Festivals..

[Sanjog]

Do you celebrate it? I mean the festivals related to the religion before you found the Dhamma...To what extent,why?

[cooran]

Hello Sanjog,

I’m the only Buddhist in my extended family – everyone else is Christian or Nominal Christian. For Aussies, Easter and Christmas are more cultural festivals than sacred ceremonies.

So … come Easter, I give and receive chocolate easter eggs and bunnies just like everyone else. I don’t attend any Easter Church ceremony.

Come Christmas-time, I give and receive presents just like everyone else, and attend parties. I don’t attend any actual Church ceremony, but may join in Carols by Candlelight.

For most Australians, the religion is Christianity – but the largest proportion of Australians are ‘’Hatched, Matched, and Despatched’’ Christians. i.e. they only attend church on three occasions in their lives which is to be baptised as an infant, to be married, and to be buried.

With metta
Chris

[Phra Chuntawongso]

Hi Sanjog.I never really celebrated anything before I became a buddhist,but at christmas time I would give presents to younger kids.
For many years I was in Thailand over the christmas period and it seemed to be the Thais more than the farang who got into the christmas spirit.A lot of this I guess was for our benefit,and while I hated the run up to christmas in the west,you know all the adds on tv about what you must get your children yada yada yada and this seemed to me to start earlier and earlier each year,I appreciated the Thai people wanting to make us feel at home.When Thais came up to me on christmas day to wish me a merry christmas I would wish them one as well.
I guess one thing that I have learned since becoming a buddhist is its OK to join in with your non buddhist friends on their special days.
With metta

[Laurens]

Christmas is not Christian. People all over the world would celebrate around the winter solstice. It was a pagan festival when the Romans decided to transform it into a Christian festival (because the people were reluctant to give up their traditional festivities). The whole "Christmas" thing is pretty much just a new name on an ancient festival. Celebrate the solstice if you don't believe in Christ. No need to give it up, the only thing that is Christian about it is the name.

[Ben]

Christmas is cool, I think. There's something in the gift-giving that can be very wholesome.
But I guess for many people it tends to be a vehicle for their craving and aversion.
This Christmas will be the first in 21 years I'll actually be on a silent retreat.
It won't be easy for my family or myself being away but I know the payoff will dwarf the effect of my absence.

[Phra Chuntawongso]

I started to get disillusioned with the whole thing after I reached that age when people stopped giving me toys and money in my card and started giving me sensible stuff like clothes.The clothes were normally typical NO DADS.As in NO DAD don't make me wear that.The 8 weeks school holiday was cool though.

[Sanjog]

Thanks to everyone who replied. Today was the greatest Hindu festival(among Nepalese people, at least). Did my best not to break the percepts, and was mostly successful, whilst having fun