Are door wreaths religious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the above poster from another perspective.

My parents were immigrants from India in the 60s. They wholly embraced America as their new home. Christmas is everywhere for weeks, months actually. They embraced it as part of the American culture. Because how could they assimilate otherwise? We already stuck out like a sore thumb. We had a tree, my dad would dress up as Santa, we exchanged gifts. Honestly, the part of the country we were in, I would have been a pariah at school if I didn’t partake in the festivities.

I was never confused that we aren’t Christian. I was taught that many paths lead to God and this was the path for the followers of Jesus. (Yes, people tried to convert me all the time, didn’t live in this area at the time. Really, that just left me more convicted in my faith.)

I understand that it’s different for those of Jewish faith or Jewish origin. But they have a holiday during this time too. So it makes sense. My holidays are before and after Christmas, but not during the last two weeks of December, when most people are out of school or when it might be a slow time at work.

My relationship to this time of year is the memories I created with my family. It’s my holiday too and I celebrate how I have with my family growing up. Completely secular, lots of fun, and time spent with my own family now. My kids aren’t left out, they know Christians believe their God was born around this time (though that’s debatable), they know the origins are from pagan Europe. Also not a problem for us since our religion is pagan.

Life is short. Celebrate. I love all the holidays in this country, none have to do with my ancestral heritage, they’re part of my American heritage. Be merry!

This makes a lot of sense. My Indian DH also celebrated Christmas when he lived in India although I still don’t understand why and how (he doesn’t have a great answer like you do). We celebrate Diwali and Christmas with our kids. Why not? It’s fun and I strongly believe one can have two or more religions, unless one is a fundamentalist and that’s not our approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the above poster from another perspective.

My parents were immigrants from India in the 60s. They wholly embraced America as their new home. Christmas is everywhere for weeks, months actually. They embraced it as part of the American culture. Because how could they assimilate otherwise? We already stuck out like a sore thumb. We had a tree, my dad would dress up as Santa, we exchanged gifts. Honestly, the part of the country we were in, I would have been a pariah at school if I didn’t partake in the festivities.

I was never confused that we aren’t Christian. I was taught that many paths lead to God and this was the path for the followers of Jesus. (Yes, people tried to convert me all the time, didn’t live in this area at the time. Really, that just left me more convicted in my faith.)

I understand that it’s different for those of Jewish faith or Jewish origin. But they have a holiday during this time too. So it makes sense. My holidays are before and after Christmas, but not during the last two weeks of December, when most people are out of school or when it might be a slow time at work.

My relationship to this time of year is the memories I created with my family. It’s my holiday too and I celebrate how I have with my family growing up. Completely secular, lots of fun, and time spent with my own family now. My kids aren’t left out, they know Christians believe their God was born around this time (though that’s debatable), they know the origins are from pagan Europe. Also not a problem for us since our religion is pagan.

Life is short. Celebrate. I love all the holidays in this country, none have to do with my ancestral heritage, they’re part of my American heritage. Be merry!

This makes a lot of sense. My Indian DH also celebrated Christmas when he lived in India although I still don’t understand why and how (he doesn’t have a great answer like you do). We celebrate Diwali and Christmas with our kids. Why not? It’s fun and I strongly believe one can have two or more religions, unless one is a fundamentalist and that’s not our approach.

Christmas is a holiday in India. School is out and it’s pretty festive there depending on the area he grew up. Hinduism is universalist so it’s not sacrilegious Or anything to partake in another religion’s celebrations. There are many Christians in India so he likely had friends that were Christian. We don’t care how you choose to believe in God. Also remember it was colonized for hundreds of years. Those traditions became part of the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol “averse to Christmas?”

you sound judgmental AF.

This is so mean. I grew up in a religious Jewish home and my mother was extremely "averse to Christmas" and drew offense at anything related to Christmas. I was not because she was judgmental. It was because she was forced to practice Christian customs as a child even though she was Jewish. This includes saying daily prayers in public school. There is a long-standing tradition of expecting non-Christians to celebrate the birth of someone else's Lord and Savior and it's offensive. A Christmas-style wreath would never have been displayed in her home.

Well, who forced her to do that? Her family? Don’t lay that on the rest of us. And as we all know, schools don’t do that anymore. It’s the 21st century last I checked.

To be “averse to Christianity” is bigoted.

I'm not that poster, but I am also Jewish and grew up in a Christian place and was forced to participate. It was just the norm in the rural area where I was. The school had manger scenes and said prayers at assemblies, and there was required "religious instruction" after school, that actually started before school ended. The school even paid for a bus to take the kids home afterward. You could skip it, technically, but the bullying would have been bad. But unlike the PP, this didn't make me "Christmas averse." On the contrary, Christmas feels like "my" holiday. Our family celebrated all of the usual holidays that apparently some people consider Christian, because that was what you did in our town, and I enjoyed it. I still love Christmas and even Easter. I understood that we were not Christian, but we made the distinction between the religious part of the holiday and the fun parts. In fact, even the priest in town made the distinction, often admonishing people for doing gifts, candy, even Christmas trees, which he said were not really true Christian traditions and had nothing to do with Christ. So it makes me angry to see someone tell me that this is not my holiday because I'm not a Christian - I can assure that it is mine too. I can celebrate it just fine without doing or thinking anything especially Christian. So while I understand the PP's aversion, it also ticks me off that he or she seems to be criticizing my own participation.

I'm from the rural midwest. It's a heavily German area and, until WW1, my grandmother's schooling was taught in German. Christmas trees were not allowed in the Lutheran church until the 1970s because they were seen as pagan. Trees were placed outside the church but couldn't be brought into any of the buildings.

Your one Lutheran church in the Midwest doesn’t matter. Martin Luther himself repurposed the pagan tradition of lit up trees for Lutheranism. My family has been Lutheran for centuries and always had trees.

There is no historical basis behind Luther bringing Christmas trees into the church. I've from a heavily German area of Ohio and our church was one of the first Lutheran churches in the area to allow Christmas trees in the church. There's also a big difference between having a tree in a church and having one in the home. Just goes to show you how pagan some people remained despite their 'centuries' of being Lutheran. Or, ignorant of the pagan origins of their symbols. FWIW - the town I grew up in was 'dry' until the 21st century.

http://www.clevelandmemory.org/german/articles/yule.html

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees

Did you even read this? It identifies just how many cultures used evergreen trees/boughs in their religious traditions. It goes one to say that it's a belief that Martin Luther brought Christmas trees into German homes - not the church. Yet again, some Christians think their beliefs are proof. Given the number of cultures in the article YOU provided, it's hard to believe Luther started anything. Pagans had already been doing it for a long time. Why do you suppose Luther limited it to his home and didn't bring it into his church?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the above poster from another perspective.

My parents were immigrants from India in the 60s. They wholly embraced America as their new home. Christmas is everywhere for weeks, months actually. They embraced it as part of the American culture. Because how could they assimilate otherwise? We already stuck out like a sore thumb. We had a tree, my dad would dress up as Santa, we exchanged gifts. Honestly, the part of the country we were in, I would have been a pariah at school if I didn’t partake in the festivities.

I was never confused that we aren’t Christian. I was taught that many paths lead to God and this was the path for the followers of Jesus. (Yes, people tried to convert me all the time, didn’t live in this area at the time. Really, that just left me more convicted in my faith.)

I understand that it’s different for those of Jewish faith or Jewish origin. But they have a holiday during this time too. So it makes sense. My holidays are before and after Christmas, but not during the last two weeks of December, when most people are out of school or when it might be a slow time at work.

My relationship to this time of year is the memories I created with my family. It’s my holiday too and I celebrate how I have with my family growing up. Completely secular, lots of fun, and time spent with my own family now. My kids aren’t left out, they know Christians believe their God was born around this time (though that’s debatable), they know the origins are from pagan Europe. Also not a problem for us since our religion is pagan.

Life is short. Celebrate. I love all the holidays in this country, none have to do with my ancestral heritage, they’re part of my American heritage. Be merry!

I appreciate this perspective. You family chose to assimilate. As a Jewish person I was taught very early on to NOT assimilate. To hold on to own own traditions and not water it down and not take on cultural traditions that are not our own. Which is why Santa and trees did not become a part of my life, and I resent it when people tell me that I should just accept these symbols.

+1 that's exactly it ^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the above poster from another perspective.

My parents were immigrants from India in the 60s. They wholly embraced America as their new home. Christmas is everywhere for weeks, months actually. They embraced it as part of the American culture. Because how could they assimilate otherwise? We already stuck out like a sore thumb. We had a tree, my dad would dress up as Santa, we exchanged gifts. Honestly, the part of the country we were in, I would have been a pariah at school if I didn’t partake in the festivities.

I was never confused that we aren’t Christian. I was taught that many paths lead to God and this was the path for the followers of Jesus. (Yes, people tried to convert me all the time, didn’t live in this area at the time. Really, that just left me more convicted in my faith.)

I understand that it’s different for those of Jewish faith or Jewish origin. But they have a holiday during this time too. So it makes sense. My holidays are before and after Christmas, but not during the last two weeks of December, when most people are out of school or when it might be a slow time at work.

My relationship to this time of year is the memories I created with my family. It’s my holiday too and I celebrate how I have with my family growing up. Completely secular, lots of fun, and time spent with my own family now. My kids aren’t left out, they know Christians believe their God was born around this time (though that’s debatable), they know the origins are from pagan Europe. Also not a problem for us since our religion is pagan.

Life is short. Celebrate. I love all the holidays in this country, none have to do with my ancestral heritage, they’re part of my American heritage. Be merry!

I love this! Thank you so much for sharing. Assimilation is the only way to keep a country cohesive and bring immigrants into the fold. Holiday festivities are definitely part of American cultural and you don't have to observe to join in the merriment. To me it seems insane to protest the holidays just because you don't celebrate.

Not celebrating Christmas, as a non-Christian, is not "protesting" the holiday. And it's sure easy for you to say that we must assimilate or die, when you're not the one who has to give up your identity to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the above poster from another perspective.

My parents were immigrants from India in the 60s. They wholly embraced America as their new home. Christmas is everywhere for weeks, months actually. They embraced it as part of the American culture. Because how could they assimilate otherwise? We already stuck out like a sore thumb. We had a tree, my dad would dress up as Santa, we exchanged gifts. Honestly, the part of the country we were in, I would have been a pariah at school if I didn’t partake in the festivities.

I was never confused that we aren’t Christian. I was taught that many paths lead to God and this was the path for the followers of Jesus. (Yes, people tried to convert me all the time, didn’t live in this area at the time. Really, that just left me more convicted in my faith.)

I understand that it’s different for those of Jewish faith or Jewish origin. But they have a holiday during this time too. So it makes sense. My holidays are before and after Christmas, but not during the last two weeks of December, when most people are out of school or when it might be a slow time at work.

My relationship to this time of year is the memories I created with my family. It’s my holiday too and I celebrate how I have with my family growing up. Completely secular, lots of fun, and time spent with my own family now. My kids aren’t left out, they know Christians believe their God was born around this time (though that’s debatable), they know the origins are from pagan Europe. Also not a problem for us since our religion is pagan.

Life is short. Celebrate. I love all the holidays in this country, none have to do with my ancestral heritage, they’re part of my American heritage. Be merry!

I love this! Thank you so much for sharing. Assimilation is the only way to keep a country cohesive and bring immigrants into the fold. Holiday festivities are definitely part of American cultural and you don't have to observe to join in the merriment. To me it seems insane to protest the holidays just because you don't celebrate.

Not celebrating Christmas, as a non-Christian, is not "protesting" the holiday. And it's sure easy for you to say that we must assimilate or die, when you're not the one who has to give up your identity to do so.

That is not what is being said at all. The options are not assimilation or death. You can hold onto ancestral traditions while still adopting the cultures of your new homeland. I work in immigration. It has been my life's work. The immigrants who achieve the greatest levels of success are the ones who are able to adapt to and assimilate in their new society. this is not unique to the US but true of immigration the world over. It is only the extremists online who insist that assimilation is a bad thing. In fact, the very point of immigration is because that individual has made the decision that the benefits of the new homeland outweigh those of the old.

I normally ignore the posters who bemoan assimilation. Most immigrants know that it is the key to survival and assimilation is not a mutually exclusive endeavor. Stop being an alarmist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the above poster from another perspective.

My parents were immigrants from India in the 60s. They wholly embraced America as their new home. Christmas is everywhere for weeks, months actually. They embraced it as part of the American culture. Because how could they assimilate otherwise? We already stuck out like a sore thumb. We had a tree, my dad would dress up as Santa, we exchanged gifts. Honestly, the part of the country we were in, I would have been a pariah at school if I didn’t partake in the festivities.

I was never confused that we aren’t Christian. I was taught that many paths lead to God and this was the path for the followers of Jesus. (Yes, people tried to convert me all the time, didn’t live in this area at the time. Really, that just left me more convicted in my faith.)

I understand that it’s different for those of Jewish faith or Jewish origin. But they have a holiday during this time too. So it makes sense. My holidays are before and after Christmas, but not during the last two weeks of December, when most people are out of school or when it might be a slow time at work.

My relationship to this time of year is the memories I created with my family. It’s my holiday too and I celebrate how I have with my family growing up. Completely secular, lots of fun, and time spent with my own family now. My kids aren’t left out, they know Christians believe their God was born around this time (though that’s debatable), they know the origins are from pagan Europe. Also not a problem for us since our religion is pagan.

Life is short. Celebrate. I love all the holidays in this country, none have to do with my ancestral heritage, they’re part of my American heritage. Be merry!

I love this! Thank you so much for sharing. Assimilation is the only way to keep a country cohesive and bring immigrants into the fold. Holiday festivities are definitely part of American cultural and you don't have to observe to join in the merriment. To me it seems insane to protest the holidays just because you don't celebrate.

Not celebrating Christmas, as a non-Christian, is not "protesting" the holiday. And it's sure easy for you to say that we must assimilate or die, when you're not the one who has to give up your identity to do so.

This! Majority privilege strikes again. They are so tone deaf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol “averse to Christmas?”

you sound judgmental AF.

This is so mean. I grew up in a religious Jewish home and my mother was extremely "averse to Christmas" and drew offense at anything related to Christmas. I was not because she was judgmental. It was because she was forced to practice Christian customs as a child even though she was Jewish. This includes saying daily prayers in public school. There is a long-standing tradition of expecting non-Christians to celebrate the birth of someone else's Lord and Savior and it's offensive. A Christmas-style wreath would never have been displayed in her home.

Well, who forced her to do that? Her family? Don’t lay that on the rest of us. And as we all know, schools don’t do that anymore. It’s the 21st century last I checked.

To be “averse to Christianity” is bigoted.

I'm not that poster, but I am also Jewish and grew up in a Christian place and was forced to participate. It was just the norm in the rural area where I was. The school had manger scenes and said prayers at assemblies, and there was required "religious instruction" after school, that actually started before school ended. The school even paid for a bus to take the kids home afterward. You could skip it, technically, but the bullying would have been bad. But unlike the PP, this didn't make me "Christmas averse." On the contrary, Christmas feels like "my" holiday. Our family celebrated all of the usual holidays that apparently some people consider Christian, because that was what you did in our town, and I enjoyed it. I still love Christmas and even Easter. I understood that we were not Christian, but we made the distinction between the religious part of the holiday and the fun parts. In fact, even the priest in town made the distinction, often admonishing people for doing gifts, candy, even Christmas trees, which he said were not really true Christian traditions and had nothing to do with Christ. So it makes me angry to see someone tell me that this is not my holiday because I'm not a Christian - I can assure that it is mine too. I can celebrate it just fine without doing or thinking anything especially Christian. So while I understand the PP's aversion, it also ticks me off that he or she seems to be criticizing my own participation.

I'm from the rural midwest. It's a heavily German area and, until WW1, my grandmother's schooling was taught in German. Christmas trees were not allowed in the Lutheran church until the 1970s because they were seen as pagan. Trees were placed outside the church but couldn't be brought into any of the buildings.

Your one Lutheran church in the Midwest doesn’t matter. Martin Luther himself repurposed the pagan tradition of lit up trees for Lutheranism. My family has been Lutheran for centuries and always had trees.

There is no historical basis behind Luther bringing Christmas trees into the church. I've from a heavily German area of Ohio and our church was one of the first Lutheran churches in the area to allow Christmas trees in the church. There's also a big difference between having a tree in a church and having one in the home. Just goes to show you how pagan some people remained despite their 'centuries' of being Lutheran. Or, ignorant of the pagan origins of their symbols. FWIW - the town I grew up in was 'dry' until the 21st century.

http://www.clevelandmemory.org/german/articles/yule.html

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees

Did you even read this? It identifies just how many cultures used evergreen trees/boughs in their religious traditions. It goes one to say that it's a belief that Martin Luther brought Christmas trees into German homes - not the church. Yet again, some Christians think their beliefs are proof. Given the number of cultures in the article YOU provided, it's hard to believe Luther started anything. Pagans had already been doing it for a long time. Why do you suppose Luther limited it to his home and didn't bring it into his church?

OMG, the dumbest response I’ve read in this thread. Not worth responding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol “averse to Christmas?”

you sound judgmental AF.

This is so mean. I grew up in a religious Jewish home and my mother was extremely "averse to Christmas" and drew offense at anything related to Christmas. I was not because she was judgmental. It was because she was forced to practice Christian customs as a child even though she was Jewish. This includes saying daily prayers in public school. There is a long-standing tradition of expecting non-Christians to celebrate the birth of someone else's Lord and Savior and it's offensive. A Christmas-style wreath would never have been displayed in her home.

Well, who forced her to do that? Her family? Don’t lay that on the rest of us. And as we all know, schools don’t do that anymore. It’s the 21st century last I checked.

To be “averse to Christianity” is bigoted.

I'm not that poster, but I am also Jewish and grew up in a Christian place and was forced to participate. It was just the norm in the rural area where I was. The school had manger scenes and said prayers at assemblies, and there was required "religious instruction" after school, that actually started before school ended. The school even paid for a bus to take the kids home afterward. You could skip it, technically, but the bullying would have been bad. But unlike the PP, this didn't make me "Christmas averse." On the contrary, Christmas feels like "my" holiday. Our family celebrated all of the usual holidays that apparently some people consider Christian, because that was what you did in our town, and I enjoyed it. I still love Christmas and even Easter. I understood that we were not Christian, but we made the distinction between the religious part of the holiday and the fun parts. In fact, even the priest in town made the distinction, often admonishing people for doing gifts, candy, even Christmas trees, which he said were not really true Christian traditions and had nothing to do with Christ. So it makes me angry to see someone tell me that this is not my holiday because I'm not a Christian - I can assure that it is mine too. I can celebrate it just fine without doing or thinking anything especially Christian. So while I understand the PP's aversion, it also ticks me off that he or she seems to be criticizing my own participation.

I'm from the rural midwest. It's a heavily German area and, until WW1, my grandmother's schooling was taught in German. Christmas trees were not allowed in the Lutheran church until the 1970s because they were seen as pagan. Trees were placed outside the church but couldn't be brought into any of the buildings.

Your one Lutheran church in the Midwest doesn’t matter. Martin Luther himself repurposed the pagan tradition of lit up trees for Lutheranism. My family has been Lutheran for centuries and always had trees.

There is no historical basis behind Luther bringing Christmas trees into the church. I've from a heavily German area of Ohio and our church was one of the first Lutheran churches in the area to allow Christmas trees in the church. There's also a big difference between having a tree in a church and having one in the home. Just goes to show you how pagan some people remained despite their 'centuries' of being Lutheran. Or, ignorant of the pagan origins of their symbols. FWIW - the town I grew up in was 'dry' until the 21st century.

http://www.clevelandmemory.org/german/articles/yule.html

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees

Did you even read this? It identifies just how many cultures used evergreen trees/boughs in their religious traditions. It goes one to say that it's a belief that Martin Luther brought Christmas trees into German homes - not the church. Yet again, some Christians think their beliefs are proof. Given the number of cultures in the article YOU provided, it's hard to believe Luther started anything. Pagans had already been doing it for a long time. Why do you suppose Luther limited it to his home and didn't bring it into his church?

OMG, the dumbest response I’ve read in this thread. Not worth responding.

Got nothing, do you? LOL! Bye Felicia!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

Christmas represents commercialism.

Christians want to force themselves on everyone else. The “assimilation” comments earlier are really disgusting.

[Anonymous]

About 10 years ago, We moved into a small neighborhood (enclave of about 20 homes) that was mostly Jewish Families. It was built about 15 years before and most were still owned by original owners at the time .

My family became close friends with next door neighbor who were newer residents with teen kids as well but still Jewish. We are not.

Our first Christmas we had a conversation with them about Christmas - Mainly that they didn’t want to exchange gifts but also that they usually travel (sometimes internationally) over the winter break to escape Christmas.

They also said that in their previous home they put up blue lights to decorate with and a wreath with blue ribbon, balls, bows, etc. so they wouldn’t have the only undecorated house on the street and for their 2 young boys. But now in the new neighborhood they are don’t feel pressure and are comfortable with not decorating at all, esp that’s their kids are older.

I would say in contrast to the other neighborhoods I drove through on my way home in Dec, this neighborhood at Christmas was pretty dark those first few years …. Other than a few porch or street lamps. The HOA did put out luminaries - candles in bags - though. Most homes now have “turned over” so half of owners are non Jewish - but Christian, Hindi, etc. the neighborhood now is pretty diverse for 20 families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the above poster from another perspective.

My parents were immigrants from India in the 60s. They wholly embraced America as their new home. Christmas is everywhere for weeks, months actually. They embraced it as part of the American culture. Because how could they assimilate otherwise? We already stuck out like a sore thumb. We had a tree, my dad would dress up as Santa, we exchanged gifts. Honestly, the part of the country we were in, I would have been a pariah at school if I didn’t partake in the festivities.

I was never confused that we aren’t Christian. I was taught that many paths lead to God and this was the path for the followers of Jesus. (Yes, people tried to convert me all the time, didn’t live in this area at the time. Really, that just left me more convicted in my faith.)

I understand that it’s different for those of Jewish faith or Jewish origin. But they have a holiday during this time too. So it makes sense. My holidays are before and after Christmas, but not during the last two weeks of December, when most people are out of school or when it might be a slow time at work.

My relationship to this time of year is the memories I created with my family. It’s my holiday too and I celebrate how I have with my family growing up. Completely secular, lots of fun, and time spent with my own family now. My kids aren’t left out, they know Christians believe their God was born around this time (though that’s debatable), they know the origins are from pagan Europe. Also not a problem for us since our religion is pagan.

Life is short. Celebrate. I love all the holidays in this country, none have to do with my ancestral heritage, they’re part of my American heritage. Be merry!

I love this! Thank you so much for sharing. Assimilation is the only way to keep a country cohesive and bring immigrants into the fold. Holiday festivities are definitely part of American cultural and you don't have to observe to join in the merriment. To me it seems insane to protest the holidays just because you don't celebrate.

Assimilation is what our immigrant parents had to do in the 1950s. Acceptance of each others cultural differences can also make a country cohesive.