What Christmas Means to Us:
A Timed Writing Exercise.
What Christmas Means to Me
Simply, the meaning Christmas for most people is one of the biggest holidays in a year and most people have impression that they should do something fun and unique during the Christmas. But on the other hand, Christmas is a holy day from Christians point of view. Christmas is the day that Jesus Christ was born, and people every year celebrate for his birth, and appreciate the jesus being in the nature. Unfortunately, some people abuse Christmas day by becoming too commercialized.
For example, people especially in the modern world try to buy many presents for others the industries are encouraged to invent more products which is a good point, but also they tend to put too high price for certain goods which would be lower in normal seasons. Therefore, people are not becoming aware of the real meaning of Christmas but concentrate on buying things, and have fun. Secondly, there are too many problems caused from Christmas such as more crime, traffic congestion, crowdedness. Because as I said people are taking Christmas as an opportunity for them to have fun and people take advantage of this so there are lots of stealing which happens during the Christmas season.
But certainly, there are still many people who try to use Christmas holiday very memorably in order to make themselves satisfied and very holy things. For example, every year there are group of people who volunteer to go out to some institution for disabled people or orphanage in order to support them with food and make them feel happy by putting confidence on those people with hard situation. That way Christmas holiday would be very memorable. Also giving my experiences from the past, I had some nice experiences from Christmas. First of all, I am a quite religious person, so I have an idea what I need to appreciate and what I have to respect for my god’s sake. So 3 years ago in the night before the Christmas I went to Church with my friends and prayed then we sat around and talked about our future and how we have to thank god for our existence. It sounds quite weird for others, because we are supposed to be kids who don’t know the real value of something yet. But indeed we were somehow motivated to do so. And I would say that it was one of the most precious time in my life in terms amusement and achievement.
However, we all know that Christmas is always the day which we all look forward to, no matter what religion we have in most parts of the world. Also it’s the biggest day for Christians including me, therefore, we may want to have a lot of excitement but also we should be aware of Christmas.
Chae H.M
11/30/99
What Christmas Means to Me
Christmas for many people especially for Christians is the most important holiday. As we know Christmas is the day when Jesus Christ was born and dates started from zero.Today we are almost in the year 2000 which means 2000 years after Jesus was born. The official date of Christmas is 25th of December. As a Christian Christmas is very important for me and my whole family.
Personally I come from a very religious family which means holidays have a great importance for us and has to be celebrated regularly every year and with its requirements. I think Christmas is the most well known holidays by the western side of the world. Therefore it carries a high importance for everyone from age 7 to77. I live in Turkey which is a Muslim country which means as a Christian I do not live in a perfect place to celebrate the Christmas however I always had great memories about the Christmas holidays in Turkey because there are many Christians all over Istanbul and It is a free county, every religion is respected. The most important thing for me during these holidays to by with my family and people I love.I find the main importance and the main aspect of the Christmas in this.Christmas holidays always made me feel happy and closer to my family. Personally I am not very religious but I always believed in God and felt safer I think Christmas is the main holiday I really feel closer to my religion and to God. However I always wanted to celebrate the Christmas in a different country such as in New York or in London.
Since I can remember every Christmas. I had great time. As a whole family we get together and go to a church in the morning and pray i always liked the part when we put a candle in the sand and had a wish that day. I always wished my family to be healthy and always stay together. In the Christmas eve we always got together in my grandparents house and had a great meal and pray to God that he gave us all these food and opportunities to live .As everyone knows 5 days after Christmas is the new year and I always felt exited that I am going to get presents and have another great meal ,great time with my family.Since when I was small I always believed in Santa Claus and I believed that he came every new years eve and gave my presents. Last few years I have not felt the same way that I was feeling before because I think I got older and don’t have the same excitement as before. However I still feel good and special during the Christmas time is around because I know that it can be only good with my family and friends during this time of the year.
Its about a month left to the last Christmas of the Millennium and I think this time is going to be as special as the other ones if not better. I am in a boarding school right now and I haven not seen my family and friends for along time and when I get back to home for holidays its going to be Christmas.
I can not wait till the time will come for this Christmas because my parents told me that we might go to another country for this Christmas which has been my dream for along time. I would like to spend my Christmas holidays in a cold country because I think that Christmas should be celebrated in snow. A place like Northern America or Northern Europe would be great. I think this year and every year will be very special for me because I love Christmas.
R. M.
EN 05
30/11/99
WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME
Christmas is an important day for me which links the last day of the old year to the new one.Instead of selebrating the 25 th of November we celebrate the New Year. In my country some people are against celebrating Christmas ,I think it is pointless not to celebrate ,and not have fun in the last day of the year. It is a new beginning and chance to forget everything.We are living in a hyper and stressful century that we even do not have laisure time for our relatives and friends. Our lives are full of work and studies and chirstmas is a small and necessery break for everyone which meets people and makes them relax.Even though we are in a hurry to get prepered it is nice to be in a hury in that way.Before the Christmas comes people starts to decorate their houses,streets.. .Everywhere is full of colors,ligts, rushing people,people dressed like Santa Clouse which makes me happy. I like to see people happy During that time people at least getting away from their problems and wonders.
In my family our preprations are decoratnig the house and that’s the part I like about the Christmas.To see colorful lights, flowers glimmering furnitures.And the hardest to buy the present specially to the younger ones to make them happy.Because I remember when I was small the meaning of the Christmas was different.I was beliving in Santa Clause and my parents used to put presents underneath my pillow.And when the next day cames when I saw those present there I was feeling much better.I remember and the day of Cristmas with all my family nearly 40 people alltogether playing games and waiting for the last minutes were unforgetable memories.however within the time everything changes.We are not celebrating together anymore.Everyone prefers to be individual.From one side it is better to be with other friends but still the time we spend together is decreasing each year,like everything.
During this two years in Rosey made me change the concept of the Christmas for me.Now Christmas is a holiday to go back to my country ,to be with my family and with the people I love.And the Christmas day is still the same.But this year is more different than the others .We will be celebrating the year 2000 which is the beginning of the new century.Everyone‘s expectations are different but we all wish a peactful,happier century
My wishes from God are successfull, happy ,peacefull year with my family and my friends.I hope this new year will change lots of mistakes what we have done and keep doing it.During this century humanity has done lots of mistakes which are not respectful for our developness.People are still fighting and killing each other and money is the most important thing for the most of the people.Within these we are loosing our love,respect and humanity which are the most nececeties of life.If we loose them there is no way to survive because human being needs faith and love.That is why this Chritmas is really important for me and for everyone who is sharing the same ideas with me.
A. T. Class EN0.5
30/11/99
What Christmas Means to Me ?
Christmas is well known holiday all over the world. It is the day when Jesus Christ was born. For Christians it means a lot. This is the time when most Russian religious people go to church.
When I was young , about 5 years old , I went to church with my grandmother. I used to light up the candle and place it in the special thing in front of the icon. Then I had to stay on my knees but at that age I did not know what should I do while I am on my knees. Then comes the part that I have remembered and liked the most is when the pope comes and swings something where smoke comes out of. Then my grandmother told me to stand up and come to the pope. He put some kind of bread on my tongue and then he gave a cap where there was wine. I know it is wine now but then I thought it was Jesus' blood because my grandmother told me that. I like the memories spending my Christmas when I was young. My grandmother is the most religious person I have ever seen in my whole life. Every time I come to her house I enjoy looking at icons. It seems every time for me as though it is church in her house. It bring back my old memories.
At the moment I think that Christmas is a great holiday for me because it is the time when all my family is together. I can sometimes feel that everyone loves each other and that what makes me happy. In past years we used to go to church and pray.
I hope we are going to do the same thing this time. Because I like being close to my family and I like to see them happy.
I also know that there is New Year celebration after five days from Christmas. I feel even better of thinking about New Year because it is the best day in whole year after my birthday off course. That is the day when everyone gets there presents. And it is the 3rd thing I like the most in my life.
When I become an adult and if I would have children I will know what are the things they like and what they want to do on Christmas time because I also have been through this.
In general I think that Christmas should be the most well treated holiday in whole the year. It is a pity that some people might make a joke of it and just use people to earn money.
Ma M. 30.11.99
WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME
I spent all my life living in an arab country in the Middle East, Oman. Here Christmas is not vastly celebrated like in European and American countries. Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December, the birthday of Jesus Christ. He was believed to be the son god. He dedicated his whole life in helping other people who were poor, had diseases and other problems orf the same kind. In Christmas the children hang the socks near the fire places as it is believed that the Santa Claus would come and put some gifts around the fire place. It`s very nice to see these children hanging their own little socks.
Before I visited London, I saw Christmas as just a festival celebrated by my friends when they invited me over in Oman. All those who celebrated Christmas used to celebrate it with full joy. They had a huge Christmas tree in their house which was extremely beautiful. The tree was decorated with different coloured lights shining, with glittering ropes straws and other things. They used to invite all their friends and relatives for diner. All the relatives who came brought gifts for the children. The children in the house used to hang the socks in one side of the room as there are no fire places in Oman. Theirs music,dance and a lot of excitement in the whole environment. What I like about Christmas is that the whole family is present there giving gifts, talking to each other, having fun. All the types of exotic dishes are cooked.
Once during Christmas vacations I went to London with my parents to visit my uncle. This was the first time I would see Christmas out of Oman. When I arrived in London all the streets were light up in lights of different colours. All the houses of my fathers friends and my uncle`s that I visited were all decorated and all had Christmas trees. I was absolutely amazed seeing all this as I was seeing it for the first time. I also visited a place that had a Christmas tree as big as two floors decorated with lights. It was beautiful.
Christmas to me is a celebration for all the people around the world no matter of what religion they came from. It is a festival of joy, love and making friends. It is a festival where people forget their hatred towards one another. It is a festival in which all people come closer to each other.
This Christmas will be the last Christmas of the millennium. I will spend this coming Christmas in Dubai. I hope this Christmas would bring good message to the world of peace.
J. S.
30/11/99.
What Christmas means to me
I was brought up in a Catholic family that has always given importance to religious celebrations.When I was 2 years old I was Baptized and at the age of 11 I had my 1st Communion. My parents strongly believe in God and they think I should always pray thanking God for all have got in life. Therefore they try to persuade me to go with them to Mass every Sunday and be like them. However, I am not really in to it, even though I still believe in God and I do celebrate Christmas and Eastern.
Christmas for me is something very special that reminds me a lot of my childhood, when I still believed that an old man who lived in the North Pole, used to spend the whole year producing toys for all children in the world, and on the 25th of December he would leave them on the bottom of an illuminated tree in every single house that had a child. These were good times and the day I found out that it was my own father that was always buying me those beautiful gifts; my whole concept about Christmas changed. I was really upset, not for the fact that Santa Claus did not exist, but the reason was that I thought about it and I realised that many people who don`t have parents and live alone on the streets were dying of hunger and cold while I was all comfortable in a warm house eating delicious food celebrating Jesus`s birthday with a lot of love and affection.
Normally, I should have been happy to know that I was born in the family I did, but there was that strong remorse and it was always on my mind. Now, I that I am older, I think differently and every Christmas I go out on the poor streets of Sao Paulo giving out sweaters and jackets that I we have at home. I also have the habit to celebrate at my grandparents houses. We have lunch with my father`s family and diner with my mother`s. I have ten cousins on each side and when I was young, my older cousins had to help make me believe that Santa Claus existed, so now its my turn of trying to convince the younger ones.
For me, Christmas means affection, solidarity and love for the next. I wish every one could have had the opportunity and experience I have always had on Christmas. It is something very beautiful that unfortunately, not every one enjoys; some for family problems, others for financial difficulties and other just for the fact that their families do not believe that Christmas is a very important day for every single child in the world. It is a pity, but that`s the way life is: lucky for ones, very unlucky for others.
R. C.
EN 04
30/11/1999
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