Should Sikhs Celebrate Christ-Mas

[cool water]

I think its more important we celebrate Vaisakhi and Gurpurbs in the style of how Sikhs in the west celebrate xmas currently.

Our people spend all that money on a christian/pagan festival to make loved ones happy because of non-sikh mainstream media brainwashing yet we dont really give a damn about our own religious festivals. We must make a change, we must educate our people not to not celebrate other peoples festivals but to start celebrating our own by giving gifts to our families and friends so that they also have a love for Sikh festivals.

[Kira]

You don't need to celebrate Christmas. Honestly just celebrate a time of family. Only people that actually Celebrate christmas now are the die hard christians.

[KhoonKaBadlaKhoon]

No, but everything that does happen is Hukam

So if I was to celebrate Christmas, isn't that Hukam too? Or is it only Hukam when the action is in line with your agenda?

I think its more important we celebrate Vaisakhi and Gurpurbs in the style of how Sikhs in the west celebrate xmas currently.

Our people spend all that money on a christian/pagan festival to make loved ones happy because of non-sikh mainstream media brainwashing yet we dont really give a damn about our own religious festivals. We must make a change, we must educate our people not to not celebrate other peoples festivals but to start celebrating our own by giving gifts to our families and friends so that they also have a love for Sikh festivals.

I don't think thats entirely true, sangat packs the gurdwaras here for Diwali/Vaisakhi and other holidays. Every year millions of Sikhs around the world outside of Punjab celebrate our holidays.

[Akalifauj]

Christmas isn't really about superstitions. Or Jesus for that matter, nor paganism, at least not anymore. What it is is a riotous celebration of capitalism, family and fun. One may object to the former themselves but I don't see that there's anything wrong with the latter two. My family and I enjoy Christmas. We don't worship graven images of Christ, we don't pay homage to the dryads and pixies living in our Christmas tree and we do not sacrifice turkeys on a blood spattered altar to the Christmas "deity" Santa Claus... That last suggestion alone is enough to render the whole of this ludicrous leaflet quite moribund.

Originally, Holi was celebrated with Hindu rituals and strict worship like Christmas was by the Christians. As time passed and in the period of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib ji, Holi was watered down for majority of the population. There are various significant occurrence attached to Holi. Yet, in Guru Sahib's period it was about throwing color on each other and sitting around a fire and having a pind family day. Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib ji knew about the historical reference of Holi and what it turned into. Yet, Guru Sahib on the same day as Holi, made the Sikhs celebrate Hola Mohalla. The celebration of Vaisakh was tranformed into Vaisakhi; the celebration of the Punj Pyare being honored by the Guru and taking on the the Guru's form. People of India celebrated Vaisakh as Sikhs want to celebrate Christmas; a celebration of capitalism, family, fun and as a nonchrist event.

[Guest Jacfsing2]

So if I was to celebrate Christmas, isn't that Hukam too? Or is it only Hukam when the action is in line with your agenda?

I don't think thats entirely true, sangat packs the gurdwaras here for Diwali/Vaisakhi and other holidays. Every year millions of Sikhs around the world outside of Punjab celebrate our holidays.

It's always Vaheguru's Hukam: Bani says there is nothing but him in this world. Bani continually talks about Hukam, not much on free-will. (I'm surprised that people here don't know about it: here's an article so you can learn that Hukam is everything: https://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikhism-faqs/what-is-hukam), but as a Sikh one should try at best to follow Guru's Hukam.

[JagsawSingh]

Originally, Holi was celebrated with Hindu rituals and strict worship like Christmas was by the Christians. As time passed and in the period of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib ji, Holi was watered down for majority of the population.

No. It (Holi) always has been and always will be about dusgusting, immoral drugged up behaviour. And that fact always was and still is connected to the 'religious' aspect of Hinduism as one of their 'god's' that they are saluting with that festival also got drugged up and chased women with drunken abandon.

Yet, in Guru Sahib's period it was about throwing color on each other and sitting around a fire and having a pind family day.

I fear you may be confusing your 'holi's' with your 'lohri's', perhaps inadvertently creating your own new hybrid festival of 'holohri' or lohrily ?

[Jonny101]

I think its finally time I give up my loyalties to Sikhi and act like the Christmas celebrating liberal Sikhs here and start celebrating janashtami (birth of krishna) and while I'm at it why not also celebrate mawlid (birth of prophet Muhammad). Does anyone know the birthday of gurmeet ram rahim insaan?

[Guest Jacfsing2]

I think its finally time I give up my loyalties to Sikhi and act like the Christmas celebrating liberal Sikhs here and start celebrating janashtami (birth of krishna) and while I'm at it why not also celebrate mawlid (birth of prophet Muhammad). Does anyone know the birthday of gurmeet ram rahim insaan?

This probably isn't the topic to be sarcastic about: (liberals will believe they're winning), we have young kids who can't understand sarcasm reading these forums.

[KhoonKaBadlaKhoon]

I think its finally time I give up my loyalties to Sikhi and act like the Christmas celebrating liberal Sikhs here and start celebrating janashtami (birth of krishna) and while I'm at it why not also celebrate mawlid (birth of prophet Muhammad). Does anyone know the birthday of gurmeet ram rahim insaan?

The difference is those holidays are still strictly religious, while Christmas has pretty much lost all religious meaning to most folks. I see Sikhs inviting outsiders to come celebrate our holidays with us, inviting politicians or teachers in schools, why not go all the way and forbid anyone from joining in a Nagar Kirtan or entering a Gurdwara on a holiday?

Edit: I have not celebrated Christmas for many years, but its no big deal to me if others do.

[Pakandi baba]

Does anyone other then a minority of 'Christians'that go church on xmas eve even really celebrate the birth of christ?

Most of the world just use it as an excuse to get together with family at one of the few common holidays, eat til they feel sick and show affection to each other by giving gifts.

Jesus or anything religious has little to do with xmas anymore.

There are far worse problems affecting our kaum/humanity then ↑

In the west I would prioritise each of the below over the xmas 'problem':

- Lack of funding for real parchar from gurughars

- lack of engagement/cooperation between sikh groups/jathe

- increasing promiscuity amongst 'sikh' youth

- lack of/poor qlty sikh education institutions

- not enough social justice drives at issues affecting non-sikhs

- lack of say on where gurughars spend our dasvandh

- too many gurdware in cities (dividing sikhs)

- granthis lacking skills/knowledge/facilties to advise sangat on personal difficulties

- lack of a forum where sikhs can create a common agenda then focus our efforts to attack those so to make some actual progress

- not an exhaustive list

I could probably paste this into most topics on this website.. folks shy away from dealing with the big problems and keep bickering over petty ones.

What you say is the truth.

The majority of 'Christians' do not even know of the story, or celebrate his birth. They just like the tree and house decorating and the food and drinking. Same with many others.