Quote:
Originally posted by Lady Pi Phi
All I'm going to say is that if you're going to keep Christmas a religious holiday, then keep it a religious holiday. Remove ALL pagan symbols from your home. Christmas tree included.
It's really important that we understand the history of Christmas. Christmas is so intermixed with ancient pagan rituals because the early Christians found it difficult to convert pagans to Chritianity. So by leaving some of the old pagan traditions more pagans converted. Don't even get me started that December 25th is also a pagan day...it's the winter solstice.
Now, Santa Claus's name is actually derived from the Dutch Sinter Klauss. Read about him here http://www.the-north-pole.com/history/. Sinter Klauss is the Duth name for St. Nicholas. So before we all start making anograms again, please learn the history.
ETA: The jolly fat man in a red suit was an image created by Coca-Cola.
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Agree 100%! People look at me like I am crazy when I say I don't do a tree or other things at Christmas. This year Christmas day is going to be a day of service, meditation and reflection for me. That's it. You guys who gave the information about St. Nicholas are right, but the problem comes in when we add to the story. The story of the real life St. Nicholas stands on it's own, but people had to add to it. Now, instead of doing things in the spirit of/in memory of a person that is long gone, we make up a character that lives in the North Pole and flies through the night. How does that help anything?
Kids are excited about their birthdays (I know I was!). I wondered what I was going to get, who was going to come to my party,etc. Heck, even now I REFUSE to work on my birthday! LOL I don't think kids need something made up to appreciate the wonder of Christmas.
To say that God make himself a little lower that the angels, wrapped himself in skin and came to earth as a baby for ME is more wonderful that any flying reindeer with red noses! For GOD who has all power in his hands to suspend that power and become totally dependant on another so he could identify with me more is more awesome than a jolly ol' elf.