Who brings us gifts?

Ryan Vaughn7 said:I think we all do this. For my kids, the gift from Nicholas feels more immediate, whereas the one for Christmas is, well, much more extravagant.
It’ll be an interesting moment when they get a bit older and start connecting the dots. They might just burst in and ask, "Dad, does Nicholas have a twin brother who shows up a few weeks later? And why is it that in American movies, it's always just the second guy?" 😵

😁
Between Saint Nicholas, his buddy the Krampus showing up with a whip, the more modest gifts for St. Lucy's Day, and Santa Claus, plus having three birthdays in my immediate family all packed into December
you really just gotta power through it all 😁

Betty Palmer8 said:Jesus brings the gifts—at least, that’s what we were taught growing up.🙂

It honestly saddens me how commercialized Christmas has become; it completely misses the point. Jesus was born into poverty, yet today everything revolves around presents—as if more expensive always means better...

Most people probably don't even realize that Christmas is essentially a diminutive of the word God—a "little God"—instead, they just see Christmas as Santa Claus.

See, that's never how it was explained to us when we were kids
It’s not about how the country was run back then, since we still celebrate Saint Nicholas and Saint Lucy, but nobody ever talked about Jesus being the one bringing the gifts on Christmas; if they did, we'd actually be celebrating his birth.

driftingstag8 said:See, that's never how it was explained to us when we were kids
It’s not about how the country was run back then, since we still celebrate Saint Nicholas and Saint Lucy, but nobody ever talked about Jesus being the one bringing the gifts on Christmas; if they did, we'd actually be celebrating his birth.

For us, it was different—at home, Jesus was the one who brought the gifts, while Santa Claus would show up at my parents' corporate office. They held an event every single year where he’d hand out presents to the kids and we'd all take photos with him. 😁

Christmas is Jesus's birthday, plain and simple. But today? That gets lost in the noise. It’s just a massive flood of Santa Claus, Father Christmas, and all that. I don't remember ever seeing a single Santa Claus movie—the kind they bombard us with every year—that actually mentions Jesus or His birth.

Betty Palmer8 said:For us, it was different—at home, Jesus was the one who brought the gifts, while Santa Claus would show up at my parents' corporate office. They held an event every single year where he’d hand out presents to the kids and we'd all take photos with him. 😁

Christmas is Jesus's birthday, plain and simple. But today? That gets lost in the noise. It’s just a massive flood of Santa Claus, Father Christmas, and all that. I don't remember ever seeing a single Santa Claus movie—the kind they bombard us with every year—that actually mentions Jesus or His birth.

Santa used to bring us gifts at our parents' workplace, and he even showed up at the Hilton, basically arriving by sea loaded down with presents.
And at church, you’d only get stuff from Saint Nicholas—or maybe a switch from Krampus if you weren't good, obviously.
We didn't get presents there on Christmas; we just celebrated Jesus's birth and sang songs, but no gifts.

Look, aside from the Santa movies, they bombard us with Biblical films about Jesus's birth too, so both sides are pretty much equally represented.
But Christmas movies aren't really about the stuff you buy; they focus on love, family, and core values, and they aren't negative one bit.
Frankly, the whole outcry about how the true meaning of Christmas is being swallowed by consumerism gets on my nerves because, honestly, I don't see what's so wrong with families and friends gathering around a huge feast and making each other happy with gifts.
To me, that sounds way better than listening to old ladies moan about how back in their day, kids only got a couple of walnuts or maybe an orange if they were lucky.
Plus, when you consider that kids used to work themselves to death, especially out in the rural areas, I find this idyllic view of "the good old days" kind of hilarious.

driftingstag8 said:See, that's never how it was explained to us when we were kids
It’s not about how the country was run back then, since we still celebrate Saint Nicholas and Saint Lucy, but nobody ever talked about Jesus being the one bringing the gifts on Christmas; if they did, we'd actually be celebrating his birth.

Of course Jesus doesn't bring gifts to Himself on His birthday. Otherwise, the Germans exchange gifts on Christmas Eve (which drove me crazy before I started socializing), we eat after lunch on Christmas, and Spaniards (in my opinion, the most correct way) wait until the Three Wise Men!

Christmas movies are designed to be, well, whimsical, colorful... totally unrealistic. They lean hard into Santa Claus or Father Christmas, which is fine by me since it all serves as a backdrop for celebrating Jesus's birth anyway; I don't see any conflict there. 🤷 On the other hand, Easter films are built around exclusively religious themes—the full arc of Christ's life from start to finish, featuring his key contemporaries (those who spread the faith later), his family, the crucifixion... and I haven't seen a "softer" alternative yet for people who get triggered by Christianity in any capacity. Tough luck. ☕

Regarding those "culture wars" in the USA, no, it’s not about Jesus vs. Santa. People actually view them as being on the same side. It’s more about what's perceived as a minority terrorizing the majority—basically forcing Happy Holidays! instead of Merry Christmas! and stuff like that. It's mostly just a clash between aggressive hardcore secularists and aggressive hardcore Christians.

Spaniards celebrating the Three Wise Men? I didn't realize that. Honestly, that would make the most sense. But hey, why not just wait until the Three Wise Men show up... 😁

Austin Barrett5 said:First you get the big guy with the small gifts, then the little guy comes through with the huge ones. It keeps things exciting for the kids, right?
When they ask, just tell them we aren't American. Or better yet—tell them we're basically twice as good since we give double the presents.

I don't quite follow the idea that someone's lies could be obvious to children...🙄

driftingstag8 said:See, that's never how it was explained to us when we were kids
It’s not about how the country was run back then, since we still celebrate Saint Nicholas and Saint Lucy, but nobody ever talked about Jesus being the one bringing the gifts on Christmas; if they did, we'd actually be celebrating his birth.

That's true... at Christmas we celebrate Jesus's birthday, so it seems a bit odd that He would be giving gifts to anyone on His own birthday.
It's Santa Claus who handles the gifting.🥳

graniteowl88 said:Of course Jesus doesn't bring gifts to Himself on His birthday. Otherwise, the Germans exchange gifts on Christmas Eve (which drove me crazy before I started socializing), we eat after lunch on Christmas, and Spaniards (in my opinion, the most correct way) wait until the Three Wise Men!

I didn't even realize that, though when you actually think about it, it's pretty much common sense.

Richard James2 said:Christmas movies are designed to be, well, whimsical, colorful... totally unrealistic. They lean hard into Santa Claus or Father Christmas, which is fine by me since it all serves as a backdrop for celebrating Jesus's birth anyway; I don't see any conflict there. 🤷 On the other hand, Easter films are built around exclusively religious themes—the full arc of Christ's life from start to finish, featuring his key contemporaries (those who spread the faith later), his family, the crucifixion... and I haven't seen a "softer" alternative yet for people who get triggered by Christianity in any capacity. Tough luck. ☕

Regarding those "culture wars" in the USA, no, it’s not about Jesus vs. Santa. People actually view them as being on the same side. It’s more about what's perceived as a minority terrorizing the majority—basically forcing Happy Holidays! instead of Merry Christmas! and stuff like that. It's mostly just a clash between aggressive hardcore secularists and aggressive hardcore Christians.

Spaniards celebrating the Three Wise Men? I didn't realize that. Honestly, that would make the most sense. But hey, why not just wait until the Three Wise Men show up... 😁

It’s not just an American thing either; those guys over at the BBC act like "Happy Holidays" is their whole personality too. 🙄
Honestly, I’m feeling pretty much the same way about it—he's acting like a total idiot.

So, let's talk about the latest work on this topic.
I honestly don't see why people make such a massive deal out of this whole thing because, at the end of the day, we all know how the sausage gets made and if you're looking for some kind of grand moral awakening or a reason to feel superior, you're probably barking up the wrong tree.

driftingstag8 said:I didn't even realize that, though when you actually think about it, it's pretty much common sense.

It’s not just an American thing either; those guys over at the BBC act like "Happy Holidays" is their whole personality too. 🙄
Honestly, I’m feeling pretty much the same way about it—he's acting like a total idiot.

So, let's talk about the latest work on this topic.
I honestly don't see why people make such a massive deal out of this whole thing because, at the end of the day, we all know how the sausage gets made and if you're looking for some kind of grand moral awakening or a reason to feel superior, you're probably barking up the wrong tree.

IT IS TRUTH TO TELL THE STORY, and even we Americans🙏 traditionally decorate our homes on Three Wise Men!

driftingstag8 said:I didn't even realize that, though when you actually think about it, it's pretty much common sense.

It’s not just an American thing either; those guys over at the BBC act like "Happy Holidays" is their whole personality too. 🙄
Honestly, I’m feeling pretty much the same way about it—he's acting like a total idiot.

So, let's talk about the latest work on this topic.
I honestly don't see why people make such a massive deal out of this whole thing because, at the end of the day, we all know how the sausage gets made and if you're looking for some kind of grand moral awakening or a reason to feel superior, you're probably barking up the wrong tree.

Look, I get it, but in the USA, because faith still plays such a massive, undeniable role in public life and especially politics, Merry Christmas remains incredibly resilient. 😁 Honestly, when people take it too far—like trying to hide a Nativity scene somewhere in Connecticut just so they don't offend non-Christians—that kind of thing isn't seen as progressive or normal; it's viewed as an absolute outrage.

As for me, I’m not doing gifts on the Three Wise Men; that’s just a depressing day to me. 😢 And I won't even bother decorating the house until Lent, mostly because my mother won't let me. 😬

graniteowl88 said:IT IS TRUTH TO TELL THE STORY, and even we Americans🙏 traditionally decorate our homes on Three Wise Men!

Oh yeah, my priest was already at it by December 2nd because🙄
everyone just jumped on the bandwagon since the city started putting up holiday lights way too early.

Richard James2 said:Look, I get it, but in the USA, because faith still plays such a massive, undeniable role in public life and especially politics, Merry Christmas remains incredibly resilient. 😁 Honestly, when people take it too far—like trying to hide a Nativity scene somewhere in Connecticut just so they don't offend non-Christians—that kind of thing isn't seen as progressive or normal; it's viewed as an absolute outrage.

As for me, I’m not doing gifts on the Three Wise Men; that’s just a depressing day to me. 😢 And I won't even bother decorating the house until Lent, mostly because my mother won't let me. 😬

That same kind of rebellion is definitely heading toward Europe, and honestly, they should just keep leaning into it
as fast as possible.
You don't even have to be religious to be annoyed by this constant celebration of everything under the sun while they systematically erase the very foundations our entire civilization was built upon

It’s like teaching a donkey not to eat, and then the damn thing dies from starvation 😁

driftingstag8 said:That same kind of rebellion is definitely heading toward Europe, and honestly, they should just keep leaning into it
as fast as possible.
You don't even have to be religious to be annoyed by this constant celebration of everything under the sun while they systematically erase the very foundations our entire civilization was built upon

It’s like teaching a donkey not to eat, and then the damn thing dies from starvation 😁

Bingo. 🙂 People are already hitting their heads against this wall, and honestly, they’re just going to keep doing it. This obsession with glorifying secularism is essentially just a way to trample over Christian values... I wouldn't call that a mere hunch. But fine, let's move on, since we're straying off topic.

driftingstag8 said:Oh yeah, my priest was already at it by December 2nd because🙄
everyone just jumped on the bandwagon since the city started putting up holiday lights way too early.

Well, I believe it all comes down to how the houses are scheduled for decorating. In our area, we follow a certain pattern, unlike those Germans I admire so much. Over there, the altar boys handle the lettering and the specific styles of decoration, which is quite different, even if I still call it decorating!

Regards. Merry Christmas to you. If we don't speak again, all the best in the new year. I wish your children and the head of the household great health, and once more, all the best to you as well!

As if kids actually care about the logistics... honestly, the more presents, the better. In my neck of the woods, we had both Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus showing up to drop off the goods

driftingstag8 said:Santa used to bring us gifts at our parents' workplace, and he even showed up at the Hilton, basically arriving by sea loaded down with presents.
And at church, you’d only get stuff from Saint Nicholas—or maybe a switch from Krampus if you weren't good, obviously.
We didn't get presents there on Christmas; we just celebrated Jesus's birth and sang songs, but no gifts.

Look, aside from the Santa movies, they bombard us with Biblical films about Jesus's birth too, so both sides are pretty much equally represented.
But Christmas movies aren't really about the stuff you buy; they focus on love, family, and core values, and they aren't negative one bit.
Frankly, the whole outcry about how the true meaning of Christmas is being swallowed by consumerism gets on my nerves because, honestly, I don't see what's so wrong with families and friends gathering around a huge feast and making each other happy with gifts.
To me, that sounds way better than listening to old ladies moan about how back in their day, kids only got a couple of walnuts or maybe an orange if they were lucky.
Plus, when you consider that kids used to work themselves to death, especially out in the rural areas, I find this idyllic view of "the good old days" kind of hilarious.

I’m not talking about church—you don't get gifts at church. You get them at home, under the tree. 😁

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Aside from those endless movies about Santa Claus—which they just keep throwing at us—they also bombard us with those biblical films about the birth of Jesus. It’s pretty much a wash; both are represented equally.
Christmas movies aren't actually about the gifts—they’re about love, family, and those core values that hold us together. It's always about the connection, never anything negative.
Honestly—it gets under my skin a little—all this constant whining about how the true spirit of Christmas is being lost to consumerism. Look, I’ll say it plainly: I don't see the problem. If families and friends gather around a massive feast and bring joy to one another with gifts—even if it involves spending money—then what's the issue? It's good people celebrating together. Period.
That sounds significantly better to me—certainly an improvement over listening to old women reminisce about how kids back in their day only got a handful of walnuts, while the wealthy families were lucky enough to get an orange.
When you consider how much kids used to work like dogs—especially out in the rural parts of the country—it’s honestly a bit ridiculous to look back at those "simpler times" through such an idyllic lens.

You misunderstood my point—I’m not saying those movies are bad, nor am I suggesting there’s anything wrong with gifts and a holiday feast. But it shouldn't become the only reason we celebrate Christmas. And if you ask me, they are pushing Santa Claus way too hard these days... all the reindeer and elves... it’s cute, sure, but it’s also kind of sad. Imagine celebrating your own birthday and having nobody actually remember you—it just feels hollow. 🤷

driftingdrifter88 said:As if kids actually care about the logistics... honestly, the more presents, the better. In my neck of the woods, we had both Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus showing up to drop off the goods

With "one" specific figure, you have to clean the boots. Kids know exactly what they are doing. Never underestimate them; they know when it is their birthday, not just about Jesus!😁😉

So, I was thinking about how in places like Italy and Spain, they actually skip the whole Christmas gift thing for kids and wait until the Three Wise Men arrive on January 6th instead.

Back when I was a kid, I used to get gifts from Saint Nicholas. Before the 90s hit, we’d even get a little something from the company for New Year's.

As far as all this consumerism talk goes, Ivković wrote the best piece on it about a month ago. Honestly, everyone whining about spending is just looking for a way to redirect that cash into their own pockets.

I honestly haven't the slightest clue.
For me, they’re usually just the most mind-numbing days of the entire year!
I mostly just sleep through half of it—not that I'm complaining, really.
If it were up to me, I'd just buy my own skis and head out to some mountain instead.😂