. You are never alone. And you never will be. You have a daughter who loves you and you have us. What is broken about you can be fixed.
*hugs*
Merry Christmas Felix and my dear friends here. And my best to you and yours. ^_^
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Felix on December 26, 2011, 06:24:24 AM
Quote from: Keaira on December 25, 2011, 03:40:15 AM
Well then Felix, for this one Christmas, let us forget that which we miss and loathe. You are never alone. And you never will be. You have a daughter who loves you and you have us. What is broken about you can be fixed.
*hugs*
Merry Christmas Felix and my dear friends here. And my best to you and yours. ^_^

This was great to hear last night. :)
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: barbie on December 26, 2011, 02:39:06 PM
I do not celebrate Christmas day. This year, it was just a Sunday.
We have celebrated the winter solstice since the prehistory.

Barbie~~
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Anatta on December 26, 2011, 02:51:16 PM
Kia Ora,

::) And thanks for your responses so far...

::) An interesting read for some and for others perhaps just old news ...

http://www.pocm.info/ (http://www.pocm.info/)

Metta Zenda :)
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Julie Marie on December 26, 2011, 03:15:18 PM
It used to be a time when the family would get together (and I was always invited.)  I'd spend a lot of time playing with the kids until they exhausted me.  I really never clicked much with my siblings except one and she bowed out of family gatherings long ago.  But I would always do my best to be gracious. 

In 2006 the family gathered without me.  The ex and my kids were invited though.  (I was still over a year away from starting transition then but just the knowledge I was trans was enough for my family not to invite me.)  It was the first time in my life I was alone on Christmas.  That was tough. 

Christmas lost its meaning after that.  I used to hate it when the holidays rolled around.  Now I just see them as another day, except Christmas.  Now Christmas is that one day of the year the grocery stores are closed so if I'm close to running out of anything I need to remember to go out the day before to get it.  And this year the NFL scheduled all but one of their games on Saturday because Christmas fell on a Sunday.  That really threw me off!
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Anatta on December 26, 2011, 10:58:09 PM
Quote from: Julie Marie on December 26, 2011, 03:15:18 PM
It used to be a time when the family would get together (and I was always invited.)  I'd spend a lot of time playing with the kids until they exhausted me.  I really never clicked much with my siblings except one and she bowed out of family gatherings long ago.  But I would always do my best to be gracious. 

In 2006 the family gathered without me.  The ex and my kids were invited though.  (I was still over a year away from starting transition then but just the knowledge I was trans was enough for my family not to invite me.)  It was the first time in my life I was alone on Christmas.  That was tough. 

Christmas lost its meaning after that.  I used to hate it when the holidays rolled around.  Now I just see them as another day, except Christmas.  Now Christmas is that one day of the year the grocery stores are closed so if I'm close to running out of anything I need to remember to go out the day before to get it.  And this year the NFL scheduled all but one of their games on Saturday because Christmas fell on a Sunday.  That really threw me off!

Kia Ora Julie,

::) Sorry to hear you being shunned by your family...I don't celebrate it, apart from giving gifts[something practical] to my children...Boy was I peeved off when I found out there was no Santa, it put me right off Xmas  ;) ;D

Metta Zenda :)
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Tossu-sama on December 27, 2011, 03:41:53 AM
For me, Christmas is just a chance for the family to get together. In my case, it isn't anything big since I don't consider anyone from my father's side to even be part of my family. So, it's mostly my Mom, my stepfather and his four sons. And of course Vilsu (cat) and Veeti (dog)! ;D

I rarely see Mom these days so it means a lot to me to spend at least couple days with her.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Keaira on December 27, 2011, 07:03:58 AM
Quote from: Felix on December 26, 2011, 06:24:24 AM
This was great to hear last night. :)

It was from the heart ^_^
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: caseyyy on December 27, 2011, 04:25:48 PM
It's just a time to relax, spend with family. I like the decorations and the atmosphere when everything is all Christmassy. I don't even mind crowded malls this time of year.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: King Malachite on March 14, 2012, 07:22:56 PM
I'm not late to this thread.  I'm just 9 months early.

What does Christmas mean to me?

It means time off school and more time to play video games and surf the web.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Felix on March 17, 2012, 05:04:40 AM
Christmas means WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU MALACHITE IT'S NOT EVEN SPRING YET!
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: King Malachite on March 17, 2012, 05:10:27 AM
Quote from: Felix on March 17, 2012, 05:04:40 AM
Christmas means WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU MALACHITE IT'S NOT EVEN SPRING YET!

LOL I'm just in the Christmas spirit.  The earlier I plan the better.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Artemis on March 17, 2012, 02:41:56 PM
Quote from: Zenda on December 24, 2011, 04:30:42 PM
Kia Ora,
Is Christmas something you celebrate ?
No. My parents never believed such nonsense so neither do I.
Quote from: Zenda on December 24, 2011, 04:30:42 PMIs it a religious time for you?
No.
Quote from: Zenda on December 24, 2011, 04:30:42 PMIs it a time for partying?
It's a holiday. The main high light for me where/are The Royal Institute Christmas Lectures (currently again on the BBC) and the Doctor Who specials which are wonderful most of the time.
Quote from: Zenda on December 24, 2011, 04:30:42 PMIs it a time for family get togethers?
Not really.
Quote from: Zenda on December 24, 2011, 04:30:42 PMIs it just time off from work?
You could call it that.
Quote from: Zenda on December 24, 2011, 04:30:42 PMIs it just another day, nothing special?
Well. There is a neat astronomical event during that period that you might have heard about? The winter solstice? And some years, if we're lucky, something amazing happens: During the darkest period of the year while the rotting mess of autumn leaves is still everywhere occasionally it will snow. It will hide the mess and illuminating the nights by reflecting all the light. This might be one of the best argument for providence or intelligent design.
Quote from: Zenda on December 24, 2011, 04:30:42 PMWhat does it mean for you, is it something special?
Not really.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: gennee on March 18, 2012, 07:59:57 PM
To me, Christmas is a time of reflection. I'm mindful of many folks who will be alone, especially the LGBT community. Sharing the joy that I have can make someone else's day a little brighter.
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Devlyn on March 18, 2012, 08:22:33 PM
I could go for a giant glass of eggnog right now! Hugs, Devlyn
Title: Re: What does Christmas mean to you ?
Post by: Felix on March 18, 2012, 09:08:33 PM
Quote from: Devlyn on March 18, 2012, 08:22:33 PM
I could go for a giant glass of eggnog right now! Hugs, Devlyn
I like the word nog.