a little celebration among friends?
by So here I am at work, not even at my desk, because some hardware on my floor is broken. And I cannot focus at someone else's desk, so here I am, on this site once again. I heard something mildly disturbing the other day, and I wanted to put it down and get some other opinions on it.
My friend told me that last Thursday, in lieu of celebrating Christmas, which we know of course to be a pagan holiday, many families celebrate some kind of "Family Day", and some even exchange presents. I wondered when I heard this how someone could do that with a clear conscience, but then I realized I do the same thing, but just not for that particular holiday . . .
For example, let's say that this Wednesday night, I go to a party (which I plan to, by the way), and drink a little, stay up all night and watch the ball drop. Doesn't that mean I just celebrated the holiday? Or, if its called a "non-New Years" party, does that make it alright? All I know is, I plan on having a good time on those very few days I have off and get to hang out with old friends and make new ones - so everyone be ready for the playground Wednesday night.
But seriously, has anyone else ever thought about this? I felt bad enough visiting my worldly family last Thursday. They know I don't celebrate, so they really don't say anything to me about it, or give me presents, but my little 8-year-old step-sister wrapped up a present and gave it to me, knowing that I don't celebrate. But she really wanted me to have it, and it was so thoughtful of her - but WHY THAT DAY, of ALL DAYS?! And I blame my father, because he knows better than to let her do it, but he let her do it anyway. *sigh* I guess I just needed to vent all that. In the end, I try to avoid the Christmas stuff, but the New Year's stuff doesn't bother me too much.
I guess that makes me a hypocrite. Hm. I've been called worse, I guess.
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Well..some holidays are hard not to celebrate. Take Thanksgiving. How does one celebrate thanksgiving? Eat a big dinner with loved ones! Now..all my family members have off from school/work for thanksgiving so my dad uses his free time to cook because he enjoys doing that. my sister visits us and so does my grandma and we all eat together. Does that mean we're celebrating thanksgiving?
Also..Fourth of July. Only way to celebrate it- watch fireworks and wear flag colored clothing. Well really, how can you not watch fireworks? They're so cool!
yeah it's tough.
to celebrate something means to engage in ceremony or festivities, and ceremony means "A formal act or set of acts performed as prescribed by ritual or custom"
so celebrating something usually means purposefully doing something with the particular event in mind. for instance, as thatdarngirl mentioned with thanksgiving: the typical ceremonies of thanksgiving include eating a turkey dinner, getting together with family, but it also includes the whole pilgrim thing, native americans, history, nationalistic pride and stuff like that.
so, does eating a turkey dinner with family on any day of the year mean you are celebrating thanksgiving because that's one of the thanksgiving ceremonies? or is it really the motivation and reason for having the dinner what makes it "celebrating" the holiday?
i think its wacked that some families have "gift giving day" around the same time as another holiday...
and who needs a specific date to stay up late and drink, it just sorta happens although you won't always see a ball drop unless u drink alot and then anything can look like anything
hahah magnum we gotta create some good times
I don't think its being hypocritical....new years is just like any other day, as long as you don't scream the whole HAPPY NEW YEAR theme or sing....
Its as if u were hanging out with your friends on a weekend....its normal LOL
last year we went to bethel new years day and our tour guide asked us who had watched the ball drop. and we were all like, "well no." and he's like well yeah up here there was so much noise and it was crazy last nite."
Haha I like the idea of exchanging presents on another day like your parents wedding anniversary. I don't see anything wrong with a family getting together to celebrate the parents wedding and exchange presents with one another for it.
i liked our COs most recent talk. he was saying how one family called easter "pretty egg day", so they could get away with it, but he brought out the expression "a rose is a rose is a rose". Stuff is always what it is no matter what you call it. He likened it to a woman who caught her husband cheating on her. would it make any difference if he said "oh, i don't call it 'adultery', i just call it a 'sleepover'"? of course not. so celebrating a worldly holiday, regardless of what you call it, would be spiritual adultury. however, if somebody gives you a christmas present, its obviously a consience matter if you're going to accept it. i dont think i would consider that celebrating the holiday because you're not taking an active part.
hahaha "a sleepover"
This a good debate. I live with worldly people (my family) and I definitely think that if you partake in holiday like activities with worldly relatives it can definitely be taken the wrong way. I have to be careful that what I do isn't confused for something else by my family. However, if you go to a party on January 1 with witness friends, aren't you just taking advantage of the day off from work? I definitely think this is a personal decision, but intent and the activities taking place are important to consider.