Mormons, and christmas day.

[adie_vale]

What is the typical chrsitmas day for mormons ? How have converts found it differnt ? Is it a typical western chrsitmas day. I mean I was bought up with the religious side of xmas drummed into me anyway.

[tubaloth]

Typical day is Dec 25. But on Leap years we celebrate it on Dec 26, expect when a Leap year falls on year divisible by 8, then we do Dec 24th.

No I'm just getting. We celebrate it with everybody else on Dec 25. We are just as typical as everybody else when it comes to Christmas. We know thats not the real day when Christ was born (we believe it happen on April 6th). We have own General Conference at the time of year in a way I guess to celebrate it.

[abqfriend]

It was celebrated among the same time the many Roman pagan holidays going on at the same time-at the end of their calendar year.

The Catholic Church--filled the vacuum left by the crumbling Roman Empire.

It assumed many dates of the then Roman Calendar.

The word Christmas comes from "Christ Mass" and has Catholic origins.

I guess the importance -is the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

-Carol

Typical day is Dec 25. But on Leap years we celebrate it on Dec 26, expect when a Leap year falls on year divisible by 8, then we do Dec 24th.

No I'm just getting. We celebrate it with everybody else on Dec 25. We are just as typical as everybody else when it comes to Christmas. We know thats not the real day when Christ was born (we believe it happen on April 6th). We have own General Conference at the time of year in a way I guess to celebrate it.

Edited November 11, 2008 by abqfriend

[mightynancy]

We do what I'd consider to be a typical Christmas! Except I loathe holiday travelling so it's almost always just the four of us, at home. Special dinner the 24th, presents and big meals on the 25th. Naps for the big people, naturally!

I gave up making Christmas Day anything other than fun (except when it falls on the Sabbath, when we go to church and keep the day low-key). We infuse the season with religious meaning, but the day itself is an uphill battle. How I teach my children every day is more meaningful than spending one day a year with reluctantly pious children.

[skippy740]

All wards will have a Christmas program on the Sunday closest to Christmas (choir singing and prepared talks).

There will be a First Presidency message usually on the 1st Sunday of the month (televised).

Our hymn of Joy to the World (hymn #201) is just a tiny bit different. Instead of "Heaven and Nature sing" it's "Saints and Angels sing".

Some stake centers may celebrate Christmas with a stake "sing-a-long" of Handel's Messiah. (If your stake does this - don't miss it! It's a GREAT piece - although challenging to sing!)

And there's ALWAYS some Elder or High Priest that wears a matching Christmas tie & socks combo! :)

[abqfriend]

We have Christmas Midnight Mass. The Church starts with being totally dark-then the Christ candle is brought in-the only candle lit and -from that candle-everyone is holding a candle-and those candles are lit from the Christ Candle.

Soon the whole church is being lit by hundreds of Candles-quite a wonderfull way to begin the Christ-Mass.

-Carol

[Guest TheLutheran]

We have Christmas Midnight Mass. The Church starts with being totally dark-then the Christ candle is brought in-the only candle lit and -from that candle-everyone is holding a candle-and those candles are lit from the Christ Candle.

Soon the whole church is being lit by hundreds of Candles-quite a wonderfull way to begin the Christ-Mass. . . .

We have a late service on Christmas Eve but it's usually at 10:00 p.m. cuz we Lutherans can't stay awake til midnight. :) I love the beauty, serenity and unity of the sanctuary when everyone's hopeful face is illuminated by candlelight. And it seems every year somebody in my family dribbles candlewax on their Sunday church coat and the carpeting gets splattered. That's okay . . . we just haul out the brown paper grocery bags and fire up an old iron -- lifts that candlewax like a charm.

[siouxz72]

Unlike my sister, mightynancy, we celebrate it for the purely Pagan holiday that it is!

Just kidding! While I do have fun with Santa's (my collections is way bigger than I ever thought possible), we do infuse the entire holiday season with Christ and have a very traditional Christmas.

[Elgama]

I think every LDS does it their own way personally mine starts of December 1 - we decorate for advent (we have a crown, calender with christmas boxes, an advent tree (twigs stuck in sand), angel and candles) I put it all in the porch near the door to represent Christmas is coming. Our calender has boxes which I put chocolate in and a Christmas Activity, something that teaches about Christmas or Jesus in someway.

Night of 23rd we don't really do Santa our kids enjoy the fantasy but know he isn't real we put out glass of milk, mince pie and carrot. And because we have a special magical tree (its ivory with silver lanterns) he delivers it and our presents and night early. And we read the St Nicholas story

24th is spent decorating the tree cake, making mince pies etc We go for a family work, then have a meal usually stew and chocolate trifle with family and friends. Then we go to midnight mass, come back and open presents.

25th - we take Santa off top of Tree and put a star up, and this day we treat as Jesus's birthday, we either make boats with our 3 promises/gifts to Jesus in it and set them down the river or send them off by balloon,. come back for jelly and icecream tea with birthday cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus, wet days we play games in the living room and have picnic there

26th is boxing day here so we visit family we didn't see on 25th for presents and nice food.

Rest of the holiday is a pagan affair including hogmanay until Epiphany, of 6th Jan where we read about the wise men and take the decorations down and start planning for valentines day lol Next month homeschool is based round charity and love

-Charley

[Starfish]

It was celebrated among the same time the many Roman pagan holidays going on at the same time-at the end of their calendar year.

The Catholic Church--filled the vacuum left by the crumbling Roman Empire.

It assumed many dates of the then Roman Calendar.

The word Christmas comes from "Christ Mass" and has Catholic origins.

I guess the importance -is the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

-Carol

I never knew that. "Christ Mass", of course, how logical. Never occurred to me.

Thanks.

[Starfish]

What is the typical chrsitmas day for mormons ? How have converts found it differnt ? Is it a typical western chrsitmas day. I mean I was bought up with the religious side of xmas drummed into me anyway.

Keep the religious side in. We all should. Sometimes, on the years when Christmas falls on Sundays, I get annoyed that church "interferes" with our day. Then I remember what the day is SUPPOSED to be about, and change my attitude.

Our typical day is get up at 7 and not a minute earlier (big rule when the kids were little), open presents, eat breakfast, play with presents, visit relatives, and eat again.

Church events usually happen earlier in the week/month to leave the big day for family events. Someday I want to get to Temple Square and see the lights. .

Edited November 11, 2008 by Starfish

[Misshalfway]

At our house we celebrate the religious side of things by reading from Luke 2 and doing the nativity as a family and listening to Christmas religious music and the like. And then we participate in the traditional stuff too. We get the tree, the stockings, the shopping sprees, caroling, and waking up before dawn on Christmas morning (because we are all to excited to sleep) to see what Santa brought. You know, the whole nine yards!

LDS people for the most part are pretty normal, I would expect. Well, maybe not MOE.....

[Hemidakota]

What is the typical chrsitmas day for mormons ? How have converts found it differnt ? Is it a typical western chrsitmas day. I mean I was bought up with the religious side of xmas drummed into me anyway.

Our family will be with the Marines on Christmas eve or morning.

[adie_vale]

Keep the religious side in. We all should. Sometimes, on the years when Christmas falls on Sundays, I get annoyed that church "interferes" with our day. Then I remember what the day is SUPPOSED to be about, and change my attitude.

Our typical day is get up at 7 and not a minute earlier (big rule when the kids were little), open presents, eat breakfast, play with presents, visit relatives, and eat again.

Church events usually happen earlier in the week/month to leave the big day for family events. Someday I want to get to Temple Square and see the lights. .

Sounds pretty much like mine was as a child. I always remember the nativity set my grandad made. As I grew up a catholic, and went a catholic primary school, I always remember the school mass they had were all the local catholic primary schools (infant/juniors comnind) sang carols in turn in the local church around a week before.

[Starfish]

Every other year our stake performs The Messiah, by Handel. To me this is Christmas. I grew up with this music and believe it's some of the most inspired music ever written. Even though our stake is made up of rural small towns, this performance is very professional with a small orchestra and top-notch soloists--well almost top-notch. We invite the community at no charge.

When we get to stand for the Hallelujah Chorus, I'm goose-bumpy and choked up.

[ADoyle90815]

One difference is that other Christian churches have some type of service on Christmas Day, regardless of when it falls. LDS buildings are closed unless Christmas falls on Sunday.

[Iggy]

At my old Stake in Oregon, they did a Stake wide Crèche display. Each Ward/Branch could bring as many crèche's as they wanted. These were set up throughout the Stake Center including the stage.

I only went once & it was at night - it was a 1 hour drive on the road from Hades-(extremely winding road following a river with 500 foot drops nearly half the way there in a rain/wind storm), it was well worth the nerve racking ride. There were some incredibly beautiful collections. Nearly every primary did a live crèche - those were on Saturday afternoons. Of course Santa visited and gave out candy canes after wards.

This event was open to the public the month of Dec on Thurs & Fri nights, Saturday afternoon and night.

[Palerider]

As I said in another thread....we get together as a Family on Christmas Eve and have Family Home Evening and then have some snacks and enjoy everyones company. Get up the next morning and exchange gifts....

[john doe]

We don't get liquored up on Christmas anymore. Also, we instituted a new family rule: no shooting guns inside the house on Christmas day.

[Palerider]

We don't get liquored up on Christmas anymore. Also, we instituted a new family rule: no shooting guns inside the house on Christmas day.

perhaps we could make that a law.......LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Moksha]

One of my traditions is staying awake to watch the Midnight Mass from the Vatican. The LDS Church does not seem to hold any Christmas Eve vigil.

[YoungMormonRoyalist]

What channel can we find it on?

Some of our Christmas traditions include:

Reading the Christmas story in Luke

Going out on Christmas eve to do a secret service activity

Going to sing carols for someone

and lastly

Gorging ourselves on food.

[Palerider]

I also have my movies I need to watch ....gotta watch Home Alone 1 and 2....and a few others.....

[Jbs2763]

if traditional includes the SWAT team, and tear gas...then it is normal for my family when all the cousins are here

[john doe]

Now, where's that laugh button when I need it?