Maybe its because im getting older and grumpier (and the presents I get become more depressing), I've started seeing religious festivals in a different light.
Christmas is the most obvious one.
People spend billions at this time of year, errrrrr why!
If we look at it, its just 'consumerism'. A time of the year when people buy other people stuff and eat way too much food/drink.
Nobody remembers that Jesus was born on this day, hardly anyone goes to church or remembers what Jesus actually did for humanity.
But i bet most people have bought other people gifts, with money they probably didnt have and put them under a very well decorated christmas tree (which is related to christmas how?).
I bet people signed lots of Christmas cards, (which are only really useful to the people who make them, or the people who sell stamps because of the profits they generate).
I know what your all thinking, SCROOOOOOOOGE!
But the truth is, especially in the U.K people are suffering from credit card debt like never before - people are starving around the world, freezing to death (even in the UK)..
"Two years ago, during a mild winter, deaths from cold were just 25,630. But if January is as cold as predicted, the figure could rise to 70,000."
and yet we waste millions every year on stuff we dont need!!
If I was Jesus i'd be pretty annoyed that all this is done in his name, after all it is CHRISTmas.
Wouldn't it be better to tell all your friends that they werent getting Christmas cards this year because you'd donated the £20 to an old peoples charity or cancer research? They might even follow suit!
Just a thought...
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A Confused Singh's Blog, please comment and share your thoughts.
A Confused Singh's Blog, please comment and share your thoughts.
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5 comments:
Vaahiguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa! Vaahiguroo Jee Kee Fateh!
Waheguru Jee.. what happened to your post about the Sahibzaadae, Jeeo?
bhull chuk maaf
Vaahiguroo Jee Kaa Khaalsaa! Vaahiguroo Jee Kee Fateh!
Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh Veer,
Haha, I was hoping no one would see it!
I'm staggering the posts that i write as sometimes i write 5/6 at the same time - then dont write anything for days as nothing 'comes to me'.
I'll post it tommorow Bhai Sahib.
Confused Khalsa
Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh
Hi CKji:
I hate to be one of the lone dissenters here (although I agree generally that people are putting themselves in too much cc debt), but the celebration of Christmas as we know it today actually pre-dates Christianity. The Church (now known as the Catholic Church) introduced a Christian theme to the holiday around the 4th century A.D., because they were unable to stop their new converts from practicing the holiday.
During the 16th century, the Puritans banned the celebration of Christmas in the U.K. and their colonies because they believed (correctly) that it was a pagan holiday. It did not begin truly to be celebrated again until the 19th century, largely due to companies that saw marketing potential in the practice of gift-giving.
I blogged about this history briefly on my journal with a bunch of links. And here is a link to a Minnesota Public Radio show aired last week by a historian on the subject: http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/programs/midday/listings/md20051219.shtml. It's the Midday show dated Friday, December 23rd. I found it fascinating.
Your blog is very interesting, and you write well. I'll keep up on it. (-:
--FT
thanks for your posts.
I agree, Christmas is the happiest time of the year for many people - but my only point in posting this was to remember the people less fortunate than ourselves.
Instead of buying someone a £50 gift voucher, get a £45 one and give £5 to charity - if we all did these little things we seriously could end hardship at what should be a happy time of year.
p.s i had no idea that christmas is a pagan ritual. how amazing is it that many people celebrate it from the year they are born to the day they die yet have no clue...
p.p.s i agree with you Shanti Ji, no matter what culture you are associated with - we often forget the reason we are doing things and get to wrapped up in wordly things such as the gold, the parties and the alcohol.
I think this is especially true with regards to the punjabis.
Roll on Christmas!
Shanti,
I don't think anyone here is going to disagree with your statements on the extravagence of some Sikh weddings. I think it's preciously the nature of that 'extravagence' which is being allued to in this post; except with an emphasis on Christmas as that happened to be the particular item that was prominent at this time of the year.
Just as their are Sikhs who have lovely simple Anand Karaj's followed by Guru Ka Langar and not some huge overblown booze up the same is true for Christians; there are those who use it as a time to reflect on live. love, relationships, family etc. Those who go to mass and give praise to God.
One sort of hyper consumerist, wasteful event does not negate or justify the other; be it Christmas or a Punjabi (I write that deliberately instead of Sikh) wedding; the argument is the same; it just so happened that Xmas was the event in the spotlight at the time.
The same truisms about both apply; some are graceful religious ceremonies that are a thank you to waheguru for bringing such joy to their life while others are expensive booze up where people expect to eat and drink at others expense and expect to receive even more; with a religious celemony tacked on the end. Both the events under discussion can be decadent displays of overextravagence and both can not be.
I don't think anyone was defending what you described and without attached labels to each it would be not have been possible to see if it xmas or a punjabi wedding that was being referred to. It just happened to be Christmas that was key at the time of writing.
Have a good 2006. Right I'm off to do some shopping ... just kidding ;-)
Bhul chuk marfi
ss
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