Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

Just interested to see how many do. I myself do but only because the rest of my family does

Greetings Craig,

Same here... first with my parents and then with 'my own family', it's an atheist celebration of the presents and Santa variety.

Peace and good-will to all men is a good message though... and doesn't need Christian backing for support.

Metta,
Retro.

I only celebrate as the same reason as you. It's time to spend with family. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't celebrate it at all.

I've acknowledged Winter Solstice for many decades, usually with a gathering of friends - this is what was celebrated long before christianity expropriated it.

Since my mother died I don't celebrate Christmas I'm happy to say. I politely refuse invitations, light some candles and incense and have my special Christmas dinner of egg, chips and mayonnaise, and a nice cup of tea, in delightful peace and quiet without trees and decorations, the awful smell of cooking meat and the sound of bizarre TV programmes ! Heaven.

.

We do in my home and family, I enjoy it.

I love Christmas. Music, foods, presents,Christmas tv, and much more. I just think it is lots of fun!

I chose on occasion. If there are people to celebrate it with then I do it with them. But since I am by myself, I don't celebrate it much.

Yes I celebrate it for the same reasons as Retro gave.
Its also fun.

ben

An opportunity to have fun with the ones I love, respect and cherish? Yeah, of course! Not too fussed about the exchanging of gifts though; we just get together and enjoy each other's company.

I've always struggled to get into the spirit of Christmas, but I've always tried. The whole 'family thing' seems like a really good idea. As a family we've always celebrated Christmas as a secular event.

The thought just occured to me, what would I (or you) do if Christmas Day was an Uposatha Day? Sounds perfect to me, a day focused on metta without the frills that I can neither abide nor afford

Ajahn Chah was a great advocate of the ( appropriate ) celebration of Christmas.

Sanghamitta wrote:Ajahn Chah was a great advocate of the ( appropriate ) celebration of Christmas.

I have a photo of him with a bunch of Western monks with a Xmas Buddha-bush. I'll scan it and upload here.

I gather that the first year he suggested that the monastary had a Christmas tree it caused quite a stir.

I love X mas. However, this year I have (paying) guests over X mas, I hesitated to have my sleep peace and rest disturbed, but I need the money.

So, I' have mixed emotions.

But X mas is fine with me.