It's Christmas Time!

[Treble Bolt 1,122]

@@Lightning Bliss,

 

My ex wife had studied the Bible for 10 years and here are the disecrepancies she found:

 

- The wise men were Astrologers (which is a Pagan practice)

- The shepherds were out with their flocks at night, if it was winter time, then they would have been inside and their flocks in the barns

- The star that the wise men were lead by was NOT sent by God but was actually sent by Satan (more about it below)

- Jesus was 3 years old, when Caesar sent the decree that all boys that were 3 years old at the time will be put to death and a reward will be given to anyone who kills one (so the belief that Jesus was born on Christmas is a big bust)

- The "wise" men were on their way to find Jesus to report his whereabouts to Caesar, but half way there, God had appeared to them via a vision of an angel and told them not to report to Caesar, hence when they got to the manger, they decided to pay tribute to Jesus instead.

 

That is all I can remember, but they are pretty BIG discrepancies if you ask me,

 

Now, as a Wiccan I celebrate the Yule and also as a pony who loves History and research, I've done a lot of research on my own, and I have come across this and this is also a thing that a few people I know have told me.

 

For the two holidays that Christians celebrate believing that are about Jesus (Christmas and Easter), they couldn't be further from the truth.

 

The whole lie of them being about Jesus was started by the Catholic church, in the old days, they were losing members from their church, and so as to get them back and then some, the Catholic church adopted the Pagan festivals of Yule (the winter festival) and Beltane (the Spring festival of fertility), and adapted them to be about Jesus.

 

Now for a bit more:

 

- Yule as I mentioned earlier, is the Pagan/Wiccan festival of Winter (adnittadly I don't know much else about it yet but am learning)

- Beltane, is the Wiccan/Pagan festival of Spring and Fertility, and the Pagan symbol for fertility is in fact the hare, (hence the easter rabbit)

 

Sorry for the rant, but I hate lies and liars, and I'm sorry to any Catholics and Christian's who still believe that those two holidays are about Jesus, but as I said earlier, you couldn't be further from the truth, please, start thinking for yourselves and realize that you have been lied to and stop being blindly lead around.

The points you make are ones that anyone can find out on their own (in terms of what real information you have), the rest has nothing to do with the Biblical writings and are more or less inserted into Chrisitan tradition.  If your wife did do proper study, she would know what the Jew's did to the Torah, and that is exactly what the emerging Catholic Church (and really any denomination therafter) did to the Bible as well, thus creating what "traditions" we have. She would also know how Chrisitanity has changed and its imacts on modern society. There's a larger subject going on here than just than what you are describing.  If you are going to post about "facts," make your argument as objective as possible, or else you will presenting the knowledge not very transparent, and thus making it easier to misguide those who do not know.

 

As for your subjective words, again, there is a lot more going on in our culture and religious pluralism as a whole.  Christmas is small beans compared to the bigger picture. At least Christmas give the mass culture a chance to seek Him out, and you should at least give any  'Christ centered' holiday that.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Treble Bolt

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

There are a couple tunes that I would like to add here.

 

Dust Storm already posted the one I wanted to post...

This one is mildly inappropriate. 

 

Whatever holiday you're celebrating, enjoy it.

[Treble Bolt 1,122]

On the subject itself....I really hate the flooding of Christmas music....I like it for about a week, but then it really grinds my gears. I also hate what the stores do for Christmas (and really any holiday).....Not even Halloween and there are already Christmas stuff out. It makes me sick to see such commercialism in any and all holidays.

Other than that, I really like this time of year.  The winters in the mid-west are just like any nothern winter, but I am sure a lot of people at seasonal depression during the winter months. I often feel crappier during the winter because everything is so grey, dismal, and dangerous.  I hold my breath every morning, worried sick about my husband while he travels an hour to work.  If I don't get a little text that tells me he's at work, I get really scared and this stress really wears on me. So having the Christmas lights up, seeing stockings for my husband and I, as well as stockings for our pets makes me feel like our home is cheerier.   Plus, I just wrapped my husband's Christmas gifts, and it just makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside imagining my husband's face on Christmas morning.  Plus his birthday is this Thursday, so I really feel like  I spoil him during this time of the year

The other that makes me happy is Rudolph....If there is anything of commercialism did do that I like is Rudolph...I love deer, and those Rankin & Bass claymations from the 60's just tickle me pink.  I could watch them year round, but you know, I'd get sick of him too if I did that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQpP9Ippfps

[Wayzer 1,418]

Christmas = pure awesomeness 

I think christmas is one of the best times of the year

[Sunlight 357]

Christmas is definitely the best time of the year. It's not even the presents that makes it good, it's just how happy everyone is. You can kinda feel it in the air.

[CT-1138 3,180]

What better way to get in the mood than decorating the house?!

 

The house:

Living room:

Fireplace:

 

Hallway banister:

Trainset/village around the tree:

Village:

 

Edited December 15, 2013 by Dinos4Ever

[Scootalove 10,684]

The most wonderful time of the year, is just two weeks away! Spending time with friends and family, Christmas specials, decorating the Christmas tree, and Christmas carols. Time to hold in the excitement.

[Koelath 444]

Christmas music and Christmas movies are largely terrible but other than that, you can't hate much about it. Though the OP is somewhat incorrect, as Christmas started on November 1st, according to the store decorations.

[Jammo 986]

Ah. Best time of year. Sipping spiced apple cider by the fireplace while watching Michael Freakin Caine get his dickens on with the Muppets. Good stuff. Good stuff.

[RED20 289]

What's Christmas? This is finals season.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

*giggles* some good stuff I'm seeing here but with a friendly reminder to keep religious debates or topics out of it please? Thank you!

 

I do have a christmas story to share personally. Well not really a story but the twinkle of it all. It was back when I was a kid and still believed in Santa (to which in today's case, I believe in the spirit of Santa Clause and what he represents), my 2nd elder sister and I used to share bedrooms. Well one Christmas Eve, she dared me in the middle of the night to tip toe down stairs and see if Santa had come yet. But I was scared, I thought "but he knows when we are awake! If I wake up to go spy on him, he might not come to our house or worse he'll put me on the naughty list!!!" But finally after calling me names like "scaredy cat and chicken" I mustered my courage and tip toed in my nighting gown down the stairs and peeked in the living room... I didn't see Santa though nor did I see any changes to the presents or cookies we left for him. I dashed back up stairs, yelled at my sister "HE'S NOT HERE YET" and shut my eyes till mom woke us up for Christmas lol.

[Guest]

Yay.. chreeeeeeestmas!

 

 

But seriously tho', tell me more about this obese man, dressed in red, crawling down peoples chimneys.

[NightOwl 911]

@, 

 

Awesome decorations!

 

I'm certainly a fan of Christmas time I just love the atmosphere this holiday has. 

 

Here's my all time favourite Christmas song . 

 

Edited December 18, 2013 by NightOwl

[SunsetDemon 31]

I like Christmas. I love getting gifts, listening to holiday music, and getting off from school. During Christmas break, I am seeing the Madoka Magica movie and Saving Mr. Banks.

 

I have three different versions of The Twelve Days of Christmas:

 

Here's The Twelve Pains of Christmas, a funny parody song you may have heard.

 

Next, here's a Disney version of The Twelve Days of Christmas. 

 

And finally, here's a version of the song by Allan Sherman, which Garfield and Friends took some inspiration from for their parody of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" in the episode "Happy Garfield Day", "The Twelve Courses of Dinner."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qoClBsZSTM

[Sweet Pen 1,348]

Christmas time! HUEHUE
Well, my christmas will be the same, but bleh, it's christmas c:
Christmas Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGquX-SQtZA

And our Santa Claus, near a shopping:



He have 20 meters tall, and is supported by steel cables.

[Noodles 109]

marry Christmas happy new year. remember to be thankful for your blessings this year and remember Friendship is magic!

[CT-1138 3,180]

Anyway, opened my haul and I got:
-2 t-shirts and a pair of pants
-2 sweaters
-a pair of aviators precisely like Dr. Alan Grant's
-a leather cord like Roland Tembo's
-a Samsung tablet
-candy
-gift cards

-a key ring