If Jesus hated Christmas, would you still celebrate it?

[Waaghpowa]

As others have mentioned Jesus wasn't actually born on on Christmas. I believe Chinese Astrological charts had actually documented the supposed star of Bethlehem and shows that he was born some time between March and May.

link: http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/churchhistory/qt/121507JesusBirt.htm

My family is Chinese, so we don't celebrate it to begin with.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

No. Largely because the holiday, hell, even the religion isn't about him in the first place. The staggering paradox of the myth of Jesus and the contradictory information about his life and death and the things he says or possibly said basically tell you everything you ever need to know. It is a study of our own inadequacies, failings and fears through the lens of something at least marginally easy to understand - the life of a guy who did things right. If there ever was a Jesus, you can bet he was just that.

And, for the record, regardless of one's feelings on the content of my above interpretation, that is not a condemnation of the religion. Because in the end there is strong evidence to suggest that Jesus wouldn't like the religion constructed around him if only because that construct entirely misses the point. Sure, people will point to the bit about "only getting to heaven through me" or some similar line but if ever there was an example of narrative dissonance, that's where you'd find it in the bible. To that end, I'd suspect Jesus wouldn't like us celebrating his birthday, especially when we are more or less told that isn't his birthday and the historical record tells us exactly why we celebrate on December 25.

As others have hinted at, this was because of the common pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice which on the modern calender is December 21st. That move was part of a larger process that introduced significant pagan messages and meaning into the religion that took place between the first and fifth centuries CE. If anyone would like to know more about that process, there was an incredibly tedious but fairly compact book on the subject called "Christianity and the Roman games" (There is a lengthy sub title) that offers a fairly comprehensive overview of the academic evidence based around the notion that Christianity was propagandized in contrast to the traditional view that Rome was Christianized.

I don't know where you'd find a hard copy of the book but it is available on various e-readers for a pittance.

 

[Dularn]

For myself and most people I know Christmas has no religious association, it is more about spending time with the family (and a very large lunch/dinner involving large quantities of Turkey). In a way, Christmas is our (Australia's) thanksgiving.

So no, if some hypothetical figure figure from the past showed up and tried to take that away I would tell him to get stuffed.

 

[kasperbbs]

Nobody i know celebrates it for religious reasons, well maybe my grandmother does. As far as i'm concerned that day belongs to santa, plastic trees and shitty presents.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I celebrate Christmas for the family get together, not for his birthday. So should it be named Winter Holiday then?

 

[Fluffythepoo]

Listen to a whiny jew tell me about the fallacy of christmas or enjoy the holidays? Prolly go with the latter.. and buy jesus a christmas present, as a nice way of saying no. I think hed like pneumatic nail gun, cause its a hell of a lot better than a hammer

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

What is the first thing Jesus got when he was born? Gold, frankincense and myrrh. So in a way Christmas has always been commercial and I think if he came back people giving people stuff to make them happy would not be at the top of his list of most hated annual rituals.

 

[Braedan]

Jesus is pretty irrelevant to Christmas. It's Santa's holiday.

 

[AVATAR_RAGE]

I would still celebrate, but first I would sit Jesus down explain to him the horrible state his church is in and why he cared so much about people having a good time on his half-birthday.

 

[joshuaayt]

I'd do my best not to piss off the all-powerful superhero who once again walks our realm- Mr. Jesus says no Christmas? Well, fuck, I'll burn the wreaths myself.

I'll hunt every last goddamn wreath on the planet down, if it means I get to see some magic.

 

[Roganzar]

Don't care about Jesus. So that has no effect on me. In fact if people would stop trying to beat other people with the whole Jesus birthday crap I'd be real happy.
I love Christmas, Saturnalia(?), Winter Solstice, or whatever you want to call it. I like getting presents, I like giving them, and now that my son is getting into it it is so much more fun for me.

 

[SeeIn2D]

I'm not religious so I don't celebrate Christmas for religious reasons. I celebrate it because my grandparents were Christian and obviously celebrated the holiday with my parents, so my family celebrates it, but personally I will never really observe it as a religious holiday personally. I just see it as a time for family and friends.

 

[blackrave]

So basically if Jesus, due to some sort of temporal miracle would appear in 2012 december, see what Christmas had become and said something along the lines "What is wrong with you all? Can't you see that this is stupid?"?
I already barely acknowledge Christmas, so after that I would skip it entirely
Not, that I consider Jesus as some sort of all knowing guy, but because even if a dude for who this celebration is devoted thinks it's stupid, then this celebration has no rights to exist

 

[Combustion Kevin]

I'd still do it just to get on his tits.

also, jesus doesn't seem like the kinda person to take-back the holiday and forbid it entirely, leave that to other zaelots.

 

[kenu12345]

Wait correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Jesus didn't hate anything

 

[Xpwn3ntial]

Of course I'd still celebrate it. I have a family, and dammit, I like Christmas dinner.

The only thing that would really change is I'd make him a birthday present and invite him over for said dinner.

 

[Suicidejim]

I'm not religious, I just go in for all the over-commercialization and the excuse to buy people gifts, so yes.

 

[Ziame]

Christmas is not a christian holiday nowadays anyway so, ye, pretty much. I regard it as as the beginning of new year celebrations

 

[Flamezdudes]

Sod Jesus, he never sent me any presents anyway, the cheap bastard.

I love Christmas, but for non religious reasons.

It's the mince pies.

Always the mince pies.

Fuck that, i'm looking forward to pigs in blankets.

OT: I wouldn't care, I celebrate Christmas for non-religious reasons myself. Although the vast majority of the rest of my family does it for religious reasons however, but I don't take part in that part of it.