Christmas is being devalued

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
I'm seeing Christmas decorations going up all over the place and friends are posting photos of their Christmas trees.
I think that this devalues the holiday - by the time it comes it is a huge anti-climax.
It's far too early to begin putting up decs.
Please vote to let me know whether I am wrong.

 

[MickDundee]

Most people put their Christmas trees etc up on the first weekend in December. It just so happens that this year the first Saturday happens to be the 1st.

Besides what is the “value” of Christmas? It’s a Christian festival but most of the country these days are non religious (including me - I’m very much an Atheist).

 

[chthon]

As a self-professed heathen I only celebrate Yule and the winter solstice.

 

[Cwrw666]

I also am of a non religious tendency but do enjoy Christmas, particularly all the folky things surrounding it. Christmas carol evenings down the pub, mari lwyding (google it), plygain singing (again, google).
Our tree goes up the week before Christmas which means it more or less survives until we take it down in the new year. Usually a holly tree - no needles. Looks good too, but don't bump into it in the night or you'll regret it!

 

[Linalmeemow]

Yep, I'm as atheist as they come but I still love Christmas and everything that goes with it. It's a bit early for decorations though, ours tend to go up around 10th - 15th December.

 

[Dode]

What Christmas means to me as an atheist

 

[Slid]

We put our tree on Friday 30 November this year. The daughter still at Uni came back for the weekend to kick off the festivities. Much nonsense and commotion Friday evening, then it settled down yesterday. The outside lights are also up - first in the road. Don't ask me what I think of it - something not far short of "Bah! Humbug!".

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The thread is about people devaluing the Christmas holiday by putting decorations up to early and i agree with the OP.

The article above says "in 2016 the faith Survey found that only 28 per cent of us declare a belief in God or a higher power" i doubt anyone is surprised by that figure so for the vast majority Christmas is all about being off work, family gatherings, presents and eating and drinking to excess not religion.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Thanks @Chippy_Tea
I wasn't trying to get into the Christian values of the holiday, merely that lovely "Christmassy" feeling that the holiday brings.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I wasn't trying to get into the Christian values of the holiday, merely that lovely "Christmassy" feeling that the holiday brings.

I got that Col unfortunately as usual here the thread goes off topic and is now not about how early decorations are put up but about peoples religious beliefs.

 

[Gunge]

Our decorations go up on Dec 24th and come down Dec 26th. That's more than enough. Already sick of having Xmas rammed down my throat every which way. Some dude on the ma-in-law's street never takes them down, just leaves them unlit until mid Nov. Unbelievable!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Our decorations go up on Dec 24th and come down Dec 26th.

I wish we could do the same if it wast for our parents visiting i wouldn't bother putting them up, bah humbug.

 

[Dode]

Lerwick put their Christmas tree up on either the seventeenth or eighteenth of November. Why?

Lerwick’s Christmas tree has arrived in the town and been erected at the market cross

 

[Gulpitdarn]

It's funny isn't it... I take my faith as a Christian very seriously but I do not do the Christmas thing. Decorations, cards etc have been binned ages ago.

 

[Dode]

It's funny isn't it... I take my faith as a Christian very seriously but I do not do the Christmas thing. Decorations, cards etc have been binned ages ago.

You're not the only one that doesn't do Christmas. I have a few friends that are Jehovah's Witnesses and they don't do Christmas either. Neither does their church, and neither do I - but I'm a raging atheist so.....

 

[Ajhutch]

We’ve decided on a bit by bit approach to decorations this year. So we put a few bits of star bunting and some penguins up yesterday and will do the tree next weekend. Mainly it’s because our three year old son is actually getting excited this year for christmas, he’s started pre-school so it get talked about, there’s a Christmas show etc etc. If we didn’t have a 3 year old then I would definitely feel that starting so soon dilutes the excitement but I guess it’s different for kids!

 

[Gunge]

It's funny isn't it... I take my faith as a Christian very seriously but I do not do the Christmas thing. Decorations, cards etc have been binned ages ago.

I find that admirable.

 

[Slid]

It's funny isn't it... I take my faith as a Christian very seriously but I do not do the Christmas thing. Decorations, cards etc have been binned ages ago.

The early Christian church just annexed the Winter Solstice celebration and stuck it onto a completely fabricated story around their central figure. Very good they were, in those days, at such things.

You are quite correct in your assertion that Christmas has very little to do with any faith other than that the sun will come back and come up tomorrow.

 

[Lawrence22]

One of my neighbours has had their decorations up from the first week in November, another followed soon after. Crazy in my opinion. Ours went up yesterday which is the earliest we have ever put them up. This was to please our 5 year old, as it's hard to tell him it's too early when the neighbours have had theirs up so long.

 

[Slid]

One of my neighbours has had their decorations up from the first week in November, another followed soon after. Crazy in my opinion. Ours went up yesterday which is the earliest we have ever put them up. This was to please our 5 year old, as it's hard to tell him it's too early when the neighbours have had theirs up so long.

Ours have gone up early to pander to the youngsters as well - 21 and 24 - the elder of whom has actually described her status as a "grown woman".

I'm not going to post on this thread again - repeat - I am not going to post on this thread again...