CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

Guess this is sort of a "part 2" to that one topic a bit agoI did, about almost getting "caught up" with the "theme" of "Christmas".

So, today at work first off, I realized that the theme of "Christmas" is basically just... winter :/ And then I JUST realized something: winter doesn't even HAVE anything to do with Christmas. I mean, the Middle East doesn't get that stuff there :/ But anyhow, yeah it's like with the whole Christmas purpose, it's like... celebrating the season of winter, really :/ The huge theme in my store this year is penguins. And I won't even start about how those aren't even related^^

But back onto my subject header...
So, the music over the PA started up Christmas music today (been on and off with the regular stuff, but now steady) and they've TOTALLY been leaving out the REAL Christmas music! No Silent Nights or What Child is This? and so on :/ And its kinda funny because for the non-traditional Christmas music, (like, newer stuff that isn't Jingle Bells etc), the lyrics are about how exciting the Christmas season is. Then I got thinking "seriously, what ARE they singing about that so exciting about it?" They make it sound like one day someone back in history decided to give presents and celebrate family, and declared it to be some random holiday :/ But yeah... I was just missing some old favorite REAL Christmas songs...

Yeah... it's like they're totally kicking out the "denominational" music altogether, and it's saddening v_v... I was happy to see in the toy section a book titled "Jesus" and that made me happy^^ Either than that and the nativity scenes, it's getting pretty bad... The world's sad v_v...

I want to know why they are trying to take Christ out of Christmas.

its truely sad that they would want to do that.

It just makes me so mad!

The funniest [or saddest, depending on your POV] thing is that non-Christians shouldn't even be celebrating Christmas. It'd be like Christians celebrating Ramadan [a Muslim holiday]. They have no reason to.

.rai//

Raiden no Kishi wrote:The funniest [or saddest, depending on your POV] thing is that non-Christians shouldn't even be celebrating Christmas. It'd be like Christians celebrating Ramadan [a Muslim holiday]. They have no reason to.

.rai//

What's even funnier is Christmas being a federal holiday when it's a religious celebration...what happened to separation of church and state?

Not trying to be political, I'm just saying... >.>

Oh, I agree. My mom and I were listening to Fred Waring (I think that's how it's spelled..) today, and one of the things he says is that the real meaning for the Christmas season is Jesus. You really don't hear that anymore, and it's sad. :/

I'm sort of curious why people even care so much - they were playing "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger" and such for decades over the speakers of department stores and on the radio, and I doubt it brought the majority of non-Christians any lasting mental scars. I don't like hearing about casual sex in music today, I don't agree with it, it's not a part of my belief system, but I'm not giving myself a hernia trying to remove it from the airwaves. =/

I was just thinking to myself today, "What does My Favorite Things have to do with Christmas -- or even winter? The movie it comes from took place in the middle of summer!" I sometimes can't understand people's logic... O_o;

[quote="TheMelodyMaker"]I was just thinking to myself today, "What does My Favorite Things have to do with Christmas -- or even winter? The movie it comes from took place in the middle of summer!" I sometimes can't understand people's logic... O_o]

The only connection I can make is use of the word "mittens" and "snoflakes that fall on my nose and eyelashes" :/ Either than that, I guess they made it some materialistic song that has to do with wanting presents, or something like that. Can't really remember if I really noticed it playing with Christmas music before, but you're totally right.

Oh, and just thinking about it... With those "Jesus" books I mentioned that I saw in toys, they were sorta tucked away in the corner >_< Oy... It's like saying "Jesus is involved with Christmas... but we like to tuck him away and think of snow^^" :/ *sigh*... If I'm down there in that department tomorrow, I should move it out into the open^^

[quote="TheMelodyMaker"]I was just thinking to myself today, "What does My Favorite Things have to do with Christmas -- or even winter? The movie it comes from took place in the middle of summer!" I sometimes can't understand people's logic... O_o]


That's considered a Christmas song? Weird, it has nothing to do with Christmas at all...not even winter, really...O_o

Raiden no Kishi wrote:The funniest [or saddest, depending on your POV] thing is that non-Christians shouldn't even be celebrating Christmas. It'd be like Christians celebrating Ramadan [a Muslim holiday]. They have no reason to.

.rai//

*sheepishly thinks about extended family* ;>_>

But that bothers me too. :/

I can give you a link to radio station that you can listen to on the net. Its from Atlanta and they play christmas music as is.

Wingzero22

Wingzero22 wrote:I can give you a link to radio station that you can listen to on the net. Its from Atlanta and they play christmas music as is.

Well yeah easy to find places on the net to listen to the real stuff, but it sure doesn't beat walking (or working) in a store and listening to some nice tunes^^

I'm curious... if it's just my stores' radio station (of the constant music without disturbance etc) is one that knocked it off, and if others stores mgiht be on a different station and if it might be different. *shrugs* Looks like I'll just have to wonder around stores more and find out^^ I know for sure they played stuff last year, but after working 7 1/2 hours today, not once did I hear an actual Christmas song >_<

Yeah, don't forget the Southern Hemispherians!

I have mixed feelings on this. Christmas was a pagan holiday to begin with (celebration of the winter solstice) that Christians of the time adapted to their faith (there was a reason for this, but I forget it now). So basically, we hijaked (for whatever reasons) this holiday and now that Christianity is no longer as pervasive as it once (in my opinion anyway) was (in that particular time period), non-Christian ideas are beginning to retake it. Don't get me wrong, it greatly saddens me that this beautiful tradition is slowly becoming something else, but I wonder if it really makes a difference.

I just wonder if the pagans felt the same way about it XDDD

"I miss my pagan music. Why are they taking the procreation theme out of easter?! It's not Saturnalia without Saturn!"

You have to wonder.

Valkaiser wrote:Don't get me wrong, it greatly saddens me that this beautiful tradition is slowly becoming something else, but I wonder if it really makes a difference.

Somehow... I don't think that Christmas would be the "Christmas" you see now with even Santa and reindeer all that stuff, or even an (almost) universally celebrated holiday, if it wasn't for the REAL Christmas. Sure, we don't know when it REALLY was, and all, but do you really think this holiday "tradition" would continue if all we had was the Pagan part to it? Somehow I doubt it.


...as an update for my quest to hearing Christmas music in stores, I actually heard God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen today in another store! Woot! I was so happy that for the first time, it really made it feel like Christmas^^ It was a different kinda version and stuff. Ukrainian Bell Carol followed right after it and it always sounds so Christmasy (probably from all the movies I've seen^^) even though I have yet to figure out what half the stuff they are even saying are^^

Tenshi no Ai wrote:Somehow... I don't think that Christmas would be the "Christmas" you see now with even Santa and reindeer all that stuff, or even an (almost) universally celebrated holiday, if it wasn't for the REAL Christmas. Sure, we don't know when it REALLY was, and all, but do you really think this holiday "tradition" would continue if all we had was the Pagan part to it? Somehow I doubt it.

Ah well, who's to know? (you make a good point though)

Tenshi no Ai wrote:...as an update for my quest to hearing Christmas music in stores, I actually heard God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen today in another store!

Glad you got to hear that one.
Sadly I have yet to hear Christmas music of either kind...

Valkaiser wrote:I have mixed feelings on this. Christmas was a pagan holiday to begin with (celebration of the winter solstice) that Christians of the time adapted to their faith (there was a reason for this, but I forget it now).

The Catholic Church did this with many pagan holidays. In an effort to compromise with pagans, and allow them to keep the same holidays they already had, they gave Christian meaning to many pagan holidays such as Yuletide and Easter. This helped ease their transition in converting to Christianity.

kaemmerite wrote:The Catholic Church did this with many pagan holidays. In an effort to compromise with pagans, and allow them to keep the same holidays they already had, they gave Christian meaning to many pagan holidays such as Yuletide and Easter. This helped ease their transition in converting to Christianity.

Reminds me of Mexico and their Day of the Dead: because they can be Catholics (I say Catholics only because it's HUGE down there) and make a huge thing about skeletons and food offers for their dead ancestors :/ I believe this goes for alot of Central and South America too with some practices. But that's a whole other story^^

Tenshi no Ai wrote:Reminds me of Mexico and their Day of the Dead: because they can be Catholics (I say Catholics only because it's HUGE down there) and make a huge thing about skeletons and food offers for their dead ancestors :/ I believe this goes for alot of Central and South America too with some practices. But that's a whole other story^^

The day of the dead can be traced back to the groups of people from that area, Aztec, Maya, P'urhépecha, Nahua, and Totonac.

The Day of the dead occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day. In which we celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, and celebrating the continuation of life]Wingzero22[/color]

with the media taking christ out of christmas i wouldnt be surprised if some non-christian tries to make it presentmas.

DaughterOfZion wrote:with the media taking christ out of christmas i wouldnt be surprised if some non-christian tries to make it presentmas.

Yeah, does the media really matter that much. They can try and take christ out of christmas, but they can't take it out of us, christians.


Wingzero22

Wingzero22 wrote:Yeah, does the media really matter that much. They can try and take christ out of christmas, but they can't take it out of us, christians.


Wingzero22

and that is how it should be. Christmas is a religious holiday and everyone should be able to celebrate it their own way. I'm sorry that Tenshi no Ai feels that their christmas has been spoiled by not hearing thier favorite christmas songs in their store. but just think, what If Christianity weren't a majority religion? how would you feel if NONE of your songs were played in most if not all stores! just playing advocate here. is it really such a big deal that they weren't playing music that was religion specific? sure I love to hear Christmas music during december. but when I go to public places like a store, I don't expect my religion to take priority over others. although I do agree that we are coming awfully close to celebrating "presentmas". but if that is how some people see it. then thats none of my buisness.

Interesting points on both sides. I love Christmas music and the lights and the whole spirit of the season.

The only thing that bugs me is the whole ban on nativity to scenes. However, during Christmas a child care school solved the problem of religious displays by catering to three mian holidays; Christmas, Hannaukah, and Kwanza. There wasn't any compliants from any of the parents and they like how the children learn about each holiday because it was a cultural eye opener for all the children and parents.

However one parent choose to keep there children becuase they didn't celebrate any holidays but he was respectful to the fact that all the children in the class did.

silverSky

[quote="silverSky"]Interesting points on both sides. I love Christmas music and the lights and the whole spirit of the season.

The only thing that bugs me is the whole ban on nativity to scenes. However, during Christmas a child care school solved the problem of religious displays by catering to three mian holidays]
really? well it nice to hear of schools that do not discriminate towards one religion or another. Kudos to them for being politically correct!

The other night, my boyfriend and I went driving around looking at Christmas lights. It was pretty and everything, but out of some 50 or 60 houses, only two had any kind of Nativity scene and two more just had crosses. That saddens me greatly. What are people so afraid of? This might be a poor analogy, but if Jewish families were to put menorahs and the Star of David in their yards, nobody would say anything. What's so freaking wrong with the Nativity scene, and why are Christians backing down from displaying them?

Chanukah for the win. No, really, I am a Christian (hope people would realize that without me saying anything...) and raised celebrating Christmas, but for some reason I have a serious distaste for it now. Maybe because it was always about gifts for me, and now technically any money my parents spend on me is my money too, so it sorta doesn't mean much as far as that goes.

The very sight of the gaudy and tacky lights and ornaments literally makes me nauseous. It isn't as bad this year as it was last year (which could offer an explanation as to why it was happening, I really hated ALL holidays after September of last year... I'm starting to recover from that) but I still don't like it much. Maybe an important part of me realizes how fake it is. I resent it always being about gifts with me, about me, about money and stuff. I was most excited at Christmas when I got my Super Nintendo like 12 years ago. It was that stuff.

I don't really know what this Christmas is going to look like, except my Mom is putting up decorations, including decorative towells (which interfere with the real towels I use for my showers and hand drying...) and clearing away of family pictures to put a fake little tree underneath our cereal cabinet...

"I see something underneath elicits support"

*cough*

I enjoy a lot of the stuff that goes with Christmas: food, get togethers, wine, etc. I definately think that the music should be a big part of it too. Put on a CD of the Cambridge Singers, pick up a book and sip some good wine, and that's how to get into the spirit of the holiday.

In Southern California, the season is about electric trees, santa hats, and tequila.

If your going to have tequila. don't forget the Menudo the next day! XD! I myself can't stand it. but my wife LOVES it. but then again, its not far different from hot dogs.