Most people of Sikh heritage living in the West celebrate Christmas. During Christmas many people will buy alcohol, a big fat turkey, and presents to give to the children. On Christmas day the atmosphere in many homes is like a party, the booze is flowing, the smell of meat fills the house and children are engrossed in what gift they have got. Yet, we forget a big part of what makes us who we are!
Sadly many people of Sikh heritage forget during the Christmas holidays there are key historical events that are remembered. December doesn't mark one Sikh's martyrdom but countless martyrdoms. For this reason Christmas time is a sombre time for Sikhs.
21st December
On this day the Battle of Chamkaur took place. Guru jee and his 40 Sikhs fortified a mud house on a hill in the village of Chamkaur whilst the Mughal army led by Wazir Khan pursued them. In a bloody battle, the 2 elder sons (Sahibzaadey) of Guru Gobind Singh jee Maharaaj, Baba Ajeet Singh jee aged 17 and Baba Jujhar Singh jee aged 15, and 36 of Guru jee's beloved Sikhs were martyred fighting against an army of hundred thousand Mughals.
26th December
On this day the younger sons (Sahibzaadey) of Guru Gobind Singh jee, aged 7 and 5, were barbarically bricked alive for refusing to embrace Islam and give up their faith. Hearing the news of the martyrdom of her grandchildren, Mata Gujjar Kaur jee, who had been kept imprisoned in a cold tower with her younger grandchildren, embraced martyrdom and breathed her last.
I suppose December for Sikhs is a period of "thanks-giving". Thanks-giving to whom? To four incredible Sahibzaadey, Mata Gujjar Kaur jee and the other countless Shaheeds (martyrs) who split their blood for us and sacrificed their tomorrow for our today. We enjoy the freedom of being Sikhs because of their sacrifices. If anyone was planning to have a Turkey or drink alcohol this Christmas, perhaps take some time to reflect upon how Baba Fateh Singh jee at the age of 5 and Baba Zoravar Singh jee at the age of 7 sacrificed their lives but not their Sikhi. Could those who eat meat and drink alcohol, sacrifice their turkey and drink in their loving memory?
The post definitely raises some important issues and I think the deeper issue here is why do people in general opt for a superficial path rather than going deeper, and this can be applied to all religious groups and societies.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33681
I can't speak for punjabi-Sikh households, but the writer is clearly miss informed on how most Christmas-celebrators celebrate Christmas. Around 5-10% of britishers are veggie, and whilst alcohol is consumed on this day, people do not generally get drunk! Infact there are Christian denomenations which prohibit alcohol (Christmas can be a cultural or religious festival, much like Diwali in that sense).
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The Swedish Monarch, according to our Constitution, has to embrace the "pure, evangelical creed ...", and until recently the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden was the "State Church".
But we never ever celebrated "Christmas". It was always "Yuletide" ('Jul'), the successor of the ancient midwinter parties to mark the winter solstice. The holiest time of the year now is the Xmas eve rerun of Disney movie clips. Sweden is at a standstill. Then, the supercharged dinner with the glazed ham centrepiece. Some will be drinking, but at family gatherings, a decent proportion of the members will probably be driving home afterwards, and thus consume no alcohol. Out of sympathy, the others will normally imbibe rather modest amounts. Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33681
Happy whatever to all of you, and a prosperous New Year to the board and its members!
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When I was a child we always made a big deal of Christmas, trees - our house was huge, we usually had several, lights, the whole schmeer. Of course, it was a secular celebration, more like Anders ji "Yuletide" than than anything like the Christian celebration. (BTW, the Christmas tree is actually a remnant of "The Old Religion" that Christianity adopted.) Daddy would play Santa Claus, bellowing out his "Ho, ho, ho!" that could be heard all the way from Montreal to Toronto, I'm sure. He was the perfect Santa Claus, if you don't mind Santa being tall and light brown. And there were two big advantages, too: Both his beard and his chardi kala were real!
When I married and we moved to the farm, my husband and I kept up the tradition at our farmhouse. (We always went into Montreal for Christmas and Boxing Days, though.) That was until the Christmas our son was 6. I think that would have been 1977. One fine December day, as we were preparing to trim the tree, he stopped us dead in our tracks. "Papa ji, mata ji, are we Christians?"
"Huh? What!? You know we're Sikhs, Sandeep!"
"I thought so. It doesn't seem very nice that we celebrate the birth of their god that we don't even believe in!"
"Son, we don't celebrate it as a religious holiday. It's just a fun family time for us. The tree, the lights, the presents."
Our son was very stubborn. "It's Christ-mas. Christ - that's Jesus. Mas is mass, the Catholic church thing. Christmas. It's for Christians, not Sikhs." Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33681
"Sure but you guys give me presents all the time. Anyway, I'd rather be a Sikh than get silly presents."
So we stopped celebrating Christmas. We did keep making our annual trek to Montreal in the dead of winter and Sandeep never turned down any of the gifts given him.
It is, however, impossible to ignore the fact that everybody around me is celebrating (except the Jehovah's Witnesses, who don't celebrate anything), so I have made a short video to share with all of you.
An unrelated question: how old were the young Sahibzahdey? I have read 6 and 8, 7 and 9, and now 5 and 7.
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I love both. I believe that Christ was sent...only him to spread the word..as he was/is God . The Gurus were blessed and the spirit and passion of God lived and were them.
"Our son was very stubborn. "It's Christ-mas. Christ - that's Jesus. Mas is mass, the Catholic church thing. Christmas. It's for Christians, not Sikhs"
It's always sad to see that any people, Sikhs or otherwise, have to look back upon "the Martyrs" of their Faith, to see the only reason they have the freedom to be who they are; as no one should ever have to give their life, to be who they're driven by faoth to be - unless their "rights" involve sociopathic criminal. Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33681
That's why I want to pint out that the Days of Giving, or Taking Life "for God", have got to end; and, at one time, before the Roman Catholic Church took over the Worship of Mithra, as Sol Invictus, and metamophosed the "Re-birth of the Sun" (Sol the Invincible, who'd just forced the Dragon that was swallowing it to spit it back out - being Invictus, and all) into the "Birth of the Son (of God, supposedly; Boddhisatva or Avataar, more likely)", the Solstice Celebration was really about Re-Birth.
This the Ancient Way, as it was The Way before Zarathustra, Abraham, Siddathra, John the Baptist, Jesus, Mani, Mohamed, Guru Nanak, or the B'Hai; and it should always remain a time of Re-Birth - of selves, of peoples, and, ideally, of the way that people of various faiths interact with one another; especially at this delicate Nuclear Armed juncture in our increasingly Global World; and, therefore, of a Birth - into a New Way, more Peaceful, Way; one where peoples urge to "please God" no longer drives them to make Martyrs out of those others who are doing the very some thing, only in a Way different than their own.
We should all make Gifts to those whom we hate, at this time of year; that would Build Character, and salve wounds at the same time.
Either way, giving Gifts at the Solstice is also as ancient as time; but then most of you live in India, with all of the holidays that the "puritans" did away with here in Stolid, Boring, Straight Laced America (believe it or not, we once 'burned witches'; now we make them into Movie Stars).
Every ethnic groups has its special days. For Christians they are Christmas and Easter. In a multicultural world everyone should be allowed to have their own free moral agency to celebrate the special days of meaning for them. Christmas and Easter have been for Christians the dominant celebrations throughout the last 2000 years. Much of Christmas has lost its meaning for those who do not embrace the Christian faith deleted Christian rhetoric. However, since America became a country in 1776, Christmas has been our most prominent cherished celebration. Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol shows what it is like when scrooges exist to try to stamp out this festive holiday. They'd be much better off embracing the deleted values of charity, generosity and kindness than throw rocks at people who celebrate it. On the whole I believe sikhs embrace those values. Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33681
Values of charity, generosity and kindness are hallmarks of many religions, not exclusively owned by Christianity. They are fundamentals in such religions as Sikhi, Buddhism, etc. I should not even have to state this obvious truth.
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We are veering ever closer to the brink of proselytizing for Christianity. We are not quite there yet. A good decision would be to not test my limits on this point.
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A nice post to stretch our minds once again but at the same time sensitive too coz it is very easy to drift into criticizing other religions rather than discussing the original point.
Without making a big issue of this whole thing lets first not forget that everyone has right to live, and celebrate. Christians celebrate chritsmas, Muslims celebrate eed, and sikhs celebrate their Guru's birthdays and martyor days. Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33681
I wont blame people who celebrate christmas despite being of religion other than chritians. We dont celebrate any ocassion just because we believe in that. But we celebrate it coz we live in a society majority of which celebrate it. Now take an example of Punjab these days, they are celebrating martyrdom of sehbjades at Fatehgarh saheb. and I bet whole punjab will be colored in that celebration. Peolpe will take part in the celebration at Fatehgarh saheb, no matter what religion they are. Did we ever raise a question why a christian is taking part in Fatehgarh sbha, or a Muslim is present in sabha. No, We dont, then why do we want the other way around.
I also believe that Christmas and martyordom of Shebjades can be celebrated together. Celebrate it with christian friends and educate them about your reason of celebration at the same time get educated about thier faith. Your fear for getting coverted to any other religion is only as strong as you are weak inside about your own faith.
Regarding, alchohal, we as sikhs have no right to obejct others on having alchohal on chirstmas day. We cant force our opinon on others and we dont have to. At the same time A Sikh wont take any kind of drugs ever other than medicational purpose. So there is no point advising sikhs not to have alchohal on these days as celebration.
Having turkey on the day is a tradition, It is just a food, I personally dont find anything wrong with that too.
I dont have any problem wishing my christians friends "Merry Christmas", or Muslim freinds "EED Mubaraq".
Why should we ever miss a chance to make another soul happy. When we all know "God is one"
So Be open, be acceptive, be inviting and love every one.
Believe in yourself, Stand for truth, understand your responsibilities, fight for your rights and protect the helpless.
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