What does Christmas really mean to you?

Question

It can be the best of times. It can be the worst of times.

There are many meanings to Christmas. Of course, for some it is about Christianity. For others it is celebrated with Yule. For some it means friends and family which could be good or bad. Love and laughter or madness and mayhem. For some it is loneliness and depression. For some it is war. For some it is peace. Throw in some capitalism, horrible Holiday music, bad Hallmark movies and who knows what it means. And for some it is just another day. Who cares about superficial giving and caring when there are bills to pay?

Or is it something to carry in one's heart all the year?

There are so many definitions for so many people, and so today, I ask:
What does Christmas really mean to you?

Lliam · Accepted Answer

I like Christmas.
As a child it meant neighborhoods cheerfully decorated with colorful lights. Some homes had extravagant yard displays.

It meant picking out a Christmas tree, getting out the ornaments and decorating the tree. Brightly colored presents under the tree and the anticipation of Christmas morning. The smell of evergreen and delicious things baking. Other adornments inside the house.

My sister and I would always wake up before dawn and sneak into the living room to try to see what Santa had left. We couldn't wait for our parents to wake up.
Aside from the wrapped presents that had already been under the tree, our stockings were filled and there was always more stuff. For example, I got my first big bike, a 10 speed, when I was 8. When I was 12, I got my first electric guitar and amplifier. Those were the best presents ever!

We had to get dressed and go to mass. When we got home, we had breakfast and opened presents.
In the afternoon, relatives either gathered at our house or at my maternal grandparent's house for an amazing feast. I have the fondest memories or those gatherings with grandparents, aunts and uncles who have long past, and cousins who I haven't seen for years.

Some time in the weeks before Christmas, we would drive to Santa's Village, a whimsical theme park in the mountains. It was magical when it was cold and snowy.

I still love driving around with my wife before Christmas to see homes, shops and stores, residential and city streets, with cheerful Christmas lights and decorations.

I never lived where it snowed, but I get a nostalgic feeling from paintings of rural homes and towns in bygone days with sleighs, sleds, ice skates, people carrying Christmas trees, and warm lights coming from the windows of homes. Even Christmas carols are nostalgic.

I haven't been religious for years. Now I think of Christmas as a winter solstice celebration marking the shortest day and the rebirth of the sun, symbolizing hope, light returning, nature's cycles, and new beginnings, incorporating traditions like feasting, Yule logs, evergreen decor (trees, holly, mistletoe), and honoring the Earth's natural rhythms, focusing on warmth, community, and light amidst winter darkness.

But I still have a soft spot for the Christmas traditions. And I really, really like the idea of "peace on Earth, good will toward men".

Films based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol fill me with Christmas spirit and make me wish that everyone could be permanently transformed, as was Scrooge, into being courteous, generous, thoughtful, caring, joyful, optimistic and charitable all year long.

I do think that commercialism has gone way overboard. People have become greedy and materialistic. I mean, fighting over toys in a store is the opposite of Christmas spirit.

BobbieBoy666 · Accepted Answer

Being with family and friends.

Christmas is a major annual festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, deeply rooted in Christian faith as a time of hope, love, and new beginnings, but it has also evolved into a widely observed cultural holiday globally, blending religious significance with secular traditions like gift-giving, family gatherings, decorations (trees, lights), and festive activities for billions of people, focusing on joy, kindness, and togetherness.
Religious Significance (Christianity):
Commemoration of Jesus' Birth:
Central to the holiday is celebrating the nativity (birth) of Jesus, seen as the Son of God and Savior, symbolizing God's love and grace for humanity.
Spiritual Reflection:
A time for prayer, spiritual reflection on faith, and remembering the message of hope and redemption.
Cultural & Secular Traditions:
Family & Community:
A strong emphasis on bringing loved together, sharing meals, and strengthening bonds.
Gift-Giving:
A tradition of exchanging presents, often linked to the gifts given to baby Jesus, symbolizing generosity and love.
Festive Symbols:
Adorned with Christmas trees, lights, wreaths, and figures like Santa Claus.
Music & Festivities:
Singing carols, watching holiday movies, and enjoying seasonal foods.
Universal Themes:
Hope & Light: Coinciding with the winter solstice, it signifies light returning during the darkest time of the year, representing hope and new beginnings.
Kindness & Generosity: A season to show compassion, share with others, and spread goodwill.
In essence, Christmas bridges faith and culture, serving as a multifaceted celebration of love, family, giving, and spiritual renewal for people worldwide,

FreyaRed · Accepted Answer

Winter Solstice. It's the time when Slavic winter, nightmares and dead goddess Marzanna (Mara) starts to lose her power. Fertility, spring and life goddess Vessna (Ostara) starts to wake up, because days become longer.

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

Tis a time to eat drink and be merry. Stuff the diet, sod the liver, ditch the sexual morals, and enjoy yourself.

exitseven · Answer

I have mixed emotions about it. It makes me miss my parents who have both passed away. But I appreciate my wife who always tries really hard to make a great Christmas for me and my kids.

sage2021 · Answer

It's the day they chose to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior ❣️🙏🏼 Period. Jesus is the reason for the season! ✝️

NathanDavis · Answer

F riends,  F amily and  FOOD !!

Will_Allard · Answer

Christmas Day has always represented work to me. From being a little kid watching my mother slave away in the kitchen from 08:00 til 21:00. My father who was driving B-Doubles interstate for weeks at a time. Then entering the workplace myself and very quickly realising that Christmas time is a very middle class concept.

If you’re a cop you realise how many domestic violence calls you attend. If you’re a paramedic you attend to that many alcohol related injuries. If you’re driver, or a hospitality worker you understand that Christmas time is the most ridiculously stressful time of year.

I loved it as a child, but like so many things in life it very quickly soured.

dougeats · Answer

Christmas is all about coming together. It's the one time of year we set aside everything else to focus on the people we love most. Chistmas means smells and sounds. The scent of pine and gingerbread, and the sound of holiday music playing in the background. It's sensory comfort. Also all about cooking to feed my family and friends and donating to shelters every year.

OneViewpoint · Answer

I like Christmas but reject the sick Capitalism and retail insanity it has evolved into here in the USA. For me it's just a Winter Solstice celebration that's all about friends and family, food and drink. My goal for the holidays is to slow down and enjoy the things that matter to me, not drive myself crazy with self imposed stress.

Darkest-Knight · Answer

I try not to think about Christmas. Just like every day of the year it's filled with loneliness. But it is more difficult this one particular day.

TonyMetal___86 · Answer

It means: joy, love, forgiveness, family time and thanking god for everything... What does it mean to you lezzie brandi? 😄

RedInnocent69 · Answer

Is about family, gratitude, the desire for peace and harmony, which never quite happens, and jigsaw puzzles… Definitely puzzles 🤔😔

Gwendoline · Answer

Birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Seems more and more like they are trying to push the Christ out of Christmas.

jJanSmit · Answer

Christmas is a time where family and friends make time for each other. It's so hard to get the whole family together during the year and Christmas is a time without obligations where it's good to be together

strateguy632 · Answer

Like its name the 'Christ' is its meaning if not then call it something else family day.

MJVillarama · Answer

For me, it’s all about cozy vibes, good food, and spending time with people I care about. 🎄

Staximus · Answer

It means sitting at my house with my brother eating "baa humbug" and then going to work at 11pm

Alex-Snow · Answer

Spending time with my mom and older sister, wishing for world peace and less hate in the USA.

Xawyx-2 · Answer

It's just a religious holiday, considering I'm not religious, I celebrate only New Years.

fish5505_87 · Answer

Every year we try and answer this question, I'm not sure, I think it changes as we get older!

Sal_Monella · Answer

Memorializes the birth of Christ. The date is ambiguous.

chickychickyparmparm · Answer

Christmas is the celebration of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

Bonding ith family and friends and good grub.

Sam1133 · Answer

Christmas give me reason to do threesome with my fwbs. .🥰

Raydergman26 · Answer

The meaning of Christmas really means when Jesus was born

Nicole12t · Answer

The birth of Jesus!!!

Hellraiser1984 · Answer

Woodland critter Christmas

Unycorn · Answer

Family time

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