Alternative Christmas?

FullblownRose

For those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, do any of you have any kind of non traditional celebration?

I'm especially looking for ideas for an alternative to the traditional christmas tree..

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

dmc17

A Christmas bush?

charlietheminxx

Doesn't the tree tradition stem from Yule and not Christmas anyway?

Although personally I would go with Groot.

PCX

What about the Holiday Armadillo?

mylittlepony

Great idea.

'Xmas' Red flowers poinsettia

whats the alternative for presents and cards?

Why is the kris kindle not popular enough.
It would save alot of stress on families, workplaces and circles of friends.

valentine and st patrick even easter & halloween you don't buy pressie for everyone you love.
why is xmas OTT with pressie food why go for broke for that only one month dec over all the other holidays theme day??

Mesrine65

Spend the day hallucinating on psilocybin, naked in the middle of a stone circle while worshipping Herne the hunter & the green man.

iguana

Why would you go broke. Xmas happens at the same time every year making it extremely easy to plan ahead for.

orchidsrpretty

Why bother doing it alternatively? Just don't do anything and treat it like another day if you don't want to celebrate it.

anncoates

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

Why bother doing it alternatively? Just don't do anything and treat it like another day if you don't want to celebrate it.

Yeah but then nobody would know you were repudiating Christmas which would be no fun.

FullblownRose

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

Why bother doing it alternatively? Just don't do anything and treat it like another day if you don't want to celebrate it.

Doing nothing is a bit boring. I want to capitalise on the air of excitement at this time of year but I feel false about following the traditions that religious people have. Everyone has time off work too so itd be nice to make something of it, and decorating can be fun.

FullblownRose

anncoates wrote: »

Yeah but then nobody would know you were repudiating Christmas which would be no fun.

Im not repudiating Christmas, just not participating in the conventional way because I'm not religious.
I have every respect for other peoples beliefs and their way of celebrating it.

McDermotX

FullblownRose

charlietheminxx wrote: »

Doesn't the tree tradition stem from Yule and not Christmas anyway?

Although personally I would go with Groot.

Yes you're right it does, like a lot of traditions that have been borrowed and adapted over the years.

If I use a tree I'll probably just decorate it a bit differently..although it seems like a waste of a tree

Autonomous Cowherd

charlietheminxx wrote: »

Doesn't the tree tradition stem from Yule and not Christmas anyway?

Although personally I would go with Groot.

This groot! this groot
http://www.nerdist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Smaller-dancing-groot.gif

We don't ''do'' christmas per se, although we do a tree as i LOVE the tree and the lights ....but the whole commercial religious mania is not my bag. However this year with the kids coming home from far flung parts we have agreed to a Christmas Cinemathon with couches, projector, hard drive of 1000s of movies, screen hung from the ceiling made from white bed sheets and me supplying home made snacks and meals. Yay!!! CANNOT WAIT

Grayson

festivus?

At least it pissed of Megyn Kelly on Fox News.

The Backwards Man

I cope half a bottle of brandy in me Christmas morning and wing it from there.

Manach

Dress up in Victorian garb a la Scrooge?

FullblownRose

love this! zombie nativity scene ..

http://zombiechristmas.org/

FullblownRose

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I cope half a bottle of brandy in me Christmas morning and wing it from there.

It was Christmas Eve babe, in the drunk tank!

The_Valeyard

Nah, I like the traditional Christmas. Turkey, ham, wine, mass, annoying family, friends, fire going, decorations everywhere. It's all good.

FullblownRose

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Nah, I like the traditional Christmas. Turkey, ham, wine, mass, annoying family, friends, fire going, decorations everywhere. It's all good.

It's lovely, its just not really me

anncoates

FullblownRose wrote: »

Im not repudiating Christmas, just not participating in the conventional way because I'm not religious.
I have every respect for other peoples beliefs and their way of celebrating it.

I'm atheist but still love the traditional stuff of the tree, decorations, presents for the kids etc. Wouldn't even occur to me that it's construed as religious but fair enough.

anncoates

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I cope half a bottle of brandy in me Christmas morning and wing it from there.

That's disgraceful.


Only half a bottle?

FullblownRose

anncoates wrote: »

I'm atheist but still love the traditional stuff of the tree, decorations, presents for the kids etc. Wouldn't even occur to me that it's construed as religious but fair enough.

Yes, and that was my approach until recently. I grew up with the same kind of traditions too.
There's meaning in it without religion for many people, I just want to do something a bit different, and was wondering if anyone ese here has/intends to, that's all.

anncoates

Used to have a colleague that went away to different places with her husband every Christmas and loved it. Probably not practical for everybody though.

Cantremember

There is an alternative christmas. It's much better. Drive to Dublin airport. Get on a plane to sunshine and holiday resort. Enjoy.

The Backwards Man

anncoates wrote: »

That's disgraceful.


Only half a bottle?

Yeah, a magnum. In not superman!

Too Tough To Die

Grayson wrote: »

festivus?

At least it pissed of Megyn Kelly on Fox News.

That wasn't Megyn Kelly.

looksee

FullblownRose wrote: »

Yes you're right it does, like a lot of traditions that have been borrowed and adapted over the years.

If I use a tree I'll probably just decorate it a bit differently..although it seems like a waste of a tree

Its not a waste of a tree, they are grown as a crop, so it is no different than buying a bunch of flowers. Or you could have an imitation one, which is a bit of a petrochemical-fest purchase initially, but if you keep it long enough it probably averages out. Or something.

Pumpkinseeds

I like Christmas, but we, like most people don't do anything even remotely religious. Enjoy it while you can, it probably won't be long before the word 'Christmas' is outlawed because it might offend some minority and replaced permanently with 'the holidays'.

The_Valeyard

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I like Christmas, but we, like most people don't do anything even remotely religious. Enjoy it while you can, it probably won't be long before the word 'Christmas' is outlawed because it might offend some minority and replaced permanently with 'the holidays'.

I disagree with 'most people'. I find at Christmas mass church is absolutely packed.

Grayson

Too Tough To Die wrote: »

That wasn't Megyn Kelly.

You're right, I got confused.

Megan Kelly is the person who went nuts on fox because someone had a black santa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XYlJqf4dLI

Pumpkinseeds

The_Valeyard wrote: »

I disagree with 'most people'. I find at Christmas mass church is absolutely packed.

Really, how many of those people do you see at mass on any given Sunday throughout the year?;)

floggg

FullblownRose wrote: »

For those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, do any of you have any kind of non traditional celebration?

I'm especially looking for ideas for an alternative to the traditional christmas tree..

Whats the point in "not celebrating Xmas" if you want to celebrate something equivalent to Xmas.

Why not just celebrate Xmas and ignore any non-applicable idealogical or other parts you don't like?

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Only thing left in our house (that is, my parents' house) that's vaguely religious is the crib, but that's now entirely made up of old Action Mans and Bratz Dolls (pretty hoory looking angels, tbh) that started getting phased in as we lost/broke the original figures. Granny would throw a fit if she saw it, luckily she's 82 and doesn't really do the Christmas visits anymore

We've loads of little traditions that have grown up over the years, still have the tree and the turkey and the quality street and all that but it's very specifically our Christmas and not a bit religious. Only time in the whole year that the five of us are guaranteed to be in the same place at the same time (plus whatever strays we adopt for dinner, have three this year), full of food and drink and smoke and shítetalking. Wouldn't change it for the world.

The_Valeyard

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Really, how many of those people do you see at mass on any given Sunday throughout the year?;)

That why I said at Christmas, seems a lot more special time of year for people than the usual Sunday church thinge. :pac:

marklazarcovic

now that i think of it, we have always celebrated christmas,but its never had religious overtones... just decorate,buy silly xmas jumpers,cook a big meal ,stuff your face,watch tv,drink... hey presto...

bodice ripper

I sit down and write letters to TDs to try and get the word christmas banned, you know, for the laugh.

Lyaiera

bodice ripper wrote: »

I sit down and write letters to TDs to try and get the word christmas banned, you know, for the laugh.

I write letters to Santa to try and get TDs banned.

OneArt

Well, I always put a skull at the top of the tree to remind the family that even though it's Christmas, people still die.

Skullface McGubbin

When I first saw the thread title, I assumed it was about some sort of Hipster version of Christmas.

FullblownRose

Colby Calm Scaffolding wrote: »

Only thing left in our house (that is, my parents' house) that's vaguely religious is the crib, but that's now entirely made up of old Action Mans and Bratz Dolls (pretty hoory looking angels, tbh) that started getting phased in as we lost/broke the original figures. Granny would throw a fit if she saw it, luckily she's 82 and doesn't really do the Christmas visits anymore

We've loads of little traditions that have grown up over the years, still have the tree and the turkey and the quality street and all that but it's very specifically our Christmas and not a bit religious. Only time in the whole year that the five of us are guaranteed to be in the same place at the same time (plus whatever strays we adopt for dinner, have three this year), full of food and drink and smoke and shítetalking. Wouldn't change it for the world.

That's what I mean really...love your familiys christmas nativity figures A friend of mine had an action man instea of an angelon top of his tree
I love cribs in general too, some of the traditional ones are really beautiful
I get whatyou mean, it's important for families and forus itsone of the rare times were all off work and can get together

FullblownRose

floggg wrote: »

Whats the point in "not celebrating Xmas" if you want to celebrate something equivalent to Xmas.

Why not just celebrate Xmas and ignore any non-applicable idealogical or other parts you don't like?

Im already doing that. but its a bit empty as there no particular reason other than 'everyoneelses doing it'. some of my friends celebrate Yule instead and decorate with a pagan theme. I would just like ideas as i have none. Anything fun and different!

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

FullblownRose wrote: »

That's what I mean really...love your familiys christmas nativity figures A friend of mine had an action man instea of an angelon top of his tree
I love cribs in general too, some of the traditional ones are really beautiful
I get whatyou mean, it's important for families and forus itsone of the rare times were all off work and can get together

The decorations get a bit out of hand to be honest a few years ago my dad was left on his own in the house for the afternoon, my mam landed back and he'd put a spiral of cup-hooks around the light over the kitchen table, suspended fairy lights between them and twined ivy through the lights. That's now become a tradition. It does look fab though.

There are other things that I forget aren't actually standard Christmas traditions, like every December 23rd we all go see a film, it started with The Fellowship of the Ring and we've done it every year since. My siblings and I put together stockings for my parents (whiskey, magazines, chocolates, stuff like that), and the three of us (ages 19-25) still get stockings from them. People sometimes look at us like we're a bit odd, five grown adults still going bananas over Christmas, but fcukit, it's great. I really like the tradition of having the "strays" over for dinner too, there've been a few people, mostly childless older men, who hadn't bothered with Christmas for years before they came to ours and really reconnected with the whole thing.

The_Valeyard

OneArt wrote: »

Well, I always put a skull at the top of the tree to remind the family that even though it's Christmas, people still die.

You must be great fun

qt3.14

FullblownRose wrote: »

For those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, do any of you have any kind of non traditional celebration?

I'm especially looking for ideas for an alternative to the traditional christmas tree..

Instead of going to mass Xmas eve, the heathens in my extended family come up to move and we consume as much baked ham sandwiches and alcohol as we can in the hour the others are gone.