Forums » Smalltalk » What does it Mean?

My favorite (and usually one of the only things) I do on the holidays is to question people what it is they think Christmas means. So now I extend this question to all on RPR, What do you think Christmas is about?

To me, Christmas is about the small things. It's about the frost on the window and the star on the tree and the cookies in the oven and the road trips to see family. It's about who you spend it with, the people who really matter. It's about celebrating something bigger than a day for gifts and food, it's about making that extra effort to spread a little good will and peace that we should be doing all year.

This year is different for my husband and I. This is my first Christmas away from my family, and the first since my grandmother passed away in May. If you asked me in April the day after my husband's accident, while he was laying there fighting to live, if we would make it to Christmas, I would have said no, which makes it all the more important to me to be around the people, or in this case, just the person, I love. It's about appreciating life, knowing how fragile it is, and taking a day to be with the people you couldn't live without.

Just my two cents.

When I was little, I used to think it was about presents. Just that.
But then, as I grew older, I started thinking more about it.
Christmas is a war between purity and corruption.
You either have the love and warmth of your family and friends during the holidays, and good tidings all around, or you fall prey to commercialism and commit bloody murder on Black Friday just to get your family Christmas presents.
Sometimes, I question if the tradition of getting presents for Christmas should just be dropped. It just paves the way for commercialism and holiday stress, making people forget Christmas' true meaning. I'm sure Christ himself would frown upon all this holiday greed and commercial crap, especially on his birthday.
But, that's just my viewpoint.

Io, Saturnalia!
Technically the Roman festival for this season lasts from the 17th to the 23rd, then the 25th is the birthday of Sol Invictis/Mithras. Which coincides well with the modern festivities, so, generally my seasonal mood is not too out of place

Gift-giving, celebrating the ties and strength of family, feasting and making offerings to the Gods. More or less in that order as well. I'm not a fan of how commercial it has gotten, but, so long as people do not forget the meaning of the season be it through Yule, Saturnalia, Christmas and so on then, how they celebrate it is ultimately up to them.

I will be completely honest, I don't know! I don't celebrate it in the manner everyone else does, so the meaning of it is skewed for me.

I find it a time for giving all you got into the people around you. Give a little to perhaps, someone less fortunate? It's literally the season to be jolly, right? So I try to live that day as so. I try not to keep it JUST to that day though. Love and compassion play a very big part of my holiday season, especially on the day they call Christmas.

An excuse to stuff my belly with delicious food, listen to cheerful music, exchange gifts and enjoy wonderful decorations. Also spending time at my parents' place in front of the fireplace with the dog (and my cats).

Perhaps it is time for me to tell my personal look of the holidays?

I do not like to celebrate the holiday, due to the fact that it always seems to be about the presents. I lost faith in the holiday when I was 15. I thought it corrupted and lost.

I started asking what it meant to people in order to try and boost my "seasonal mood". Kind of like a power up. Normally asking this question depresses me further as I have had people tell me to my face, "If I dont get at least 1000 dollars of gifts, I get mad." I don't ask for gifts, I dont really care for them.

I tend to only see this holiday season as the time to give what I can to others, whether or not they return is up to them. My gift every year is my love and appreciation to those who put up with me.

The season to me is all about loving your fellow person, and giving them a gift of acceptance and appreciation.

I'm going to edit this because being a bummer on a "What does it mean" thread is not what I want to do and it's not very productive.

This Christmas is going to be the first Christmas I get to see my nephew open gifts and I'm very much looking forward to the look on his face when he does. I'm hoping I'll get to see pictures of my neice when she gets to open the pile of books I got her. I was Christmas to be about books and creativity, so I'm going to make it that way.

For me it's mostly the food and the presents, since I'm not religious (and anyway Christ probably wasn't even born in December) but I suppose it's also a time when society tries to force you to act like you should all year - kind and generous to other people.

To be honest I've not really done much for Christmas, beyond the family dinner and the presents. I liked getting things, but secretly I never really saw much point to the whole thing.

December, not a good month in my family's experience. Unfortunately it seems to be when people pass away or get really sick (ironically enough my mother is in the hospital right now with failing lungs). Growing up I remember my dad being rather vocal about his distaste for the holiday season, he claimed it was commercialism but I know it was related to his moms passing. With all this said I've always tried to enjoy the season as best I could.

As a child I liked the presents, as and adult its different. I like the food,the decor and the general feeling of the season, but I love seeing the look of people's faces when the receive their gift from me. My son is really grasping the idea of it this year and he is super excited for Santa to visit and it makes me really excited to see him on Christmas morning.