Christmas trees in houses of Sikhs

[chatanga]

This current generation of Sikhs go the whole nine-yards with their trees and baubles (and neglecting to educate their offspring when Sikhi smagams come around), the next couple of generations begin attending midnight mass. It could happen!

it hasnt happened in the 20 or so years that i have known and seen xmas in UK. Theres not much danger of it happening now.

[N30S1NGH]

Leaving aside the christmas tree or christmas spirit, i think we can take good things/universal things from it - its holiday season and in holiday spirit socially where one donates food/money to those who are needy and all of us can strike a right balance instead of totally- isolating ourselves with this holiday spirit ..we can strike a right balance between the saying- when in rome, do what romans do...integration to society- yes and annihlation to society- NO..!!.

In regards to new years eve, sikhs pretty much know 31st is not our new years eve but they still go to gurdwaras and its jam packed..so much so much after carefully anaylzing sangat mindset, our nanaksar local gurdwaras start holding rehnsabhai until midnight on new years eve by looking at the bigger picture of using that day in our advantage- gurmat parchar of katha, kirtan, patt and awareness of our actual new year- enrich history until midnight.

So i think we need some careful compromise to cater socially effected sangat and strike a right balance between integrating to society than annihilating to a society what do we rather have? Our kids, young generation party/stone their head off on new years eve as there is no special until midnight program in the gurdwara or our kids/young generation going to gurdwara jam packed based on georgian calendar - be aware of our actual new year, guru's history, sakhi, gurbani katha/kirtan? I would pick the latter.

[VanHelsingh]

it hasnt happened in the 20 or so years that i have known and seen xmas in UK. Theres not much danger of it happening now.

There's a few people I know of who are being invited to church ceremonies on a regular basis (apart from the standard weddings of their white friends), and I can see where it's leading. Their kids look at fellow Sikhs as if they're aliens. Now that's not solely due to frequenting a church on the odd occasion, but it all adds up in terms of the parents giving the impression to their kids - even on a subconcsious level - that they aren't really bothered about their own faith.

[Jonny101]

Jonny Bhaji, the difference is that no-one is actually celebrating xmas ie the birth of the Lord, whereas in india they are actually celebrating the hindu festival. If Sikhs are going to church and singin hallalujah, then somnething has gone wrong. Whats happeneing is that those sikhs are (like most) just participating in the most showy-sparkly aspects of xmas, that is putting up trees, giving presents and stuff.

If you took Jesus Maharaj out of the whole equation, do you think that Xmas still wouldnt be celebrated?

Fine if Jesus is not the reason then as you say it is the Pagan Bahana. Tell me, are you a Pagan? Why is celebrating a Pagan holyday acceptable? European Paganism is also a form of religion much similar to Hinduism. In India Sikhs who have sadly begun celebrating Hindu holydays don't do it in the Mandhir. Like most Hindus they do it at home with the family(similar to Christmas celebrating Sikhs in the west). They also say they do it because it makes the family come closer and makes the children happy and not left out.

[chatanga]

Fine if Jesus is not the reason then as you say it is the Pagan Bahana. Tell me, are you a Pagan? Why is celebrating a Pagan holyday acceptable?

kids dont know that, just as i didnt know it when i was young.

Even if it is a pagan holy day, it doesnt make you a pagan in the same way it doesnt make you a christian if it is a christian holy day.

They also say they do it because it makes the family come closer and makes the children happy and not left out.

i can understand that, having kids of my own.

[chatanga]

There's a few people I know of who are being invited to church ceremonies on a regular basis (apart from the standard weddings of their white friends), and I can see where it's leading.

Bhaji i have invited some of my non sikh friends to the gurdwara as well. I invited some muslims on Guru Nansk Dev Ji's Birthday.

[VanHelsingh]

Bhaji i have invited some of my non sikh friends to the gurdwara as well. I invited some muslims on Guru Nansk Dev Ji's Birthday.

Our lot are prone to folding under questioning if you know what I mean. :blush2: Possibly a generalisation but the family I know (or use to know) are drifting away from Sikhi big time. It's sad because their bezurg were rehatvaan Amritdharis for many generations, male and female.

[Hazoor]

We have a tree in our house and it doesn't make a difference to us that it's there.

It's not stopping us doing our Nitnem, it's not enticing us towards the panj chor and in no way is it turning us into Christans or to idol worship. It's no different to the other plants in my house.

Yes, it makes an appearance at this time of year and then disappears again for the rest if the year, we don't become honorary Christians for 2 weeks because of a tree - if it did, I'd be questioning the strength of my faith, not the tree.

[N30S1NGH]

we don't become honorary Christians for 2 weeks because of a tree - if it did, I'd be questioning the strength of my faith, not the tree.

point noted..!!

[Jonny101]

We have a tree in our house and it doesn't make a difference to us that it's there.

It's not stopping us doing our Nitnem, it's not enticing us towards the panj chor and in no way is it turning us into Christans or to idol worship. It's no different to the other plants in my house.

Yes, it makes an appearance at this time of year and then disappears again for the rest if the year, we don't become honorary Christians for 2 weeks because of a tree - if it did, I'd be questioning the strength of my faith, not the tree.

hmmm now lets use what you have written and replace it with a "Moorti of Shiva" and see how it sounds.

We have a Moorti of Shiva in our house and it doesn't make a difference to us that it's there.

It's not stopping us doing our Nitnem, it's not enticing us towards the panj chor and in no way is it turning us into Hindus or to idol worship. It's no different to the other artifacts in my house.

Yes, it makes an appearance at this time of year and then disappears again for the rest if the year, we don't become honorary Hindus for 2 weeks because of a Moorti of Shiva- if it did, I'd be questioning the strength of my faith, not the Moorti of Shiva.

Now tell me, if a Sikh in India used these words would we still find it acceptable? or would we object to this arguement put forth by a Sikh trying to follow some Hindu ritual just because the kids find it fun?