Do you tend to contemplate certain religious ideals during the Christmas season more than throughout the rest of the year?

Nope.

No. I think about what I want to think about, when I want to think about it, and without regard to what time of year it is, what other people are talking about, whether it's featured on a tv show, what movie I just got done watching etc. In other words, my awareness for certain things isn't usually influenced by (or correlated to) circumstances.

No. Christmas is very commercial to me. I contemplate religious ideals less during Christmas and summer because I am not in school, and tired of thinking about that sort of thing.

No.

No.

I heard of someone who had the splendid idea of making a birthday cake with 2000 candles. While I can truly understand this, I cannot understand why the rest of the year should give less reason "to contemplate certain religious ideals" than the Christmas season. In this sense, my answer is: I hope not.

Nope.. no religion for me.

No. Christmas is a secular holiday to me. The only things that are particularly important about it to me is that it breaks up the start of winter, and that a lot of my friends have time off then.

No. In fact, I don't especially care for the Christmas season -- none of the icons -- like snowmen, religious symbols, icicles, snow, Santa, etc. do a THING for me. Probably cause when I was a kid my parents used to overdo it with the decorating thing outside, complete with the usual seasonal tunes played over and over ("Frosty the Snowman" etc.). Ditto a place where I used to work -- this guy used to play Xmas tunes over and over on a tape recorder in the office loud enough to really p*ss me off. I was like, please do NOT try to force your OWN musical or religious tastes on other people, especially in the office where I am trying to concentrate on my work! Put me in a really bad mood. I'm a Buddhist and have NO memories of happy family Christmases or stuff like that -- and especially cuz the last several Christmases I have been laid off or have been a super-low-paid temp, and could not afford to buy much or ANYthing for even my best friend or my sister -- there is SO much pressure to BUY-BUY-BUY during the holiday season that it's certainly going to be a turnoff for those who can't afford to do the shopping thang. It's simply way too material. The dominating theme for Christmas, besides (to me) meaningless religious symbols, is the recurring snow-and-ice thing which I can't relate to and do NOT wish to -- UGH. This "scrooge" is NOT interested in all those fake snowflakes, talk of "white Christmases," etc.

no.

No, X-mas, or Giftmas, whichever I chose at the moment, bears no relation on my spiritual self examination.

no, the winter brings obvious thoughts of death and dying, obviously by seasonal change. pagans and christians alike celebrate this solstice with hopes of a coming spring and summer, and rebirth and renewal. its only human to reflect on death during the earths cold cycle.

Not really. I don't really associate Christmas with religion at all.

Yes

Yeah, I'm afraid the Baby Jesus figures much more prominently in my imagination during the festive season that He does during the rest of the year. Kind of odd considering; I'm not a Christian or anything...

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Only because other people keep bringing it up.

I do, sure, but I consider december 25 to be a pagan holiday.
So I have religious thoughts in many respects.

This reminds me of decemberween...

No. Well, I might this year because of one of our guests requires that the meal should be Kosher!

> -- there is SO much pressure to BUY-BUY-BUY during the holiday season
> that it's certainly going to be a turnoff for those who can't afford
> to do the shopping thang. It's simply way too material. The dominating
> theme for Christmas, besides (to me) meaningless religious symbols,
> is the recurring snow-and-ice thing which I can't relate to and do
> NOT wish to -- UGH. This "scrooge" is NOT interested in all those
> fake snowflakes, talk of "white Christmases," etc.

While I can relate to the snow-and-ice things (he, he, he... ) I agree that Christmas is too commercial. I don't get that warm and fuzzy feeling anymore of getting together, having a great meal and a great time... Now it's just drudgery, I get a week off and have to cook and serve and clean and shop and decorate and travel to see other relatives. I get back to work exhausted and broke!

It always seems like a tug-of-war now... It used to be so simple.

Does that mean you know about Homestarrunner? Such a wonderful website.

So true for so many. Instead of rest and relaxation and good feelings, it's rush, rush, rush and feelings of "I HAVE to get this person something," and higher prices paid during the holiday season for everything. And it seems to me that travel is much more of a hassle than it used to be (though I haven't HAD to travel in a very long time) -- but I hear about all those lines and delays at airports and added security, including pat-downs and having to take off articles of one's clothing...

> Does that mean you know about Homestarrunner? Such a wonderful
> website.

"Seriously."

Ahem. Don't you mean "sewiously"?

Stop! You're depressing me...

Oh, sorry. I got a couple of little items for someone at a garage sale recently; that was quite painless!

I love garage sales!
But it's too cold now, so no one is having any...

There are still some here but much less than spring-summer-fall. If it rains, some still hold them anyway. Some say, if rain, no sale. Some say, rain or shine. The estate sales are held in homes, so weather's no problem here. Where are you? If there is snow or really low temps, I can understand why no one would want to stand around in a cold garage! Our lowest temp so far has been a 42 cuz we're surrounded on 3 sides by water in SF, and this is plenty low for me! When it rains, it warms up a bit. It's spozed to start pouring any minute now.

I'm up in Montreal and it's supposed to snow (with some sleet) this morning. Great for traffic hour! I'm actually looking forward to it since it also warms up when it snows and it's been rather cold.. I hate bright, clear days in winter - they're always the coldest!
So I don't expect to see any outside garage sales until this spring... We do have outside flea markets year round but they're so picked over - you rarely find anything of interest and if you do; it's over priced.

Yes, I agree with the bright, clear days being the coldest -- here too. So we shall all await spring!

Christmas first! And with lotsa snow!

No. Probably less, actually.