Heres a trivial question, just to see what all people have to say about it. ?????The Holidays?????

Comment

Comment by Torey on December 1, 2008 at 5:06am

Well as far as holidays are concerned (Christian ones), I tend to look at it like this. "Holidays" = "holy days" In the Christian religion, regardless of whether or not they 'borrowed' their rites or even their deities from older Pagan traditions - it's THEIR holiday. If one of my particular holidays also falls on the same day as my family's Christian holiday - then I celebrate my holiday privately and join them for the celebration of theirs. I feel that to pray to another deity whilst all are gathered in the honor of another is a great disrespect. Even though "Christmas" is not technically on Christ's birthday, we are celebrating his birthday. It is not respectful to pray to my own deity whilst others are honoring Christ. As a polytheist, I will honor Christ as I have no more reason to discriminate against him nor any other divinity in the Christian pantheon than I do with the Norse, Egyptian or Babylonian pantheons. Would you disrespect Odin during an observance of his holy day during a ritual in his honor? Not likely. So why would you disrespect the Christian divinities? That's how I look at it, anyway.

Comment by Alandra Nicole Moreira on November 30, 2008 at 9:00pm

My family isn't that religious, however I go to a military school that is Christian based, and we have to attend church every Monday morning and say prayers. I listen to what they say and respect their religion, they take theirs just as serious as I do mine right? It's a golden rule, however if the say a prayer I'll listen to it but I don't say Amen at the end instead after it's they're done with their prayer I give my own thanks to the Goddess. May I regard my school is against Wicca and anything to do with magick. Blessed Be.

Comment by strangeambitions on November 29, 2008 at 3:30pm

first, regardless of the 'holiday' you pick it has pagan roots to it. Thanksgiving, the harvest festival, a celebration of community, we had a wonderful bonfire last night, we ate and ate and ate and looked forward to the turning of the year. Christmas is a pleasure regardless of your beliefs, (I have a particular dislike for the jerusalem cults so bear with me) virgin births were as common back a couple thousand years and more than girls with tattoos on their lower backs are now. of course it was always some god who was to blame for knocking up these poor virgins; and the celebration of the depth of winter, the fire to bring back the light of the sun, even the lamp oil that would never give out, that would carry the fire into the coming of spring. as time goes on you will lose your fear, there is no coming out of the broom closet and there is no monolithic religious consensus looking to slap you down. you have taken the responsibility for your own relationship to the universe, a vast quantity of people have not (fear probably plays a part in many cases; wisdom dictates you don't piss off a scared animal, person or anything with a consciousness.) believe me after a few years no one even cares I'm a pagan anymore. I'm going to a Roman Catholic church for the candlelight service Christmas Eve with some friends. the private Latin language (and it will be latin ) incomprehensible but flowing just like the pagan chants they stole it from; the fire spreading out from the central altar, look me in the eye and tell me this isn't ripped off from some local or common pagan practice. I've said hundreds of times hey, I may be a pagan but I love Christmas, most of it is pagan stuff anyway. most people, even family, just let it go, oh they'll say you're going through a phase, or it's because his wife died; somebody might even ask you a question and you can talk: that being said, nobody likes a dick who keeps pushing his opinion on you (the Rays should have won the series, if somebody brings it up I won't have any difficulty arguing with them and demonstrating just how wrong...or if they want to talk about how god wrote the bible him very self; I might just tell them about history and Constantine and how they edited the whole thing to make it so a religious movement could transform itself totally into a political entity in the 300's and there's probably twice on the cutting room floor than you've got in your hands and...so you see I can be a dick too.) you can't be a pagan and not celebrate the cycle of the year, don't think you're trying to convert them any more than you want them to convert you. say it, shut up about it, look what they're doing, not what they're saying. a tree with burning lights brought into the house, celebrating the return of the sun, a gathering of family and clan and tribe to feast and give gifts to one another to deepen and strengthen their ties.

Comment by LovelyLuna on November 29, 2008 at 9:57am

I live in the bible belt..Hard Core Southern Babtist.. I don't do much with my Imediate family..Don't consider myself apart of them. and they me. They know I'm different.Just not talked about. We are kind to one another, but like you I am looked down upon because I am not christian. The holidays are a time of love for my children and let them judge for themselves what to beleive in. ..but i do put my two cents in and let it be know that most Christian holidays are from the pagans..It is a time of hope and love, togetherness.

Comment by Rebecca (Community Moderator) on November 29, 2008 at 6:42am

I agree about the time of prayer - it's an opportunity to do your own, your own way... and an opportunity to teach tolerance and practice it....

Comment by Rich on November 27, 2008 at 5:39pm

I winged it for the linking hands and crap. But next year, i will have to be public with my family. I have kept my beliefs to myself long enough.

Comment by erthgoddss on November 27, 2008 at 4:49pm

I don't have any physical contact with my relatvies... so I don't have to worry about that. My friends are aware that I don't celebrate their holidays... and are ok with it... well ... they aren't but they don't force it on me.

As far as the prayer thing goes... I used to attend Al Anon meetings... they do the serenity prayer there just like AA... but it is not MY prayer. When everyone would join hands... I would stand oustide the circle... and say my own prayer. They honored that. I don't know if your family would allow you to do the same. If you don't have to link hands... simply lower your eyes... and say your own prayer... of if you don't feel a prayer is needed... just think of something else. :)

Comment by Ffawn on November 27, 2008 at 12:11pm

Blessings Ray. I just look at it like this, I celebrate my way on my Sabbats and for "traditions sake", I celebrate with my family as well. You get to party 2 times instead of just one...lol -Be Blessed

Comment by bratchild on November 27, 2008 at 10:10am

We celebrate Yule in my house, but when the family is all together, and they are very active christians, I am respectful of their beliefs, even if I don't personally share them. My children, when they were growing up, realized that while we celebrated one way, the rest of the family celebrated differently. It taught them tolerance, even when they weren't shown tolerence by others. As for holidays like Thanksgiving, it is a good time to get together and make the holiday yours by setting your own traditions. Most of the pagan holi-days are very close to the big Christian ones, Instead of bemoaning that fact we always tried to make our holiday special for us, disregarding what others thought or did, then we'd get together with the rest of the family.

Comment by Katie on November 27, 2008 at 10:10am

Hi Ray, Um i think the holidays are important because of food(yum) and spending time with family just because what you practice is looked down by your family doesn't mean its right for you to do the same you don't want to pass that to your kid right? Teach to understand all religions and respects then you will have a better understanding, I think you are very bright you will figure it out. Love and light!

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