How do pagans celebrate Christmas?

[kurious_kathy]

I want to know where is Christ is at Christmas? Look around our world. People all caught up in superficiality. I want this, give me that. The true spirit of Christmas is Christ. It's a time to remember the one who came to save us. Jesus was born so that all could be reconciled to God. The sins of this dark world He bore for each of us. Jesus is the reason for the season!

 

[Cleon]

What does the post have to do with the topic?

I was looking forward to responding with, "by virgin sacrifice."

 

[TobiasTheViking]

I want to know where is Christ is at Christmas? Look around our world. People all caught up in superficiality. I want this, give me that. The true spirit of Christmas is Christ. It's a time to remember the one who came to save us. Jesus was born so that all could be reconciled to God. The sins of this dark world He bore for each of us. Jesus is the reason for the season!

Well, in CIVILIZED countries(granted this leaves out US ) we have this winter solstice, and we call it Yule, which we celebrate. For some reason some people have chosen to place the imaginary figure called "Christ"s birth on that day, and called it Christmas, but to the rest of us, it is Yule.

So, we "Pagans" celebrate Yule, not Christmas.

*snigger*

Sincerely
Tobias

 

[Garrette]

The alleged birth of the alleged savior is indeed the reason that the christian church has celebrated christmas. However, not all christians have agreed it was a good thing to do. Some christian communities have tried to ban it altogether.

That being said, why would you assume that "pagans" celebrate christmas at all?

"Pagans" generally refers to Wiccans who have no belief in your christ, so why should they celebrate it?

Or maybe you meant "heathens" which generally refers (in a very derogatory manner) to all non-christians? The same question applies.

Still, I'm an atheist and I do celebrate it, but only what you would consider its trappings. I find the joyous mood to be, well, joyous, and the idea of giving a good one.

Finally, I challenge you to point out the source of the "give me that, I want this" mood. I wager you'll find it disproportionately representative of the christian population and not the pagan/heathen/atheist population.

In any case, Merry Christmas.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

I'm not a Pagan, I'm an Apathetic Agnostic Buddhist Tacoist Pastafarian. I celebrate Christmas by opening presents with my family, having cinnamon rolls for breakfast, then later going to my mom's house for dinner and more prezzies. It is exactly the same traditions I had before I became an Apathetic Agnostic Buddhist Tacoist Pastafarian. Christ is nowhere to be seen in any of my holiday traditions, either before or after I lost my religion.

 

[Marquis de Carabas]

I celebrate Christmas by watching a movie with a good friend of mine (this will be year 14; damn, how time flies).

 

[Upchurch]

How do pagans celebrate Christmas?

I imagine they decorate trees, hang mistletoe, burn yule logs, etc. All the traditional pegan things.

 

[Tricky]

I celebrate Christmas by watching a movie with a good friend of mine (this will be year 14; damn, how time flies).

My wife, who is Wiccan, celebrates in many of the traditional ways. Many of them (like the tree) were borrowed from pagans anyway. She meets with her coven and they stand in a circle, cast the four directions and give thanks to The Goddess. Then they cast spells and light candles of various colors for health, happiness, safety and just about every other worthy thing. Then they give each other gifts.

Sound familiar?

BTW, most pagans acknowledge the existence of the whole pantheon of gods, including the God of Christianity. They just don't think He's the most important one. In fact, the coven my wife is in thinks all the minor gods and goddesses were born of The Goddess.

 

[El Greco]

Here's how the followers of the summer worshipping cult celebrate.

You still have time to register.

 

[Garrette]

I imagine they decorate trees, hang mistletoe, burn yule logs, etc. All the traditional pegan things.

I thought at first you wrote "burn christians."

I'd say it made me smile, but I imagine at least one reader wouldn't understand it as the joke it is.

 

[Skeptical Greg]

We celebrate it by counting the money those silly Christians spend on this nonsense... Fa, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La...

 

[Complexity]

kurious kathy - What a tacky thread title!

I can almost see the smug snear on your face when you ejaculate the word 'pagan'.

Assuming that you consider me to be one of your pet pagans:

I don't 'celebrate' Christmas.
I don't believe that Christmas is the anniversary of the birth of that kid.
I don't care whether that kid actually existed.

I will be celebrating the anniversary of Isaac Newton this December 25.
I will sleep in on December 25.
I will treat myself to a nice breakfast on December 25.
I will treat myself to a Christian-free day on December 25.
I will read and thoroughly enjoy something from the scientific literature on December 25.
I will watch a movie or so on December 25, preferably ones that would make you cringe.

I can go into more detail if you like, kurious kathy.

 

[TobiasTheViking]

kurious kathy - What a tacky thread title!

I can almost see the smug snear on your face when you ejaculate the word 'pagan'.

Assuming that you consider me to be one of your pet pagans:

I don't 'celebrate' Christmas.
I don't believe that Christmas is the anniversary of the birth of that kid.
I don't care whether that kid actually existed.

I will be celebrating the anniversary of Isaac Newton this December 25.
I will sleep in on December 25.
I will treat myself to a nice breakfast on December 25.
I will treat myself to a Christian-free day on December 25.
I will read and thoroughly enjoy something from the scientific literature on December 25.
I will watch a movie or so on December 25, preferably ones that would make you cringe.

I can go into more detail if you like, kurious kathy.

Sounds like heaven to me

 

[slingblade]

I want to know where is Christ is at Christmas? Look around our world. People all caught up in superficiality. I want this, give me that. The true spirit of Christmas is Christ. It's a time to remember the one who came to save us. Jesus was born so that all could be reconciled to God. The sins of this dark world He bore for each of us. Jesus is the reason for the season!

So why do Christians go shopping? Isn't it your holiday? Why are you blaming everyone because your cult lost control of its stolen celebration?

Yeah, stolen. What the hell do pine trees have to do with widdle baby jebus? Poor kid must have had hysterically big feet, too, if those huge red stockings hung on the mantel are any indication.
Candy canes?
Flying reindeer?
Wassail?
Mistletoe?

You've stolen our pagan holidays and their symbols. Give 'em back, dammit, and go decorate a manger. But if you want to know why there's noChrist in Christmas, ask the door-greeter at Wal-Mart the next time you need another string of lights and some tinsel for your pagan tree.

 

[kmortis]

Were goning to celebrate the return of the sun on the 21st. Then it's off to work with me since I squandered my vacation days throughout the year. On the 25th, we'll prolly have her parents over for some kind of dinner (I keep pushing for ham, as I find it humorous to "celebrate" the birth of a nice Jewish boy by consuming pig), and some prezzies. Since it's been a bad year, financially speaking, the prezzies will be light. Oh, well.

 

[Cleon]

Just to answer the topic--I'm not a pagan, I'm a heebie, so I celebrate Christmas in the traditional Jewish way. Namely, watching a movie and eating Chinese food.

 

[kurious_kathy]

BTW, most pagans acknowledge the existence of the whole pantheon of gods, including the God of Christianity. They just don't think He's the most important one. In fact, the coven my wife is in thinks all the minor gods and goddesses were born of The Goddess.

There is only one God! The others are demons who try to trick people. I have heard of many Wiccans and Satanist being turned around by the power of the one true God, Jesus. The only way to the Father is through the Son.

 

[clarsct]

So what?

I have also heard many Xian folks being turned around and find their true selves in Wicca. Hell, some of us became athiest because we READ THE BIBLE!!!


"My god is better than your god, and I'm right and you're wrong and i'm better than YOOOooooUUUU are, Neener Neener NeeeeeeEEEEEeeeener!"

Bah.

Christmas tree: Pagan
Presents: Pagan
Candles/lights: Pagan
Yule log: Pagan
Old man winter/Santa: Pagan/Madison avenue robbing a cultural tradition blind
Misletoe: Pagan
Holly: Pagan
Feasting(eat, drink and be merry): Pagan


I submit that Christmas is a Pagan holiday.

Oh, and Romans didn't have a census in the MIDDLE OF WINTER! So you blessed little savior couldn't have been born then, you dolt!

Bah. Go play with your dollies.

 

[logical muse]

There is only one God! The others are demons who try to trick people. I have heard of many Wiccans and Satanist being turned around by the power of the one true God, Jesus. The only way to the Father is through the Son.

Hi Kathy

Are you really curious? Is that why you joined this forum? I'm afraid that dogmatic proselytising won't be met with much tolerance here. Can you engage in reasoned discourse with logical arguments?

If not, at least try and be funny, like this:

A man walked into a bar on a slow night and sat down. After a few minutes, the bartender asked him if he wanted a drink.

He replied, "No thanks. I don't drink. I tried it once but I didn't like it."

So the bartender said, "Well, would you like a cigarette?"

But the man said, "No thanks. I don't smoke. I tried it once but I didn't like it."

The bartender asked him if he'd like to play a game of pool, and again the man said, "No thanks. I don't like pool. I tried it once but I didn't like it. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be here at all, but I'm waiting for my son."

The bartender said, "Your only son, I'm guessing..."

 

[Cosmo]

There is only one God! The others are demons who try to trick people.

A fair number of people claim that Christianity is a polytheistic religion for having three 'supreme beings' - God, Jeebus, and the Holy Ghost.