what are your thoughts on christmas, and celebrating it??

Originally Posted by NOVAbimmer

Christmas isn't a christian holiday? That means no issues with christmas trees in school right?

I thought Christmas trees started out as a German festive tradition? Could be wrong. Going to research.

Edit: there's plenty more on the website below

How It All Got Started
Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.

The ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from the illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.

Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called the Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. In Northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce. It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.

Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. The Pennsylvania German settlements had community trees as early as 1747. But, as late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.

It is not surprising that, like many other festive Christmas customs, the tree was adopted so late in America. To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. The pilgrims's second governor, William Bradford, wrote that he tried hard to stamp out "pagan mockery" of the observance, penalizing any frivolity. The influential Oliver Cromwell preached against "the heathen traditions" of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated "that sacred event." In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations. That stern solemnity continued until the 19th century, when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan legacy.

In 1846, the popular royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were sketched in the Illustrated London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree. Unlike the previous royal family, Victoria was very popular with her subjects, and what was done at court immediately became fashionable-not only in Britain, but with fashion-conscious East Coast American Society. The Christmas tree had arrived.

By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas trees to reach from floor to ceiling.

The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts. Electricity brought about Christmas lights, making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country and having a Christmas tree in the home became an American tradition.

http://www.history.com/topics/histor...hristmas-trees

Originally Posted by mistrzmiasta

United since the late 80's.

One can only hope that is Sheffield United, and not bloody, classless, Manchester.

Seriously though, glad to see another proper football supporter round these parts. Cheers!

glad you didn't say leeds united

Originally Posted by evolved

As soon as it's not called Christmas anymore, I'll start to believe that it's a pagan holiday.

As soon as millions of people stop going to mass on Christmas day, I'll start to believe that it's a pagan holiday.

As soon as I stop seeing plastic baby jesus birth scenes in peoples front yards, I'll start to believe that it's a pagan holiday.

Etc., etc., so on, and so forth.

Plastic baby jesus is the same as claymation reindeer. I grew up with Jews that had xmas trees...you're looking for a boogey man that doesn't exist. Xmas is an American holiday now.

Originally Posted by rdsesq

One can only hope that is Sheffield United, and not bloody, classless, Manchester.

Seriously though, glad to see another proper football supporter round these parts. Cheers!

You like American football too? College? Professional?

Jesus wasn't born in December, but I still celebrate the spirit of it.

Originally Posted by benzfreak

christmas is not about religion anymore. It has become like halloween. Halloween started off as a pagean holiday, now it is something totally different. You don't see people whining saying "it is a pagean holiday and i am offended.". Last time i checked jesus had nothing to do with reindeers, rudolph, christmas trees and presents. Christmas is religious for anyone that makes it religious. But for the rest of the people it is just to give and recieve presents. Anyone who says that christmas is purely a religious holiday is mistaken.

+1

Originally Posted by bimmerfan08

You like American football too? College? Professional?

Yes to both. I believe college is a bit more pure form of the game. Wider hash marks, no 2 minute warning, the PI rule is better as well.

Not to mention March Madness is great. There is no better 4 days of sports in this country than the first 2 rounds of the tournament. I take vacation from work just for that event. And usually have 8-10 brackets going.

With all that said, I am a Green Bay Packers shareholder and a Chelsea Pitch Owner as well. Been a GB fan my entire life and been a Chelsea supporter since the early 80's. Been with those teams through good and bad and absolute lousy. When I started following Chelsea we weren't even 1st division. I remember GB having 15 of 16 seasons with a 500 or less record. And the one we didn't we went 8-7-1.

Originally Posted by rdsesq

Yes to both. I believe college is a bit more pure form of the game. Wider hash marks, no 2 minute warning, the PI rule is better as well.

Not to mention March Madness is great. There is no better 4 days of sports in this country than the first 2 rounds of the tournament. I take vacation from work just for that event. And usually have 8-10 brackets going.

With all that said, I am a Green Bay Packers shareholder and a Chelsea Pitch Owner as well. Been a GB fan my entire life and been a Chelsea supporter since the early 80's. Been with those teams through good and bad and absolute lousy. When I started following Chelsea we weren't even 1st division. I remember GB having 15 of 16 seasons with a 500 or less record. And the one we didn't we went 8-7-1.

Fair enough. Giants fan here since I could comprehand football at a young age. What college teams in particular?

I have to agree about football being more pure at the college level. Better rules and constantly revolving players in and out of positions as players move on and new ones fill their spots. Recruiters and coaches really have their work cut out for them. It's in a sense less predictable although the top contenders tend to have their streaks. More exciting to say the least.

Originally Posted by bimmerfan08

Fair enough. Giants fan here since I could comprehand football at a young age. What college teams in particular?

Anybody playing against Notre Dame, BYU, or Nebraska.
It is actually one of the great things about college football. I don't have a particular team. UC Irvine (where I went to college) doesn't have a football team, so I have no football "alma mater", as it where. Mostly I just want to see good games. But, that includes more than just D-1/BCS. The D-2 (or I guess its called FCS now) games are great. I do like watching the Ivy League games. Those are always seem to be good games. And the Army/Navy game, of course. (Go Navy!! All of the members of my family that served, served in the Navy. So its the only game I feel I have a particular school affinity for.)

Originally Posted by bimmerfan08

I have to agree about football being more pure at the college level. Better rules and constantly revolving players in and out of positions as players move on and new ones fill their spots. Recruiters and coaches really have their work cut out for them. It's in a sense less predictable although the top contenders tend to have their streaks. More exciting to say the least.

It is one of the things about college football. Teams bubble up and trickle down.
The big blow-out games in college are fun as well. If your are down 48-0 at the half, its time for a different approach. Like, we are bringing 11 guys every snap. Because it doesn't really matter if you lose 70-0 or 124-0 at that point. Not to mention the number of teams now running the triple option (which is basically the old single wing) It is a fun offense to watch. But, you can't really run it in the NFL, everybody, including the d-line is just to fast. But, it is a great offense for college football. Not to mention some of the "up tempo" type teams like Oregon and Nevada.

hallmark holiday

Originally Posted by rdsesq

Anybody playing against Notre Dame, BYU, or Nebraska.
It is actually one of the great things about college football. I don't have a particular team. UC Irvine (where I went to college) doesn't have a football team, so I have no football "alma mater", as it where. Mostly I just want to see good games. But, that includes more than just D-1/BCS. The D-2 (or I guess its called FCS now) games are great. I do like watching the Ivy League games. Those are always seem to be good games. And the Army/Navy game, of course. (Go Navy!! All of the members of my family that served, served in the Navy. So its the only game I feel I have a particular school affinity for.)



It is one of the things about college football. Teams bubble up and trickle down.
The big blow-out games in college are fun as well. If your are down 48-0 at the half, its time for a different approach. Like, we are bringing 11 guys every snap. Because it doesn't really matter if you lose 70-0 or 124-0 at that point. Not to mention the number of teams now running the triple option (which is basically the old single wing) It is a fun offense to watch. But, you can't really run it in the NFL, everybody, including the d-line is just to fast. But, it is a great offense for college football. Not to mention some of the "up tempo" type teams like Oregon and Nevada.

I agree with all of the above...except I'm a Hokie fan at heart.