GreekChat.com Forums  

Go Back   GreekChat.com Forums > General Chat Topics > Chit Chat
Register FAQ Community Calendar Today's Posts Search

Chit Chat The Chit Chat forum is for discussions that do not fit into the forum topics listed below.

» GC Stats
Members: 329,715
Threads: 115,665
Posts: 2,204,932
Welcome to our newest member, sophiaptt543
» Online Users: 2,124
1 members and 2,123 guests
No Members online
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-17-2004, 10:40 PM
Lady Pi Phi Lady Pi Phi is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: "...maybe tomorrow I'm gonna settle down. Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on."
Posts: 5,713
Send a message via AIM to Lady Pi Phi
Does Christianity have any true Holy Days left?

I didn't want to hijack the "Is Santa really good for the kids?" thread in the Sigma Gamma Rho forum anymore than I think I already have, but the thread has got me pondering some questions. While I am not a religious woman I just don't think Christianity has any pure holy days, where other major religions do.

A lot of Christian holidays/holy days/religious celebrations are mixed with many pagan traditions. Also, a lot of these days have turned into Hallmark holidays and are nothing more than ways to make money.

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Does Christianity have any pure holy days left?

Keep it civil everyone.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-17-2004, 10:45 PM
GeekyPenguin GeekyPenguin is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 9,971
Yes. You don't have to commercialize Christmas or Easter. You can observe them in a religiously pure manner.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-17-2004, 10:45 PM
honeychile's Avatar
honeychile honeychile is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Counting my blessings!
Posts: 31,391
Only the days that are holy (whose true meaning is "set apart") for you. The days we tend to call Holy Days are pagan holidays "christianized" during the spread of Christianity.

I think that there are a couple Old Testament Holy Days that can legitimately celebrated by Christians, ie: The Feast of Tabernacles ("ye shall keep it until the end of the age").
__________________
~ *~"ADPi"~*~
Proud to be a Macon Magnolia
"He who is not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-17-2004, 10:46 PM
Taualumna Taualumna is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,006
Good Friday is a day off from work and school in Canada and that's religious. Of course, at least half the population doesn't bother to go to church and just take the day off to sleep. Otherwise, I don't think I can think of anything else other than Christian days that one doesn't get off.

Orthodox Christmas and Easter are still religious, IMHO.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-17-2004, 10:51 PM
DGqueen17 DGqueen17 is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 968
Quote:
Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
Yes. You don't have to commercialize Christmas or Easter. You can observe them in a religiously pure manner.
Yes! But if I didn't get presents I would be mad. But I am a BAD Catholic.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-17-2004, 11:10 PM
sugar and spice sugar and spice is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,571
Quote:
Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
Yes. You don't have to commercialize Christmas or Easter. You can observe them in a religiously pure manner.
But how many people actually DO this? Even the most religious families I know buy into the material side of Christmas as well. And let's not get started on the pagan part of it. In order to celebrate a Christmas tradition that had nothing to do with paganism, you would have to get rid of the Christmas tree, the gift-giving, and the mistletoe to start with -- oh, and you would be celebrating Jesus's birth sometime in the spring.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-17-2004, 11:11 PM
GeekyPenguin GeekyPenguin is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 9,971
I think a lot more people do it than advertise.

I also think it's a little ridiculous to judge whether someone is "truly" observing a Holy Day when you yourself aren't religious.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-18-2004, 01:06 AM
honeychile's Avatar
honeychile honeychile is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Counting my blessings!
Posts: 31,391
Quote:
Originally posted by sugar and spice
But how many people actually DO this? Even the most religious families I know buy into the material side of Christmas as well. And let's not get started on the pagan part of it. In order to celebrate a Christmas tradition that had nothing to do with paganism, you would have to get rid of the Christmas tree, the gift-giving, and the mistletoe to start with -- oh, and you would be celebrating Jesus's birth sometime in the spring.
I was interested in your last sentence, Jesus's birth being sometime in the spring. Do you mind my asking your thoughts on that?

According to my brother (who makes me feel like a pagan at times!), any census of the Jews would have more probably been taken at the time between Rosh Hoshannah to the Feast of Tabernacles, probably closer to the Feast of Tabernacles. These are all in the September or October months. That's why I was curious about the spring timing.

Oh, and my brother & his wife do not have a tree, mistletoe, etc, etc - but they do the gifts. I won't even go into the other parts of paganism they avoid. They would have enjoyed the company of Cotton Mather & his merry band!
__________________
~ *~"ADPi"~*~
Proud to be a Macon Magnolia
"He who is not busy being born is busy dying." Bob Dylan
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-18-2004, 01:10 AM
Peaches-n-Cream Peaches-n-Cream is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: New York City
Posts: 10,837
Send a message via AIM to Peaches-n-Cream
I don't think that there is anything wrong with Christmas trees with presents and Santa Claus and Easter with bunnies and eggs. I think that you can have a religious holiday and enjoy the fun/commercial aspect of it as long as the fun/commercial isn't the entire celebration and the reason for the Holy Day is remembered.


I think that the Catholic Holy Days of Obligation are still true holy days for people who practice the faith. Holy Days of Obligation include:
Sundays
January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension;
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints;
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12-18-2004, 01:34 AM
Taualumna Taualumna is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,006
Quote:
Originally posted by honeychile
months. That's why I was curious about the spring timing.

Oh, and my brother & his wife do not have a tree, mistletoe, etc, etc - but they do the gifts. I won't even go into the other parts of paganism they avoid. They would have enjoyed the company of Cotton Mather & his merry band!
You know what's interesting? The chapel at my high school has two huge ever green trees that lights up during a scene in our annual Nativity performances.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-18-2004, 06:07 AM
AGDee AGDee is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 15,819
I would also add Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday for Catholics.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-18-2004, 10:21 AM
ISUKappa ISUKappa is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,464
There are other days within the church calendar that may not be considered High Holy days but that are still very important days of the year:

Pentecost
Ascension
Epiphany
Transfiguration

Now, I realize those aren't the same as Catholic Days of Obligation or Jewish High Holy days, but they are still important, at least in my denomination.

I agree with Cream. You can have the fun side as long as that doesn't overshadow the true reason for celebration.
__________________
It's gonna be a hootenanny.
Or maybe a jamboree.
Or possibly even a shindig or lollapalooza.
Perhaps it'll be a hootshinpaloozaree. I don't know.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12-18-2004, 10:57 AM
aurora_borealis aurora_borealis is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,106
Quote:
Originally posted by ISUKappa
There are other days within the church calendar that may not be considered High Holy days but that are still very important days of the year:

Pentecost
Ascension
Epiphany
Transfiguration

Now, I realize those aren't the same as Catholic Days of Obligation or Jewish High Holy days, but they are still important, at least in my denomination.

I agree with Cream. You can have the fun side as long as that doesn't overshadow the true reason for celebration.
For our denominations Reformation Sunday is a big one. Though you posted the others I was thinking of.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 12-18-2004, 12:37 PM
James James is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: NY
Posts: 8,594
Send a message via ICQ to James Send a message via AIM to James
Well December 25th was taked directly from the worship of Mithras, an old zorastrian God.

In fact a lot of Christian Ritual may have been taken from the worship of Mithras, given that he predated the Christ Figure by 500 years or more.

http://www.taivaansusi.net/historia/mithraism.html

Maybe you are all actually Mithras worshippers and just don't know it? Names change . . .
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 12-18-2004, 09:20 PM
ISUKappa ISUKappa is offline
GreekChat Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,464
Quote:
Originally posted by aurora_borealis
For our denominations Reformation Sunday is a big one. Though you posted the others I was thinking of.
I had Reformation up there but then figured noone else would know what it is, so I took it off.

You know you want your own personal copy of Luther for Christmas. Even Family Video has it!
__________________
It's gonna be a hootenanny.
Or maybe a jamboree.
Or possibly even a shindig or lollapalooza.
Perhaps it'll be a hootshinpaloozaree. I don't know.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:55 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.