What I think Of Christmas
I don't like Christmas. Not because it's too religious (even though I'm non religious, I respect people's beliefs and don't mind them celebrating their religious holidays), no, I dislike Christmas because it stopped being religious.I have written this list about my opinions towards various aspects of Christmas.
| Aspect of Christmas | What I think of it? | Why? / More Details |
|---|---|---|
| Gifts | We've taken it too far |
In the western world (Western Europe and North America in particular) Christmas presents are the be all and end all of Christmas.
It's ok to give a couple of gifts to your nearest and dearest but we, in the anglosphere, have taken the wise men's gifts too far. Children are encouraged (at a young age) to want things. And told that in the winter, if they write them down, a magic man will come and give them whatever they want. Can we not just ask for a couple of things, things we need (or will at least use more than twice then stick on a shelf forevermore) instead of want. I have put clothing and toiletries on my list. |
| Decorations | Pointless |
The Christmas Tree: This has nothing to do with Christmas I don't actually mind the tree too much, it's the amount of decorations we seem to put on them. A couple of fairy lights and a star, maybe even a string of tinsel and half a dozen baubles. This is the limit. What's the point? The Christmas tree isn't really part of Christmas. The use of trees and other plants in midwinter festivals predates Christianity in most areas of western Europe. Christmas was integrated into existing festivals when people converted to Christianity. |
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Decorations in general: Too many, why does my neighbour have a light up gingerbread man in their front garden? Most Christmas decorations are put up because ... well, because that's what you do at Christmas time. We do it because it is done. What does gingerbread have to do with the birth of Jesus anyway? |
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| TV Christmas Specials | Don't mind them | They're fun, Nothing wrong with them |
| Christmas Adverts | Stop Them Now |
I live in the UK, and for the last few years people have gone crazy over a shop called 'John Lewis' But we let a religious event turn into a capitalist's wet dream. Christmas took a turn for the worse when large companies realised just how lucrative it could be. Christmas adverts don't promote togetherness and other values that anyone (whatever their views on Christianity) can get behind during Christmas time, they promote consumerism. One of the core points in the John Lewis Christmas advert is that the only way people can be happy is to buy things. How many species buy things? (I'm pretty sure the answer is 2*), Money is an invented concept. We don't need to buy things to be happy. |
| Christmas Songs | Depends |
Why do these start it September?
Christmas songs come in 4 types: Nativity, Pop, Children's, Annoying. Any Christmas song played before december automatically goes into the fourth box. Just don't play them when it isn't Christmas. |
* Humans obviously, and a group of apes (I don't remember which species) that were given silver tokens for doing tasks which they could give to their keepers for food (interestingly it didn't take long for prostitution to start).