Putting the "Christ in Christmas"

I hear a lot of people complaining about the need to keep the Christ in Christmas, but at this point I'm not even sure I know what that means. What does Christ have to do with Santa Clause, toys, decorated trees, flying reindeer with glowing anatomy, spending yourself into debt, stress, and all the other things that come with the Christmas holiday? So instead of trying to keep the Christ in Christmas, perhaps we can focus on ways that we put the Christ in Christmas. How can we repurpose Christmas so that it is about our spiritual connection to Christ instead of a commercialized holiday of money?

Changing the day we celebrate his birth might be an outstanding start.

We are positive that he did not born on december 25. I remember there was a way in which historians hypothesed the probable months of his birth. Find out abut that maybe?

If yuo celebrate christmas in another date it will be far easier to you to pay more attention to Christ, given that you would not be plagued with paganism and commercialism in those dates (not that I am against any of those, but they can still be distractions )

Yes, Christ was almost certainly not born on December 25th, but with at least 1600 years of celebrations of the birth of Christ on that day, why not use this as an opportunity to focus on our spiritual lives instead of our worldly ones?

Celebrate by putting Christ in everyday.

/thread.

MysticTraveler said:

I hear a lot of people complaining about the need to keep the Christ in Christmas, but at this point I'm not even sure I know what that means. What does Christ have to do with Santa Clause, toys, decorated trees, flying reindeer with glowing anatomy, spending yourself into debt, stress, and all the other things that come with the Christmas holiday? So instead of trying to keep the Christ in Christmas, perhaps we can focus on ways that we put the Christ in Christmas. How can we repurpose Christmas so that it is about our spiritual connection to Christ instead of a commercialized holiday of money?

Click to expand...

Do only what you can do with love. Drop all else.

If you hate it, or it stresses you out, or it is only being done to fulfill someone else's expections, or if it is an inappropriate expression (like going into debt to buy presents that you do not have money for) do not do it.

(You may have to explain a few things to people who have certain expectations of you, but it can be done. That is the approach I have taken.)

MysticTraveler said:

Yes, Christ was almost certainly not born on December 25th, but with at least 1600 years of celebrations of the birth of Christ on that day, why not use this as an opportunity to focus on our spiritual lives instead of our worldly ones?

Click to expand...

1- Because it is unnecessarily more difficult. It´s like deliberately choosing the worst place to pray when you want to focus. It would be a lot easier to celebrate on another date, you would be able to have a deeper connection

2- Spiritual life is grounded on wordly life. Giving presents can very well be an expression of generosity if you want to make it and feel it so. I don´t have problems feeling contact with Christ on Christmass but for those who do, I don´t know why they would make it way harder by deliberately celebrate the date on a date that was chosen because of the "Sun Invictus" celebration anyways.

Also singing carols. That´s always nice. Making nativities. Serving in charities.

There is always stuff you can do

The nice thing about doing it in other date though, is that for example if you gave presents (which dont need at all to be material) to other people in other dates, they will appreciate it more and b surprised and you will feel more the spirit of generosity there. If you make nativities then you´ll remember twice a year, because you already saw a lot of them on december 25 and near dates.

IDK, the way I see it it is only win win to celebrate it in another date if you wish to be more in contact with Jesus .

If people want to imbue Christmas with religious significance, that is up to them. Most of us enjoy the festival without giving it any deep religious meaning.

I know that this is a DIR, but since you asked a general question, I will try to answer i anyway.
I hope that is ok.

MysticTraveler said:

I hear a lot of people complaining about the need to keep the Christ in Christmas, but at this point I'm not even sure I know what that means. What does Christ have to do with Santa Clause, toys, decorated trees, flying reindeer with glowing anatomy, spending yourself into debt, stress, and all the other things that come with the Christmas holiday?

Click to expand...

The reason Christmas has very little to do with Christ is that Christmas isn't really a christian holiday. Christmas is a mix of traditions from many religions and costums. Christmas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Where I live we cal the celebration Jul, and I have always asociated it with the celebration of the return of light (you know we pass solstice and days get longer).
I remember being told once upon a time that the when Denmark became christian the church had a hell of a time getting people to stop celebrating Jul, so finally they just decided to try and make it into a christian celebration. Christ is the return of light anyway, isn't he
They kind of succeeded. Some aspects of christianity did find its way into Jul, but many of the old traditions lingered.

You can also blame capitalism and marketing for some of the mess...

MysticTraveler said:

So instead of trying to keep the Christ in Christmas, perhaps we can focus on ways that we put the Christ in Christmas. How can we repurpose Christmas so that it is about our spiritual connection to Christ instead of a commercialized holiday of money?

Click to expand...

Putting the Christ in Christmas is exactly what people tried to do for the last 1500 years or so.
If you want to succeed, maybe you should start by putting some Christ in people

lunakilo said:

Putting the Christ in Christmas is exactly what people tried to do for the last 1500 years or so.
If you want to succeed, maybe you should start by putting some Christ in people

Click to expand...

And before that happens, we Christians should work harder to put some more Christ in ourselves.

Why would you want to put Jesus in anyone? He was him, and we are us. Even the spin put on the guy by the Biblical writers didn't make him out to be that perfect.

Pleinmont said:

Why would you want to put Jesus in anyone? He was him, and we are us. Even the spin put on the guy by the Biblical writers didn't make him out to be that perfect.

Click to expand...

Because that is what true faith in Christ is about. The presence of Christ transforms a person's life.

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5-6

InChrist said:

Because that is what true faith in Christ is about. The presence of Christ transforms a person's life.

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5-6

Click to expand...

In my experience those Christians who consider themselves 'saved'/'born again' are not transformed in a pleasant way at all, usually for the worse!

Pleinmont said:

In my experience those Christians who consider themselves 'saved'/'born again' are not transformed in a pleasant way at all, usually for the worse!

Click to expand...

I'm very sorry to hear that, may the Lord bring into your life and experience someone who demonstrates the love and truth of Christ.

MysticTraveler said:

I hear a lot of people complaining about the need to keep the Christ in Christmas, but at this point I'm not even sure I know what that means. What does Christ have to do with Santa Clause, toys, decorated trees, flying reindeer with glowing anatomy, spending yourself into debt, stress, and all the other things that come with the Christmas holiday? So instead of trying to keep the Christ in Christmas, perhaps we can focus on ways that we put the Christ in Christmas. How can we repurpose Christmas so that it is about our spiritual connection to Christ instead of a commercialized holiday of money?

Click to expand...

Maybe just let them call it Holiday which means Holyday which is Godlyday!It all points to the same.

Shiranui117 said:

And before that happens, we Christians should work harder to put some more Christ in ourselves.

Click to expand...

Well said.

InChrist said:

I'm very sorry to hear that, may the Lord bring into your life and experience someone who demonstrates the love and truth of Christ.

Click to expand...

I gave the guy a chance when I did the 'saved' bit at eleven. Even though I was sickenly devout for a while, I never once had the sense he was listening or out there somewhere, even though I begged him to come through for me. Fortunately I wised up and kicked my faith into touch by the time I married and left home at nineteen. I have never for one second missed the evangelical/fundamentalist version of Christianity. I have great respect for the Christians who do some good in this world, but they tend to be the ones who are moderate or liberal in their views, and don't inflict their faith on others.

^Hey Pleinmont, we're not allowed to post in DIR's unless we have that religion listed for ourselves. Just giving you a heads up. Cheers.

OK I won't make that mistake again!

People not of the religion can ask questions to the members of the religion in the DIR, but that's it, IIRC.

I say we need to put the "Odin back in Yule".