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[Neonivek]

you only need a rabbi to bless the food (hopefully made of natural stuff).

Much more than that. You must have food slaughtered VERY specifically.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechita

That just the slaughter.

Depends how religious you are.

Some Jews stop after having the food blessed.

[Urist is dead tome]

Pretty much only Orthodox Jews follow the laws precisely. And ther the only ones that believe the Torah has Divine Origin.

[Muz]

Depends how religious you are.

Some Jews stop after having the food blessed.

Er, not really. That's sort of like an American eating dog meat after someone tells him it's certified as a chicken, when he really knows that it's dog meat. Even the unreligious think it's kinda gross to eat stuff you've been raised not to eat. On the other hand, there's some religious people who think that a few bone molecules in a preservative in a candy bar is not edible (ignoring that there's probably non-kosher chicken shit on their eggs, or blood in their meat).

Anyway back on topic, yeah, it's become quite commercialized. Not too badly in Australia, thankfully.

[ChairmanPoo]

I do think that the whole present thing has been hyped onto the realm of the ridiculous. But I've never adscribed much meaning to it anyway, so I dont really care

[SalmonGod]

I'm also fine with having an excuse to gather family and take time off from work/school.  Holidays are just good for people, or else it would be near impossible to have such occassions.

I do really hate the commercialization, though, and the gift-giving tradition.  Being bombarded from all angles with christmas music and disgustingly over-exaggerated notions of holiday spirit and the feeding frenzy of consumerism is bad enough... but the thing I hate the most is the cheapening of the concept of giving a gift.  I don't really think anything of getting a gift at christmas, unless it's something really really thoughtful.  They're doing it because they're supposed to.

I have yet to have a lot of resources to devote to the holidays, but when I do I don't put much thought into things like Christmas or Valentines.  I save the real effort for when it's not expected and it can be known without a doubt that I'm doing it because I want to.

[Grimlocke]

I dont realy care much about the present thing, its the horrible music combined with the abominable decorations that realy put me off and pretty much every other part of the steriotypical American Christmas thing that came floating across the ocean for god know what reason (no offence to Americans of course).

Beside that I usualy enjoy Christmas in the form of having some good time and food with the family.

[Neonivek]

Gift giving in my humble oppinion is fine

It is the feeling of obligation to buy someone a present where it gets bad.

When I was growing up we had "Manditory" present giving. My Younger brother hated that, though I feel like he can be a total snot.

[Sergius]

I'd actually like the gift giving to go away, not because it's "commercial" but because it bugs me having to go look for crappy gifts for people just because I'll also get one or more crappy gifts. And I hate shopping.

[alway]

You know what American Christmas needs though? The Krampus.
You can commercialize it all to hell and back for all I care, if we had the Krampus, it would still be way more epic than it is now.

Children are commonly scared into sleeping during the time St. Nicolas brings gifts by being told that if they are awake, Krampus will think they have been bad and will take them away in his sack.

[Grakelin]

Looks like we just found a thread full of people who didn't get what they wanted this year.

[SalmonGod]

You know what American Christmas needs though? The Krampus.
You can commercialize it all to hell and back for all I care, if we had the Krampus, it would still be way more epic than it is now.

Children are commonly scared into sleeping during the time St. Nicolas brings gifts by being told that if they are awake, Krampus will think they have been bad and will take them away in his sack.

I read this, and continued on to your sig as if it was part of your post and it worked.

[Heron TSG]

I give and receive gifts but I sure as heck don't celebrate some ancient person's birthday. It's damn weird to have someone's birthday after they die, and I think the same here. My family does more of an end-of-year celebration than an 'JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON' deal.

[Neonivek]

I give and receive gifts but I sure as heck don't celebrate some ancient person's birthday. It's damn weird to have someone's birthday after they die, and I think the same here. My family does more of an end-of-year celebration than an 'JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON' deal.

According to what I know of Roman Catholic importance of holidays... Christmas, despite appearances, isn't even the most important day. It is just the most overinflated.

The most important one, at least for some people, is oddly the one few people know about: Pentacost

[Itnetlolor]

You know what American Christmas needs though? The Krampus.
You can commercialize it all to hell and back for all I care, if we had the Krampus, it would still be way more epic than it is now.

Children are commonly scared into sleeping during the time St. Nicolas brings gifts by being told that if they are awake, Krampus will think they have been bad and will take them away in his sack.

Screw worrying about getting coal for Christmas. Keep that thing out of the house. Bad enough I've seen an example of it in action during a Venture Brothers Christmas Special.

I do like that, at least around my household, everyone's an adult now, and gifts are actually more about the thought than the quality/quantity of it; of course, until the next generation are involved, then the cycle returns. Just a moment while I place some thermite atop my wallet and set it alight. That's essentially what happens.

Oh, about the commercials, obviously the people in them must have some serious income, I mean the kids even get iPads or equal? (And don't get me started on the crappy music and butchered classics they air along with them too; Old Navy is lame as ever, as usual. So they still follow their tradition.)

My views on the holiday on it's own is basically the same as when I was a kid. It's all about the cold (and keeping warm while watching Christmas Specials), hanging out with everyone, and getting stuff that you wanted when the time comes. Follow up with a second Thanksgiving feast on the same night as well.

[AntiAntiMatter]

Christmas is being torn into two holidays: Jesus's birthday, and a secular winterfest. They are separate and should be recognized as such. That being said, I love receiving presents, time off from school, and the Christmas season itself. I hate its extensive commercialization, but then, I hate capitalism (or at least the sort we have now) in general.