Christmas is over…
…and not soon enough if you aks me!
I am not a fan of Christmas. Not only do I dislike the modern festival, complete with three month build up and ridiculous commercialism, but I hate the fact that a “Christian” festival has been nationalised and rammed down our throats to such an extent that every body feels the need to suddenly pretend to be pious and religous! Seriosuly, I know muslims that celebrate Christmas! What the hell is that about?
Christmas is a Christian festival that was created in the 19th centurty when the Catholic Church decreed that the eponymous midwinter festival was now officially a celebration of the birth of Jesus (who almost certainly was not born in December, never mind the 25th!). For most of the rest of that century nobody really gave a monkey, until the Victorians started making something of the festival. The majority of the traditions we now associate with Christmas, the tree, the decorations, the food etc was all started in the latter half of the 1800s by the middle and upper classes of Victorian England and hence the rest of the Empire.
I am not a Christian, so I do not ‘celebrate’ Christmas. I, like many other non-Christians, partake in the festivities surrounding the tradition but I do not hold it sacred in any way and would have no qualms about selecting any arbitrary day to celebrate family, togetherness and peace to all men. These are not Christian ideals, all of these ideas were celebrated for hundreds of years before Christianity and will continue to be celebrated for hundreds of years after Christianity. I just wish everybody would accept that Christmas, as it exists today, has nothing to do with Jesus. We shouldn’t all be forced to take time off work and we should not be subjected to the nationalising of a religious holiday to the point of causing offence to every non-Christian. If I were a Muslim, Sikh, Jew etc I would be similarly outraged.
The fact I am an atheist means I am also outraged at the increasing nationalisation of Eid, Ramadam, Hannukah, Diwahli etc.
I cant understand why people get so offended over Christmas. I mean, its been a tradition in this country since the 19th Century (app). You’d think that by now people would be aware of it!
In my opinion, if you dont like Christmas, the thing to do would be to leave until its over. Also, if flashy lights and trees annoy you, you really need to get a life.
If I went to some other country what celebrated a different holiday I wouldnt be offended by it, and if I was I’d just leave, I wouldnt go back on that holiday!
Of course, the insane commercialisation of Christmas is kind of annoying, what with Christmas starting in what, October? these days, that is kinda silly! And the amount of random violence towards other shoppers on the run up to Christmas day is insane, its not MY fault you’ve forgotten to buy stuff and theres none of what you want left.
People need to just chill out and remember what Christmas is really about .. Giving presents, eating until you cant eat no more and drinking until you throw up! Thats the Christmas I know and love!