What is in a name? A discussion of Christmas.

You can turn on any news channel, and there are views on Christmas or X-mas or just saying happy holidays. Here are my personal views on the subject.

I don't think this post belongs in spirituality or political, it really doesnt belong in either I think, it is more of just a share of opinions.


This is a christian celebration. I don't see anyone adopting a version of hannukah and altering it's name. If you follow their religion, you celebrate it, if you don't, then you most likely don't celebrate hannukah.

If you are going to celebrate a holiday created by a religion, and you are not a part of that religion, I believe that you have NO right to say something you don't like about it.

Christmas, it has the name of christ in it, to show it is a day about him. The act of giving is because of the three wisemen giving baby jesus gifts.

If you are not christian, but celebrate the holiday, and give gifts, then you are following a CHRISTIAN tradition, that is brought forth from the CHRISTIAN bible. Meaning any way you look at it, if you celebrate this holiday, then you are celebrating christian ideals.


I am agnostic, I was a Christian before I realized that I could not hold faith in God, because there was no proof of his or her existance, nor would there ever be short of him showing him or herself. Even then it could be wrote off as a series of coincidences.

I am going from I guess would seem a partially, if not fully, biased view of the holiday.

If I started fasting during Ramadan I would call it Ramadan then I would call it Ramadan.

Why would I do this? Because it is a Muslim holiday, and it would be disrespectful of their traditions and customs to do otherwise.

No one would suggest someone changing the name of Ramadan, no one would suggest changing the name of Hannukah, why? it is because none of these have the name of their god in them?

If you celebrate the holiday of Christmas, respect their religion as people respect your own. Noone makes fun or changes the name of other religions holidays, it is pointless and childish. And it would be called such.

And remember what holiday means, HOLY DAY. If you are agnostic or athiest and celebrate this holiday, then respect it. You hold true to your ideals, but at the same time, so do they. They have views of their religion as you have views of yours. We could all be wrong, they could be right, we could be right. The thing of it is, we will never know. This holiday was created by christians, and we should respect their birthright of it's name.

I agree. I'm not religous, but it's christmas. If you wanna say happy holiday because you don't celibrate christmas, thats fine, but don't put down on the folks who do. It's just something the dems like to screw up for no reason. I even heard that a version of charlie browns christmas was all edited up because it was too regligious. For crying out loud, it's charlie brown. They've allways been christian based.

Some people just like to stir up much because they have nothing else to do. Merry Christmas :madnoel:

You took the words right out of my mouth wayoftheleaf. It bothers me so much that people are complaining about how religous it is, I just want to blurt out that IT IS a religous holiday just like hannukah, and not just about presents and Santa Claus but the celebration of Jesus's birthday. Thats what the day is about and if you dont believe in christianty, then you have no right to complain about a holiday that is based around a religon that you dont believe in.

I dont believe Christmas is a religious holiday anymore. Look at it, and the people around you that celebrate it. No one says "happy birthday jesus" or they don't treat it as christ's bday. They may say they do, but most just do it for the fun.

Most families treat it as a time to be together, get presents, and be happy. Presents, feasts, time to relax, snow, xmas trees.

All Im saying is that I believe Christmas has been transformed into a NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL holiday like Halloween. <---Yet another subject of discussion about religious holidays being transformed into a seasonal holiday not religious holiday.

Shut up, im high. :p

i personally dont like christmas, a lot of my family gets together and i hate most of them.

Actually if I remember correctly Christmas is orginally a Pagan holiday that was adapted to fit Christian views so.. um ..yeah I think you get my point

It doesn't matter what it has become, it has become this because it is a popular holiday. It doesnt matter that other religions celebrate it, it originated as a christian holiday, and it is just pointless to argue something so well... pointless.

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Originally Posted by hello3pat

Actually if I remember correctly Christmas is orginally a Pagan holiday that was adapted to fit Christian views so.. um ..yeah I think you get my point

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yes, yes it was. it was originally known as the winter solstice(idk if thats how you spell it)

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Originally Posted by MastaChronic

yes, yes it was. it was originally known as the winter solstice(idk if thats how you spell it)

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See my point is, is the fact it was originally changed by a group that as you said shouldn't say anything against it. Hell, most Christian holidays where spawned from the Pagan belief system. All religions originated as Paganism and also the central core celebration of Christmas is a coming together of family and cast off the years troubles and think of the family unit itself.

It has been changed alot in time. I dont know where it first started buy i know at one time it was just a celebration of the seasons, and also someone named Mithris or something.

Wait, what are we talking about? We dont know where it actually came from or what it was celebrated as, we just believe what we want to believe from things we have heard, or seen on tv, or read.

Christmas is an altered form of the winter solstice(sp?).

They didn't take the exact holiday and call it Christmas. They put a different day, different customs, different name, ect.

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Originally Posted by wayoftheleaf

Christmas is an altered form of the winter solstice(sp?).

They didn't take the exact holiday and call it Christmas. They put a different day, different customs, different name, ect.

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you can call a tree a toilet but it doesnt change the fact that it is a tree

Merry XMAS
I won't use the lame christian spelling because I hate christians and think they should be fed to the lions. Yes, I was raised a catholic christian and that is why I hate it so much.
Believe what I tell you, Or I will hurt you very badly.
I do not say happy hanuka, merry christmas or happy ramadon. I do however wish people a Happy New Year, even my Chinese friend who celebrates new years at the wrong time of year like they all do.
I say happy holidays and you all can kiss my ass if you don't like it.:D :D :D
So Happy Holidays, what ever they may be.

Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus. It has everything to do with getting presents.

I'm impressed WOL... I just like to believe it is a time of the year that we give instead of take...

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Originally Posted by Skink

I just like to believe it is a time of the year that we give instead of take...

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If no one takes, then who are you giving to?

Why do people only think about giving once a year?

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Originally Posted by CityBoyGoneCountry

Why do people only think about giving once a year?

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why do you make such stupid assumtions?

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Originally Posted by azure

why do you make such stupid assumtions?

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Come on now azure... it's a legitimate question. If it does not apply to you, then it doesn't apply to you. No need to get all puffy and start being rude.

The truth of the matter is that a lot of people in this world are selfish bastards, and the only time they ever do anything for anyone other than themselves is Christmas time. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. I didn't make this world, I just live in it.

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Originally Posted by CityBoyGoneCountry

If no one takes, then who are you giving to?

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Thats a little askew in thought... I am talking about the feeling in the air is one of giving,,,if you have a tendency to take all the time this is a time to make up for your ways... taking my right of way on the highway is quite different than them receiving a friendly gesture of right of way from me... receiving is quite different than taking...

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Originally Posted by CityBoyGoneCountry

Come on now azure... it's a legitimate question. If it does not apply to you, then it doesn't apply to you. No need to get all puffy and start being rude.

The truth of the matter is that a lot of people in this world are selfish bastards, and the only time they ever do anything for anyone other than themselves is Christmas time. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. I didn't make this world, I just live in it.

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its not a legitimate question really its just a fat assumption, what are you on about who it applies to? its an open question on an online forum.. it applies to anyone that reads it. havent the slightest what you mean by puffy must be country talk or some shit.

yes alot of people are selfish, more so than not, its common knowledge, its not like your raising some new intruiging philisophical observation here, your just veering off topic.


ontopic: I dont think i should respect christianity because i celebrate one of its holidays, its just an event to me, an enjoyable one where spirits are higher and you spend time with people you know.

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Originally Posted by azure

its not a legitimate question really its just a fat assumption

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Originally Posted by azure

yes alot of people are selfish, more so than not, its common knowledge

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So make up your mind. Is it a fat assumption or is it common knowledge?

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Originally Posted by azure

its just an event to me, an enjoyable one where spirits are higher and you spend time with people you know.

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Yes, I can see how high your spirit is right now! :D

I stick to what I said, I don't care what you wanna call it, but don't tell other people they can't say merry christmas. That's just lame.

i don't know about all of you but I live my life as if every day were a holiday or a holy day. I am not religious and I have not celebrated Christmas in over 7 years, I do not miss it yet I will not question why other people choose this specific day alone as a day for family/friend reunion, swapping gifts and joviality . In my opinion this holiday has lost its value, its religious meaning. And has just been replaced by pure materialistic and commercial ideas which are only tangible and not spiritual. Lets face it, the celebration of this holiday by non-believers has ruined it and has turned it into a big commercial scam.
Well, Merry Christmas to you believers

I hate all this political correctness. It's Christmas, yay!

Christmas is great. A great time of the year to be with people, spend all your money on other people and still get to be greedy and fat. Its just great.

Yeah i get you, you can get to munch your ass off with good holiday food only once a year. Lucky we are.

Fucking grade A atheist !! but why the fuck shouldn't I join in the party, Christmas is what it is to whoever chooses to be part of it.
For me its a time for catching up with folk and just chillin' :jointsmile:
For my mom it was a christian thing and she enjoyed having her family around her , thats what it meant to her. :cool:
Each to thier own but why knock something just because you don't personaly believe, don't analyse it, enjoy it :dance: or at least leave alone those who do want to make an effort to make Christmas a merry old time.:madnoel:

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Originally Posted by CityBoyGoneCountry

So make up your mind. Is it a fat assumption or is it common knowledge?




Yes, I can see how high your spirit is right now! :D

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wtf? the assumption was you saying people only think about giving once a year

the common knowledge is that more people are selfish than not... but clearly not everyones going to think about giving once a year

what is hard to understand? i know your severley aged mentally but try to think normally please

The way I see it.
Christmas in America has two representations.

1. Religious: the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Midnight mass. Church

2. Secular: the celebration of Christmas as a novelty that includes Santa, Macy's parade, Frosty, Rudolph, Christmas tree, gifts, shopping malls. Its the second stop in the winter holiday tour, which starts at Thanksgiving and runs thru New Years Eve.

Sadly 1 has taken a back seat to 2.
Many celebrate 2 and don't give 1 a second thought. This has been an ongoing complaint in America. Even in 'Miracle on 34th St' (1947) Albert states quite insightfully

"There is a lot of bad ism's floating around this world and one of the worst is commercialism."

I dont think less of those who are not religious and just celebrate the holiday and not the birthday. I feel sad for them but not less of them.

Live and let live.

Have a Merry, all. :)

We should all live, and love, and kick each others balls.

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Originally Posted by wayoftheleaf

We should all live, and love, and kick each others balls.

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only pussies kick balls
are you a pussy?

It was a joke man...

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Originally Posted by wayoftheleaf

We should all live, and love, and kick each others balls.

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kick :p

lol BURGER KING

i agree man. i'm an atheist myself. i dont celebrate christmas and neither does my family. but in order to be apart of the celebratory season and gift giving, we have 'family day' where we give gifts, go bowling and go out for chinese food. we do this in the name of family