Christmas to the World!

This is a busy time for me so I wanna wish all of you - Lindens, Avatars, Alts, Furries and Fiends of all sorts - a very Merry Christmas!
And my question is ...
God willing all is well with you, how will you celebrate your Christmas? What gifts have you bought for your lovelies and what are you getting? Cos, as I have always said, Christmas is all about gifts. Wrapping them and opening them over and over again!

Here's mine in a nutshell to help you get started. Well, I'll go to my place on the East Coast. My mum wil join me. On Christmas Eve I'll do a gorgeous Caribou Roast (that is Reindeer to some of you). I love the meat and this was a special gift to me. Yes I know I'm eating Rudolph's cousin but he'll taste soooo good with wild mushrooms.
We'll each have a lobster for Christmas Dinner, green salad, perhaps saffron rice. I'll open a bottle of Champagne for mum and drink San Pell. water for me.
Gifts: I have bought myself perfume, books, cds, a lovely satchel, art (which I will have framed) and a few assorted goodies. I buy myself gifts so people dont make mistakes. I bought mum a gorgeous saddle-bag style leather bag, some excellent glass jewellery, a super scarf, candlesticks, her favourite mustard, and a pile of stuff I wont mention.
Christmas Afternoon: We'll drive along the coast and walk a beach or two.
Christmas Evening: Crash out and thank ourselves that teh day is finally over.
Friends in real are getting an assortment of books, bags and scarves and even fountain pens. But I dont have that many friends.
I'll buy Hal a painting or two for our sl gallery.

Now a note to all of you. Thank you for being my friends. I know we'll prolly never meet in real, but you've been here for me in more ways than you can imagine. Thank you all you men who touched my heart. Thank you ladies for being so understanding about your men touching my heart and my other places. Thank you my "family" . And thank you, Lindens. It can't have been easy to have put up with me. I look forward to next year in the forums and in sl. Thanks Hal, youre a good man. You've been kind to me ever since we met and have never been angry. In so many ways you're like a dad to me.
Jingle, jingle from Jig!

The temptation to say "Bah! Humbug! is irresistable

(A merry Christmas and a happy new year to you too, Jig.)

Merry Christmas right back at ya.

I don't celebrate the holiday but I enjoy receiving well wishes of any kind.

ETA... I do celebrate Christmas but I don't

I remember when my older child was small, teaching her to say "Bah Humbug!".

Ah, the good old days.

I buy everyone a menorah for Christmas.

Yeah, that's in my blood also. So I get the old prezzies to myself everyday for "X" number of days and then ONLY snarf back on the grub for one night.

And 'nuff of this bah bumbug business. Dickens scorned it. Scrooge was a mean old sod.

Just adding, get party-hearty while you can everyone and make this one special.

Dont worry if your not Christian. It's a birthday party!
But for all my non-christianity, I'll do a midnight mass or an evensong if I can make it. Not to worried about the denomination, I'll just bring a birthday card!

For us christmas is just another day. We do not have decorations, present or getting together with family we have not seen for 364 days of the year. All in all a very relaxed and stress free time and no huge credit card bill at the end

It's Christmas!!!!!
Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!!

It's God's gift to Christians (and every other religion) to push their religious views onto others. God Bless Second Life!! (Lest I be drummed out for being an athiest, which I'm actually not, but has that ever stopped an angry mob before?)

Where's my coffee? I can't think this early in the morning...

Wishing people a merry Christmas is not pushing anybody's religious beliefs on anybody. Where in all this did anybody say that you must accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, renounce your sins, etc. etc. etc.?

Expecting you to do such would be pushing their religious beliefs on you.

Celebrating Christmas, on the other hand, has relevance to many religious and even non-religious people. Originally it was nothing whatever to do with Christianity, it's an observance related to winter. Read your history, the Catholic church co-opted a pagan festival (and by this I do not mean "non-believers" as that is not what the word means) and adopted it as their own, in a move to grasp political power.

Many people celebrate the Christmas Season in a secular fashion, myself included now. Starting with that other Holiday, that wishing someone well upon has become a crime in this forum it seems, Thanksgiving, I use the season a a time to reflect on what I have in my life, to spend time with friends and family, to try to be extra charitable and considerate toward others, and just have some fun. You don't HAVE to buy into the religious aspect, or the commercialism, or anything else you don't care for.

Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, non beliefs, traditions, etc, but if the idea of someone thinking well of you , if even just for a moment, and wishing you well is somehow insulting or annoying, I really don't know what to say.

Toys for Tots, Christmas Shoe Boxes, Dream Tree. Any other child without that I can think of. A stranger on the street that is in need. A gift of food to someone in a neighbor hood that you wouldn't venture into at night. And never forget the animals that need to be saved and fed. These being the gifts that give back to you, the most special ones. That is what Christmas is all about to me.

May God bless your Christmas/Holiday... and every other day of your life...If You don't believe in Him, so be it, He believes in you...

I agree, that's why I responded to the comment about pushing people's religious beliefs on others, that's not even remotely close to the point of wishing people a merry Christmas.

Right back at ya Jig~!!!

For myself (and I'm about as religeous as my cat) it's a season for family & friends and gathering and celebrating each other. I have never been enthralled by the over-commercialization (as a child I was a little afraid of santa lol) but I take the positive elements from any holiday which has always been about the family bonds. As far as traditions go......my favorite memory is christmas stockings. Those were just always fun and my dad had a brilliant way of using the stocking as a deterrent to us getting up at the a** crack of dawn (he was so not a morning person).....he placed out filled stockings on the ends of our beds so when we awoke at 0-dark-thirty we had something to do until mom and dad were fully functioning and full of enough caffiene.
Dad also took great pride in his tree decorating skills and it was quite the event....properly lighting and placing ornaments and tinsel. To this day I am a perfectionist about doing a tree......though I have not had a tree for several christmas's now (I'll get to that) When we got older...dad eventually only did stockings for us.....but they were filled with every fun goodie imaginable....often funny......gag gifts.....silly things....and nip bottled of our fave liquor. I love doing stockings for people!

This year.....my sweety will be home for three weeks (yay) beginning the 19th and we'll have christmas in our new house for the first time. Last year we went to his sister's in Ohio....and the years before that he was away so I traveled to my cousin's for christmas. We have not had our own christmas, in our own home, since we met in 2005.
He is totally excited about making our home the central point....doing a big dinner for everyone and entertaining. We wont be doing much in the way of gifts since we're all pretty strapped this year.....but the point is not the gifts....the point is the people and the memories we build during these holidays together. We laugh a lot....we share memories.....we goof on each other....we have cocktails (egg(fog)nogg is a fave) and good food.....we revel in the love my family have for one another. Miles separate many of us......and my parents are both passed on....so it's especially important to my sister and brother and me that we make the most of the holidays and carry on the traditions that have enhanced our bonds.

To all of you.....what ever it is you celebrate.....whether or not you celebrate.....I wish the best and happiest holiday season.....in whatever it means to you.....I hope you enjoy and are surrounded by the people that mean the most to you.

omg everyone knows it's all about SANTA!!!

here let me show you some evidence from an actual eye witness..

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

For all you Sour Santas out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-dPUXSWoew

Merry Christmas
I hope you have a white one, but for me it's blue

Blue Christmas, that's the way you see it when you're feeling blue
Blue Xmas, when you're blue at Christmastime
you see right through,
All the waste, all the sham, all the haste
and plain old bad taste

Sidewalk Santy Clauses are much, much, much too thin
They're wearing fancy rented costumes, false beards and big fat phony grins
And nearly everybody's standing round holding out their empty hand or tin cup
Gimme gimme gimme gimme, gimme gimme gimme
Fill my stocking up
All the way up
It's a time when the greedy give a dime to the needy
Blue Christmas, all the paper, tinsel and the fal-de-ral
Blue Xmas, people trading gifts that matter not at all
What I call
Fal-de-ral
Bitter gall.......Fal-de-ral

Lots of hungry, homeless children in your own backyards
While you're very, very busy addressing
Twenty zillion Christmas cards
Now, Yuletide is the season to receive and oh, to give and ahh, to share
But all you December do-gooders rush around and rant and rave and loudly blare
Merry Christmas
I hope you have a white one, but for me it's blue

Why do people have to go there? Can someone not begin a thread about wishing someone well, without someone bashing someone else's religion?

This is just an utter lie. It is YOUR version of history. It is not mine. Talk about pushing your views on others!

I'll post the reply to what you (or someone else) will no doubt post. Even if the traditions combined, it likely had more to do with people not WANTING or CHOOSING to give up things they held dear, as they converted. It does not mean it was forced upon them. It does not mean it was 'stolen.' Co opted is just a painted up word for stolen.

And it's a part of my religion that Dec. 25 IS the birth date of the Christ Child. Take your soapbox agenda &...oh yeah.

Merry Christmas.

Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me! For the record I am a practicing Christian. It's in my religion too. A religion based on a book that has been translated, retranslated, voted on, and rewritten, many times over, by humans.

If "my history" is not yours then please explain to me the verified historical documents that have been unearthed that directly contradict other books of the bible, which were chosen not to be included or even considered by the people doing the translation work.

Or why even the books that are included, include some books in some versions of the Bible (such as the Catholic versions) and not in others.

Since when is it OK to pick and choose what documents of a body of published work you wish to use, and ignore others, if (as it says in the Bible) "not one jot or tittle is to be omitted" from the entire work AS A WHOLE?

The entire document as it exists today is somebody pushing their beliefs over somebody else's beliefs about the exact same body of work. Whatever happened to room for the Truth?

Wow.

First of all you spout vagueness as "Truth" and insist others believe it.

Second, there is nothing to respond to in your post except opinion and vague allusions.

Third, this isn't the proper place for crusades. Pardon the pun.

What difference does it make which religion you practise? (I never said anything about YOUR religion, whatever it may be.) Does that make your post any more accurate? It's just a heap of misinformed politically correct cow pie.

Sorry, I was under the impression that a practicing Christian was allowed, even perhaps encouraged, to seek the Truth.

So sorry to run up against your closed mind. I'll just continue to pursue the Truth without you and leave you to your own devices.

Have a merry Christmas.

LOL. Again you say that YOU define Truth - with a capital T, yet.

And what does "Truth" in a religious (is there such a thing? only ONE truth?) or philosophical sense have to do with sociological or historical accuracy? Especially when you've made a very insulting accusation towards an entire religion?!

Can you attack the argument instead of ME, by the way?

OK, overlooking the fact that you made it personal first with your claptrap about politically correct blablabla.....

Just the arguments alone. Your assumption that I have defined the Truth is inaccurate, I most certainly have not.

I am questioning. Seeking answers. I've found there is more involved than this book called the Bible that is available today. Between the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, and many other belief systems and documents, there has to be one ultimate Truth somewhere. Isn't that what God is supposed to be, the Ultimate?

That's what I'm looking for. I cannot for one second believe that so many different systems of belief that have throughout history been at each other's throats and converting people by the sword can possible exist without one fundamental underlying Truth that unites all of them. Including in this the debates that have always been raging pitting religion against science. They're not mutually exclusive, I can't buy that. God, by any name, isn't so dense as to create an entire universe in which science exists and yet is somehow something anathema to the will and study of God.

Therefore there's something more that we either aren't grasping, or don't want to face. I can only come to the conclusion that the ultimate underlying Truth is, in fact, the real nature and purpose of God.

So I'm questioning, reading, researching, and trying to put it all together. What's so wrong with that?

Where was "you" in that? I was talking about your argument. Do you know the difference?



I never said that. I said that you claimed to have. You stated as a fact that the Roman Catholic church (not just "Christians" so I'm not sure why you went on to protest you are a Christian?) specifically "co opted" one of their holiest days. That is an absolutely awful thing to say and especially this close to the actual day. At least say it is your opinion. Don't post multiple times saying you have "proof." Why - were you there? Do you know how painful this is to read about something I happen to hold dear and cherish? Do you know how often I hear misinformation and see it spread as 'Truth' on the internet? Next you'll claim that "Roman Catholics" "worship Mary" and "drink real blood."



This isn't about you, with all innately due respect to you as a person; this is about a post you made. HUGE difference. Show me where there was any question or hesitation in that post? That post is what I take issue with. Stop making this about the Universe.



What does any of that have to do with what you posted that I replied to?



First, when were we even talking about any of that? I, at least, was talking about a specific accusation you made that sounded rather mean spirited. It was certainly baseless and thoughtless and will surely spark more attacks on a religion I hold dear. THANKS for that - Truth-seeker! Lol.

(And btw. If you truly WERE 'trying to put it all together' then someone else's point of view might mean something.)

Why do some people get so squirmy? No one was talking about your Personal Quest. And you didn't sound so philosophical when you were slinging mud. You mentioned a lot of other religions - try posting something that half baked about them. Why is the RC church so often the focus for crap like this? I get sick of it, and yes, it hit my rant spot.

Oh dear. I doubt that this was what Jiggy had in mind when she opened this thread . . .

For me, Xmas is, I suppose, a mostly secular holiday. I am a deeply religious agnostic, by which I mean that I don't "believe" in any given religion or "god." But I don't disbelieve either. Agnosticism for me means continually striving to understand something that you concede from the outset is unknowable; it's the striving that matters.

So, I love all the secular trappings of Xmas. I walk by the shop windows. I attended the big festival of lights thingy here at City Hall, and ooohed and aaahed over the fireworks. I love getting caught in Xmas crowds at malls. And on Xmas eve, I'll go to my parent's place, where the family will all be gathered, and I'll eat a big meal with WAY too many treats, and watch Alastair Sim's A Christmas Carol, and play a game of "Buccaneer" with my nieces and nephew. And probably drink too much. And on Xmas day I'll go to my sister's, where I will end up doing much the same things all over again.

And on Christmas Eve, I may, as I do sometimes, attend a midnight mass at the old Anglican Cathedral (St. James's) down here.

I do that because I love the pomp and the show and the music, but also because, although I am not a "Christian," Christmas does have a spiritual meaning for me. The whole "idea" of Christ, and the incarnation, and the sacrifice appeals to me more than I can say: I desperately wish, in some ways, that I could believe. The idea of a God who "so loves" humankind that He sacrifices His Son for them . . . it's just an incredibly beautiful idea. And so I'll celebrate that idea, even if I can't believe that it is necessarily "true," because the idea has a truth all it's own.

I'd love to believe in a God who IS "Love." And maybe at Christmas, I do, just a bit.

I hold no beliefs in the supernatural. But I get teary-eyed at anything hinting that human beings can actually choose to be kind to each other---taking a break from the usual imperative to exploit each other.

In virtually all cultures in this period of history, using/profiting from/exploiting/getting-the-better-of others is so valorized, that we need a major excuse to cease such efforts, an exemption from striving to conquer and plunder...and the Christmas season provides us with such an excuse. Even if only for a few short days.

It is really the only time of year in which we can be kind and even generous, without being despised for it.