As Christmas has been as commercialized as it has, with the "pressure" to buy at least one gift to each person, gladly an expensive one, the whole Nowember and December are a great celebration for the shopkeepers. There is no time at the year when they make that much money. So even if it looks like the stores want us to get the right Christmas atmosphere by having an exhibition with angels, red hearts, Christmas trees, Santas (even those who snore), and gifts all over, the only reason is to try to celebrate their own Christmas by making people buy as many presents as possible.

             Some people often say when we're talking about that Christmas no longer is a religious celebration: "But just look at the churches at Christmas Eve! Never are the churches more crowded with people than at just Christmas Eve." I agree to that statement to a certain point. It's nothing to say against that the churhces are filled with people, but the point is that most people don't go to church at Christmas Eve because they want to celebrate Christmas religously. They just go there to recieve the right atmosphere, and because it is a tradition. In addition, Christmas is the only time a year they can go to church without being looked at as odd. But besides Christmas is the most religious festival, in proportion to other festivals like Easter and Withsuntide. I still don't agree to the statement, but there are of course several people who all want to celebrate Christmas religiously by going to church, but these are seen in the church more often. May I refer to our previous bishop in Borg, Per Lønning as he once said: "Attend the service every sunday, avoid the rush at Christmas!".

             There are also these people who consciously celebrate Christmas non-religiously. These people celebrate Christmas almost like the others, with presents, much good food, Christmas tree, family parties, the only thing that is different is that nothing of their celebration indicates the religious part - no angels on the tree, no Christmas manger and no star in the top of the tree.