Why? That’s what I want to know. Why do we make such a fuss about Christmas? Not the Christians of course, I can see why they would want to celebrate Christ’s birthday; I can even understand the Bank Holidays, this is officially a Christian country.

I will extend my understanding to those with a brace of kiddy winks – the hype that accompanies Christmas would be hard to resist or at least explain to kids if you didn’t take part – Father Christmas and all that.

I’ll be really generous, and throw in a dollop of comprehension towards those with families – the extended holiday is an ideal chance for far flung families to get together.

What about the rest of us though – and there are plenty of us who have neither Christian faith, nor kids, nor family – what is our excuse for celebrating Christmas?

Is it just habit? Tradition? I’m genuinely puzzled – why am I planning to do ‘something for Christmas’?

I don’t do anything special at Eid or Passover. I don’t kill a fatted calf on any other Bank Holiday. Even my wedding anniversary manages to pass without me feeling the need to rush out and buy a silver paint sprayed beech tree, nor decorate the front door with bananas stuck with cloves, or glitter paint tennis balls and hang them in the hallway.

My birthday each year is content with a pleasant enough dinner, but there is no panic to ensure that I celebrate it with a dried up Turkey and a dollop of cranberry jelly– instead I eat the food that I enjoy. Surely a far more logical response to my ‘celebrating’ something – anything.

I am not suggesting that Christmas celebrations should be abandoned –far from it. Let those for whom it is appropriate enjoy it as much as they wish. I’m just asking why those of us for whom it has no relevance spend the day doing anything other than that we would on any other Bank Holiday.

Can anybody tell me?

alastair harris
December 7, 2010 at 13:15

Christians have a lot to answer for, and hijacking christmas is on that
long list.

Pericles December 3, 2010 at 20:44

Well, Bob has a point.  And, running with Stabledoor’s ball, a well
prepared turkey with crisp root vegetables followed by a rich and mature plum
duff, washed down with extra brut, is actually very nice.

But let’s look at the elements of Bob’s traditional Christmas ; 
what do we find ?  The midnight mass has morphed in to a late-night
version of the happy-clappy service that has driven thousands of congregants
from the Church of England’s doors ;  the vulgarity of the
‘Christmas trade’ Bob has already mentioned.  And what about
children ?  When I was a child — all right, I don’t believe it now
but that’s not the point — the birth of the Saviour was invested with a magic
that has gone, driven out by the obsession with the latest video-game.

It’s really only King’s College, Cambridge, that perseveres. 
Omnia vinces perseverando — yeah, right.

Many continental countries preserve a much more faithful version of the
feast, decorations not placed till — and gifts exchanged in — Holy Night
(whence “Silent Night”, Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht).

ΠΞ

Bob December 2, 2010 at 18:49

Both those who post and those who comment on this blog, regularly express
anger at the mass immigration of foreign people and cultures into this
country, making it unrecognisable as the Britain it once was. It is therefore
surely being hypocritical here, that so many express distain for the culture
and festivals which are THE historical/cultural/traditional Britain.

Whether we like it or not this nation, for centuries, HAS been built on a
Judeo/Christian foundation. Yes things have been mutilated in the dim and
distant past, BUT WE MUTILATED THEM. Foreigners do it today and we let
them.

I personally find the modern commercialism that is supposed to be Christmas
sickening, and cannot stand the pressure aimed against us to jump through all
the hoops at this time of year.

However, if by despite, we relegate our own festivals to merely the same
level as all the recently imported ones, we cannot complain when politically
correct organisations spend public money to celebrate foreign festivals in our
towns and cities. They are only filling a vacuum vacated by ourselves. The
fact that this nation no longer seems to be British is as much down to our
despising neglect, as their activity.

Stabledoor December 2, 2010 at 17:27

If your turkey is dry you have over cooked it – follow Delia’s instructions
and you can’t go wrong. I think it is the best meal of the year and am sad
when the leftovers have gone – turkey sandwiches, turkey curry and best of all
turkey soup having boiled the carcass to make the stock.

I love Christmas:-)

PT December 2, 2010 at 08:59

Peer pressure.

Pericles December 1, 2010 at 21:09

I exchange cards and presents with those with whom I have for
years :  if asked to rationalize it, I should say that above all
it’s to shew that — despite my inclination to discontinue the practice — I
respect them and esteem their friendship.  Perhaps that what sustains the
whole ghastly edifice ;  for so often I hear people say, “This will
be the last year I send Christmas cards.”

As many here, I should prefer the nosh to be what I like — a really hot
Indian (she could even bring some food along ;  thank you very much
… and now :  a little song …) or a half-dozen other dishes far more
pleasing than turkey — but I shall spend the day with beloved friends and
nothing would cause me greater pain than to give them the impression I thought
their hospitality inadequate to the great occasion.

But let any-one say to me “Happy Holidays” and I shall reach for my other
two friends — S. & W. …

ΠΞ

Ancient and Tattered
Airman December 1, 2010 at 20:48

Charles Dickens slighted that nice Ebeneezer Scrooge. Bah Humbug
indeed!

Simon Cooke December 1, 2010 at 20:13

Christmas is our festival – we celebrate consumption, we make an act of
giving, we embrace our families…above all we stop. Take a pause. Look about us
a little – at our friends, our neighbours, our brothers – and appreciate that
for most of us, most of the time, life is good. And even when it ain’t good,
there’s good to be seen.

Christmas long ceased being in any real way a Christian festival (at least
for the most of us) but it is wrapped around with morality tales. Whether in
the whimsy of the Christmas films – themed round acts of kindness, with a
recognition that community does exist and does help us when we’re down. Above
all Christmas has a little of that magic we lose in our scuttling, frantic
every day lives. The magic that’s squeezed out by anger, irritation, busy-ness
and selfish behaviour.

All those Scrooges posting here – grumping about ‘maudlin sentimentality’,
– look around you and appreciate the time to take stock, to share and to
celebrate goodness.

And if any are in Cullingworth you’re welcome to call. We have mince
pies!

Ian R Thorpe December 1, 2010 at 19:36

Sod tradition, it will be a filet steak and a bottle of Cotes de Beaune for
us again. Providing we can get through the snow to the supermarket of
course…

Longrider December
1, 2010 at 19:24

I stopped doing Christmas about ten years ago. I realised that I detested
it – the maudlin sentimentality, the enforced joviality and the gifts that no
one really wants, so why bother? The moment I stopped, the stress that went
with it all melted away. So, as Woodsy says, there’s a nice break from work
and without celebrating it, there is no build up and no worries.

Richard B December
1, 2010 at 18:29

I don’t like Christmas, and my dislike is in direct proportion to the
ridiculous fuss made of it by other people – carols in shops in October, sort
of thing. I long to get away and spend Cristmas how I would like (celebrating
midwinter with a few drinks in somewhere remote). What bugs me is the number
of people who find that completely unacceptable. “Oh, you can’t do that! You
must stay home and enjoy yourself – it’s Christmas, after all!” The ultimate
example of begging the question. I find Christians have a realistic attitude.
It’s the “awww, but it’s Christmas” brigade that I can’t stand. Humbug!

lenko December 1, 2010 at 17:45

About this time of year, I begin looking soulfully at friends and relations
(and even complete strangers) when Christmas is mentioned. I let slip that I
shall be spending the holiday alone, and wait for the invitations to come
pouring in.

When this fails, I spend Christmas day eating my way through a large pile
of salmon sandwiches — my favourite food of all time, apart from the
traditional Christmas dinner.

By the way… did I mention? — I shall be spending Christmas alone this
year!

Eleanor December 2, 2010 at 10:59

You can come and join me if you like. I don’t bother dropping hints
anymore.

Thanks for the tip about Smoked Salmon. I’d forgotten about that. Shall I
get in two extra large packets? But don’t worry about it. All the more for
me.

Subrosa December
1, 2010 at 17:18

Christmas is a ritual and one, as I age, I despise. As a child it was fun.
Granny prepared a superb meal and with her in charge things were under
control. As the youngest at the table I always had to say Grace and that was
the extent of the religious input.

Like you Anna, I prefer to eat what I like and relax without feeling
pressurised into entertaining or having to remember the excuse I gave last
year as to my non-attendance at some event.

The best Christmases are those unmemorable ones. Peace and goodwill all
around with no aggro.

woodsy42 December 1, 2010 at 17:04

Ignoring the traditional and cultural meanings:
As a holiday it was (pre
retirement) my favourite holiday of the year. You don’t have to travel, you
don’t have to do jobs around the house, for a blessed week between Christmas
and new year you can in fact relax.
Most important of all the workplace is
closed, so nobody else is creating work while you are away. This makes it the
only holiday of the year that you don’t return to a backlog of work or have to
clear up after a well meaning but somewhat incompetent stand-in has messed up
everything you were doing while you were away.
If the country closed down
for Eid or Passover that would do equally well.

JuliaM December 1,
2010 at 16:42

” Why do we make such a fuss about Christmas? “

Well, Caedmon’s Cat put his finger on it – ‘customary maudlin
sentimentality and overindulgence ‘

And I, for one, am looking forward to it!

Bill
Sticker December 1, 2010 at 16:15

Anna, I’m surprised you don’t know the answer to this one. The modern
Christmas is a distorted echo of the ancient midwinter solstice festival,
which has its roots way deeper than any mere religion. To be quite honest,
with the seasonal excess and gift giving, the modern festival more closely
resembles the ancient bacchanal than any pious religious rites.

As for the Turkey, why not roast beef, a saddle of Lamb or Venison? Twelve
days of wonderful excess before the chill, thin times of January and February
kick in and the hard work of the new year begins.

Eleanor December 1, 2010 at 16:31

My thoughts exactly. It breaks the monotony of Winter which is what it
was originally designed to do. It is nearly Spring once Noel has passed.

And besides, I do suspect that a rather special baby was born about two
thousand odd years ago. Special in his own right, I mean. And then his
followers came along and nicked all of The Pagan Ceremonies to keep The Erks
in check. Which is probably what The Pagan Ceremonies were intended for.
Things can get a bit tense sometimes when people are all living in the same
cave.

PS. It will be Spring in about twelve weeks time. And anyway, Christmas
didn’t half catch on.

Ian R Thorpe December 1, 2010 at 19:32

Eleanor,
The boozing, pigging out and unrestrained shagging of the
modern Christmas festival are wholly in keeping with the pagan solstices
festivities – not much to do with Chrstianity however.

As for the special baby, they’re all special to Mummy and Daddy. I even
get a bit misty eyes looking at first pictures of mine (now 36 and 32)

Mind you even now when they turn up wanting to ‘borrow’ money it can
bring tears to my eyes.

The pagan year was punctuated by 8 festivals (the eightfold year) which
worked out at a party every six weeks. And yes, those horrid Christians
did usurp all our best celebrations.

Eleanor
December 2, 2010 at 10:51

Some of us have carried in regardless. I can hardly wait for
Midsummer.

PS. I borrow money from my children these days.

Caedmon’s
Cat December 1, 2010 at 16:11

Since the day of Christ’s nativity certainly wasn’t 25th December, I think
we all have good reason to wonder. For Christians like myself, the very fact
that Christ was incarnated – at whatever time of year – is sufficient. I for
one would be glad to distance myself from the customary maudlin sentimentality
and overindulgence that characterises what is essentially Saturnalia..