What is the meaning of contemporary Christmas - does it signify the old generations and religions or want and mean to create thier own?

Any info on wot u think about Xmas will be very much appreciated.

Thanks Sarah Mills

-- Miss Sarah Ann Mills (bussmil1@livjm.ac.uk), May 04, 2002

Answers

I think I understand what you are asking Sarah, it seems for some people Christmas is only a cultural or social event. A time to meet friends and have parties or what have you. But if you look for a deeper meaning, that of what Christmas really is, you would find, I think that Christmas is for all times and all generations. Christmas is simply this: God takes the form of man, not only man, but a babe, a helpless innocent child, who lives and gives all for us. For the old saying, the wood of the crib prefigures the wood of the cross still holds. Christ came into the world to die for us, that we might have eternal life. So, there is nothing wrong with parties and gift giving, but if one doesn't understand the central reality of Christ become man, then it is all rather pointless, isn't it?

-- JRC (me@nospam.net), May 04, 2002.

This reminds me of a movie called "The Grinch" So true in todays time :(

-- Tony (awalker@teknett.com), May 05, 2002.

Hi Sarah,

The word 'Christmas' contains the word Christ and that is what Christmas is to me - it is about the birth of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. I never use the word Xmas and when people say to me, "Happy Holidays" I always tell them, please wish me a Merry Christmas because I celebrate the birth of Jesus, after all He is the reason for the season. Many of my Catholic and Christian friends have gotten caught up in the polictical correct, "Happy Holidays" greeting and it drives me crazy.

Europeans focus more on the spiritual meaning of Christmas and I hope we get back to that here. I celebrate too, and buy gifts, giving is especially meaningful during the Christmas season. Finding a way to celebrate the "true" meaning of Christmas always makes my Christmas.

MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), May 05, 2002.

MaryLu: If "Happy Holidays" is disgusting to you I also get angry when I see that in Spanish instead of the beautiful FELIZ NAVIDAD (happy Nativity) many people use FELIZ FESTIVIDAD DE INVIERNO (Happy Winter festival) forgetting the essence of Christmas. Winter has nothing to do with Christ, since we don't know exactly in what day He was born. The ChristianS of the early Church began celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25 to replace a pagan festival: DIES NATALIS SOLIS INVICTI. As for the partying and gift giving let's not forget that the best GIFT we receive on Christmas is Crhist Himself: the perfect gift from God, for which we should be thankful at all times.

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 05, 2002.

It wasn't exactly replace, they choose Dec 25 because it's a beginning of a new seasion, there were no way of knowing exactly when he was born, so they settle the peagon holiday because it represents the birth of a new seasion.

-- Tony (awalker@teknett.com), May 05, 2002.

Enrique,

FELIZ NAVIDAD sounds so beautiful! During the christmas season I play that song over and over again. I didn't realize that the Spanish people have changed those words too.

Whenever someone says, "Happy Holidays" to me and I know they are Christian, I respond by saying and Merry Christmas to you.

So many left-wingers, and athiests want to take Christ out of Christmas, God out of our country, prayer out of schools. We must continually fight Satanism in this world - every single day.

God Bless you. MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), May 05, 2002.

That saddens me to Enrique.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), May 06, 2002.

Gene

Feliz Navidad is also one of the top favorite Christmas songs I have ever heard too. It has such a joyful ring to it and I have never tired of hearing it to this day. I always thought of the song as a gift from GOD himself. Also Christmas to me is simply as with the birth of Christ is also the rebirth of our spiritual life. A new beginning. It gives us another opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Christ's own life all the way to his death on the Cross on Good Friday. This period of the life of Christ means a lot to me and will til the end of my own life.

I saw something about 12 years ago on Christmas Vigil that I may have shared previously here. A woman in her 80's who frail as she was, recieved the host from our 84 year old priest as she sat waiting sitting in the pew nearby. I watched her say to the host how much she Loved Christ and she thanked him for her wonderful life and she told him she is now ready to be with him. This special gift she gave me unknowingly is still one of the most precious gifts I have ever recieved. I was in tears for a long time thanking her and GOD for this gift of true faith she had and every Christmas I still see her in my memory and I always offer prayers to GOD for this woman and to this day give her thanks for the gift she gave me. Feliz Navidad. May God Bless all of US who share his gift of life.

-- Fred Bishop (fcbishop@globaleyes.net), May 06, 2002.

Last year, Jose Feliciano, who sang (and wrote?) "Feliz Navidad" appeared live for an hour on EWTN's "Life on the Rock." He sang some great songs and was interviewed at length. It was so moving for me to learn that this famous and talented gentleman, his wife, and their children are striving to live as faithful Catholics.
JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), May 06, 2002.

Merchants try hard to take Christ out of Christmas, and with a lot of success I'm soory to say. It took many years fro me to realize that there is more to Christmas than the season, Now I see Christ in the tree, the lights and some times in the decorations. For a long time I hated to see Christmas written as Xmas. Then I read somewhere that the X represented Christ prior to the 14th century. This changed my mind in how I viewed Christmas. The Tree=everlasting life, Christmas lights=His lamp to guide me to him, butterfly=ressurection. Since the time of Christ people have placed meaning on various things that point to our Saviour Christ. No one can take Christ out of Christmas without suffering. With a glad heart I say "Christ is the reason for the season" and that thru the years I've gained insight into "seeing Christ" in the little things of the season and they bring Him closer and closer to me. I pray that there are others out there that can "see Christ" during this season and every day too.

-- Sue (moore6@alltel.net), November 10, 2002.

Thanks for those good thoughts, Sue.

Do you know why "X" stands for "Christ"?
In Greek, the word "christos" (meaning "anointed one," "messiah") is spelled with the letters chi-rho-iota-sigma-tau-omicron-sigma. Notice that the first letter is "chi". In the Greek alphabet "chi" is written as an "X".
So, in a manner of speaking, "Xmas" is short for "X(rist)mas".

JFG

-- (jfgecik@hotmail.com), November 10, 2002.