Non Christmas

[sleepyowl]

How many people are actually celebrating something other than Christmas & what are they going to be upto on that day?

I'm celebrating Yule (Winter Solstice) by decorating the house, welcoming in the sun of the morning & lighting a canle at Midnight & cooking something special but not turkey as I'll be eating that on Christmas day as most of my family are not Pagan like me.

[Green Aura]

As my daughter pointed out to one of her friends "We're atheists - so we do Christmas"

No offense intended.

[old tree man]

What a lovely idea, i have been reading up on pagan rituals and ceremonies, i have totally lost faith in christmas, these days most of the children know what they are getting (not in our home)
so i have renamed christmas for the multitudes
as from now with all the commercialisation it shall be known as.................. ARGOSMUS

[mrsmiggins]

I'm a Christian and Easter is more important to me, but Christmas day will be church, a few pressies and meal with family, no ARGOSMUS for us I respect that that's what makes some people happy, but I like to keep it simple. I'd love to hear more about Pagan traditions as I've got such respect for them too

[StripyPixieSocks]

As we're knee deep in boxes, bubble-wrap and packing stuff we're not really doing anything at all other than a nice meal (me Pagan & OH Agnostic) we packed the decorations when we thought we would be in Cornwall before ARGOSMUS (LOL) and we can't be bothered to dig them out then pack them again!

I don't care much for how people view ARGOSMUS these days infact it makes me sick to see people spending thousands of pounds they don't have and ending up with a family feud on Argosmus day because they've started stressing out in October about it all!

So... err... yeah... we're doing nothing because we're in-between homes

[Mylovelyhorse]

I won't be celebrating anything that day.

I don't mean that to come across as curmudgeonly or grumpy in any way. But I'm not a practising Christian. I don't have any children to please, and I'm appalled by the sheer consumerism of the whole shebang. So we don't do Christmas. Or rather, we do as little as we possibly can.

We send cards to people who are a long distance away, and who we rarely see. This year I think we've managed to get it down to 25 between the two of us.
We don't buy presents/exchange gifts - not even with each other.
We make joint donations to charities, so the money still gets spent, but not on aimless rubbish.

When we meet up with family for a get together each year (usually just before Christmas), I'll take along jams, chutneys, home made truffles. And this year I'll be taking along some tiles I've made.

And Christmas Day is treated much like every other day. We decide in advance what we'll have to eat, but it certainly won't be a turkey (both vegetarians and almost vegan). It's generally whatever is our favourite meal of the moment - last year it was malay-spiced tofu. The year before a vegan pizza. Dunno what this year's will be, but it will be delicious.

MLH x

[snapdragon]

the history of the midwinter get-together is based on the son/sun's return at Yule
we'll have a Yule feastIsh and a big log for the fire (possibly a chocolate one to eat too)
we'll send out cards as we don't see most of our families very often.
been invited to Son and new DIL's for xmas lunch but have an elderly poorly dog at home who can't be left and doesn't travel well, so will only go if she no longer needs us.

[KathyLauren]

I won't be celebrating anything that day.

I'm with you, MLH. We do Christmas to the bare minimum extent required by family - a handful of cards only. Other than that, we ignore the occasion completely. We're not into that mindset that says that everyone has to celebrate something in December even if they aren't Christian. There's nothing of significance in our religion in December.

[Helsbells]

I have come to really hate Christmas because its just so stressful. Its one mad panic to buy some presents for people, not because I have found something that I know they will love but because I have to, because it is CHRISTMAS!!!

I am a Christian so will be going to church for midnight mass and on Christmas morning but I really like the idea of celebrating the 12 days of Christmas. I dont know where this tradition came from but I think it is much nicer than the secular way which is just madness untill christmas day, then its all over.

[red]

We are not Christians (in this house) , so the only link to christianity we have for this time of year is the habit of calling it 'christmas' - in reality it is a much older festival.
We start with Yule - have a nice family meal and a glass of elderflower champagne ( from our own elderflowers, natch - we freeze it in summer and make it in time for Yule) so have a glass of summer to call back the sun

There is always a large family party between Yule and the 25th, Then the festival blends into the Christmas day celebration.. with the presents and turkey etc.

for me though - the run up is th best bit. i like making mince pies and other seasonal foods.. I like decorating the house with greenery and lights (very pagan0, I like making things with my son. Christmas eve is so special. By Christmas day.. to me.. it is all over.

But traditionally we get involved in some folk stuff on boxing day.. playing tunes.. mummers play ... beer...

[Bonniegirl]

I'm trying to ignore it then it might just go away!

[prison break fan]

I mostly hate it all! I try not to, but I hate the shops with all the same old tat every year, I hate sending cards to people I never see, I hate the weather, I hate the dark, I could go on and on!! My daughter and I are going to a caravan for five days with our little dog and hopefully escape most of it. I must sound a right old misery, but I'm not really!I went to my grandughter's nativity yesterday and it was beautiful! I once tried to have Christmas in June, when it was light and sunny, but it was a disaster, no one got it! pbf.

[homegrown]

As a Christian I feel that modern Christmas has lost its way, in older times families would gather tigether to sing and celebrate, exchange gifts that they made themselves, a time of pace and goodwill. now its very stressful and commercialised and it makes my wife and I unhappier every year. We are a financially challenged family who do not have a lot of money and the constant pressure from adds and our families to buy gifts is very hard for us as we cannot afford too.

Over the years I have studied many ancient cultures and their faiths and traditions and I acknowledge that the church absorbed a nuch older festival into its believ system. I consider vmyself a christian bard and consider that whatever your origin for festivities at this time of the year, the important things is to have faith that mankind will oneday find peace and get on with the really important thing , looking after our home.

[Carltonian Man]

Helsbels wrote

I really like the idea of celebrating the 12 days of Christmas. I don’t know where this tradition came from

The way I heard it, in pre-christian celebrations, to represent continuing life an evergreen bough would be bought into the home for the festive period. As everyone knows, tree sprites live in trees and will only tolerate being indoors for twelve days before they come out and create mischief. The bough should therefore be taken back outside on the twelfth night.

[Martina]

I have come to really hate Christmas because its just so stressful. Its one mad panic to buy some presents for people, not because I have found something that I know they will love but because I have to, because it is CHRISTMAS!!!

I am a Christian so will be going to church for midnight mass and on Christmas morning but I really like the idea of celebrating the 12 days of Christmas. I dont know where this tradition came from but I think it is much nicer than the secular way which is just madness untill christmas day, then its all over.

I agree with you Helsbels. I pulled myself out of the Christmas frenzy years ago. I first began by refusing to pay for Christmas with anything other than cash. So that means, on my income, I start in September by buying one gift every two weeks (each paycheck) and stick to my budget. Has the number and "prestige" of my gifts declined? Yes and you know what? I find I can live with that just fine. Someone has a signature about those who matter don't care and those who do don't matter; this approach to Christmas has sorted out that bunch for me very nicely. Now Christmas is so meaningful because I only do those things and spend time with the people that matter most to me. I go to Midnight mass and then its family first, and then a couple of friends. Simple, relaxing and a lovely way to bookend another year. Like you, I am also going to begin incorporating the twelve days of Christmas this year, as my mom found me a lovely spiritual Candle which was given as a gift to her but she already has a Christmas Candle. So now that I have one, I will light it every day for at least an hour during this time just to add to the comtemplative element of the season.

Martina