For those who celebrate the event - do you go to church at Christmas?

[Paul F]

Adding to the Christmas threads (for those who celebrate it).....

Now Im no committed religious person but I was wondering, in this day and age, who actually goes to church at Christmas time.

I have been raised as a Christian but, as many people, fell away from attending church regularly. This was partly due to the fact that I was forced to go when I was younger. Im sure that didnt help.

Anyway, for the last so many years I have obviously celebrated Christmas but have not been to church. In the recent past I have started to feel an increasing sense of hypocrisy over this. I feel guilty that I celebrate the occasion without actually recognising the meaning behind it and why it is here in the first place.

Now im worried that I wouldn't know what to do if I went to church at Christmas!

[Twirly]

I too was, sort of, raised as a Christian (nominally anyway). I also went through a very religious phase in my early teens, but grew out of it about age 16. I was never taken to church at Christmas as a child (though I was sent to Sunday school for years), but did go to midnight mass as a teenager. I stopped when I lost my faith.

I agree with Paul about the apparent hypocrisy of celebrating "Christmas" when you aren't actually a Christian believer and regular church-goer. Yet I still do. I suppose that I justify it to myself by thinking of it more as a midwinter festival than recognising the birth of a "saviour" since I don't believe in a Christian God anymore. And if I didn't join in, I'd miss it, and it would be very hard to explain to friends and family why I wasn't doing Christmas.

I guess that there is a certain amount of social pressure. However, living where most of us do, I do think that we need something in the depths of winter for us to look forward to. If you try to imagine dark, cold nights from the end of October to the beginning of April roughly with no party season in the middle... Might just as well slit your wrists now...

[Paul F]

Yet I still do. I suppose that I justify it to myself by thinking of it more as a midwinter festival....

Thats a good point and one that I would suspect many people share. I think that is how I have been thinking of it of late.

Still, I do feel slightly guilty.

[Twirly]

Thats a good point and one that I would suspect many people share. I think that is how I have been thinking of it of late.

Still, I do feel slightly guilty.

What exactly do you feel guilty about?

(Or were you brought up Catholic - am told it just comes automatically then!)

[pmjd]

I'm not a church goer, never have been. In all honesty why worry, I look upon it as a holiday time that you can spend with family, friends and loved ones. There is the whole Jesus's Birthday versus the Pagan festival thing but lets face it you need something to look forward to in the slightly colder and gloomier months. Besides a birthday party or a festival are both occasions to have fun

So don't feel guilty or hypocritical, go and have fun and make someone smile, doesn't need to be a present or a card, it's often the little things that make folk smile. In general there is a feeling of being a little bit kinder to people over Christmas time, so just go out and be a part of it

[Twirly]

go and have fun and make someone smile, doesn't need to be a present or a card, it's often the little things that make folk smile. In general there is a feeling of being a little bit kinder to people over Christmas time, so just go out and be a part of it

It's hard to find a balance sometimes between the having fun and being generous, and the getting drawn in by the crass commercialism of Christmas.

[Paul F]

What exactly do you feel guilty about?

(Or were you brought up Catholic - am told it just comes automatically then!)

That's what is so strange. I was brought up Catholic but I don't actually know the detail about what that actually means!! I am really ignorant on the subject. All I know is that its a member of the Christian, erm, group. See, I dont even know the collective term.

All I know, or at least think I know, is that Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The fact that I celebrate it without actually recognising why it is here makes me feel slightly bad.

[Dreadful Scathe]

I agree with Paul about the apparent hypocrisy of celebrating "Christmas" when you aren't actually a Christian believer and regular church-goer. Yet I still do.

As do most. There IS no hypocrisy. Christmas may STILL be the name of the holiday, but its clear that the majority of those who celebrate it in some way do not go to church.

Its been a secular holiday for years, and theres nothing wrong with that. It still does the job of bringing people and families together despite any religious affiliations they may hold (crossing any possible divide). There was always winter holidays throughout history, and they always changed structure. I remember yule logs from when i was a child but i've not seen one in years. And how long has Santa Clause been an irreligious red garbed beardy fat man ? not really that long

[Paul F]

In general there is a feeling of being a little bit kinder to people over Christmas time, so just go out and be a part of it

I like that

[Jamie]

Not a church goer, never have been. I too, like you Paul, wouldn't have a clue what to do if I did enter a church on Christmas day, let alone any other day. I love the hype leading up to Christmas, the buying gifts, all that good will stuff, but Christmas itself is never a good day for me.

My beliefs have changed so much in the past few years, I'm not even sure I can call myself Christian anymore. However, I will still celebrate the holiday.. Yeah, I'm a hypocrite, but at least I admit it.

[Caro]

Anyway, for the last so many years I have obviously celebrated Christmas but have not been to church. In the recent past I have started to feel an increasing sense of hypocrisy over this. I feel guilty that I celebrate the occasion without actually recognising the meaning behind it and why it is here in the first place.

I was raised as a Christian too (went to a very strict catholic, girls only school too ) but as Twirly, 'grew out of it' (can't say I lost a faith that I don't think I've ever had - the whole thing always went too much against my scientific-wired brain).

Yet I make a big deal out of Christmas, not as a Christian holiday, but as THE family time of the year. This is especially true as I live in a different country from the rest of my family, so it has become very important for me to make sure that there is at least one time of the year when we all get together. It's also a period of time that I associate with showing your family you care by finding them presents they'll enjoy, good times during meals, evenings by the fire playing cards, memories of childhood etc.

I was supposed to be on call during this year Christmas day, so would have had to stay in Aberdeen away from everybody - this would have broken my heart. Luckily I managed to get a (local) colleague to replace me.

I don't feel any sense of guilt whatsoever, but I'm not a Christian, and don't believe that a Jesus-Christ-son-of-God was born either... I guess at some point when you want to call yourself a Christian or a Catholic, you have to think about what this really means to you, and live accordingly...

[Ghost]

Now Im no committed religious person but I was wondering, in this day and age, who actually goes to church at Christmas time.

Me

I have been raised as a Christian but, as many people, fell away from attending church regularly. This was partly due to the fact that I was forced to go when I was younger. Im sure that didnt help.

Something a lot of priests agree with is that a lot of Catholics are focussed on the more negative aspects. It's scary the focus on the crucifixion, when frankly it's the Ressurection that's important.

I feel guilty that I celebrate the occasion without actually recognising the meaning behind it and why it is here in the first place.

Early Catholics went around nicking the existing festivals and converting them. Eggs and Bunnies to celebrate the ressurection of Christ???

But the main emphasis is two-fold for Catholics

One it's Christ's birthday.

Two it's the day God gave an incredible gift to the world.

Both are things to celebrate and remember

Now im worried that I wouldn't know what to do if I went to church at Christmas!

Christmas and Easter are the two times when a lot of non-practicing Catholics go to mass. As such the masses are rather more "directed" - eg "And now we stand for the Gospel" etc. Alternatively go to the children's mass - it's usually organised chaos anyway

What exactly do you feel guilty about?

(Or were you brought up Catholic - am told it just comes automatically then!)

That's what is so strange. I was brought up Catholic but I don't actually know the detail about what that actually means!!

Catholics trace their lineage all the way back to Christ when he made St Peter the first Pope. The other variations of Christanity started later for a variety of reasons. Pretty much everyone believes in the core basics eg God and Christ, but disagree over specifics eg divorce. Catholic means "universal" so there is a hope of one day all of Christianity being reunited.

All I know, or at least think I know, is that Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

As a Christian , yes

The fact that I celebrate it without actually recognising why it is here makes me feel slightly bad.

Hopefully what I've written helps a bit.

Personally I'm with the majority of films on the subject. Christmas is about love and joy and hope. It's a Good Thing. If you want to say "Happy Birthday" as well, you won't be the only one

Personally I don't go to church on Christmas because I have to. I tend to go to the kid's mass because of the joy and enthusiasm (and the chaos) and the beautiful sense of peace that runs through it regardless.

[Paul F]

Thats a really nice post. Thanks Ghost.

[Barry Shnikov]

(went to a very strict catholic, girls only school too )

*blink*

Is it me, or is it getting hot in here?

[Little Monkey]

Lots of good posts here!

I was brought up with going to church every Christmas. My grandfather was a christian, and it would have broken his heart if we didn't go. I actually liked going to church on Christmas Eve when I was a kid, but we stopped going after my garndparents died. A few times my brother and I would go (in our teens), just because we liked the tradition and I had a brief spell of trying to find something to believe in, but it made me feel like a hypochrite as I'm not religious at all.

I now don't go to church any more, but do not feel like a hypochrite for celebrating Christmas. The winter solstice/midwinter festivals (as has been mentioned already) have been celebrated for centuries before Christianity arrived on the scene, and took over the pagan festivals. As we know, a lot of the 'traditional' things associated with Christmas has nothing at all to do with the birth of Christ, but are pagan rituals and symbols. And I agree with what others have said - we do need something to look forward to in midwinter, when it's dark and cold. To me it's more of a festival of light, love, friendship and family than a religious celebration.

Unfortunately this is also the time of year when suicides peak. There's no lonlier time of year than Christmas, if you've got no family or friends to spend it with. Been there, done that. I'm glad I'm spending this Christmas with family.

[Barry Shnikov]

One of the reasons I opposed the relaxation of Sunday trading laws was because the weekend is a time when most families can look forward to being together, and even for those people who had to work weekends there was an emphasis on ensuring that they got to have some weekends off and some compensation for the loss. Because the weekend was the same time for everyone, most families had both mum and dad off work for two days in a row and even more had both mum and dad on Sunday.

I felt that the objective of keeping weekends and Sundays as a family time was more important than the ability to go to Tesco seven days a week.

In the same way, Christmas is the same time for everyone. There are a lot of Bank Holidays close together, there's always a weekend in there somewhere, and many employers give people additional time off. That means it is the one time in the year when most people can get away to visit the members of their extended family that they least often see, or be visited by them.

I see no reason why atheists or humanists should skulk in their own homes, depriving themselves and their family of fun and enjoyment just because there is no god.

[Dreadful Scathe]

indeed - i also find it odd that some immigrants don't celebrate it once they've moved here - being non-christian is not relevant to the celebration of UK national holidays

[Beowulf]

As a kid growing up in a small scottish villiage the whole family would go to the church for Christmas. I was also a devoted baptist in those days and very much caught up in the religeous aspect of the holiday.

When I grew up and started thinking for myself I stopped going to the church. This was actually gossip worthy in my home town for a while but it soon passed.

These days I don't go to church at all. I celebrate Christmas though.. I also celebrate Easter.. but that's mostly due to my love of chocolate than anything else.

[Miss Flicts]

I think it's fine for us all to share Christmas as a time of celebration, love and joy. I don't think it's a problem that it means different things to different people.

For believing Christians it is a special time to celebrate something important to their faith.

For others it's become a winter festival to come together with friends and family and celebrate all the good things in life like food, friendship etc.

Each of these are positive and life-enhancing ways to think of it. I can't see any problem and I don't think there is any need to feel guilty if you fall into the second category.

[Caro]

Is it me, or is it getting hot in here?

you have no idea. Putting girls together and forbidding any boy (and we only had one male teacher, for arts, I suspect because there was no other available; the only males in a 1 km radius where the priests), just exacerbates the whole 'boys' obsession thing.

There were a couple of times a year when the boys from the equivalent boys school (5 km away, so that we couldn't accidentally 'run into each other', you know) would come to our school for a big mass - the result wasn't far from chaos. In the weeks () before the event, you could feel the excitation rising, on D-day all the girls where wearing their best clothes and make up (well, as much as the nuns would allow us, which wasn't a lot! i.e. don't even think about a sleeveless top!), and during the actual mass it was all furtive glances around to find the cutest guy. Nobody had any idea what the sermons were about, I can tell you.

By 13 I also had heard all the details you can think of about the main sexual activites (and techniques) one would engage in his lifetime, because of a few girls in my class who had already experienced it all.

In a word, girl schools - probably the worst plan you can think of to keep your daughter away from boys. Don't know why parents don't get that