THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS GONE

The Ether Zone ^ | 11/01 | Dorothy Anne Seese

[TomServo]

Bump....

[Zorobabel]

amen bump

[SamAdams76]

I posted several weeks ago that the same nimrods who usually spend this time of year desecrating Nativity Scenes and trying to get Christmas Trees banned from town squares, are now busying themselves with ensuring that the U.S. military "respects" Ramadada-ding-dong, or whatever that stupid holiday is called.

I never was able to figure out why liberal extremists were so concerned over a religious holiday similar to the one that they have been so busy stamping out these past few decades. The liberal extremists (who are in the distinct minority) have managed to ruin or at the very least, diminish Christmas for all the rest of us.

I'll give you just one example of this. When I was growing up in the 1970s, my school would have a Christmas pageant. Usually we would have a play celebrating the birth of Christ. Kids would compete to see who could play Joseph or Mary. Others were content to play sheep and other farm animals. Then we would sing Christmas carols, usually "O Come All Ye Faithful," "We Three Kings," and "Silent Night." It should be noted that even the Jewish kids in my class participated. They didn't seem to have a problem with it in those days. And if they opted to sit out the birth of Jesus play, it certainly wasn't noticed or made a big deal of.

Now that I have sons going through school, I can see the difference. Now it is called a "Holiday pageant." There are no plays or skits. They just line up on stage and sing "Jingle Bell Rock," "Frosty the Snowman" and "Winter Wonderland." Not a shred of evidence, not even a hint, that this might be a "religious" holiday. And the teacher running the pageant will make sure to mention that everybody have a happy Kwaanza, even though there might be maybe three black kids in the entire school, and they probably don't even know what Kwaanza is, because they are just your normal American kids who are thinking about Santa Claus like everybody else.

[Dakota gal in Seattle]

I've always told my non-Christian friends that I could worship a tree, a book, or a clod of grass. But, when I told them that I was a Born Again Christian I would be held up in riddicule. That no intelligent person could believe that. What they do not understand is that intelligence has nothing to do with believing. It is all about Faith.

[dansangel]

Bump to patent, .45man.

So....they finally took "Christ" out of "Christmas." Why am I not surprised? A classic case of worshipping the almighty dollar. And people all around me can't understand why we put up a creche and not a Christmas Tree. I guess it's a lost cause......

[mostlyundecided]

Hope we won't need to hide our celebration in the future as we have in the past (see tidbit below), but just in case, here it is:

From 1558 to 1829, Catholics living in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. During this period, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as a Catechism song for young Catholics.

The hidden meanings of the song's gifts were intended to help children remember lessons of their faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song refers to God. The "me" who receives the presents symbolizes every baptized person. The "Partridge in a pear tree" is Jesus Christ. In the song, Jesus is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless chicks.

The other symbols' meanings are:

2 Turtle Doves - the Old and New Testaments

3 French Hens - Faith, Hope and Charity

4 Calling Birds - the Four Gospels

5 Golden Rings - the first five books of the Old Testament, which give the history of man's fall from grace.

6 Geese a-laying - the six days of Creation

7 Swans a-swimming - the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

8 Maids a-milking - the eight Beatitudes

9 Ladies Dancing - nine fruits of the Holy Spirit

10 Lords a-leaping - the Ten Commandments

11 Pipers Piping - the eleven faithful Disciples

12 Drummers Drumming - the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed

[Betteboop]

thank you for that information

[Osinski]

It'll only be renamed if people let it be renamed. Remember New Coke.

[MissAmericanPie]

I think we should just refuse to shop a store that calls Christmas the Holiday Season. I have found that nothing says it better than money.

[dansangel]

Thank-you for that insightful post! Neither my husband nor I had heard of that before. Very inspirational and will certainly change how I listen to that song from now on.

[DKNY]

Same situation at my son's school, it's now the Holiday Concert and Holiday Party. Christmas vacation is now Winter Break.

[DKNY]

Thanks so much, we recently had this discussion couldn't recall all of the meanings behind the words.

[nopardons]

I never knew this. Many thanks for a most informative post.

[mostlyundecided]

Your welcome!

I got it from an old Catholic publication many years ago.

I am so surprised I haven't seen it in mainstream media over the years...it is such a great story!

[dansangel]

See it in mainstream media? Hoo-boy, don't hold your breath. It doesn't fit the leftist, secular agenda.

That's why we need people like you and forums like FR to keep us informed! Again, many thanks for the education.

[mostlyundecided]

Thought you might like this one, too. I collect tidbits like this to share with my kids...

THE CANDY CANE
Did you know what it symbolizes?

It is a hard candy because the church is built on solid rock and God's promises are a firm foundation. (Matt 16:18) (1Thess 5:24)

The large red stripe is for the blood Jesus shed for our sins on the cross. (Eph 1:7)
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

The white is for Jesus innocence ( Heb 4:15) (Rev 7:14)
For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - - yet was without sin.) and our innocence we have in Him (Rev 7:9)
"These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." The white also shows the virgin birth of Jesus (Matt 1:23)

Finally the cane is made in the shape of the Good Shepherd's staff, and turned upside down for the letter 'J' in Jesus by whom we are saved (John 10:11)
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (Acts 4:12)

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

So remember that Jesus Christ is the real meaning of Christmas. He can be seen in a simple candy cane.

You can have Him forgive you and come into your life by simply turning your heart to Him.

[patent]

It amazes me that the powers that be aren't happy to have made Christ's birth a secular holiday, now some want to kill it entirely. Really sad.

Thanks for the bump.

patent

[Jay W]

I went to a local grocery store today and notice they had holiday signs up all up and down the aisles.

I saw one sign that said "Happy Hanukkah." Good. It's good that this holiday get recognition, and I have no problem with that.

Moving down the aisle a bit, the next sign said "Happy Kwanzaa." Now, Kwanzaa is not a holiday I really respect because it's not really a holiday. But far be it for me to not want other people to celebrate it, if they want. It's just not my cup of tea.

Then there was a third sign.

Yep. The third sign said "Happy Holidays."

The aisles were filled with these three signs. I searched in vain for a missing fourth sign, and then it dawned on me, there is no fourth sign, just those three.

No "Merry Christmas" sign was anywhere to be found.

What I can't understand is why not? Is Christmas now so offensive to too many Americans, the same way the flag is on university campuses? Would people complain? Would the store lose business if it put up "Merry Christmas"? Considering that where I live Christianity is the largest religious demographic, I don't see how they'd lose money. Did orders come down from "corporate" regarding which signs to put up?

Ghost of Christmas gone is right. It started a year or two ago in the Post Offices, where you can find for sale cards, wrapping, etc. for everything BUT Christmas.

[Cindy]