This is supposed to be a happy time of year. Families getting together, good food, sharing. Celebrating Jesus birth.
All I am seeing is stress and tension. Fighting about where to go, when to go, who to have over, how much to spend on gifts, what gift to get someone. STRESS.
This shouldn't be a time of stress. It is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus--even though he wasn't even born on this day.
I know there are a lot of people that don't believe in God, or Jesus. But they still have the stress of celebrating this day. WHY???
My brother and SIL are muslim and they don't celebrate either. yet we are the odd ones in the family. I also have two brothers married to Japanese women and they are shinto. They don't believe in God or Jesus, yet they celebrate this day. But we are the odd ones!!
About 8 years or so ago, we quit celebrating December 25th in the mainstream way. We haven't had a tree all these years. We haven't exchanged gifts in the traditional way.
We are the odd ones out. The non conformists. And no matter what we say to our families about this day, they are still horrified that we don't have a tree and we don't decorate the house and we don't buy piles and piles and piles of gifts!
We celebrate Jesus' birth because that is what the day is supposed to be about.
But it has turned into this huge commercial, competitive thing that has overtaken the true meaning of the day. I find it disturbing, to say the least.
When we want to buy a toy or something for the kids--we do. We don't need to wait til December 25th to give them a bunch of toys!
We don't need a day to remember the birth of Jesus, we remember His birth all year long.
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3 comments:
I applaud you. My family and I have been struggling with this holiday for years, for the same reasons. It is too much, when it should be simple. And you are right, we are also the odd ones for not having a tree, for not swapping gifts with the adults, etc. I have made family members upset with the things that I have said about why we are not having a tree, they do not understand nor see. I know how you feel, and sometimes it is just nice knowing that there is someone who feels the same way.
Woohoo Gin!! I don't know of many people that "celebrate" the way we do. It's like the day has lost it's meaning anymore and it's all about gifts who needs to be where, when and all that other junk.
I'm tired of everybody asking "do you have your tree up yet?" It's been easy the last 2 yrs with the little guy. We just have said we haven't had time or we are not doing a tree this year because of the little guy.
No one in my family needs anything and if they do they go buy it themselves. I don't need a day of the year to buy my family something. And really, it's not even about the gifts at all. people seem to forget that we celebrate this day because it is Jesus birthday!
Ah well. Maybe someday it will all be different!
Pam -
revel in being the "odd ones" S will be so grateful to you for it!!!! We don't have a tree either.
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