Well that was the pagan/Celtic version, which, being pre-Christian, wasn't Christmas but Yuletide. Rather than celebrating the solstice as such, it was surely about celebrating the fact the days were henceforth going to start to get longer and the other symptoms of winter, like the cold and lack of vegetation, were also about to abate.
Christmas is just the current name. 99% of people don't give a second thought to Christian myth on Christmas Day.
Since humanity has lived as a society there's been a festival around the shortest day... it's only been labelled Christmas in the last couple of percent of its existence.
In a thousand years it probably won't be called Christmas any more, and there probably won't be any Christians at all... but there'll still be a midwinter festival.
Christmas is just the current name. 99% of people don't give a second thought to Christian myth on Christmas Day.
Since humanity has lived as a society there's been a festival around the shortest day... it's only been labelled Christmas in the last couple of percent of its existence.
In a thousand years it probably won't be called Christmas any more, and there probably won't be any Christians at all... but there'll still be a midwinter festival.
I think you are way off with your figures there seeing as there are at least 2+ billion Christians worldwide today.
Also, the shortest day is on 21st December not the 25th - so I take it you've already had your celebration this year?
Finally, I don't think you have the foresight to predict the future - much like any of us, so I guess that is more wishful thinking on your part?
You could say the same about people who moan because people don't share their opinion about it. It's hard to express disagreement without someone moaning about others moaning.
There was an overly rabid EDL style poster on another thread saying something similar about his regularly stated "opinions" on Islam. Opinions are fine but constant streams of bile are as open to challenge as any other form of bigotry.
I think you are way off with your figures there seeing as there are at least 2+ billion Christians worldwide today.
Also, the shortest day is on 21st December not the 25th - so I take it you've already had your celebration this year?
Finally, I don't think you have the foresight to predict the future - much like any of us, so I guess that is more wishful thinking on your part?
The "2 billion Christians" includes things like 70-odd percent of the UK... which is clearly not actually true. People say "Christian" as a cultural thing, not as a religious thing in such things. Go to any mainstream CoE Church in mid-July, and you'll see a congregation of 3 or 4 elderly people.
My prediction is simply based on history, and how the fads of religion have come and gone, and have done many times before, combined with the current statistics of how religious belief generally drops off a cliff when countries become more developed. Look at the rates of actual religious belief in the last 40 years in Europe. In a thousand years. the only thing I'm "wishful thinking" about is that the bulk of the world will be developed, and I hope you would be too.
There will be a midwinter celebration in 1000 years. There always has been.
Richard Herring today argues that Roy Wood of Wizzard got it wrong in his song. He feels once every four years like the Olympics would be better making it that much more special than the annual indulgence fest it has become.
Some shops are stripping xmas from the shelves already" M&S was taking down all their xmas items such as crackers and wrapping paper, an they are laready selling new year party food.
Surely ts best to leave everything there until after xmas?
Now Now, people who sit in offices have deiced that's how Christmas should be celebrated...from October 31st until December 24th, around 6pm.
When I worked in a well known high street newsagent we had about 4 refits of the store decorations between Halloween and January.
When Halloween was over we put up the 1st wave of Christmas stuff in the store. The staff were kept for 2 hours after closing time tearing down the Halloween stuff and sticking up Christmas promotions so it was all ready for November 1st.
Then, around the start of December we had to tear all that down and put up slightly different Christmas stuff with slightly different offers and bring out more chocolates, cards and calendars and expand all of that to take up more shelf space and minimise a few things like stationary and household goods for a few weeks. Then on Christmas eve we shut up shop at 4pm and we were all in until 6pm tearing down all traces of Christmas and putting up sales promotions in time for Boxing day opening time!
On December 31st we tore all that stuff down and put up promotional stuff for back to school, diaries and calendars. We also took this chance to clear the stockroom of literally any old crap that had been kicking around all year. Stuff without a barcode was just put out for anything between 50p and £3 and put in a big box with "sale" on the front. That was empty by the end of Boxing day!
Finally, around January 10th we tore all that down and put up Valentines day crap, then in time for February 15th it was Easter promotions!
When I finally left the store in late August time, the Christmas promotional posters had started arriving (with instructions that it was to be stored until Halloween) and the floor and shelf plans for Christmas products were already being sent from head office!
I'm amazed that they did in the first place.
Considering all the security involved of having to open every single one, otherwise anything could be smuggled in
'Two Januaries'? I don't understand-and are you saying 'No Christmas'-i.e. an absence of Christmas-would have this effect? Or were you meaning to say, 'No, Christmas effectively means having two Januaries'-the comma between the first word and Christmas meaning that you are saying that this is the state of affairs with Christmas.
An absence of Christmas would have the effect of having two months in the winter (similar depressing weather, very short days) that are like January, without anything much to distinguish them. It was a (clearly ineffective) attempt at saying Christmas brightens up part of the winter.
An absence of Christmas would have the effect of having two months in the winter (similar depressing weather, very short days) that are like January, without anything much to distinguish them. It was a (clearly ineffective) attempt at saying Christmas brightens up part of the winter.
There would still be New Year. I know many people don't bother with it anymore, but if there was no Christmas and that's all there was then I imagine more people would make an occasion of it.
There would still be New Year. I know many people don't bother with it anymore, but if there was no Christmas and that's all there was then I imagine more people would make an occasion of it.
Probably, but then people like the OP would just complain about New Year instead
Comments
Christmas is just the current name. 99% of people don't give a second thought to Christian myth on Christmas Day.
Since humanity has lived as a society there's been a festival around the shortest day... it's only been labelled Christmas in the last couple of percent of its existence.
In a thousand years it probably won't be called Christmas any more, and there probably won't be any Christians at all... but there'll still be a midwinter festival.
oh c'mon now! It does get shoved down our throats a bit!
I think you are way off with your figures there seeing as there are at least 2+ billion Christians worldwide today.
Also, the shortest day is on 21st December not the 25th - so I take it you've already had your celebration this year?
Finally, I don't think you have the foresight to predict the future - much like any of us, so I guess that is more wishful thinking on your part?
^ This.
There was an overly rabid EDL style poster on another thread saying something similar about his regularly stated "opinions" on Islam. Opinions are fine but constant streams of bile are as open to challenge as any other form of bigotry.
A definite + 1 on this though.
The "2 billion Christians" includes things like 70-odd percent of the UK... which is clearly not actually true. People say "Christian" as a cultural thing, not as a religious thing in such things. Go to any mainstream CoE Church in mid-July, and you'll see a congregation of 3 or 4 elderly people.
My prediction is simply based on history, and how the fads of religion have come and gone, and have done many times before, combined with the current statistics of how religious belief generally drops off a cliff when countries become more developed. Look at the rates of actual religious belief in the last 40 years in Europe. In a thousand years. the only thing I'm "wishful thinking" about is that the bulk of the world will be developed, and I hope you would be too.
There will be a midwinter celebration in 1000 years. There always has been.
Now Now, people who sit in offices have deiced that's how Christmas should be celebrated...from October 31st until December 24th, around 6pm.
When I worked in a well known high street newsagent we had about 4 refits of the store decorations between Halloween and January.
When Halloween was over we put up the 1st wave of Christmas stuff in the store. The staff were kept for 2 hours after closing time tearing down the Halloween stuff and sticking up Christmas promotions so it was all ready for November 1st.
Then, around the start of December we had to tear all that down and put up slightly different Christmas stuff with slightly different offers and bring out more chocolates, cards and calendars and expand all of that to take up more shelf space and minimise a few things like stationary and household goods for a few weeks. Then on Christmas eve we shut up shop at 4pm and we were all in until 6pm tearing down all traces of Christmas and putting up sales promotions in time for Boxing day opening time!
On December 31st we tore all that stuff down and put up promotional stuff for back to school, diaries and calendars. We also took this chance to clear the stockroom of literally any old crap that had been kicking around all year. Stuff without a barcode was just put out for anything between 50p and £3 and put in a big box with "sale" on the front. That was empty by the end of Boxing day!
Finally, around January 10th we tore all that down and put up Valentines day crap, then in time for February 15th it was Easter promotions!
When I finally left the store in late August time, the Christmas promotional posters had started arriving (with instructions that it was to be stored until Halloween) and the floor and shelf plans for Christmas products were already being sent from head office!
http://news.sky.com/story/1186467/prisoners-wont-receive-parcels-this-christmas
I'm amazed that they did in the first place.
Considering all the security involved of having to open every single one, otherwise anything could be smuggled in
An absence of Christmas would have the effect of having two months in the winter (similar depressing weather, very short days) that are like January, without anything much to distinguish them. It was a (clearly ineffective) attempt at saying Christmas brightens up part of the winter.
There would still be New Year. I know many people don't bother with it anymore, but if there was no Christmas and that's all there was then I imagine more people would make an occasion of it.
Probably, but then people like the OP would just complain about New Year instead