The feature story on peacefmonline asks, 'Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday or a Christian Holy Day? The article goes on to say, "Christmas is ironically as foreign to the Bible as democracy is to Communist China."
I've always thought the overrated popularity of Xmas was largely in part due to the organized efforts of and thanks to the retail sales industry. I also knew that some of the traditions of Christmas, in fact the greatest symbol of it all - the Christmas tree, was a pagan tradition. So go ahead non-Christians, putting up a Christmas tree will not make you any more Christian than a Muslim who believes in Jesus.
Here's more food for thought: "Thus, our modern day Christmas is an amalgam of prominent and notable pagan feasts and the Nativity story of the gospels."
"If, for the sake of argument, Christians could commemorate the date of the Christ’s birth, the next logical question would be: When was the Christ born? The opinions on this question are as diverse as the different species of bacteria inhabiting our planet."
In the end, why can't we just celebrate Christmas for what it is, a holiday that brings us (hopefully) closer, reminds us to remember family and friends, and reminisce about the year coming to its end soon after. If it also brings us closer to our loved ones, including God for some people, then so be it.
By the way, enough of this political correctness. If you want to wish someone a Merry Christmas, just do it. It doesn't make the person saying it more Christian or religious than the one who's on the receiving end. If as a Muslim I say Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends, I do not become a Jew. And if I say it unknowingly to some Jewish atheist, he or she will not (and should not) take it to mean I've converted to Judaism or that I wish that they would. So... Merry Christmas to all and Happy Holidays!
