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On Christmas

10 Comments on On Christmas

My brother wrote a thoughtful post yesterday about the craziness that Christmas can/has become: Merry Christmas.

Read it today, the link will dissolve on Dec. 1. (He doesn’t have permalinks.)

10 Comments

  2. I wonder if the events of this year, and the behavior around Christmas this year will make us question the directions we’ve been going in this country.

    We need to reassess and regroup our values, get back to what’s real and wholesome and good.

    Janet

  4. Yeah, but I said it better. LOL hahah JUST KIDDING!

    I just saw his article on Black Friday. I imagine his thoughts reflect what a lot of us are thinking.

    I’m shocked that the people argued about leaving the store. I’d think the whole incident would have sobered them right up.

    As the years go by, I find myself quoting my grandmother more and more often. Or thinking like she thought about how the world is changing. If she saw it today, I think she’d be shocked out of her boots. She died in ’79, and was appalled at some of the changes then.

    We’ve had very good changes, like civil rights, getting rid of segregation, etc. But we’ve had some real scary changes too.

  5. I am just amazed at the people who would camp out or stand in line for a store’s opening time on “Black Friday!” (are they just NUTs?) I will admit that I have gone shopping on the day after Thanksgiving–well, only if I’m in the K.C. area anyway and then go with my daughters. I don’t really like shopping in a crowd, and for the past several years, I try to shop locally, or maybe just a little on-line.
    I know a family that made a pact to only give homemade item for Christmas presents one year and they were very creative and wonderful! I’m not sure if that would work with my family. Would my grandchildren really want a box of cookies from Grandma instead of other stuff?

  6. Well when Jesus Christ is taken out of Christmas——–what are people celebrating?????????????????????????????????
    Our family is going with home made things for Christmas & have for several years!!!!!!!
    And if grandchildren understand what the “real meaning” of Christmas really is—that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord & Savior & we do as much as we can for OTHERS at Christmas & hopefully through out the whole year—–now——–
    –my grandchildren love a box of homemade cookies & tasty mix from Grandma!!!!!!!!
    It all depends on your morals & principles & values & what you base as important or NOT!!! My grandchildren value the love I put into those cookies & DON’T EXPECT MORE——– as that is how they have been taught by their parents!!!!!
    If they do get more it is a real true blessing— that they didn’t EXPECT!!!!!!!!
    WE celebrate Jesus Christ Birthday——–is what Christmas is still all about to our family!!!!!!!!!!
    I didn’t even hear Jesus spoke of————in any of the other comments!!!!!!

  7. You know, Flips, I could take offence at your remarks, but I won’t. You’re certainly entitled to your own opinions, but for the gift discussion, I’ve always given each of my grandchildren (all 8 of them!) a book, clothing and some kind of toy/game— and the cookies are free and I always send cookies home with them like my grandmother used to do. I think that of course, we all know that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, but that wasn’t what this discussion was about, so we wouldn’t “speak” of Him in every comment about the Christmas/holiday season. As for “my morals and principles and values,” –and anybody else’s for that matter, I believe in the Bible verse: “Judge not, that ye be not judged,” so I’ll let Him judge me.

  8. Until about 1850 in Europe, Christmas was not about gift giving and was more like Halloween. Serf children/farm families would visit the Baron in the manor house for handouts. The Industrial Revolution saw a shift toward gift giving in the spirit of the Wise Men. The marketing machine kicked in and now most are putty in their hands. This reminds me of lemmings as evidenced by the recent tragic incident in New York.

  10. I used to have the history of the development of the Christmas holiday at my fingertips. I did quite a bit of reading about that one year. I no longer have the paperwork and remember very little about it. That was years ago. It was a broad history and different around the world.

    But as I recall, Jesus wasn’t likely born in the Winter months. The shepherds were in the fields. And it began due to a pagan holiday.

    I’m amazed at how much of this I don’t remember.

    As for the kids and gifts. My grandchildren know what Christmas is about. Some years we send neat toys. Some years nothing at the holidays. But we’ll send stuff during the year. We keep in contact with them. Our son, Dad of the two brothers in California, finds ways to keep us active, even from a distance. For instance, we just did Flat Stanley. That was great. And Aiden wanted pictures of my dolls for his teacher.

    But each family has their own traditions. I imagine most Christian families teach their children about Jesus. But many kids, in the process of tradition building learn about family values and closeness, even the non-Christian children.

    Some people don’t have time to make gifts, so buy gifts. Others have time, but no money, so make gifts. Some have no time and no money. Others have both time and money. We’re a society with a broad socio-economic base, from obscenely rich to bone grinding poor.

    It’s really impossible to judge anyone based on how they celebrate Christmas, or even if they should if they don’t want to. I’m not this year, but that doesn’t lessen my faith or trust in God. It just means that I’m not doing anything about Christmas this year.

    Ele, from how you talk about your family, I am positive that you are one of those very cool grandmas.

    I’m a long distance Gramma, and we make do.

    I’m babbling now. I need to get to bed. Oh my, it’s an hour later than I realized. Can we turn the clocks back again so I won’t think I’m up so late?

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