The Shopping Hysteria is starting now..

It is good to teach the children to share - and they don't need any special day for that. Many of us have too many things, and want to avoid presents that add to the clutter..

@buenavida I am aware of the Jewish calendar. It's going to be early next year, so there will be 13 months on the Jewish calendar.

Actually, why not celebrate Christ every day, as he is the King who will soon rule all the earh and remove all the evil, including wars and sickness - see Revelation 21.

@buenavida I do celebrate Christ each day of my life but I also do join with my fellow Christians in celebrating the birth of Christ even if Dec. 25 is not the exact date. To me it is thought not the date and for as long as I focus on Christ in this celebration I find nothing wrong in celebrating Christmas.

Hi, reading some older discussions..hop e you see this.. If I like to give a gift, I can do it if someone needs something - not on a special day..

Have you found any proof that the Israelites of Jesus days celebrated his birthday? Or what about the first Christians? Let's continue the research..

@HebrewGreekStudies The Bible does not give exact rules for everything, but it gives principles we can follow. In some cases it is a personal choice what we do - but we have to think how others think of our choices - Love to God and neighbor should be the leading principles to live by.. So I choose to not take any part in festivals that include paganism in the celebration..

@buenavida No, I don't think they did. But unless there is a commandment forbidding something, then one must look on the character of what is done. For example, Hanukka isn't a Biblical feast in the Torah or the Hebrew Scriptures at all, but people still did it. Is that wrong? Or were people adding to the Torah? Some among Jews argued that by celebrating Purim people were putting an addition to the Law, and hence violating it-while others said no, we're just giving thanks to God as a memorial. Now, are some celelbrations of Purim acceptable to God? Like, getting drunk? I would say no. But the feast itself, though not in the Torah, is still given endorcement (and part of that feast, is giving gifts). Why would a celebration regarding the birth of Christ then be outright forbidden? In a sense, one would be saying "don't celebrate the giving of God's greatest gift to the world"-are some things some do at Christmas wrong? I would say so, but that does not make the simple intent of some Christians, to give thanks, wrong. There are many things in the early Church that were custom, that we in general don't do-the hours of prayer Peter kept, beards (beards were a big deal in the early church;)...but by not doing those things, are we breaking with the Apostles and hence sinning? Most would say no. Remembering God's gift on that day, to call it a sin, one would have to invent commandments...and that is usurping God's role and claiming to speak for Him things He did not say. On this we will both agree, that is one of the problems among those who name Christ as Lord.

A good thing is that we can give gift any time of the year. Giving our time and attention is very appreciated by children and grown ups..

We'd better give something without any special day in mind.. and better find out if our friends need something special..