From: sharen@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com (Sharen A. Rund)
Subject: Re: Somalia
Organization: Lockheed Missiles and Space Co.
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 92 21:13:13 GMT

In article <1992Dec12.211114.27616@news.columbia.edu> dnm9@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (David Neal Messina) writes:
>In article <1992Dec12.000626.25331@ida.liu.se> e91petmo@odalix.ida.liu.se (Peter /\/\odin) writes:
>>dnm9@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (David Neal Messina) writes:
>>
>>> ...Christmas (that's a God-fearing Christian holiday...
>>
>>No, Christmas has nothing to do with religion any more. It's about
>>overdecorating, buying a lot of stuff, watching specials on TV,
>>etc etc etc. Am I being cynical? Go figure!
>>
>

I think you may be - to me, Christmas is what _you_ _make_ it, nothing
more, nothing less - granted, I over decorate with white lights and silver
and crystal ornaments on my artificial Christmas tree so it looks like
a crystal mountain, and colored lights all around my house (just got a
Christmas card from a neighbor I've never met saying how much they
enjoy the lights and how they add to their Christmas feeling), I decorate
all over the inside of my house with poinsettias and Christmas decorations,
my Advent wreath and Creche (Nativity scene), I enjoy the readings at 
Mass, singing the Christmas carols, seeing how the town lights up at
night, driving around looking at Christmas decorations on other homes,
seeing children with Santa, listening to children's hopes & dreams,
helping with the 'Christmas Can Tree' which will help feed other people
not so lucky as I am, buying presents for the children, getting together
with friends and family, sending & receiving Christmas cards....

yes, I enjoy the Christmas spirit and season and everything that goes
with it (even though the stores have started selling Christmas items
before Halloween) - my decorations are up from the day after Thanksgiving
until the feast of the Epiphany - and I love every day of it....!

[others comments follow - if you've read them already, quit out now]

>No, I wouldn't say you're being cynical, at least not as cynical as
>Diogenes was when he coined the term...in any case, I think that
>although retail promotions have mainstreamed the Christmas rituals, a
>lot of what we do nevertheless has that feel-guilty, do-unto-others
>flavor which I associate with Christianity.  The TV specials revolve
>around sappy morals (even the best one, The Grinch Stole Xmas,) we buy
>stuff to show affection for our family/friends/neighbors/relatives,
>some give money to the Salvation Army--through all of it is retained,
>for the most part, a lot of the Christian ethic, unless of course you
>think people see buying gifts as the inconvenient prerequisite to
>getting them :).  But yes, little about Christmas these days relates
>to the birth of Christ; I just wanted to point out Cat's borderline
>hypocrisy.
>
>By the way, can someone come up with a good substitute for the :) ?
>I hate using it--it reminds me of those damn Have a nice day buttons.
>
>
>
>
>David
>dnm9@columbia.edu


-- 
________________       __        ________________   "They that can give up
\_________      \     /_ \      /      _________/  essential liberty to 
 \_________      \_____/  \____/      _________/  obtain temporary safety
  \___________________      __________________/  deserve neither liberty 
                     /______\                   nor safety."  
ALL disclaimers apply ....                           --Benjamin Franklin
	  
Newsgroups: alt.current-events.somalia