Christmas has been cancelled, official!!

[scorrie]

News has reached me that Christmas (as we now know it) has been cancelled for this year.

Without being at all flippant, and in fact supporting the notion of a true Christmas, I have to reveal that my correspondent has brought this message from "The Big Man" himself.

"Dear Brethren/Customers,

It has been brought to my attention that delivery services throughout the UK have been badly affected by adverse weather conditions. This has led to a situation where some people are in doubt as to whether their loved ones will receive their "statutory gift value" presents in time for Christmas.

When I first sacrificed my Son for the sins of the human race, I had high hopes that his day of birth would go down in History as a celebration of what is really important in life. As time went on and we moved into the commercial era, I lowered my sights and accepted that Kindles, Laptops and the usual range of high calorie foods and alcoholic beverages were the new meaning of Christmas.

Since the Courier companies have been unable to guarantee the delivery of these items, I feel it is only fair for me to cancel this year's Christmas in order that many are not disappointed in having to accept infinite redemption, through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, as a poor substitute for plastic and flashing lights.

Merry Cashmas!!

The Big Man"

[Dadie]

Amongst the things Im waiting for are nativity craft kits for the children....
Thats whats so maddening, as, I wanted them before Christmas day, to help get the Christmas message across as the kids are really little and I thought that doing a craft activity and talking about it would help.
Ok they would have got the gifts at a party from Santa...but still...
The only carol Lauren had for singing at their "show" has been removed from the line up because of the lack of time...
So its not just hi tech gizmos that are missing.

[ShelleyCowie]

Honestly i wouldnt mind it being cancelled right now! Im buying what i can afford so i really hope people appreciate that.

Im spending more money on our Christmas meal, its when toys are left behind just for that hour to sit together and enjoy the day!

Although i do love seeing the kiddies faces when they open their presents! Thats if Athruns ones ever get here!

[Hoida]

Amongst the things Im waiting for are nativity craft kits for the children....
Thats whats so maddening, as, I wanted them before Christmas day, to help get the Christmas message across as the kids are really little and I thought that doing a craft activity and talking about it would help.
Ok they would have got the gifts at a party from Santa...but still...
The only carol Lauren had for singing at their "show" has been removed from the line up because of the lack of time...
So its not just hi tech gizmos that are missing.

Dadie, the Christian Bookshop in Thurso hasa super christas activity book with a nativity scene to make up I bought one for a friends 4 year old and she or should I say we had great fun putting it together. Well worth a look in.

[Dadie]

Thanks!
Im hardly ever in Thurso as its so handy to go to Wick these days..I never thought of going there.
Our Christmas dinner is not all that fancy as the kids cant manage a whole Christmas dinner in one sitting, we spread the dinner out over the day by having the starter and pudding for one meal and the main for another!
Used to go to a midnight service on Christmas eve but the kids are too wee for that!

[theone]

I wonder how many people celebrate christmas for what it is?

And how many of those people have a christmas tree?

I enjoy the family, friends and gifts aspects but couldn't care less about the christian and pagen (amongst others) origins.

[orkneycadian]

Quite a few letters on Radio Orkney's postbag this morning, in response to an article a few days ago (which I missed) where some parents must have been on pleeping how Christmas will be "ruined" if things they have ordered do not turn up in time. All the letters on the postbag this morning were to the effect of "get a life", or at least, "get a Christmas without the usual instant gratification"! (And no, I didn't write any of them!)

Some of the letters were suggesting that here is the perfect chance to educate little Johnny or Jemima that folk don't always get things they want when they want them. Others were suggesting an ideal opportunity for a less materialistic Christmas.

When all the local shops have shut through lack of support, and the Royal Mail gets dissolved and the universal service obligation disappears, you might as well look forward to this kind of delivery service all year round!

[The Music Monster]

I think this is fantastic!!!
The only decoration we have up so far is the crib, but the tree will appear on Saturday! It's true that we will have sparkle, but the true message will still be at the core of it!

[brandy]

im going to make a manger scene with the kids sometime this week i think... once i figure out how!
they know the story of christmas, and we have been guessing about all the animals that might have been in the manger when jesus was born.
yup, we have a tree.. and pressies.. but also have told the kids that the reason we give presents at christmas is to remember about jesus and how the three wise men gave him presesnts.
it does get confusing throwing santa into the mix.. but we muddle through.. i love christmas.. and im going to attempt to make ginger bread men with the boys this year..
hmm may just make bicuit family instead may be easier... and dadie ... im gonna let them decorate so may have to take a pic for you to see how they arrange the smarties!

[Saveman]

If you look into the origins of santa, christmas tree, Dec 25, mistletoe...etc.etc I don't think God has anything to do with Christmas anyway.

[oldmarine]

News has reached me that Christmas (as we now know it) has been cancelled for this year.

Without being at all flippant, and in fact supporting the notion of a true Christmas, I have to reveal that my correspondent has brought this message from "The Big Man" himself.

"Dear Brethren/Customers,

It has been brought to my attention that delivery services throughout the UK have been badly affected by adverse weather conditions. This has led to a situation where some people are in doubt as to whether their loved ones will receive their "statutory gift value" presents in time for Christmas.

When I first sacrificed my Son for the sins of the human race, I had high hopes that his day of birth would go down in History as a celebration of what is really important in life. As time went on and we moved into the commercial era, I lowered my sights and accepted that Kindles, Laptops and the usual range of high calorie foods and alcoholic beverages were the new meaning of Christmas.

Since the Courier companies have been unable to guarantee the delivery of these items, I feel it is only fair for me to cancel this year's Christmas in order that many are not disappointed in having to accept infinite redemption, through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, as a poor substitute for plastic and flashing lights.

Merry Cashmas!!

The Big Man"

You certainly know how to disappoint the youngsters.

[scorrie]

You certainly know how to disappoint the youngsters.

Better to have the orgy of self-indulgence, stress, debt etc under false pretences then do you think?

[The Music Monster]

Oh dear!!

What I believed was a little giggle at Christmas commercialism seems to have turned into an out and out dig at religion. Here's the thing...

Every religion has a festival of light. It is a natural thing to do - to celebrate the gift of life in the darkest period. To Christians, that light is Jesus, but the Jews, Hindus, and Pagans also have their festival of light at this period in the year. Christianity is a relatively new religion. At 2000 years old it makes it a definite nipper compared to Buddhism and Judaism, and especially Hinduism whose roots run further back than any western "civilization". So yes, of course it is going to borrow aspects of these religions, like setting the date for the coming of the light (Jesus) to coincide with other festivals of light.

Current theological thinking suggests that Jesus was quite probably born around about the autumn equinox, but really, what difference does it make, because the calendar has had two very substantial changes since then.

With regard to the Pope, if you look carefully, you'll find that St Peter is accredited as being the first Pope, and he was crucified in Rome. Rome is the Papal seat because Rome is where the power was. Emperor Constantine, who was the first Emperor to follow Christianity, invited the Papal seat to be based in Rome, before it moved briefly across to Constantinople (a city modestly named after himself) when he had to leave Rome for political reasons. When the Empire was returned to Rome, the Papacy was returned with it.

And with regard to this statement:
"And for those who think shepherds and their crops in December is the most unbelievable or questionable part of the bible, read the next 4 books!"
I had a bit of a laugh about this!!! Did you except a Holy Book to be full of mundane, "normal" stuff?! I don't think it would have become the most widely translated and read book if Jesus had been recorded as going to the local market and having a few drinks with friends, chasing girls and making money. I'm very sorry to break this to a few of you but the fact is Jesus existed, and all of the facts recorded in the synoptic gospels are first hand accounts (or actual fact written as dictated) [here, I could go off at a tangent and try and explain source criticism, but I don't think that would be fair on most of you!] and he did perform his miracles. It is, of course, up to you whether you believe he was just an exceptional doctor - years ahead of his time - or the Christian embodiment of God. These are the facts, I'm sorry if you don't like it.

The idea of Christianity as a "Cult", is of course completely wrong. Christianity was in the first part a "Sect" but has never been a "Cult". It was a branch of Judaism, but that was a long while before 300AD.

As for the comment that God has nothing to do with Christmas: Why do you think it is called CHRISTmas?!?! Indeed, God had everything to do with Christmas, and all the other religious festivals you have so rightly pointed out it amalgamated with. It may not have been the Christian God, but it was certainly God, all the same.

And, I AM a Biblical Scholar - and have two shiny pieces of paper from university to prove it!

Merry Christmas!

[RecQuery]

Well it started with someone misinterpreting what Christmas was all about. There are lots of things in the bible (whatever translation you choose) and other holy books I have problems with but that's another issue.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/11/15/12016/649

It's a bit US centric but that tends to be my experience with these sort of discussions.

A name is just a name, it's not necessarily descriptive. A lot of these festivals were spiritual in nature with no direct god or gods more a Shintoism style belief system.