Anyway, point is. How many of you guys are actually going to be on Lusternia on Xmas day? I know I will be, since I need to buy myself that dagger of reincarnation and distribute all them thar credits. I'll probably stay there anyway though, just 'cause I'm lame and have nothing else better to do.

Anyone else here willing to confess? You guys who don't celebrate Xmas don't count, since there's nothing that might stop you being here, so it doesn't make y'all any more nerdy

Christmas. Has Christ in it. People keep trying to take that out, and if you take Christ out of chrstimas, you don't have a freakin holiday. I'm more or less unaffiliated, and -I- understand that.

*rage*

Nope. I'm a strict atheist, but I don't see any reason to skip out a valid opportunity for a festival of giving and receiving gifts to and from (respectively) loved ones. Xmas is the commercial/spiritual/whatever part of it I celebrate, not the religious part, which I'm not involved with.

Christmas is a secular holiday these days anyway.

I'm going to be at the airport at about 6 am and on a plane at 8 am. Not much Lusternia for me.

Let's celebrate Jewish holidays too. Maybe we can try to ruin that one.

Despite my affiliation, or lack therof, can we see I was raised Christian? lol...

Way I see it, lots of people celebrate Christmas for both commercial (I assume that's part of what secular means? ) reasons and religious reasons. Jewish holidays are more religious anyway, the way I see it, since less people celebrate 'em so there'd not be so much point making a big deal out of it commercially. If I want to celebrate a holiday of which at least part is about the spirit of giving and stuff, I don't want to have to get tied down with the religious parts of it. I mean, y'all can celebrate Christ's birth or whatever, but I'm sure as heck not going to. It's nice to have a celebration for giving all the same. Wouldn't you say?

Here here Shiri.

Personally I hate xmas (Bah-Friggin-Humbug) I don't like family, they shit me and i dont like children, as a matter of fact I'm just getting a kilo and a half of prawns, to very large bottles of alchohol and watching dvds all day with the missus.

I have a huge rant about xmas but really I can't stand it, and some little spoilt rotten turd of a child always ends up crying and screaming "You ruined xmas" Personally if someone says that to me I feel like I've acheived something for the day!!

Ok rant off, still dont like xmas stuff, apart from giving and receiving presents, only a few people get em from me though.

Well, I don't like my family, and all my friends live in other countries/on Lusternia, so I won't be talking to them that day either. I'm really holding out my hopes that my best friend will call me though, that'd just make my day and make the whole thing worthwhile. I have A level modules in january, so I'm going to be revising for them most of the blasted holiday.

To me, Xmas IS giving and receiving presents, so there we go, I wouldn't want to ruin that for anyone. That's just me though.

Problem is, Christmas USED to be like the Jewish holidays, someone just turned it into a marketing campaign. In our house, next to the tree, and santa... you'll see a nativity.

Ok... here is my views on this 'de-christinizing' of CHRISTAN holidays...

First off, qualifiers... I currently live in ministry housing for my church. I am a Minstry leader of our Youth Minsitry, and I am only not a pastor in the sense that I have not entered the seminary.

Now, Christmas is a CHRISTIAN holiday. It celebrates the birth of Jesus CHRIST, our savior. The gift giving is symbollic of the gift giving of those who made the pilgrimage to Jesus Christ. In fact, the only thing that doesn't have a religious connection to this holiday is really the christmas tree... but even then, I have seen how some connect it. (But if you decorate your tree, and put a star on top, no no no, that is representing the star that guided them to Christ.)

If you, as an atheist, gnostic, muslim, jewish, hendu, or any other religion, want to use Christmas as an enxcuse to spend time with family, or give gifts, but do not cry about the religious connection to a RELIGIOUS HOLIDY.

Also, please, please, please, stop taking offense in us wearing symbols of our religion, or putting them in places where, God forbid, the public can see them. If you aint Christian, then why the hell do you care? Do they mean anything to you? Shouldn't...

Ok, no if I offended anyone, I really don't care... I am sorry that you find my freedom to choose who to worship offensive though.

Santa used to be green, until Coke got a hold of him and made him red and white, just like their cans. Why do you think Santa appears a hell of a lot in coke ads? its no co-incidence.

Its a conspiracyi tells ya *hides under desk*

/whisper dont tell them im here

Amen.

Just to clarify, those aren't my views. I'm using Christmas as an excuse to give gifts, but I'm not complaining about the religious connection to said religious holiday. In fact, you guys can be as religious as you like. All I'm saying is, I won't. And also, I'd quite like to avoid offending those people who strictly don't like the religious part of it, as opposed to just avoiding it by me. Having said that, though, I'll reword my first post so it doesn't seem so anti religious, if you like. Just a moment. No offense was intended by this whole topic. I just wanted to know how many people'd be spending their day here, out of curiosity.

I ignored Santa for a reason... actually like the tree, he comes from German roots, and his day of worship (St Nick... Saint... ask a Catholic about Saint Worship) fell near christmas... at least if I remember correctly. I do not know Saints Days very well... so the Germans just tied him to Christmas... and then Coke turned him into what he is now.

Well that rant wasn't directed at you... more of directed at everyone reading it who feels that the religious connection should be pulled out, or that children should not even be allowed to sing songs with the word Christmas, or the guy who decided to take down all the Christmas decorations in Macy's Miami, but leave the Chaunkah ones up... yeah, the list goes on and on...

Alright, well, in any case, I've (hopefully) removed all the possibly-offensive parts from my posts, so if it's okay we'll just hop back on track, now.

Anyone willing to confess to being as lame as I am?

to be a pain in the ass I'm led to believe it was the dutch who came up with santa.

Dutch-germany so close and speak sillimair sounds language

This isn't directed specifically at you, but just as a clarification:

And just as a clarification to a clarification, I'm an agnostic, raised Christian, and have little problem with most Christian beliefs. I do get irked at those who try to persuade me one way or the other, however (this goes to anti-Christians and anti-theists also).

Agnostic here too, and I don't mind any kind of religious significance to christmas, or viewing religious symbols around, as long as the people wearing those symbols and celebratin the religious Christmas aren't offended by symbols of other religions. Same way I am open minded towards the Church while they keep an open mind to everything else (not very often in my country, wich is a pity). Is just about mutual respect.