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someone234

Do you believe it really is celebrating the birth of Christ?

Is it a commercial sham?

Do you love it regardless of Jesus' birth?

Say your piece.

Credit given to my CD account GoodListener http://www.createdebate.com/debate/show/What_are_your_views_on_Christmas

someone234

I think it's a commercial sham but I don't hate it because I think almost all special events are commercial shams.

averyapro

I think that it is celebrating the (Re)birth of Jesus. There was never a specific date given for Jesus's birth. However, he was nailed to the cross on December 22, and he died. However, on the 25th of December, the Bible states that he rose from the dead and was welcomed to the heavens. 

Mike

In addition to all the traditional beliefs of Christmas it seems to be a time to reflect and embrace an atmosphere of happiness.

To paraphrase Frost’s writings about Democritus, the goal of life is happiness. At all times man seeks happiness. Happiness is an inner condition or state of tranquility, which depends upon harmony of the soul. Happiness should not depend upon things of the world, since these come and go and a lack of them causes unhappiness. Rather, happiness should be a state of mind, a balance of life, an attitude that combines reflection and reason.

And on that note, Merry Christmas and I hope you find “happiness” in the New Year. 

ka_totoy01

Please check this out: “…The choice of December 25 was influenced by the fact that the Romans, from the time of Emperor Aurelian (275), had celebrated the feat of the sun god (Sol Invictus: The Unconquered Sun) on that day. December 25 was called the ‘Birthday of the Sun.’ and great pagan religious celebrations of the Mithras cult were held all through the empire.” [Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, page 61]

ka_totoy01

@averyapro check this out
“…The choice of December 25 was influenced by the fact that the Romans, from the time of Emperor Aurelian (275), had celebrated the feat of the sun god (Sol Invictus: The Unconquered Sun) on that day. December 25 was called the ‘Birthday of the Sun.’ and great pagan religious celebrations of the Mithras cult were held all through the empire.” [Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, page 61]

ka_totoy01

@someone234 “…The choice of December 25 was influenced by the fact that the Romans, from the time of Emperor Aurelian (275), had celebrated the feat of the sun god (Sol Invictus: The Unconquered Sun) on that day. December 25 was called the ‘Birthday of the Sun.’ and great pagan religious celebrations of the Mithras cult were held all through the empire.” [Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, page 61]

anonymousdebater

The date is a bit strange, honestly, but it has become very secular for a Christian holiday.

MayCaesar

The meaning of any celebration is defined by the celebrating individual. Personally I have never cared for traditions and traditional holidays, so I see Christmas as just a few days off work to enjoy. Much like with Easter and Thanksgiving, those occasions do not mean anything to me aside from being free from work. All these holidays also tend to feature a lot of discounts and special items in stores, which is always nice!

As for celebrating the birth of Christ, the exact date of Jesus of Nazareth's birth is unlikely to ever be recovered, given how scarce bureaucratic records at that time were and how small the fraction of those that were not lost throughout thousands years is. It is no wonder Christmas is celebrated on different dates in different countries (in Eastern Europe, for example, it is usually early January, rather than late December).