Advent
Yesterday was Advent Sunday and today the first of December, which means that the official run-up to Christmas is finally here after what seems like the longest "Jumping the Gun" lead up I can ever remember.
This year Christmas products and themes began to appear in the shops in late September, before the end of the warm weather, before Halloween.
I have no problem with retailers trying to use Christmas to sell things - they have a living to earn like everyone else - but at this rate they'll barely have finished Christmas in one year before they start trying to sell things for the next one.
Nor do I have a problem with people spending some of their time and money on material things - we live, after all, in material bodies with material needs and it is a responsibility, not just a right, to look after those material needs for ourselves and our families.
Yet a life lived for material things only is not much of a life, and I cannot think of a worse advert for materialism than the fights in the shops we saw on the day for which the American nickname of "Black Friday" has apparently now spread to both sides of the Atlantic.
I don't mind Amazon or high street retailers offering me bargains, but if I want to see or take part in a scrum I'll join a rugby club, thank you very much.
(Perhaps before someone tries to do a Thornberry on me I should make clear that I'm well aware that the "L" of Whitehaven RLFC stands for League, that there is also a Rugby Union club in the town, of the difference between Rugby League and Rugby Union rules on scrums, and the above comment is not intended as any insult to fans or players of either Rugby League or Rugby union.)
There are three things which are special to me about Christmas, all more important than the food, the presents, or the bargains. Two of those things would still be more important to me than the material aspects if I were to become an atheist or agnostic.
The first is the ancient cultural legacy of celebrating at midwinter that we have reached and passed the shortest day of the year and can now look forward to renewal in the form of a new spring and a new year. Some of the most evocative aspects of the cultural celebrations of Christmas date from this midwinter celebration whether of not they usually now wear Christian or even post-Christian clothing.
The second is the tradition of celebrating our family, friends and everyone we know in a season of goodwill to all men, women and children. Presents are a symbol of this, but they are far from all of it.
Those I would keep if I had no faith. But since I do, I can also celebrate the wonderful message of God become Man, the creator of the Universe coming to Earth in the form of a helpless baby born to the poor and outcast, born in a lowly stable because his parents could not even find a hotel room, to share the life of human beings and to bring a message of love and hope.
Whether you have a religious faith or not, and whatever it is, I wish anyone reading this the best of good fortune during the somewhat stressful time of early December, and that you have a wonderful holiday at the conclusion of this month.
This year Christmas products and themes began to appear in the shops in late September, before the end of the warm weather, before Halloween.
I have no problem with retailers trying to use Christmas to sell things - they have a living to earn like everyone else - but at this rate they'll barely have finished Christmas in one year before they start trying to sell things for the next one.
Nor do I have a problem with people spending some of their time and money on material things - we live, after all, in material bodies with material needs and it is a responsibility, not just a right, to look after those material needs for ourselves and our families.
Yet a life lived for material things only is not much of a life, and I cannot think of a worse advert for materialism than the fights in the shops we saw on the day for which the American nickname of "Black Friday" has apparently now spread to both sides of the Atlantic.
I don't mind Amazon or high street retailers offering me bargains, but if I want to see or take part in a scrum I'll join a rugby club, thank you very much.
(Perhaps before someone tries to do a Thornberry on me I should make clear that I'm well aware that the "L" of Whitehaven RLFC stands for League, that there is also a Rugby Union club in the town, of the difference between Rugby League and Rugby Union rules on scrums, and the above comment is not intended as any insult to fans or players of either Rugby League or Rugby union.)
There are three things which are special to me about Christmas, all more important than the food, the presents, or the bargains. Two of those things would still be more important to me than the material aspects if I were to become an atheist or agnostic.
The first is the ancient cultural legacy of celebrating at midwinter that we have reached and passed the shortest day of the year and can now look forward to renewal in the form of a new spring and a new year. Some of the most evocative aspects of the cultural celebrations of Christmas date from this midwinter celebration whether of not they usually now wear Christian or even post-Christian clothing.
The second is the tradition of celebrating our family, friends and everyone we know in a season of goodwill to all men, women and children. Presents are a symbol of this, but they are far from all of it.
Those I would keep if I had no faith. But since I do, I can also celebrate the wonderful message of God become Man, the creator of the Universe coming to Earth in the form of a helpless baby born to the poor and outcast, born in a lowly stable because his parents could not even find a hotel room, to share the life of human beings and to bring a message of love and hope.
Whether you have a religious faith or not, and whatever it is, I wish anyone reading this the best of good fortune during the somewhat stressful time of early December, and that you have a wonderful holiday at the conclusion of this month.
Comments
Your first 2 points are, the third is simply if Christmas (or whatever you want to call it) did not exist, then if no one else did I would invent it!
This time of year (at least in the UK) is cold, its dark, its depressing, its blooming awful, so your first two reasons lighten that, and allow us forget that for a while.
Im sure i speak for most readers when I say "we return your best wishes and wish the same for yourself and your family"