lets get the holidays happy already... - Page 2

**Machias Banshee** · 11-30-2012, 10:25 PM

The "we wish you a turtle christmas" turtles always creeped me out, but I love having little peeks at what they do during the holiday and the winter - bundling up and walking out amongst people, their first experiences with snow and the idea of santa and sledding... I turn into a pile of sentimental mush during Christmastime.

I think this is the ONE time during the year that I"ll actually go out and find fan art and fanfics to read. And I get drawing again...

Spoiler:

zodiac brave · 11-30-2012, 10:35 PM

i'm still in total holiday mode even tho weather in texas can go from winter freezing to like summer in the span of 24 hrs. (which it has...wreaks havoc on health!) it was hot today, but being as that im in retail, the mall vibe pumps that holiday cheer right through me, lol!

*mysterycolor* · 12-01-2012, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machias Banshee

The "we wish you a turtle christmas" turtles always creeped me out, but I love having little peeks at what they do during the holiday and the winter - bundling up and walking out amongst people, their first experiences with snow and the idea of santa and sledding... I turn into a pile of sentimental mush during Christmastime.

agreed- wrap rap... 12 days of christmas "and a pizza with pepperoni" ... it gets overwhelming... but i still have a soft spot for my tmnt christmas

*BubblyShell22* · 12-01-2012, 01:50 PM

Awesome pic, Machi. So cute.

*Katie* · 12-01-2012, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysterycolor

great photos! i dont have my decorations up, but i did send out 55 holiday cards yesterday- so that is a start

happy holidays dromers!

I didn't realize that atheists celebrated a holiday in December as well......or is it one of those things where you just celebrate some secular form of the Judeo-Christian holy days? Or do you do a non-religious version of the wiccan solstice celebration? Or is it a different totally new thing?

Just curious. The atheist guy I grew up with doesn't decorate, send cards, or do gifts with any friends or family. Any gift he gets he donates to charity.

Though I think if they had a Mr. Spock appreciation day he'd be all over it.

*Cure* · 12-01-2012, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie

I didn't realize that atheists celebrated a holiday in December as well......or is it one of those things where you just celebrate some secular form of the Judeo-Christian holy days? Or do you do a non-religious version of the wiccan solstice celebration? Or is it a different totally new thing?

Yeah, I'm curious as well.

*BubblyShell22* · 12-02-2012, 08:47 AM

Well, I technically have no choice but to celebrate Christmas because of my family. I think you can celebrate Christmas without having to believe in Jesus. You can just find your own meaning in it or celebrate the winter solstice. But I really don't care about the holiday myself. It's just there and nothing more.

*Katie* · 12-02-2012, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BubblyShell22

Well, I technically have no choice but to celebrate Christmas because of my family. I think you can celebrate Christmas without having to believe in Jesus. You can just find your own meaning in it or celebrate the winter solstice. But I really don't care about the holiday myself. It's just there and nothing more.

But isn't it hypocritical to celebrate Christmas if you are an atheist? I mean, there wouldn't be Christmas without the Christian belief in Jesus....and while I do realize that the holiday is more secular these days, the root of it is still one of the two fundamental mysteries that are the basis of Christianity. Everything that is done on Christmas from lights to trees to gift giving has symbolic meaning. (Although trees were brought forward from a pagan religion....it was religion and belief I deities nonetheless)

Gift giving at Christmas, for example is symbolic of the Magi bringing gifts to the infant Jesus. How, as an atheist do you rationalize giving or receiving gifts during Christmas without being hypocritical by accepting this symbolic representation and in a defacto way, the event behind it?

Again, just curious.

zodiac brave · 12-02-2012, 12:26 PM

im not religious in the least, but i still love and celebrate christmas. i also love and celebrate halloween, which has roots in religious ceremonies, Valentine's Day, which is based on a massacre, and Thanksgiving, which ended up being a kind of dark stain on humanity, depending on your views.

i dont feel hypocritical, because i wasnt around hundreds or thousands of years ago when thats what these holidays were. i was raised to celebrate them for wat they are now. family, friends and love.

*BubblyShell22* · 12-03-2012, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie

But isn't it hypocritical to celebrate Christmas if you are an atheist? I mean, there wouldn't be Christmas without the Christian belief in Jesus....and while I do realize that the holiday is more secular these days, the root of it is still one of the two fundamental mysteries that are the basis of Christianity. Everything that is done on Christmas from lights to trees to gift giving has symbolic meaning. (Although trees were brought forward from a pagan religion....it was religion and belief I deities nonetheless)

Gift giving at Christmas, for example is symbolic of the Magi bringing gifts to the infant Jesus. How, as an atheist do you rationalize giving or receiving gifts during Christmas without being hypocritical by accepting this symbolic representation and in a defacto way, the event behind it?

Again, just curious.

Not if you're doing it for the sake of your family and the ones you love. If they celebrate Christmas, then by all means anyone should be allowed to celebrate it even if they don't believe. I don't care about getting presents or anything like that, but I still accept it as it's done for the sake of being nice. And I give my BF gifts just for the sake of being nice to him and not caring about what the whole religious significance of it is. Yes, it's there, but you don't have to be religious to celebrate it if you find your own meaning in it. That's what I do. Besides, who really cares about the religious significance of it anyway? Most of the time, people only celebrate to get gifts and the next big thing that's out. None of them really care about the religious significance of the holiday itself.

And there are even Jewish people who celebrate Christmas as well as Hannukah even though they don't really believe in Jesus. Would you call them hypocrites, too?

Type 97 Chi-ha · 12-03-2012, 05:28 PM

Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate no holidays whatsoever except Passover. Not even birthdays, New Years', etc. which are not religious holidays at all. So I wonder what they do?

*Katie* · 12-03-2012, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BubblyShell22

Not if you're doing it for the sake of your family and the ones you love. If they celebrate Christmas, then by all means anyone should be allowed to celebrate it even if they don't believe. I don't care about getting presents or anything like that, but I still accept it as it's done for the sake of being nice. And I give my BF gifts just for the sake of being nice to him and not caring about what the whole religious significance of it is. Yes, it's there, but you don't have to be religious to celebrate it if you find your own meaning in it. That's what I do. Besides, who really cares about the religious significance of it anyway? Most of the time, people only celebrate to get gifts and the next big thing that's out. None of them really care about the religious significance of the holiday itself.

And there are even Jewish people who celebrate Christmas as well as Hannukah even though they don't really believe in Jesus. Would you call them hypocrites, too?

I would. If you are going to suscribe to a belief system....at last follow it.

I belive in God.....I believe there are lots of avenues to get to him. One way is Christianity, but also Islam, Judaism. (My church teaches that) and I personally believe all other religions lead to the same being in the end....just lots of different ways to get there.

But if you are going to believe in one path....why disrespect that path by not following the teachings and traditions of that path? Not that Hannukah is wrong or bad...or Christmas...or Ramadan....or any of these celebrations. But if you are Jewish and celebrate Christmas because everyone else does (or whatever the reason) that's disrespectful to your own roots, family, and tradition. You might as well convert.

*Cure* · 12-03-2012, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BubblyShell22

And there are even Jewish people who celebrate Christmas as well as Hannukah even though they don't really believe in Jesus. Would you call them hypocrites, too?

Uh, yeah. That's the very definition of hypocrisy.

*TheCanadiandrome* · 12-03-2012, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Type 97 Chi-ha

Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate no holidays whatsoever except Passover. Not even birthdays, New Years', etc. which are not religious holidays at all. So I wonder what they do?

Live sad lives?

*Cure* · 12-03-2012, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCanadiandrome

Live sad lives?

...wow. And you think I'm the dick?

*TheCanadiandrome* · 12-03-2012, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cure

...wow. And you think I'm the dick?

Lol well c'mon as if I was the only one thinking it

*mysterycolor* · 12-04-2012, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie

I didn't realize that atheists celebrated a holiday in December as well......or is it one of those things where you just celebrate some secular form of the Judeo-Christian holy days? Or do you do a non-religious version of the wiccan solstice celebration? Or is it a different totally new thing?

Just curious. The atheist guy I grew up with doesn't decorate, send cards, or do gifts with any friends or family. Any gift he gets he donates to charity.

Well, we certainly enjoy the non-christian parts of christmas... for instance, santa, decorating trees, lights, ornaments, cookies, goofy movies etc. And like most, we were raised with Christmas and so it becomes a family tradition- you simply ignore the religious aspects.
I am sure most of us will skip midnight mass- but we are having festivus/end of the world party (tee hee hee you silly mayans!).
Personally I love to send out holiday cards because I like to let the special people in my life know I am thinking about them- and I like to do it in a way that doesnt involve the internet or telephone. As for gift giving all I can say is that I love my family and friends and we express it in many ways, sometimes in tangible gifts, sometimes simply donating our time to different causes that are significant to each person, but our december doesnt center around money- it centers around caring.

To say that every part of Christmas is based on part of the biblical story... we must live in a different world. I grew up roman catholic and never once did Rudolph show up in the manger... but you will believe what you want. Somehow I knew when I came back to this thread it would have turned from positive to negative- such a shame that you have to hate on each other all the time.

*The Stryker* · 12-04-2012, 06:52 AM

Who's hating? She was asking questions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCanadiandrome

Lol well c'mon as if I was the only one thinking it

Yes you were actually.

Anywho. I'm looking forward to Christmas this year. Mostly to fix the awful one I had last year. Gonna be goooooooooooooood. God has been good to me after all of that. (Yup!)

Also, the hess truck is back and this time it's a helicopter? Woo daddy.

*Lethal Lullaby* · 12-04-2012, 07:29 AM

Happy= this face -->

Everybody smile or die!

Hmm. I think I should draw a winter scene featuring a certain character. It'll be strangely adorable!
(Although I have to think more about it.)

*BubblyShell22* · 12-04-2012, 08:53 AM

I find it hilarious that Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas but come Easter, they're knocking on people's doors and trying to get them to celebrate Jesus's death. It just confuses me.

And as for the Jewish people I mentioned, they celebrate both Hannukah and Christmas, so they aren't really disrespecting their faith as they celebrate both. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

11-30-2012, 10:25 PM	#21
Machias Banshee Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 17,163	The "we wish you a turtle christmas" turtles always creeped me out, but I love having little peeks at what they do during the holiday and the winter - bundling up and walking out amongst people, their first experiences with snow and the idea of santa and sledding... I turn into a pile of sentimental mush during Christmastime. I think this is the ONE time during the year that I"ll actually go out and find fan art and fanfics to read. And I get drawing again... Spoiler: Slightly old, but it still gets me...

11-30-2012, 10:35 PM	#22
zodiac brave Stone Warrior Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: san antonio, tx Posts: 822	i'm still in total holiday mode even tho weather in texas can go from winter freezing to like summer in the span of 24 hrs. (which it has...wreaks havoc on health!) it was hot today, but being as that im in retail, the mall vibe pumps that holiday cheer right through me, lol! __________________ what we were after, was lashings of ultra-violence.

12-01-2012, 01:50 PM	#24
BubblyShell22 Leo-holic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 16,912	Awesome pic, Machi. So cute. __________________ "A warrior who never fails, never learns."-The Ancient One. "Embrace your inner a**holiness."-Mr. Anderson.

12-02-2012, 08:47 AM	#27
BubblyShell22 Leo-holic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 16,912	Well, I technically have no choice but to celebrate Christmas because of my family. I think you can celebrate Christmas without having to believe in Jesus. You can just find your own meaning in it or celebrate the winter solstice. But I really don't care about the holiday myself. It's just there and nothing more. __________________ "A warrior who never fails, never learns."-The Ancient One. "Embrace your inner a**holiness."-Mr. Anderson.

12-02-2012, 12:26 PM	#29
zodiac brave Stone Warrior Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: san antonio, tx Posts: 822	im not religious in the least, but i still love and celebrate christmas. i also love and celebrate halloween, which has roots in religious ceremonies, Valentine's Day, which is based on a massacre, and Thanksgiving, which ended up being a kind of dark stain on humanity, depending on your views. i dont feel hypocritical, because i wasnt around hundreds or thousands of years ago when thats what these holidays were. i was raised to celebrate them for wat they are now. family, friends and love. __________________ what we were after, was lashings of ultra-violence.

12-03-2012, 05:28 PM	#31
Type 97 Chi-ha Mad Scientist Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Brookfield, IL Posts: 1,333	Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate no holidays whatsoever except Passover. Not even birthdays, New Years', etc. which are not religious holidays at all. So I wonder what they do?

12-04-2012, 07:29 AM	#39
Lethal Lullaby Foot Elite Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 4,816	Happy= this face --> Everybody smile or die! Hmm. I think I should draw a winter scene featuring a certain character. It'll be strangely adorable! (Although I have to think more about it.)

12-04-2012, 08:53 AM	#40
BubblyShell22 Leo-holic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 16,912	I find it hilarious that Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas but come Easter, they're knocking on people's doors and trying to get them to celebrate Jesus's death. It just confuses me. And as for the Jewish people I mentioned, they celebrate both Hannukah and Christmas, so they aren't really disrespecting their faith as they celebrate both. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. __________________ "A warrior who never fails, never learns."-The Ancient One. "Embrace your inner a**holiness."-Mr. Anderson.