I know it is still 2 months away, but in many towns and cities in the western world, decorations and lights will be going up in the next couple of weeks. So I thought it would be nice for everybody here (believer and non-believer alike) to explain what Christmas means to us.

I'd rather this wasn't a discussion thread, but merely a list of stories about how we feel about December 25th and the lead up to it.

Ok here is mine:

The Christmas period for me really begins on November 5th (Bonfire Night) by attending a bonfire and fireworks display. That always puts me in the mood for the rest of the year.

To me Christmas is really about celebrating the end of this year and looking forward to the next. I love the colours and the smells and seeing houses and shops decorated. I enjoy the build up more than anything else and I regularly visit Christmas markets and no Christmas period would be complete without a visit to a major Christmas festival (my favourite being at Ludlow castle in Shropshire at the end of November - I've been 4 years in a row now). I tend to focus on those things because usually, people are in a good mood and out to enjoy themselves. I hate Christmas shopping for the opposite reason, everybody is in a bad mood thinking that they have to spend as much money as possible to have a good time.

I must confess to missing having carol singers knocking at the door in recent years. Too many kids are too focussed on "trick or treat" at Halloween and don't want to put in the effort to sing door to door.

Interesting question. Frankly I find the British commercial obsession with Christmas faintly unsettling. I work at a large high-street retailer and from early September through to the end of January, everything is geared towards flogging Christmas stuff, much of which I consider complete tat. And in the current recession annual profits rely even more upon the guarantee of huge Christmas spending.

However, this aside, I do still find the run-up to Christmas quite exciting, although not nearly as much as I did when I was a kid. That's partly, I suppose, for the simple fact that presents and stuff mean more to you as a kid, but also because I think it's just more of a novelty to you then. I confess that I am a little jaded by it all now. It seems ridiculous that there is so much build-up to one day.

These days I think Christmas is about family, and of having an opportunity to reflect on the year. Like you said I think it sort of merges into New Year's for a lot of people. IMHO it's all about who you celebrate it with, not the material aspects of your celebration. I am still quite moved by the ideas of fellowship, charity and benevolence that are associated with Christmas, and try to keep them in mind.

I wish it could bloody snow more though. I demand my New England-style, picturebook Christmas!

I used to dread it when I worked in retail, not really having the chance to relax because I'd be working up until Christmas Eve and then thrown into first day of sale on 27th with all the stress heads and those bargain hunters and their aggression, grabbing and shoving. I used to work at a major chain store too and we had people RUNNING in when the doors opened.

Quite sad. I don't miss it.

I feel more and more pressured by the Christmas hollidays to be honest. The story isnt to different from what has been written above, it is more or less two months of chaos trying to hunt down the perfect gifts for your loved ones. i usually by something early on so i can get the whole thing out of my schedule.

The only difference here from the U.K. is that we exchange our gifts on the 24:th and not on the 25:th. Our wholesales begin early on the 25:th complete madness if you ask me.

Ah the Christmas period. It equals stress.

3 years ago i was told to leave my flat by the housing association and had to find a place to live before Christmas. Moved in on the 26th!

2 years ago i left my job and good mates and started new job Jan 7th. Spent the Christmas holidays wondering what i'm getting myself in to.

Last year 1 day before the holidays i was suspended from work so spend the hoildays wondering if i have a job to go back to in the new year.

I dred to think whats going to happen this year..

The first thing I learnt about Christmas was Santa wasn't real. The next thing I learnt about Christmas was that Jesus wasn't really born on the 25th of December.

Now that my original concepts of Christmas have been destroyed it is still a great time to catch up with friends and family.

Actually for me personally I remember my family having to move house around Christmas twice in my life so it full of memories of stress and busyness but new a better surrounds.

The only thing I really enjoy about the Christmas season is the attitude shift in people that becomes more pronounced as the holiday nears. People are friendlier, more outgoing, and it always brings a smile to my face to be greeted with a "have a Merry Christmas" or "have a happy holiday" because many of the people saying it seem as though they genuinely mean it. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.

I like the gathering with friends and family at holiday parties and the inevitable nostalgic reminiscing that occurs.

For me, Christmas isn't about Christmas day, it's that wonderful anticipation in the lead up to it and the warmer and more caring attitudes on more prominent display than at any other time of year.

I stopped giving material gifts to friends and family years ago and instead give money to charities in their names as their gifts. Something they all appreciate as being more in keeping with the general theme of the holiday.

To me, it's a work day paid double. Oh, and the light decorations on trees are undoubtedly pretty.

It's this:

"This sickness is not unto death."

Isn't that from the Lazarus story? How is that Christmas related?

But Lazarus did die. So seems like a paradox. So one way of looking at it is that even if he died, that was not the purpose of the sickness.

More generally speaking, suffering and sickness has a purpose, it is suggested.

Christmas usually reminds me of that, and makes me re-examine the year, the difficulties and suffering, and try to find a purpose in it all.

The purpose of Jesus not rushing to him was to carry out a miracle that would convince several of it's eyewitnesses of his power, and put faith in him as the Christ or Messiah of God.

But if death had a greater purpose by itself, and Lazarus, a good man, was indeed going to a heavenly reward upon dying, then Jesus wouldn't have come to tears about the loss of his friend, and he wouldn't have been cruel enough to bring him back from a final destination of joy were pain and suffering did not exist.

Jesus and Mo on the Christmas period.

It means Yule, a seasonal celebration that was observed centuries before some lunatic Jewish kid convinced some fanatics that Yahweh date-raped his mother.

Aside from your amusing insults, it should be noted that NOWHERE in the bible are we told to celebrate the date of Jesus' birth, nor that of anybody.

The only two times a birthday celebration is mentioned in the bible, is in the case of pagan people, not God's servants.

On top of that, Jesus was not born in December. Some favor a date in early October.

Christmas is just another part of Constantine's legacy of "Christianization" of pagan holidays or, as the Christian writers predicted, the Great Apostasy that lead to what is now thought of as "Mainstream Christianity".

Over a month of cheesy xmas songs, movies, tv specials, as well as retail sales promotions. Somewhere in the midst of all the retail rampage there is some family and friends reunions and such.

lol, the spirit of Ebeneezer Scrooge lives on! I understand your sentiment but I go out of my way to ignore the commercialisation and try to focus on the sense of community and going to Christmas events.

As for myself, I go out of my way to ignore the sense of community, and focus on the commercialization. Then again, I'm an anti-social SOB.

Christmas doesn't mean much to me but Yule does. Christmas is far too religious whereas Yule is a pre-Christian celebration that was mostly secular (but had some religious ideas in it, like a bearded old Woden delivering his gifts of peace and good will). I am against both the commercialization of the winter festival and teh Christianization of it. Like you, I think it is the time of good will and communities.