Opinion on Christmas music

[Phulublub]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

I think most western f-rangs are at least cultural Christians which doesn't require believing in anything, going to church,  or wearing magic underwear, as the case may be. 

What is a "cultural Christian"?  Surely, to be a Christian (cultural or otherwise) you need to believe in Christ...otherwise you are agnostic, or atheist.

 

PH

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Phulublub said:

What is a "cultural Christian"?  Surely, to be a Christian (cultural or otherwise) you need to believe in Christ...otherwise you are agnostic, or atheist.

 

PH

No you don't.

When you grow up in a majority Christian country, it's likely that even if you're a different religion, you will be at least partly a cultural Christian. 

 

 

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Please answer my specific question in a written format and not via a video!

Your video does not give a specific answer to my specific question!

 

Persistent little bugger.

 

Another version:

 

[Jingthing]

4 hours ago, Morch said:

 

Can always try to self medicate with Adam Sandler's Hanukkah songs....

I like something even cornier than Adam Sandler if that's even possible. The Maccabeats.

 

 

 

[Phulublub]

38 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

No you don't.

When you grow up in a majority Christian country, it's likely that even if you're a different religion, you will be at least partly a cultural Christian. 

 

 

Again I ask, what is a "cultural Christian"?

 

PH

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Phulublub said:

Again I ask, what is a "cultural Christian"?

 

PH

Generally someone who grew up in a majority Christian culture who is not very religious (or at all) but still relates to a lot of it.

Probably more common for Jews to understand this concept (as Jewish is both an ethnicity and a religion). 

 

Cultural Christians - Wikipedia

 

If you're going to be terminally literal and reject this, that's fine, I could care less.

[Woof999]

Not religious in the slightest, but I don't mind the music and I'm happy to partake in some of the traditional stuff, mostly because I was brought up with it. Quite happy to be a little two-faced / hypocritical about the lack of religion and the "real?" meaning of Christmas, although it turned into nothing more than a commercial exploitative exercise for most businesses decades ago.

 

The best thing about Christmas time though is that it's pretty much the ONLY time of the year, leading into new year, that the majority of my customers don't work, so I can usually take a break for at least a few days.

 

Christmas music doesn't bother me at all, kind of gets me in the mood, unless they start it before late November / early December.

[scottiejohn]

10 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Persistent little bugger.

 Deleted!  

[itsallmine68]

23 hours ago, Dirk Z said:

We live in a Buddhist country, but you wouldn't believe it if you see all the Christmas items around you: shop assistants and waiters with Christmas hats, Christmas trees, decoration etc. and last but not least the endless Christmas music in restaurants, shopping malls, public transport, resorts, virtually everywhere. Thai seem to think we like it or maybe they like it themselves. My question is: who enjoys the omnipresent Christmas music, both the traditional and the Christmas hits? Or on the other hand: who is relieved or maybe even sad when it's all over again?

Go to a Muslim country and see the Xmas decoration such as Qatar. Reasons for the events , Get the consumers money

[charleskerins]

23 hours ago, Dirk Z said:

We live in a Buddhist country, but you wouldn't believe it if you see all the Christmas items around you: shop assistants and waiters with Christmas hats, Christmas trees, decoration etc. and last but not least the endless Christmas music in restaurants, shopping malls, public transport, resorts, virtually everywhere. Thai seem to think we like it or maybe they like it themselves. My question is: who enjoys the omnipresent Christmas music, both the traditional and the Christmas hits? Or on the other hand: who is relieved or maybe even sad when it's all over again?

i love this question  .This morning I went to Lotus  over 8,000 miles from my hometown .Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was playing in English -pretty cool. Before 2016 i would play Xmas music endlessly  have a big xmas eve party with the family then a huge Xmas dinner .  I would drive out to Rose Tree Park and look at the lights on the last day they were up.  Last few years  very little xmas celebration but now in Thailand with granddaughter trying to get some shrimp cocktail , lasagna , fish  , beer  and a small party for Xmas eve..   Was that too much of an answer?   I find it strange how much the Thais seems to celebrate /promote Christmas but Ireally like it.

[blazes]

Sad to see that nobody on here (the thread is about Christmas music) has so much as mentioned Handel's Messiah, perhaps the most wonderful piece of music ever written.

 

[Real Name Hidden]

I’m not religious but I like it.  Reminds me of good times when I was a kid, and it’s pretty amazing you can walk into a store in Thailand and hear music about a guy that died over 2000 years ago.  It’s mostly Santa and jingle bells of course, but I’ve heard Silent Night.

‘At home I’ll put on Mariah Carey and Bing Crosby, and the Jimi Hendrix version of Little Drummer Boy.

 

[newnative]

On 12/19/2023 at 2:02 PM, Dirk Z said:

We live in a Buddhist country, but you wouldn't believe it if you see all the Christmas items around you: shop assistants and waiters with Christmas hats, Christmas trees, decoration etc. and last but not least the endless Christmas music in restaurants, shopping malls, public transport, resorts, virtually everywhere. Thai seem to think we like it or maybe they like it themselves. My question is: who enjoys the omnipresent Christmas music, both the traditional and the Christmas hits? Or on the other hand: who is relieved or maybe even sad when it's all over again?

I enjoy it.  Gets me in a holiday mood.  

[ChrisKC]

23 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Not sure what you mean.

There are very few Thai Christians so it's a fact that Christmas here has nothing to do with Christianity for the vast majority of Thais.

 

Most Atheists "do" Christmas but without the religious nonsense!

[alex8912]

19 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

In a strange way, treating Christmas as a secular festival, with the decorations, parties, treats and gifts but not really acknowledging the religious significance is more honest than the Western approach of drinking, pigging out and punch ups on Christmas Eve, culminating in pools of vomit and bawling half remembered carols at Midnight Mass?

 

As the carol had it, "the hopes and fears of all the years are met in you tonight".

 

If you don't believe in it, don't pretend to once a year.

 

For most Thais it is simply a marker for New Year.

 

Discuss!

I don't think your dis functional family represents most others. Especially the puke. 

[alex8912]

I've been to Thai Christian's ENORMOUS weddings. And to some Catholic services several times in BKK. Church is always packed.  But some posters live on line / in google for all their facts.  

[alex8912]

1 hour ago, Real Name Hidden said:

I’m not religious but I like it.  Reminds me of good times when I was a kid, and it’s pretty amazing you can walk into a store in Thailand and hear music about a guy that died over 2000 years ago.  It’s mostly Santa and jingle bells of course, but I’ve heard Silent Night.

‘At home I’ll put on Mariah Carey and Bing Crosby, and the Jimi Hendrix version of Little Drummer Boy.

 

And if the kids start to act up put them in a room play "ring Christmas bells " loudly and they will all behave afterwards. And I never knew how religious that tune was until recently but it's cool. 

[charleskerins]

1 hour ago, Real Name Hidden said:

I’m not religious but I like it.  Reminds me of good times when I was a kid, and it’s pretty amazing you can walk into a store in Thailand and hear music about a guy that died over 2000 years ago.  It’s mostly Santa and jingle bells of course, but I’ve heard Silent Night.

‘At home I’ll put on Mariah Carey and Bing Crosby, and the Jimi Hendrix version of Little Drummer Boy.

 

I have many that i like but Stevie wonder   is my top choice    

 

[KannikaP]

20 hours ago, riclag said:

I always think of the meaning of Christmas, the birth of the Christ child and Im sure millions 

of others do too!

And many more millions do not! Was Jesus really born on Christmas Day?

The birth of 'the Christ child' and the death of millions of turkeys.  555

[KannikaP]

17 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Generally someone who grew up in a majority Christian culture who is not very religious (or at all) but still relates to a lot of it.

Probably more common for Jews to understand this concept (as Jewish is both an ethnicity and a religion). 

 

Cultural Christians - Wikipedia

 

If you're going to be terminally literal and reject this, that's fine, I could care less.

The English saying is 'COULDN'T care less'

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Real Name Hidden said:

I’m not religious but I like it.  Reminds me of good times when I was a kid, and it’s pretty amazing you can walk into a store in Thailand and hear music about a guy that died over 2000 years ago.  It’s mostly Santa and jingle bells of course, but I’ve heard Silent Night.

‘At home I’ll put on Mariah Carey and Bing Crosby, and the Jimi Hendrix version of Little Drummer Boy.

 

Yeah the dead guy.

The elephant in the room.

I hear he was a dark skinned Jewish Palestinian perhaps asexual or non binary fella.

Woke from the dead.

Many are grateful.

The reason for the season.

 

 

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

The English saying is 'COULDN'T care less'

I could care less how the "English" say it.

[KannikaP]

30 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I could care less how the "English" say it.

Just think about the meaning of how you say it.

If you COULDN'T care less, then that is on the bottom rung of the caring ladder.

If you COULD care less, then you have a bit more care left in you.

[khunPer]

On 12/19/2023 at 8:02 AM, Dirk Z said:

My question is: who enjoys the omnipresent Christmas music, both the traditional and the Christmas hits? Or on the other hand: who is relieved or maybe even sad when it's all over again?

Please let the children's carousel owner in the local shopping mall aware of that "Jingle Bells" is a Xmas-tune, and not something to be player all year round, while "Brother Jones, Are You Sleeping" is not the right choice for Xmas. It seems like the turning device only has that two tunes stored in the music-library. In December Jingle Bells would however be the right choice, in my modest opinion...

The pan-flute souvenir-seller walking on the beach in front of my house also plays the first part of Jingle Bells, unfortunately he doesn't seem to know other songs for pan flute...

As you say, OP, it's a country were Xmas has no tradition the farang-way, so hard to know what is music especially for that season. I presume that we foreigners have the same problem with seasonal Thai music...

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Just think about the meaning of how you say it.

Hilarious that you think that I haven't.

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, blazes said:

Sad to see that nobody on here (the thread is about Christmas music) has so much as mentioned Handel's Messiah, perhaps the most wonderful piece of music ever written.

 

I prefer Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys. 555

[ravip]

On 12/19/2023 at 1:10 PM, Jingthing said:

Not sure what you mean.

There are very few Thai Christians so it's a fact that Christmas here has nothing to do with Christianity for the vast majority of Thais.

 

TBH the Christmas décor & music has nothing to do with Christmas almost all over the world - even in the Christian countries.

Everything has been commercialised.

But I enjoy the traditional Christmas music any time of the year!

...the Glühwein at the Viennese Christmas markets! Beautiful ambience. Who doesn't enjoy the traditional food? Christmas Stollen (Christstollen), Cristmas cake and of course a sumptuous Christmas dinner!

 

[DogNo1]

Wow!  What a lack of Christmas cheer!

[herfiehandbag]

On 12/19/2023 at 10:16 PM, Phulublub said:

Again I ask, what is a "cultural Christian"?

 

PH

"Hatched, matched and despatched"?

 

Christening, wedding and funeral. Otherwise no involvement.

[Grumpy one]

Check out Kevin Bloody Wilson for a collection of fine Xmass songs.

One of my favourites is " I saw Mummy sucking Santa Clause "