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But......but.....but!
YOU WERE NICE TO ME!
*freaks out when people are nice to me because even though I know I should just say thank you, I still kinda can't handle people being nice to me....don't kinda know what to do....*
>///////////////////<
*hides in a wall*

Come out here, Amu! Don't make me be even NICER to you! emotion_donotwant
*throws gold at the wall*

There is evidence that the early Christians celebrated Christmas as early as the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Constantine didn't become emperor until 306 and didn't convert until 312. Though the celebration of that feast and others certainly became more widespread after his conversion.

And I'd like to know where in the bible it says that because none of the biblical scholars I've looked up seem certain of a specific date. The only article that insisted upon a date, was one that asserted Christmas took place in September between the 16th and the 29th (So yay, Merry Christmas!). And even there it is not because the bible specifically laid out a date, rather it is based on deduction surrounding the specific Jewish ritual being performed when Zachariah found out Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist. However, if indeed it says in the bible that He was born in April, why all this speculation?

And if a person misuses religion as an excuse to do "bad behavior" then it is a discredit to the person and not to the religion itself, especially if that "bad behavior" is in direct opposition to that religion's teachings. There will always be Judas Iscariots, but there are also going to be people like Maximilian Kolbe and Mother Theresa and Hugh O'Flaherty. Every organization and religion is going to have both cowards and offenders as well as heroes and saints.

And I don't need hear your reasons for why you hold the beliefs you do any more than I'm sure you want to hear mine, as I'm sure in either case it would be rather encroaching.

Finally, I don't know how birthdays work in your family, but in ours they're usually celebrated for 1-2 maybe 3 days. Wanting to bar an entire holiday from entire month just because it's the same month as your birthday, seems a bit... extreme. Not to mention that most people who decorate their yards with nativity scenes or sing Christmas carols aren't trying to be "intrusive" or "encroaching" but just really love the holiday and/or what it represents and are just expressing that love. I'm not going to feel encroached upon just because I see a bunch of Menorahs. Not to mention that there are Atheists who celebrate Christmas, meaning it's not just a Christian or even religious holiday anymore. Now if your birthday was actually on Christmas day, I'd understand the annoyance a bit more.

”Do you ever wonder if the stars shine out for you
Float down, like autumn leaves”

Eh, if you want to be really technical, you could also say white is all the colours at once; like something is blue when the blue light reflects off of it, something is white when white light reflects off of it, and white light is every colour of light together emotion_yatta Which shows if you do digital art, where the RGB values (red, green and blue light/colour respectively) for black are all 0, and for white all 255, the maximum 3nodding
And if you're talking mixing base colours the traditional way, it would be brownish that is very close to black when mixed often enough emotion_awesome

I had not heard that, which is fascinating I must say.

There would be that much speculation, because at the time there was no such thing as birth certificates and any other documentation from the time cannot be positively proven to be correct. I mean, even the bible has been edited and revised, books of gospel cut and destroyed.

No, I more meant the people who use the teachings from the pope/their interpretation of the bible to behave badly. Not those who use religion as an excuse. I know that if someone uses religion as an excuse is more on the person and not the religion. Personally, I believe that even if Mother Teresa hadn't been catholic, she still would have done all her good works. You do not need religious drive to do good works.

As for my birthday. I don't have an issue with people putting nativity scenes in their front yards, that is not "encroaching" on me. What is, is the fact that during the entire month of December, I am inundated from everywhere with religion. It's gotten worse with Christmas decorations and such like getting set out in stores months in advance. Each person is entitled to their celebration of the season. I have more issue with the people who cover their yards in those crazy blow-up....things, than anyone who chooses to stick a nativity scene in their yard or sing Xmas Carols.

I am well aware of the fact that Christmas is not just a religious holiday anymore. My issue with Christmas is, as I hope has been apparent, not entirely religious. Yes, I do not like the religious factor, but I more hate the fact that during December no matter where I go it is COATED in Christmas. The music, colors, decor all grates on me badly. I love the spirit of the season, the giving and being kind, but the rest of it I just cannot stand. My annoyance about my birthday and Christmas, besides the small bit about religion is that I am surrounded by all the other, completely non-religious stuff from Christmas that I hate. Even though my birthday is early in December, by that point, everywhere has been coated in way too much xmas for me....a little is nice, but to coat a store in tinsel, fake snow and have xmas songs playing all the time....no. Just no.