The commercialisation of Christmas

[KentPhilip]

I'm looking forwards to a good Yule log on Christmas morning.

Where will it be on the Bristol scale?

[MyUserName]

I am disgusted by the ever increasing commercialisation of Christmas. It is supposed to be a celebration of the birth of Jesus, the son of GOD. Not some cheap event to be cashed-in on to the max. There is a reason why Jesus threw the money-lenders out of the temple. Think about that...

I am an atheist and I love Christmas. I am also being pushed more and more towards anti theism by my in laws but that is irrelevant at the moment.

It is chuff all to do with celebrating Jesus or any claims to him being the son of some god or even whether that god is real and others are not. It is purely about spending time with my family and friends and making them happy. Either by buying them presents which I think they would like (and shamelessly falling victim to the commercialisation) or by inviting them to share Christmas lunch with us or whatever other way might work, it's all good.

[Platypus]

I am an atheist and I love Christmas

Me too.

It is chuff all to do with celebrating Jesus or any claims to him being the son of some god or even whether that god is real and others are not. It is purely about spending time with my family and friends and making them happy. Either by buying them presents which I think they would like (and shamelessly falling victim to the commercialisation) or by inviting them to share Christmas lunch with us or whatever other way might work, it's all good.

Exactly

[jmo21]

Santa wasn't even in the bible!

[VectraMan]

It is purely about spending time with my family and friends and making them happy. Either by buying them presents which I think they would like (and shamelessly falling victim to the commercialisation) or by inviting them to share Christmas lunch with us or whatever other way might work, it's all good.

So why not just spend time with your family and friends and make them happy? Why all the nonsense? And why obligate everybody else to join whether they want to or not, and why do it at the same time every year rather than when you and they might actually want to?

[MyUserName]

So why not just spend time with your family and friends and make them happy?

I do (or at least I try to) but through the year there are lots of other things going on which take my (and their) time up - work, house projects etc.

Why all the nonsense?

Not sure which nonsense you are referring to?

And why obligate everybody else to join whether they want to or not

I don't. As far as I am concerned other people can do as they please as long as they do not hurt anyone.

why do it at the same time every year rather than when you and they might actually want to?

Because it is useful to have time off when everyone else (well, nearly everyone) in my family has time off so we can all get into the spirit of making a special effort at the same time.

[Zero Liability]

I dunno, to me, if you're not religious, what does it matter? The various Churches have always been commercialising things, anyway, e.g. the Catholic church selling salvation of the soul not too many centuries ago. They may revile capitalism in their words, but they sure do know how to practise it.

And if you are religious/want the holiday to have some sort of other significance, then just don't engage in the commercial aspects of it. I don't. Especially not the whole "go on, spend your money, it's Xmas" mentality.

[tomtomagain]

Not some cheap event

Christmas is never cheap in my house.

[MyUserName]

Christmas is never cheap in my house.

He's right. I always pay for our Christmas with cloned copies of his cards.

[tomtomagain]

He's right. I always pay for our Christmas with cloned copies of his cards.

I did wonder who had bought the industrial sized tin of lube.