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The Meaning of Christmas

Entry 265, on 2005-12-16 at 14:25:03 (Rating 2, Comments)

As Christmas approaches I have been involved in a few discussions involving "the meaning of Christmas". Everyone seems to have a slightly different angle on this, and I guess the fundamental problem is the assumption that there is one, definitive meaning. In reality the question has no meaning, because Christmas is a socio-religious celebration and has many meanings based on the beliefs and attitudes of the individual.

There is little doubt that the original meaning of Christmas as it is now, was to commemorate the birth of Christ. Of course, there are several problems with this. First, we don't really know whether Christ even really existed. Second, if he did exist we have no idea when he was born. Finally, the majority of people don't have a deep belief in Christianity so why celebrate the birth of a figure from its mythology?

Most people accept that the day we now celebrate as Christmas comes from a pagan celebration of the winter solstice. The solstice is the shortest day of the year, mid-winter, and the day the Sun is furtherest south as seen from the Earth (all 3 naturally follow each other). Naturally, this corresponds to the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere, and here its the longest day and mid summer. And I know that the solstice isn't actually on the 25th, its actually the 22nd or 23rd depending on the leap-year cycle. But the ancients thought it was the 25th and that's what counts!

Today Christmas has turned into more a commercial and social event than a religious one, at least here in New Zealand where it is part of our major holiday period for the year, and in the middle of summer. I find the commercial aspect of Christmas very distasteful. If Jesus did exist, and believed in the philosophies we see in the New Testament I can't imagine he would be very happy with the blatant hijacking of this day by business interests. After all, according to Matthew 19.24: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

So clearly Christmas has multiple meanings. I prefer to emphasise the social meaning which involves taking a break from work, spending time with family and friends, and generally relaxing in the summer sun. The religious aspects have no significance to me at all, and I only follow the commercialism of buying gifts because I'm expected to by others.

Comment 1 (158) by S on 2005-12-20 at 10:22:02:

Social and commercial, unless you pray to and put your faith in a morbidly obese white man with poor fashion sense.

Comment 2 (172) by Anonymous on 2006-02-09 at 10:09:51:

"I only follow the commercialism of buying gifts because I'm expected to by others." - U leeming u :-)

Comment 3 (173) by OJB on 2006-02-09 at 14:47:58:

Ah yes. Do you mean "lemming"? I guess I am guilty of that a bit. But if I refused to get involved with the whole thing my family might be a bit unhappy, so I have to be realistic, as do we all.

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