Christmas is Mostly Ruined for Me

[Primo]

Celebrating christmas is about fun, gifts and time off from school for kids. If you have children you live it through them. If you're grown with no kids it's about religion.

If you're grown with no kids and not relgious it's just a 'season'. Enjoy it, the extra time off and pay from work and the parties.

[qwertz]

im the opposite..i dont have very good memories of xmas when growing up but now the older i get the more i enjoy it.
Im so excited this year as its the first year my son has shown any signs of knowing what it is (well not what it is, but he knows hes getting lots of presents!!)

[misombra]

i had a dream that you had a young girl, bsummer. she was a snotty little kid lol.

[bluesummer]

Gasp! No way man, my kids are not going to be snotty.

[Junket]

My g/f's family is religious, too. When they bow their heads to pray for the holiday feast...well that's a discussion I would not be interested in having in someone else's home.

[bluesummer]

I had to attend mass in this little town that my fiance is from (you know, the kind where everyone knows everyone), and I was the only person who didn't get up to take communion (can't, I'm not baptised). People were staring at me like I'd offended them. It made me so uncomfortable, and my mom-in-law knew it, so she offered to not take it either, but I didn't think that was fair.

Anyways, I'm going to focus on the positive. Family, food, time off.

[IndiReloaded]

You should have got up and taken the filmy wafer, Blue. I did this at the local catholic church one xmas when we went with relatives, we all stood up, the priest went around and popped one in everyone's gob, no big deal. Religion only has the power you give it, and you gave it some by allowing them to deny you. Think about it for next time.

[Junket]

No, I support Blue.

Defy the f*ck out of them.

[Cbrider]

Should have busted out a box of Ritz crackers and started chompin on them. If anyone asked, just tell them you didn't qualify to grab one, but didn't want to stand out.

[Lipp]

You should have got up and taken the filmy wafer, Blue. I did this at the local catholic church one xmas when we went with relatives, we all stood up, the priest went around and popped one in everyone's gob, no big deal. Religion only has the power you give it, and you gave it some by allowing them to deny you. Think about it for next time.

As I also attend a church but refuse to take communion, I fail to see how pretending to be part of the clique is a way to "not give it any power", but rather the opposite.

Please enlighten me, oh mighty Indy, goddess of the sand. *kowtows*

[Charlie Boy II]

I love chrissy. It's boiling hot here. Everyone has time off at the same time, I just do heaps of surfing and going out. And I get to see all my relatives. Good times.

[bluesummer]

I love chrissy.

Ok, so this confused me until I realized you meant Christmas. Thought maybe you'd met some new chick you hadn't told us about yet.

Indi, I get what you're saying completely. However, me taking communion represents what I feel religion does to the majority of it's followers: force them to engage in certain activites or beliefs out of peer pressure or guilt.

I sleep better knowing I didn't give in to it, even if I had to endure some minor discomfort for ten minutes. When I think about it now, I wonder why I was even uncomfortable.

[IndiReloaded]

As I also attend a church but refuse to take communion, I fail to see how pretending to be part of the clique is a way to "not give it any power", but rather the opposite.

Please enlighten me, oh mighty Indy, goddess of the sand. *kowtows*

I wasn't kowtowing at all, LOL. I went b/c it didn't mean anything to me. It did mean something to our aged family member, so it was largely a big 'shrug' to me. I guess that's the difference. Everyone knew I wasn't a catholic and hadn't been indoctrinated to their BS. The priest would have had to overtly deny me in front of everyone and he couldn't.

Letting them deny you by not partaking gives them power--its a visual confirmation you 'aren't one of them'. Like agreeing to wear the scarlet letter. Blue said that she wasn't eligible b/c she isn't baptised. So by not going, she gave into their convention. She should have gone anyway, proudly, IMO.

But Blue likely didn't care not going either. She should have pulled out a magazine & read while they were all doing their thing. Either way, its really about attitude.

[IndiReloaded]

Indi, I get what you're saying completely. However, me taking communion represents what I feel religion does to the majority of it's followers: force them to engage in certain activites or beliefs out of peer pressure or guilt.

But in the catholic faith you are only suppose to take it if you have passed their rituals. Only an infidel would do it without having been purified with their doctrine. It is like someone hand-feeding you a rice cracker. Nothing more. LOL.

[vashti]

I took communion when I wasn't supposed to. I chewed the wafer, too, which is apparently a big no-no. It's like chewing up Jesus. hehhe