Forgive our absence, we have had to deal with a loss that has taken a toll on us, but we are now making our way back into "the fold" so to speak, and this seems to be a good time to do so.
Christmas--what is it? What does it mean? When I wander the malls, all I see is stress in the eyes of shoppers who somehow believe that getting that perfect gift is all that matters. Or maybe it's cooking that perfect Christmas dinner, or hosting that perfect Christmas party...... Interestingly, until a few years ago, I used to be one of those people that was always looking for the perfect gifts, and hoping to cook that perfect dinner, and host that perfect party. That is, until I boycotted Christmas.
Sadly, Christmas for me had nothing to do with being jolly or happy. It was, in fact, an exhausting time of year where I was responsible for all the cooking, cleaning, decorating, shopping, etc. etc.--which put me under a lot of stress. So why did I do it? Most would say I did it for my family--but when I think about it, that isn't completely true. Certainly, I bought those gifts and cooked those meals for the people I cared about, but what prompted those actions in the first place? Was it religion? Yes, but it's not that simple. Christianity is part of the capitalist matrix that promotes the excessiveness of the Christmas season--which I have boycotted. Christianity within the matrix created the perversion that "Christmas" has become.
Now, most would believe that when anyone says that Christmas has become a perversion, this would mean that we have taken "Jesus" out of the equation, and turned it into a quest for more material goods. But no, Christmas has ALWAYS been a perversion, and I will explain why. Although I disagree with the excessive materialism which has become part of the "Christmas season", people should also realize that Christmas never really was about Jesus at all until the emperor Constantine made it so a long time ago. Christmas in essence, is a pagan celebration--not a Christian one.
To be honest, since I know the history, I shake my head when I see the pagan symbols intertwined with the Christian ones--knowing very few people understand how this came to be. (Easter is very similar, but that is for another post some other time.) Christmas is not really about Jesus, as no one knows IF he was ever born, and if he was, no one knows exactly when that might have taken place. Most likely, if he had been a real person, it would have been in the spring as Luke 2:8 states that when Jesus was supposedly born:
“... there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”
As winters in Judea were cold and wet, sheep at that time would be placed in corrals and would not be in the fields. Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time. In spring however, shepherds would stay with their flocks night and day, tending new births. They are in the fields early in March until early October. This would place Jesus' birth in the spring or early fall.
Furthermore, the Bible tells us that Mary and Joseph were on their way to pay taxes when Jesus was supposedly born, but Palestine is very cold in December, and it was much too cold to ask everyone to travel to the city of their fathers to register for taxes. Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time. They are in the fields early in March until early October. This would place Jesus' birth in the spring or early fall.
So if Christmas isn't really about Jesus, what is it about then? Originally it was a pagan celebration based on "Saturnalia," which has nothing to do with Jesus at all. The Roman Emperor Constantine created the Christian celebration known as Christmas during Saturnalia in order to make it easier to convert the pagans to this new religion. The first official "Christmas" celebration on December 25th was held in 336AD, and a few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December. Funny how a pope can decide when a so-called "god" was born--lol. Really, I find that highly amusing. Constantine also paid people to be baptized into Christianity in order to gain new converts, which explained its growing popularity. The gift giving, feasting, etc., which are integral to the "Christmas season" however, all have pagan origins, some based on Saturnalia. As wikipedia states:
Many times, I have seen Christmas trees in churches. Why, my mother used to take me to what is known as "The Singing Christmas Tree" which was a concert held in a Pentacostal church. There, the carolers were tiered up to look like an actual tree! It was quite beautiful, but it had nothing to do with their so-called Jesus, and really, should be considered "sacrilegious"--lol. I can't help but to laugh when I think about that tree now. In fact, the Christmas tree has pagan origins. According to Encyclopedia Brittanica:
Christmas--what is it? What does it mean? When I wander the malls, all I see is stress in the eyes of shoppers who somehow believe that getting that perfect gift is all that matters. Or maybe it's cooking that perfect Christmas dinner, or hosting that perfect Christmas party...... Interestingly, until a few years ago, I used to be one of those people that was always looking for the perfect gifts, and hoping to cook that perfect dinner, and host that perfect party. That is, until I boycotted Christmas.
Sadly, Christmas for me had nothing to do with being jolly or happy. It was, in fact, an exhausting time of year where I was responsible for all the cooking, cleaning, decorating, shopping, etc. etc.--which put me under a lot of stress. So why did I do it? Most would say I did it for my family--but when I think about it, that isn't completely true. Certainly, I bought those gifts and cooked those meals for the people I cared about, but what prompted those actions in the first place? Was it religion? Yes, but it's not that simple. Christianity is part of the capitalist matrix that promotes the excessiveness of the Christmas season--which I have boycotted. Christianity within the matrix created the perversion that "Christmas" has become.
Now, most would believe that when anyone says that Christmas has become a perversion, this would mean that we have taken "Jesus" out of the equation, and turned it into a quest for more material goods. But no, Christmas has ALWAYS been a perversion, and I will explain why. Although I disagree with the excessive materialism which has become part of the "Christmas season", people should also realize that Christmas never really was about Jesus at all until the emperor Constantine made it so a long time ago. Christmas in essence, is a pagan celebration--not a Christian one.
To be honest, since I know the history, I shake my head when I see the pagan symbols intertwined with the Christian ones--knowing very few people understand how this came to be. (Easter is very similar, but that is for another post some other time.) Christmas is not really about Jesus, as no one knows IF he was ever born, and if he was, no one knows exactly when that might have taken place. Most likely, if he had been a real person, it would have been in the spring as Luke 2:8 states that when Jesus was supposedly born:
“... there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.”
As winters in Judea were cold and wet, sheep at that time would be placed in corrals and would not be in the fields. Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time. In spring however, shepherds would stay with their flocks night and day, tending new births. They are in the fields early in March until early October. This would place Jesus' birth in the spring or early fall.
Furthermore, the Bible tells us that Mary and Joseph were on their way to pay taxes when Jesus was supposedly born, but Palestine is very cold in December, and it was much too cold to ask everyone to travel to the city of their fathers to register for taxes. Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time. They are in the fields early in March until early October. This would place Jesus' birth in the spring or early fall.
So if Christmas isn't really about Jesus, what is it about then? Originally it was a pagan celebration based on "Saturnalia," which has nothing to do with Jesus at all. The Roman Emperor Constantine created the Christian celebration known as Christmas during Saturnalia in order to make it easier to convert the pagans to this new religion. The first official "Christmas" celebration on December 25th was held in 336AD, and a few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December. Funny how a pope can decide when a so-called "god" was born--lol. Really, I find that highly amusing. Constantine also paid people to be baptized into Christianity in order to gain new converts, which explained its growing popularity. The gift giving, feasting, etc., which are integral to the "Christmas season" however, all have pagan origins, some based on Saturnalia. As wikipedia states:
Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the deity Saturn held on December 17 of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through December 23. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves.[1] The poet Catullus called it "the best of days."[2]Saturnalia--a solstice celebration, in honor of the coming of the new "sun." (son?) Sound familiar? It should. The birth of many other "sun/son" gods such as Mithra were also worshiped at this time. The notion that Jesus too was supposedly born at this time as the "son" of God has, for our world today, created a perversion on top of a perversion. That is, a so-called god, who is said to come for all, is instead celebrated by some via gluttony and exorbitance, while millions of "believers" and others starve to death without proper clothing or shelter. But remember, these so-called "Christians" who indulge in these "Christmas celebrations" are not honoring their god, but the pagan gods, Saturn, Mithra, etc. In fact, Christmas does not honor Jesus at all, and Jesus, according to the Bible, would NOT be pleased with all the excess that has become a part of the "Christmas season". The Bible quotes him saying as such to a rich man looking for a way into heaven:
In Roman mythology, Saturn was an agricultural deity who reigned over the world in the Golden Age, when humans enjoyed the spontaneous bounty of the earth without labor in a state of social egalitarianism. The revelries of Saturnalia were supposed to reflect the conditions of the lost mythical age, not all of them desirable. The Greek equivalent was the Kronia.[3]
Although probably the best-known Roman holiday, Saturnalia as a whole is not described from beginning to end in any single ancient source. Modern understanding of the festival is pieced together from several accounts dealing with various aspects.[4] The Saturnalia was the dramatic setting of the multivolume work of that name by Macrobius, a Latin writer from late antiquity who is the major source for the holiday. In one of the interpretations in Macrobius's work, Saturnalia is a festival of light leading to the winter solstice, with the abundant presence of candles symbolizing the quest for knowledge and truth.[5] The renewal of light and the coming of the new year was celebrated in the later Roman Empire at the Dies Natalis of Sol Invictus, the "Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun," on December 25.[6]
The popularity of Saturnalia continued into the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, and as the Roman Empire came under Christian rule, some of its customs may have influenced the seasonal celebrations surrounding Christmas and the New Year.[7]
In other words, what so-called "Christians" celebrate as "Christmas" today are nothing but perversions, on top of perversions, on top of perversions, and they are all promoted via the Capitalist matrix we all live in.......which brings me to the tree.Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21
Many times, I have seen Christmas trees in churches. Why, my mother used to take me to what is known as "The Singing Christmas Tree" which was a concert held in a Pentacostal church. There, the carolers were tiered up to look like an actual tree! It was quite beautiful, but it had nothing to do with their so-called Jesus, and really, should be considered "sacrilegious"--lol. I can't help but to laugh when I think about that tree now. In fact, the Christmas tree has pagan origins. According to Encyclopedia Brittanica:
"The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life was a custom of the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. Tree worship was common among the pagan Europeans and survived their conversion to Christianity in the Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting up a tree for the birds during Christmastime."So no, I do not set up a tree (when I used to have a real tree, a nativity scene {how bizarre!!} lights, and everything else) and I do not exchange gifts. I do not participate in a "celebration" co-opted by Christians in order to promote their own agenda. I do not participate in a "celebration" which is promoted by the system in order to generate a larger cash flow for the capitalists. Instead, I give money to certain charities, and have a nice relaxing dinner with a good bottle of wine, because, as Tony's grandmother once wisely said, "Every day should be like Christmas day." In other words, we should treat our fellow human beings every day with the same love and respect many show only at Christmas time. For us, Christmas means the love of family and friends, no headaches, no hangovers, and no excessive bills to pay. That is the BEST Christmas of all....:) Cheers!!
