What does Christmas mean to you?

[waynie]

okay, you guys win. next week i will attend a dinner function in chinatown where i will hold a scummy workshop on "how to sponge off the NHS by shipping all your disabled relatives over to the UK".

[Thowra]

I remember as a kid Christmas used to be magical... the snow, the lights, the trying to stay awake at night to see if I could hear Santa, waking up at the crack of dawn on Christmas day to open my stocking and prodding my brother awake so he could share in the fun... the wrapping up paper fights and the long christmas day walks up the mountain....

Now? For me its commercial. It's lost its real meaning, although in some ways its becoming a time that can safely be dedicated to families with the knowledge that few other commitments will intrude.

[JamesHBeard]

I remember as a kid Christmas used to be magical... the snow, the lights, the trying to stay awake at night to see if I could hear Santa, waking up at the crack of dawn on Christmas day to open my stocking and prodding my brother awake so he could share in the fun... the wrapping up paper fights and the long christmas day walks up the mountain....

Now? For me its commercial. It's lost its real meaning, although in some ways its becoming a time that can safely be dedicated to families with the knowledge that few other commitments will intrude.

This is one reason why people have kids Claire.. so they can re-live those special moments through their children..

[Robert]

Now? For me its commercial. It's lost its real meaning.

I am so glad to hear you say that. I was having real problems thinking of something to get you this year, and now I realise you don't want anything after all. God bless you.

[trader]

Christmas is the best time of year, bar none.

As a child: Snow, lights, presents, chocolates, time off school, the christmas eve feeling.

As an adult: Rain, lights, socks, chocolates, time off work, getting drunk every night for a week.

The benefits have changed but it is still better than other time of year. I am actually being genuine when I say that for me christmas is a magical time of year and should stay that way if only for children. The way this country is going, Christmas will soon be cancelled and we will be celebrating Ramadan instead

[Thowra]

Now? For me its commercial. It's lost its real meaning.

I am so glad to hear you say that. I was having real problems thinking of something to get you this year, and now I realise you don't want anything after all. God bless you.

Wrong.

Christmas is still special. I preffer the version I had as a child. If you are short of ideas, maybe you can consider this

Trader, I do agree with you. No matter what it is special and I do find it exciting. especially going to bed on Chritmas eve, knowing that the next morning, when I wake up, it will be Christmas!

[SimonB]

Now? For me its commercial.

But isn't that jus the difference between being an innocent child ... and a cynical adult?

Christmas doesn't change, we just grow up.

[waynie]

The way this country is going, Christmas will soon be cancelled and we will be celebrating Ramadan instead

that sucks! i hope it wont come down to that.

i have been prepared for settling in uk since i was a kid, by going to international school from the age of four, attending hundreds of weekly seminars on british life, participating in familiarisation visits to uk etc.

if the uk decides to revoke all things british, then that is just short-changing migrants like me. i have a good mind to sue the government for misrepresentation and claim back the expenses incurred from my assimilation, as i have clearly been duped into learning about the wrong culture all these years.

my family had indonesian domestic servants...i could have learned about ramadan and halal meat from them for free.

[uncle_colin]

I would have thought that celebrating Christmas would offend muslims and other religions so surely it should be banned now.

Surely !

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before we here the annual news report about Christmas decorations being banned in a few towns. To be fair, this is usually put forward by complete tossers in local government. Most muslims don't seem to give a shit.

Having said that, what with the ridiculous amount of Poles in this country now with strong Christian beliefs, things might be different now.

[Rodolfo]

Of course, I do not see what is so bad about presents.

"Christmas has become so commercial..." well, buying is part of the fun.

Not so long ago we were kids, and only received gifts; but I have also found, since I begun having my own money, the joy of giving (except maybe that feeling that those presents you made were much better than what you received )

[Thowra]

There are some people I enjoy giving presents to, enjoy shopping for etc. Those are the special people in my life. THere are other people who require presents because custom dictates it, on whom I would neither waste the time nor the money, because ne matter what, it is never going to really be personal or please them.

[JamesHBeard]

Today must be a day for patheticness as on the news this morning, they were talking about renaming Christmas as its a Christian thing..

Some cool bloke emailed in and said.. "why not just scrap any reference to Christianity as it offends other religions.."

FFS !!! I AM MAD TODAY !!! THIS COUNTRY IS GETTING FUCKED UP !!!