Do you celebrate Christmas?

[Aine of the Fae]

I was just wondering how many Pagans still celebrate Christmas. I do because I'm not 'out of the broom closet' with my family. What about anyone else?

[Witchy Cowgirl]

Of Course I do!;) ;)

[Mareth]

Since all of the secular traditions are pretty much the same, I haven't had a problem combining Yule and Xmas. I'm out of the broom closet and my family all know that I celebrate Yule as a religious holiday.

My parents only attend church when someone's being married or buried. Religion has never really been a big deal in their home, so I've always viewed Xmas as a secular holiday.

I don't consider what I do celebrating Xmas, although I'm not sure how others would view it... I still do all the traditional family activities, gift buying, cookie baking, attending the Xmas day feast, etc.

Even though I have celebrated the religious aspects of Yule for more than a decade, I have been known to attend my nephews' Christmas programs at the Nazarene church they attend and even Midnight Mass at my now-ex-husband's Catholic church. If I knew anyone who attended the synagogue near my parents' home, I'd probably visit for the Hanukkah observances as well...

Doing so reminds me that, for all the differences people want to define between religions, the general goals of all religions are pretty similar if you dig deeply enough.

Yuletide Blessings,

-Mareth

[Yvonne Belisle]

For us it is a celibration of the spirit of giving so there isn't any religion involved in it.

[Gwion]

I even have an antique crutch on the front lawn with Joseph, Mary, little 40watt Jesus; Santa, Frosty and Rudolph bringing gifts and the entire naivete scene.

[WtchyChick13]

**Stands**

My name is WtchyChick13 and I am a Christmas addict. :T


I can't help it! I love this time of the year!!!!!! It holds such great memories of my childhood for me. We used to do Christmas big time at my house--we were THE house to come to at the holidays. :)

I'm still a sap too. I cry at every commercial, sing along with Heat Miser and get the TV Guide early to see what movies and specials will be on the following week! (Yes, I highlight them all.)

I love it so much I made my own Christmas site!!! (See link in my sig.)

I do the secular thing and just love the season. Everyone saying Happy Holidays--even strangers in malls. Looking at the lights and getting psyched to see every version of A Christmas Carol there is!

Speaking of, I started a tradition a few years ago where on Thanksgiving nite, I start reading A Christmas Carol. Then, each nite, read just a few pages. (It's really not a long story.) I drag it out until Christmas Eve, sometimes Christmas Day-Nite finishing it for the holiday. I'm the type of person who has a million things going through her head while she's trying to get to sleep. This time of the year, I just like to be reminded that it's my favorite time and to slow down and savor it. So as I read the story, I forget about everything else and go back to a much different time.




So the answer to the question is, yes. I celebrate Christmas. Santa said I could.
http://216.40.249.192/mysmilies/contrib/Bizkit/xmas.gif http://bigcanuk.myftp.org/ups/icis/xmas.gif http://bigcanuk.myftp.org/otn/holiday/madnoel.gif http://216.40.249.192/mysmilies/otn/holiday/noel.gif http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/otn/holiday/star.gif http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/ruinkai/biggrinsanta.gif http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/guus/kerstsmiley.gif







http://smilies.networkessence.net/s/contrib/Bizkit/frosty.gif http://209.51.153.26/~smilies/s/otn/holiday/areindeer.gif http://smilies.networkessence.net/s/contrib/Bizkit/frosty.gif

[Flaire-FireStar]

Sure do. It's sort of a family tradition that we wake up (not so) early on X-mas morning, check out what Santa left us in our stockings, get pictures taken, open gifts... Usually play games all afternoon, and every other year we have my aunt & uncle come over for x-mas turkey.

It gets monotonous, but that's the way it goes when we live so far away from the rest of the family. 8O
And even then, I don't really mind.... It means stuff to my family when we get together, so why not... :)

[WtchyChick13]

PS. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in NYC gets lit Wednesday nite December 4th.

Here's the link for the webcam: Rockefeller Center Tree (http://www.wnbc.com/christmastree)

Enjoy!!!!!!! :D

[Radocs]

Yep, I do.

[shnen]

I do, but not the meaning of it for xians...

[Faery-Wings]

Yes, I do too, for a lot of the same reasons as above, especially Mareth's. I have always been the oddball in my Italian Catholic family and never felt the religious aspect of Christmas. I always considered it secular. :) And I have two little kids- would they let me *not* celebrate Christmas? No way, I'd be hog tied and shoved up the chimney!

We celebrate Yule on the Solstice, by making a Yule log and lemon cookies. Then Christmas a few days later. I try to incorporate some Pagan themes into Christmas and focus on the blessings we have and the start of the new year too.

[Old Witch]

Hubby and Daddy are Christian and one of my kids is leaning that way.........And besides I love all the glitz and decorations...and the general feeling of this time of year, so yes I celebrate big time.........See my "Decorations" thread in Just Silly........... :D

[MzNeko]

Hmmm... let's see... presents, cookie baking, pretty decorations, family get-togethers, presents, big feasting, parties, did I mention Presents?...

Hell yeah, I celebrate Christmas! :D

[Sowelu]

Quite frankly....I can do without it. I would much rather just celebrate Yule. Of course, how do you explain that to three young children?
The only reason I do anything for Christmas is because I have three young Children who do not understand Yule, when they are older....I will teach them about It.:)
Also, for my mother....who misses doing the "family" thing at the holidays...she would be unhappy if she didn't get to spend most of the day in the kitchen preparing for the holiday;)

[Rubi Waters]

I celebrate Christmas as fun holiday not for religious reasons. It's all about the decorations and food. Plus I'm not "out" to my family but it wouldn't matter I love watching all the kids rip open the presents and my parents in the kitchen cooking and baking. (yes both of them do it it's actually very comical to watch :) )
I give my yule to the Goddess but Christmas is for family.

[kblackthorne]

I even have an antique crutch on the front lawn with Joseph, Mary, little 40watt Jesus


Can I assume you meant "crêche"? As in, the French word for a Nativity Scene, rather than a walking-aid such as Tiny Tim used?

[Aviendha]

I celabrate both Yule and Christmas. And Like someone else said, Yule is for the Lord and Lady and Christmas is for family. I like that. Because when you think about it, it really is about family. And baking is so much fun! :P

[Emaleth]

I celebrate christmas for two reasons:

1. I'm not out of the broom closet;)
2. Like many of you I love the tradition and atmpsphere.

Actually as I look back christmas was never anything more to me than it is now: time of joy, family gatherings, snow, decorations, presents and so on. And the truth is it's nothing more to most christians anyway...

Blessed Be

[Gwion]

I am very empathic to group emotion. When I go to a theater, I often find myself caught up in a movie that I personally find maudlin, but most of the audience is all weepy. If it's a good action movie, I get swept along with the excitement of the audience. I love a full theater on an opening night. Audiences for Fellowship of the Ring have a wonderful feel to them. I experience Christmas in much the same way. I formally celebrate Yule, but I also revel in the Spirit of Christmas that has been part of my spirituality since I was very young. The sound of Xmas for me will always be Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack to "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown." It was a traditional ritual every year to watch that and Rudolph. I identified strongly with Charlie Brown's angst over finding the elusive "true meaning of Christmas." It seemed that it was only when he had given up, and was alone in the snow, gazing up into the night sky at the twinkling stars, that he GOT it, and I felt it.

Rudolph is important because he is a hero for the outcast, the different, the eccentric. The original ending of the show was changed after an enormous write-in campaign, to show Santa going back to pick up the Misfit toys. Rudolf is not accepted by his peers because he looks different. He teams up with other misfits, Hermie, the (ahem) "Dentist" elf, and Yukon Cornelius, (who in the original script was prospecting for peppermint). My favorite Misfit toy is the girl doll with the non-specific psychological problem.

http://www.tvparty.com/xmasrudolph.html

[Mithrea]

The older I get and the more I study the more I tend to think about Jesus as the same as any other god or goddess. So, I would celebrate Christmas just as I would any other festival for a god or goddess that participates in my life. Then there is the fact that December 25 is actually the birthday of Mithra and that is how Jesus's birthday came to be on that day, sooooooooo . . . I just do what I have always done. I just think on it differently.

[ankhesen Sekhmet]

Originally posted by kblackthorne
Can I assume you meant "crêche"? As in, the French word for a Nativity Scene, rather than a walking-aid such as Tiny Tim used?

You might also note he said


naivete scene

instead of nativity scene.

I celebrate Christmas of course; we have always celebrated it as a holiday to get together with family, since my parents are and never have been religious anyway. I also celebrate Yule with our Pagan friends, and am trying to get into the habit of recognizing Kemetic holidays as well.

[FlamedLilly]

I'm not totally Pagan yet. . . I guess there's still a lot that I"m learning, but Even if I ever do come out of the "broom closet" I'll still celebrate Christmas!

[Lavender]

Oh boy! Do I ever!!! :D

I'm like WitchyChick...I'm a Christmas addict. Whatever you want to call this time of year, I love it! I start listening to Christmas songs on Nov 1st only because my hubby would kill me if I start earlier. Even though we don't celebrate the Christian meaning of Christmas, it's still a special time for us. I love all our little traditions and rituals. It's a special time!

[Thistle]

Sure do!

[Psyche Ague]

I like christmastime, but not Christmas. I like the season and giving and well, honestly, receiving presents. I like the cold and the decorations and the lights (ooh, shiny!) and all that stuff. I used to see Christmas as both a secular and a religious holiday (I grew up Roman Catholic), but now it's just secular. I celebrate Yule, though, as a religious holiday.

I do plan on going to Midnight Mass with my mom if we're in town. There is so much cool stuff involved with the Mass: bells, incense, candles, darkness, smoke, tension...it's just really cool. I also like going to Easter Vigil Mass. The Catholic church has a bonfire outside. *grins evilly* But I'm definitely NOT Catholic...I just don't have a problem with any religion.

[Aine of the Fae]

I learned an interesting tidbit the other day. As most of us probably already know, much of what is celebrated during the Christmas season was 'borrowed' from Pagan celebrations. Christians have been saying for years that the giving of gifts was based on the gifts of the three wise men. Guess what? They are wrong. In the old times, before Christians, once a year all debts were forgiven. If my neighbor owed me a cow, I would forgive that debt and he would owe me nothing. This tradition eventually became our gift giving tradition of today. I thought that was kind of cool.

[Flar's Freyja]

Well.....you don't have a Yes and No response :D

My fiance' and his family are Christian, and so is my son. We respect each other's beliefs and I have no problem with putting up a Christmas tree and even setting out a Nativity. Christmas is one of the easiest holidays to turn into a Sabbat. The lights, the tree, etc. are right in line with pagan tradition, so it's easy to use the symbolism to fit my path.

Last year, we had a hilarious time when I tried to educate my two younger sons as to the origin of Yule. We incorporated both traditions into a ritual that we did on Christmas day before dinner. The most fun we had was when I handed them drums and rattles and suggested that we make a joyful noise. At first they were awkward and confused, but then they really got into it. I had a small tree that we tied prayer ribbons on, and my sons and the younger one's girlfriend enjoyed this. We had wonderful conversation and quality time during supper. On New Year's Eve, I burned the ribbons in a ritual fire, and it appears that most of their prayers were answered.

[AmbivalentMirage]

Hmm..well, sorta. lol

My family is Messianic Jewish and Christian, so we obvious celebrate both Noël and Hanukkah. I'm not naive enough to believe that Y'shua was actually BORN on Christmas. Everyone knows that's just insane. It is completely in conflict with history! Anyhow, I also incorporate Yule into my celebrations, since it IS an important event in the calendar of the universe. ^.^

[Amethyst Rose]

I celebrate Christmas, it's my second favorite holiday of the year. :)To me it's all about family, and it'll be extra special this year because I haven't seen my parents or my sister since last Chrismas, seeing as how I live 4000 miles away.

We've always had great Christmases, though. The family tradition is that Christmas Eve we have a dinner of appetizers, (shimp coctail, cheese and crackers with meat, sausage rolls, fried wantons, and that kinda thing), while we watch movies and/or Christmas specials.

Christmas morning we get up really early (my dad has ALWAYS woken up up saying "Santa came! Santa came!!, like a little kid). The older we got though, the more we had to make him wait to wake us up, it used to ber 6 or 7 and now it's around 8, 9 at the latest. After opening presents (stockings first!), then we go get dressed, etc. and mom makes eggs benedict with mimosas to drink for breakfast. Then the rest of the day is for vegging, and that night we have a big turkey dinner.

Ahh, good times. I can't wait to get home! :D

[WtchyChick13]

My favorite Misfit toy is the girl doll with the non-specific psychological problem.



Gwion, THANK YOU! I've been trying to figure out for years if it was just me who could not find a damn thing wrong with that doll!!! :rotfl:



I'm like WitchyChick...I'm a Christmas addict. Whatever you want to call this time of year, I love it! I start listening to Christmas songs on Nov 1st only because my hubby would kill me if I start earlier.

Wild, I will admit here that I start singing "Let it snow" in July! Nice to know there are others out there just as sick as I am! :lol:

[Saphra]

We celebrate Christmas at my house, but not the "Jesus was born on this day" part of it. It's family, food, laughter and fun. Plus watching my cuzin's and neice opening their presents is a blast. I don't really care about the present's tho, to me, I love to give them and see the expressions on my families face when they open them..... Maybe I'm just strange, but I don't really care if I get anything......

[MidnightSun]

Yep, sure do. I absolutely love this time of year. I am a major family person, so the family get togethers are what I look foward to the most. We all get together on Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house. It's great :)

The decorations and cookies and....just the entire spirit of the season. You can't help but get wrapped up in it :)

Me and my 2 sisters celebrate Yule with each other, give a small "witchy" gift and all that good stuff :)

[Lavender]

Originally posted by WtchyChick13
...Wild, I will admit here that I start singing "Let it snow" in July! Nice to know there are others out there just as sick as I am! :lol:

I knew I couldn't be the only one! Around June or July, I would wait until everyone's out of the house & I'll play my Christmas music.

BTW, I love your new avatar...but I miss Bobo. :)

[WtchyChick13]

Thanks! It's the Chris-Moose of course. (Must vote for Chris-Moose!)

Bobo will be back. He's dressed right now in a Christmas sweater--the one that he had on for my av was a Halloween sweater. (Even bears must be dressed for the seasons!) :T


When I first started doing the Christmas site, I would start updating it in May. I'd put on the online Xmas radio station or one of my cd's and really get into it.

But July starts the countdown. I especially love when the Family Channel (who is right now doing the 25 days of Christmas) does the Christmas in July thing. They show the Christmas specials, like Rankin Bass stuff, for a full week in July!

How cool is that???

We are not alone!!!!!!! :D :D :D

[AmbivalentMirage]

I think the holiday season has a special "rush" that no one can ignore. I love the crowded malls, falling snow (*looks outside*), carolers, Christmas trees, stories, cookies, decorations, lights, candles... It's all so beautiful together! It really doesn't matter if you celebrate Christmas, Yule, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or whatever...as long as you enjoy it and have a wonderful winter season. ^.^ Afterall, isn't that what the holidays are for? To warm us during the cold winter months, whether it be with action or memory?

[Wyrdsister]

You bet! My family celebrates Christmas for various reasons (some are Christian, some like the giving and decorations and spirit of the time, some like both, etc.) and I celebrate right along with them! My Love's mother is Jewish but she still celebrates Christmas with her kids. She makes the big meal and everything!! Yum!

Wyrdsister

[Psyche Ague]

Originally posted by AmbivalentMirage
I think the holiday season has a special "rush" that no one can ignore. I love the crowded malls, falling snow (*looks outside*), carolers, Christmas trees, stories, cookies, decorations, lights, candles... It's all so beautiful together! It really doesn't matter if you celebrate Christmas, Yule, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or whatever...as long as you enjoy it and have a wonderful winter season. ^.^ Afterall, isn't that what the holidays are for? To warm us during the cold winter months, whether it be with action or memory?
*grin* You forgot Festivus!

[WtchyChick13]

Originally posted by Psyche Ague
*grin* You forgot Festivus!

:rotfl:

[lightseeker]

I definitely celebrate Christmas. I love being able to give the people I love things that they have needed. (Not that I don't on other days!)

When I was younger, I hated it, though. I just couldn't handle the idea that a big fat man had a special way to get into my house. Especially since he knew pretty much everything about me. It definitely creeped me out. I'm surprised I didn't set traps for the guy! Silly traditions... :lol:

[SisterJanet3]

We do presents and a tree if that's what you mean? My kids would never forgive me if we didn't. If you call that Christmas, then...I guess so. :rolleyes:

[Garnet]

It depends...if I'm not scheduled to work, I get together with my family & open presents & eat like a pig. It's not a particularly religious holiday in my mostly-Catholic family. If I am scheduled to work (12 hour shift schedule), I don't celebrate it & I don't miss it. This year I work (double time...yippeee!).
I do have a 'Christmas tolerance level', though. I reached my 'carol saturation point' today at 2:16 pm in Walgreen's. If I have to hear 'Little Drummer Boy' once more...out comes the bullhorn!
The thing that amuses me is the people who can't understand why I don't have- or miss putting up- decorations. "Well, what do you look at?"
HUH? (At work I'm the token Jew).

[SerenityMoon]

mmmmm, christmas......i love it all. and it's all about snow, food, family, joy, and giving for me..and carols! WHEE!

[)O( ~ Khara~ )O(]

I am out of the broom closet, actually I do not recall ever being in the closet except to get the broom....

I celebrate Yule. My family respects that and since they do I respect their Christmas celebration. We have a tree which is decorated with crocheted snowflakes, glass apples, non-religious ornaments and candles. They do this for me as well as theirselves. They celebrate with me on Yule and we have a traditional dinner. Then on the 25th I celebrate with them and they exchange presents and we have the usual turkey and trimmings.

Having three children and trying to raise them on a traditional Wiccan path is difficult in the world today. The kids respect my beliefs, my oldest follows the path, but they see the world view in their face daily from November 1st on.

In school. daycare, the mall etc.... That is hard to fight and harder still to change when they are young.

So for now I will go with the flow and keep the peace, after all that (peace) is the true hope of this season!

[AmbivalentMirage]

Originally posted by Psyche Ague
*grin* You forgot Festivus!


Silly moi!! ;)

*walks away chanting "je n'oublierai pas festivus... je n'oublierai pas festivus.."*

[AmbivalentMirage]

Originally posted by Garnet
It depends...if I'm not scheduled to work, I get together with my family & open presents & eat like a pig. It's not a particularly religious holiday in my mostly-Catholic family. If I am scheduled to work (12 hour shift schedule), I don't celebrate it & I don't miss it. This year I work (double time...yippeee!).
I do have a 'Christmas tolerance level', though. I reached my 'carol saturation point' today at 2:16 pm in Walgreen's. If I have to hear 'Little Drummer Boy' once more...out comes the bullhorn!
The thing that amuses me is the people who can't understand why I don't have- or miss putting up- decorations. "Well, what do you look at?"
HUH? (At work I'm the token Jew).

LOL. I so very much understand!!! I'm the only Jewish kid in my school. I have to explain EVERYTHING. If I have to explain the concept of "kosher" one more time, I will go insane. ;)

[Garnet]

Happy Hanukkah, sweetie!

[Earth Walker]

No, I don't celebrate christmas, or any other xian holiday.

Winter Solstice, which I will be celebrating in a Traditional
way.
http://emoticon.go2.be/obscene/eck34.gif

[Willow_Raindancer]

Originally posted by Aoibheann
I was just wondering how many Pagans still celebrate Christmas. I do because I'm not 'out of the broom closet' with my family. What about anyone else?

ANY excuse to PARTY!
;)

[Cynyr]

I want to celebrate the holidays as they were originally originated - not the Xtian hi-hacked replacements of them. That's right, I said it. And - I'll say it agian.

[Cain]

Yup, I celebrate it. If by celebrate you mean give loved ones presents, have a very nice lunch and spend the afternoon relaxing with a nice drink or two and some decent films.

[Heart of Isis]

No and I don't even celebrate Yule. I'm probably the only Pagan who doesn't. I'm not real sure, but I don't think the ancient Egyptians did and what was good enough for them is good enough for me.
Xmas and Yule just leave a disgusting taste in me mouth. It's all so corporate and fake to me as that has been the only experiences I have had with it. I thought Yule would be different than Xmas, but I was very disappointed to find that it wasn't that different at all. It seems like the only thing to change was the deity(s) there is still the heartless gift exchange thing and snobbery crap, etc. that goes on around Yule. So that pretty much sealed it forever.
I much prefer showing genuine gratefulness and "gift giving" if desired through-out the year. Not just at Yule.
That's my own take on it and not necessarily the opinion of anyone else.

Heart of Isis

[LyraDragonStar]

Yes. My family is all Christian and till just recently they didn't even know I believed something different.

Yet, Christmas has lost a lot of it's meaning now that it's so comericalized.

[Phoenix Element]

Yes, although I've finally stopped going to church service. I used to go on my parents' insistance. They don't know my path, but they seem to finally accept my distance from the church.

As far as presents and celebrating on the 25th go, I have no problems! I love gift exchanges and the 25th is a fine day for spending time with friends (as is any day!). My Yule celebration is a lonely one anyway.

[semi]

I'll celebrate almost anything if there's free food, beer, and people giving me gifts.

[Auroro]

My family is Christian. I do not celebrate christmas in the sense of a religious holiday. I see it as a societal holiday and just accept the gifts and presents as late Yule gifts. =). I'm not Christian so I will not celebrate a fictional character's birth (yes, I believe Christ was fictional) as I wouldn't celebrate Harry Potter's birthday.

[shuvanilu]

I still do Christmas *and* Easter. And at dinner time with the kids, I read them the Christian stories, and then I read the Pagan stories associated with Yule and Ostara, and we point out the similarities. I think most faiths have a story of "the birth of the Light out of darkness" and the death/rebirth/fertility themes, and they are all valuable and beautiful. I try to intill respect for all belief systmes at my house. Plus, it's just too much fun!---shuvanilu

[Aylwyn]

We celebrate it as a "national" holiday, not as a religous observence.

[Cynyr]

Though I've abandoned the Christian faith I will still visit family on Yule day and exchange gifts only because it's such a tradition in my family. I would prefer not to exchange gifts, but there are still children in our family, my niece and god-daughter, and I would not want to dissappoint them because of my new-found beliefs. In time they will understand so for the time being, while they're still children, I will humor them because I love them and care about their happiness more than my own beliefs.