On Tue, 22 Dec 2015 17:23:56 -0500, wrote:


This holiday has become far too commercialized, but it's what we make
it. We dont need to follow the commercial aspects of it, and we can
still enjoy it. Santa Claus and flying reindeer may seem silly, but I'd
feel really lost without this seasons silliness. What matters most is
that this holiday brings people together in a friendly and peaceful
manner. It's too bad we cant do that more times of the year!!!


Since an historical analysis of the Christmas story would put it in
the spring or summer and the actual year of the birth is far from
certain, you can't put much on 12/25/0000. (or is it 0001)
We can start that 15 year old argument up again too I guess.

Yes, I'm aware of the "historical analysis" and all the other
*confusion*..... I think this "arguement" has gone on a lot longer than
15 years. Probably hundreds of years, but religion is something that no
one has ever been able to really prove and not worth the disussions,
because no one really has the answer, or can prove anything.

What we think of as Christmas is an invention of europeans about the
time we started getting all of those pictures of Jesus being a blue
eyed blonde guy.

Agreed. Why they chose Dec. 25 is always a puzzle, so I can only
attribute it to the winter solstice.

I will agree it has evolved into being anything but a time to express
Christian values

You got that right, but it is what we make it. I dont "do" the "black
friday" sales or any of the shopping stuff. When I was young, my parents
did it, so I felt obligated to do it too. While it was fun in the end,
the shopping was very frustrating and I often hated that part of it.
But since my parents are now gone, I dont do any of that. I suppose of I
had young kids, I'd probably do it to a small degree, (not black
friday), but I dont have small kids.

My favorite part of the holiday is visiting friends, driving around
looking at all the great decorations, and every year there's a horse
drawn sleigh ride event in my area, which is a lot of fun. And of course
there's all those good things to eat, which I surely enjoy! There's also
a nearby city, and even though it's an hour's drive to get there, they
have a park with over 3.5 million lights, live reindeer, bands and
concerts, hay wagon rides, and more. I can spend hours there and still
want to go back again. What they do it AWESOME !!!