Do We Celebrate Christmas And New Year

[JagsawSingh]

this topic has been discussed almost every year. General consensus is that no Sikhs shouldn't celebrate christmas it has nothing to do with us.

No. Its been discussed every year and I think general consensus is that we come across as backward puritans stuck in a 1940's timewarp because....since the 1940's, nobody else in the western world bar a tiny proportion of evangelicals even associate 'Jesus' or 'Christianity' with this 'fun-time for the kids and family with Santa' time of year.

OK, there's still an element of 'christianity' in America but the rest of the western world don't even think 'jesus' or religion has anything to do with this special Santa time of the year.....until YOU people mention it.

[simran345]

No. Its been discussed every year and I think general consensus is that we come across as backward puritans stuck in a 1940's timewarp because....since the 1940's, nobody else in the western world bar a tiny proportion of evangelicals even associate 'Jesus' or 'Christianity' with this 'fun-time for the kids and family with Santa' time of year.

OK, there's still an element of 'christianity' in America but the rest of the western world don't even think 'jesus' or religion has anything to do with this special Santa time of the year.....until YOU people mention it.

Agree. A lot of people think and want it to be about Santa Claus. If people want to celebrate a festival of the country they live in, there's nothing wrong with that, but for the right reasons.

A lot of people will think I am kanjoos, but nowadays Xmas is stress free for me, because I don't get anybody anything or decorate the house. It's actually quite nice and serene without the chamkane bling going on.

[Guest Jacfsing2]

Agree. A lot of people think and want it to be about Santa Claus. If people want to celebrate a festival of the country they live in, there's nothing wrong with that, but for the right reasons.

A lot of people will think I am kanjoos, but nowadays Xmas is stress free for me, because I don't get anybody anything or decorate the house. It's actually quite nice and serene without the chamkane bling going on.

Where I'm from Christmas is still associated with Jesus, so I'd really recommend it totally based on the environment around you and not just blindly or ritually celebrating the thing.

[Jonny101]

The day is associated with Jesus Christ. We are not isaees. If it is Paganism that you associate it with, again we are not pagans.

This is no different than those Sikhs in India who celebrate Hindu pagan holidays like jamanastmi or Durga puja and say they do it because it is a time for fun and spend time with kids.

And Just a Jatt. As your name implies you are just a Jatt not a Sikh. Your first and foremost identity should be Sikh and just a Sikh. The day you do that is the day you will no longer celebrate Hindu Christian Muslim Pagan holydays.

Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha called those Sikhs who celebrate holydays of other religions as Har Deghi Chamach or a spoon that is used in every dish.

[JSinghnz]

The day is associated with Jesus Christ. We are not isaees. If it is Paganism that you associate it with, again we are not pagans.

This is no different than those Sikhs in India who celebrate Hindu pagan holidays like jamanastmi or Durga puja and say they do it because it is a time for fun and spend time with kids.

And Just a Jatt. As your name implies you are just a Jatt not a Sikh. Your first and foremost identity should be Sikh and just a Sikh. The day you do that is the day you will no longer celebrate Hindu Christian Muslim Pagan holydays.

Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha called those Sikhs who celebrate holydays of other religions as Har Deghi Chamach or a spoon that is used in every dish.

That is what we call hitting the nail on the head Johny.

Unfortunately there is no dearth of such spineless "Chamach" amongst us.

[JagsawSingh]

The day is associated with Jesus Christ. We are not isaees. If it is Paganism that you associate it with, again we are not pagans.

This is no different than those Sikhs in India who celebrate Hindu pagan holidays like jamanastmi or Durga puja and say they do it because it is a time for fun and spend time with kids.

Ah come on now Johnny. Get real. The year is 2015....not 1949. Except for the teeny weeny miniscule percentage of the population who actually remember it might....just might....have something to do with Christianity nobody else does. For the rest, its about fun time for the kids...friendly times with friends and work colleagues and a special guy named Santa.

But...if you insist on using the 'pagan' excuse, let me ask you :

• Do you also insist no Sikh should eat chocolate ? After all, chocolate was the drink the ancient aztec pagans used in their ritual ceremonies in honour of their gods.
• Do you also never ever wear a wedding ring ? After all, the wedding ring has always been the pagan symbol of continuity.
• When you go into work on Monday do you say you cannot say the word 'Monday' ? After all, Monday was named after the pagan moon goddess
• On Tuesday, at work, and your manager says you were absent for the scheduled Tuesday morning meeting do you deny Tuesday exists ? After all, Tuesday was named after the pagan god Tyr.
• Do you also have the same probem at work / college on Wednesday ? After all, Wednesday was named after the pagan god Odin
• How are you on Thursday then Johnny ? After all, Thursday was named after the pagan god Thor.
• What about Friday ? After all, Friday was named after the pagan goddess Frigga.
• I'm guessing you insist your kids never dare mention the word Saturday ? After all, Saturday was named after the pagan god Saturn.
• What about Sunday ? When the family say we should go to the Gurdwara today do you say No way....I will not acknowledge Sunday as a day to not go into work ? After all, Sunday was named after the pagan Sun god

Life must be difficult Johnny outside India. I mean after you go back into work in the new year after deliberately ignoring xmas and your manager asks you for the beginning of the year forecast do you tell him its against your religion to believe or acknowledge the existence of January ? After all, January is named after the pagan god janus.

• What about February ? After all, February is named after the pagan festival of februa.
• March must be hard for you , especially when work colleagues ask you what month it is ? After all, march is named after the pagan war god
• What about April when your tax assessment is due, do you tell the Inland Revenue to buzz off and respect your religious freedom ? After all, April is named after the pagan period of fertility (aprilus) and we Sikhs can't have anything to do with disgusting sexual baby-making things.
• Do you ever acknowledge the fact that it is May ? After all, May is named after the female diety for growth (increase)
• In June, when everyone is starting to feel warm....discard the coats and put a t shirt on, do you put the heating on and refuse to join in ? After all, it is named after the wife of the pagan god jupitas.
• The existence of July must be particularly hard for you, given your aversion to xmas, especially when your kids ask you what month it is ? After all, it is named after julius ceaser and he's about as pagan as you can get.
• August ? After all, its another one named after a pagan roman emporer. Oooh, its getting hard now isn't it ? Surely there must be a day or month in the west we western born Sikhs can join in with?

I could go on but I won't.

As I said before, this is 2015. Not 1949.

in 2015 in the western world where we and our kids were born, only elderly ladies of the Women's Institute and misguided people on sikh forums still equate xmas with christianity. About the same number that still refuse to say what day of the week it is because it has pagan origins.

The 99% of us, are as happy for our kids to open xmas presents and put a stocking up ready for santa as we are to say pagan words such as 'Monday' or 'wedding ring'.

But....even if its jolly old Santa that you disaprove of....Well, perhaps you should remember that good olde St. Nick was a brown skinned, black haired Turk with a long black beard. That might help in your transition into the year and decade we're living in.

[dallysingh101]

[InderjitS]

I say, if all those in favour of this fun and festive spirit also celebrate Gurpurabs with the same fervour and zeal, then yes go be merry and jolly at your hearts content, without the Turkey and Alcohol of course.

[InderjitS]

The day is associated with Jesus Christ. We are not isaees. If it is Paganism that you associate it with, again we are not pagans.

This is no different than those Sikhs in India who celebrate Hindu pagan holidays like jamanastmi or Durga puja and say they do it because it is a time for fun and spend time with kids.

And Just a Jatt. As your name implies you are just a Jatt not a Sikh. Your first and foremost identity should be Sikh and just a Sikh. The day you do that is the day you will no longer celebrate Hindu Christian Muslim Pagan holydays.

Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha called those Sikhs who celebrate holydays of other religions as Har Deghi Chamach or a spoon that is used in every dish.

On the subject of Bhai Kahn Singh:

Bhai Kahn Singh jee Nabha was one of the greatest scholars of Sikh Panth. Mahan Kosh the best Sikh encyclopedia even to this day keeps his memory alive. At a time when Hindus were about to swallow Sikh Panth, he along with other gursikhs of that time vigorously fought back. Bhai Sahib wrote another great book – Hum Hindu Nahee (We are not Hindus), in order to counter the claim by some Sanatanist Hindus that Sikhs were part of the Hindu Dharam.

At that time (and still today) there were Sikhs who proudly subscribed to all faiths along with the Sikh faith. A person who is a Sikh cannot be a Hindu or a Muslim at the same time. A Sikh can only be a Sikh and not a Hindu or a Muslim or a Christian while being a Sikh.

Many Sikhs don’t openly subscribe to other faiths but knowingly or unknowingly a lot of Sikhs are infected with other faiths i.e. subscribe to their philosophies. They don’t see any harm in bowing their head when they see a Church or a temple. I have personally witnessed this. A friend of mine, long time ago, used to bow his head whenever he saw any religious place. I told him that we Sikhs cannot bow our head and matha-tek to anyone but Guru Khalsa Panth and Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee but he in return accused me of being an extremist and even a Taliban. I was sitting there wondering how ignorant modern Sikhs had become.

Anyway, Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha terms such Sikhs who subscribe to all faiths as Hardeghi Chamchay i.e. such chamchay that are used to stir vegetable of all sorts. He has written a beautiful poem that I must share with you all:

Devi ko bhagat kabhee meera ko upaasha hai,

Daas Sultan ko au kabhee Laal-Beghi hai||

(Depending on the circle and situation, sometimes he becomes a worshipper of Devi and at other times of Meera. Sometimes they serve Sultan (a sect of Islam) and at other times they become Laal-Beghi (another sect of Islam))

Mann meh hai aur ar mukh maahe dooji baat,

Param Pakhandi, nakh Sikh Lau farebee hai||

(He has one thing in mind and something else on his tongue. He is a Param Pakhandi i.e. a great hyprocrite and a deceiver)

Swarath ko maan hai, mukh parmaarath tain,

Nimboo ko nichod agai karat rakebi hai ||

(From inside they have worldly reasons and aspirations but from tongue they speak of holyness and religion. They crush others as a lemon is crushed)

Singh roop dhaari anai matt ko parchaari bhaari,

Panth ko nikaaray jo chamach Hardeghi hai ||

(Such pakhandi adopts the appearance of a Singh but always sticks up or stands up and preaches other faiths. Such person who undermines Panth is a Hardeghi Chamach)

May Guru Sahib save us from becoming Chamach Hardeghi. Let us stop becoming apologetics for other faiths. Let us become Mighty Khalsay both physically and spiritually. We hate no one but this does not mean that sell out to others. We should not undermine our Guru Sahibaan by saying that they were influenced by others and so on.

Daas,

Kulbir Singh

[KhoonKaBadlaKhoon]

Those bring up the "celebrate eid as well" argument cant really think they have a valid point, do they? Christmas has basically become a cultural holiday to spend time with your family, eid on the other hand is 100% religious in nature. Not too mention we dont live in Islamic countries, so Eid has no place in vast majority of society here. For the Sikhs who do live in Islamic countries, I dont see anything wrong if maybe they cooked a meal for their Muslim neighbors or some sort of small gesture. Its not as if theyre accepting Islam.

I dont see anyone bitc**** and complaining if non Sikh students/staff join their Sikh friends are partake in celebrating Diwali etc when they have ZERO obligation to do so. Fer ta sare bohat kush hunde ne.