A Sincere Question about Secular Christmas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a Christian who doesn't do Santa with my kids (but yes, we told them not to tell the other kids), I would never ever force Santa on another family. That's...absurd.

op: who forces Christmas on you?

Where, when, how?

Need details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure who your target audience is. I've literally never met anyone like this, with the "insisting".

+1 I am another religion and didn't do Xmas growing up. Now we do secular Xmas for my kids. I have never pushed anyone or really been pushed. Who's this for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Secular Christmas here is vulgar. It has been commercialized for economic purposes - gift giving is relentlessly pushed on us by media.
And all those Xmas cards with the family's children pictured on them... this started happening around the 90's? Because it wasn't a thing when I was growing up. At best a card with a mass printed update on how the family was doing. I'm not Christian but when did Christmas become a pageantry about the self, when did it co-opt the holy family? Next thing you know nativity figurines which can be customized to the family's likeness will be on the market.

You aren’t a Christian, but think Joesph, Mary, and Baby Jesus are the “Holy Family?”

How does a non-Christian believe that Joesph, Mary, and Jesus are holy?

I’m not PP but Muslims think this.

[Anonymous]

The only instance I can imagine of someone pressuring someone else to hang lights/decorate for Christmas is if you live in one of those Christmas light destination neighborhoods in California like San Carlos or Willow Glen,

[Anonymous]

So far OP is the only one forcing Christmas on the rest of us. This Jew doesn’t even begin to think about it until November at the earliest usually.

[Anonymous]

I think op has experienced some Christmas related trauma and needs to speak to a professional.

I know some people use that as a backhanded insult disguised as concern, but I truly mean what I say in care.

Op has some pretty wild ideas about Christmas that are interfering with her life. Those same ideas are being thought and people. Maybe family, strangers?

It’s ok, op. Life is hard sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Wait, eight presents for Hanukkah?!?

You're doing it wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think op has experienced some Christmas related trauma and needs to speak to a professional.

I know some people use that as a backhanded insult disguised as concern, but I truly mean what I say in care.

Op has some pretty wild ideas about Christmas that are interfering with her life. Those same ideas are being thought and people. Maybe family, strangers?

It’s ok, op. Life is hard sometimes.

thought about people, not thought and people

If op thinks people are forcing Christmas on her and her family, she really needs someone to talk to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Secular Christmas here is vulgar. It has been commercialized for economic purposes - gift giving is relentlessly pushed on us by media.
And all those Xmas cards with the family's children pictured on them... this started happening around the 90's? Because it wasn't a thing when I was growing up. At best a card with a mass printed update on how the family was doing. I'm not Christian but when did Christmas become a pageantry about the self, when did it co-opt the holy family? Next thing you know nativity figurines which can be customized to the family's likeness will be on the market.

You aren’t a Christian, but think Joesph, Mary, and Baby Jesus are the “Holy Family?”

How does a non-Christian believe that Joesph, Mary, and Jesus are holy?

I’m not PP but Muslims think this.

Thank you, I didn’t know that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait, eight presents for Hanukkah?!?

You're doing it wrong.

I know. But he told me that when we met and I believed him. Found out when one of his friends said *and you BELIEVED that?* while laughing. But I still do. I probably enjoy it more than he does. He was told as a child showing interest in gifts is "greedy" so he never looks at them until I remind him after dinner. Kind of effed up but hey 45 years...

[Anonymous]

Hey OP what about Easter? Egg hunts, baskets, bunnies, peeps....

[Anonymous]

I am not OP but I’m Jewish and I think I’ve encountered what she’s talking about. I’ve had people ask me why my family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, I’ve replied that it’s not my holiday since I’m Jewish, and then I’ve been told that Christmas is for everyone, it’s not a Christian holiday, it’s just fun. Sometimes people say it’s sad for my kids that they don’t get to enjoy it, and I reply that they’re fine because we have our own holidays that they enjoy.
I’m not remotely bothered by these interactions (and probably OP isn’t either!) but it has happened to me on multiple occasions and it is a bit odd! But I think it is just that some people really love the festive fun, decorations and traditions like Santa and the Elf, food, etc, of that period and can’t imagine why anyone would opt out of it. They probably have the same question for people who just don’t really like all that stuff even if they do otherwise celebrate Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spin-off from a deleted part of another thread where it was off-topic...

I completely understand the appeal of secular Christmas for cultural Christians (for lack of a better phrase). It's fun and the decorations are pretty and there is a lot of family tradition that can still be passed down without all the religious components for those who have left Christianity. Truly, I'm happy for everyone who finds meaning in this iteration of Christmas.

What I don't understand is the insistence that the rest of us should celebrate it too. I understand that it's secular for you. I understand that you don't understand why the rest of us still call it a Christian holiday when you've divorced so much of the religion from it. But still, why do you insist that we all understand it the way you do and push and push people to celebrate secular Christmas (and I don't mean inviting us to your Christmas party, but really pushing us to teach our kids about Santa and decorate our own houses, because it will be fun and, really, it's not about Jesus)? I don't care that it's fun or that it's not about Jesus; it's just not my holiday, and I have plenty of my own holidays. You can just have Christmas to yourself. I'll wish you a Merry Christmas on December 25 and everything.

NP. Nobody actually does this. This is an imaginary problem in your head.

[Anonymous]

Elf is a spawn of Satan.

Fruitcake on the other hand is nectar of the gods.

Discuss.

[Anonymous]

I keep waiting for op to come back and tell us how people have forced her to celebrate Christmas. I am really interested in what she has to say.

Op? Are you still with us?