Buddhist Christmas climax: Dhammakaya, LA

The original Dhammakaya is in Buddhist Bangkok, but Los Angeles has one, too. VISIT

WHAT HAPPENED?

It was a beautiful moonlit night, though Luna (Soma) did not appear until just after the ceremony officially wrapped up, low to the southeast and reddish. One hundred and ninety Buddhist monastics from about 13 Buddhist countries came together from a cross-cultural, multi-school spectacular. Dhammakaya is a kind of loving cult that is all about giving dana in expectation of rich rewards here and hereafter. It is a big movement in Theravada Buddhist Thailand, boasting the largest Buddhist monument in the world, a spaceship (deva vimana) looking structure out by the Bangkok Int'l Airport topped by a million golden Buddha statues. Quietly nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Valley, the American international meditation center (DIMC) is a peaceful place to meditate the Dharma-body way.

Dhammakaya meditation

Dhammakaya literally translates from the Pali as "Dhamma body." The focus of this meditation is not the breath but a visualization of a small crystal ball entering the nostril (right for males, left for females), traveling to seven points in the body, and coming to rest two finger widths above the navel. This clear magic crystal, a kind of nimitta or produced image, vibrates along the way. Its sound emanation or mantra is samma arahan. This literally means "right full-enlightenment." The crystal starts at the nostril for three repetitions, moves up the nose to the corner of the eye for another three, slowly moves to the center of the skull for another three, down behind the throats, and so forth. Instructions are offered free on weekends. Donations (dana offerings) welcome.

Cult?

(Cori Ander) I went to the Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple, Thailand's most controversial sect

We never thought of the place as an actual cult -- though the many women who surround the place wearing white, do act awfully strange and suspicious, very "nice" but always watching and on edge -- until self-appointed investigative reporter Cori Ander went out and paid the mother center a visit. She doesn't find much, but there are scandals and rumors of scandals, mainly to do with money. If the SGV is a hollow (valley or canyon) then this temple complex is just a holler from the largest Mahayana Buddhist temple complex in the western hemisphere against the hill to the southwest, Coming West Temple.

“Hsi Lai Temple, translated as 'Coming West,' is dedicated to spread the [mostly Mahayana] teachings of the Buddha to the Western hemisphere and help people find inner peace and happiness in their life. It devotes its effort in providing everyone in the society with joy, hope, faith and service.” More: hsilai.us

Dhammakaya Azusa Meditation Activity Teaser (Azusa, Los Angeles County, DIMC.info)

• Where in LA County is Azusa, CA? (Asuksa-nga)

The three sacred events celebrated by Vesak - Relics ceremony Vesak Day 1 (Huong Dao)

Vesak night at Dhammakaya is a spectacle

May 2026 is a special occasion because Prince Siddhartha Gautama (the Bodhisattva) was born on the "Full Moon Day in May," and it's also the day he later became enlightened, and the same day he reclined into final nirvana. This is, therefore, "Buddhist Christmas" but as a thrice blessed day, it is even more significant. This year, because May 2026 has two full moons (according to the Gregorian Calendar forced on us), gives us two opportunities to practice and celebrate. Wisdom Quarterly is teaching at the Eight Precept Fasting Day at the Sri Lankan North Hollywood Temple (Sarathchandra Vihara) by day and attending a grand ceremony representing all Buddhist countries in Los Angeles at the Thai Theravada monastery Dhammakaya in Azusa. Both events are free and open to all.

• Vesak Day 2026: A Celebration of the Buddha (FREE TICKETS), Sunday, May 31, 6:00 pm-8:45 pm, Azusa, Los Angeles (Eventbrite)
• ‘Buddhism in Spanish is here’: the Latino monks building a unique community | Los Angeles | The Guardian
• Please join Sarathchandra Buddhist Center | Facebook
• Village Poets of Sunland and Tujunga: Poetry at historic Bolton Hall, Sunday, May 31, 2026, 4:30-6:00 pm (feree)

(Phra Nicholas Thanissaro) Vesak (Vesakha) in Azusa, Los Angeles

• Dhammakaya Meditation system
• Global Buddhist Network (DMC)
• Wat Phra Dhammakaya, Bangkok

Try Vesak differently this year | Colombo - Vesak Day alms offering @ Wat Phra Dhammakaya

✨️Vesak Day, Dhammakaya Temple, Thailand #Vesak2024 - Vesak Day 2026 USA

Vesak Day 2 Peace Pain Meditation Ven. Maha Phommasan - 🌕 Vesak turning point, Colombo

Las Vegas Vesak | Nevada Buddhist Vihara | 2026Coming West Temple

Reflections on Vesak (May 2026)

Vesak Celebration – The Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment, and Final Nirvana

Buddhism for All: The Joyful Path

Vesak Month 2026: A Month-Long Celebration of the Buddha | Buddhism.net One day isn’t enough to honor the Enlightened One. While Vesak Day falls on May 31, 2026 [the second full moon of the month on the Gregorian calendar], we’re celebrating at Buddhism.net all month long, with five special episodes of "Vibe with Venerables." Join our global community throughout May to commemorate the Buddha’s birth, great enlightenment, and final nirvana, featuring five special "Vibe with Venerables" episodes. Three leading Buddhist masters -- Bhante Buddharakkhita (Theravada), Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche (Vajrayana), and Roshi Joan Halifax (Zen) -- will host sessions on the Buddha, alongside two joint sessions with Pali canon sutra experts Bhante Sujato and Venerable Canda. Register

• Vesak celebrations across North America (North American Buddhist Alliance)

Mahamevnawa Meditation

Vesak (Mahamevnawa Meditation Center, North of England) Namo Buddhaya! Commemorating the sacred threefold anniversary of our Great Teacher, the Supremely Enlightened Buddha, Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery, Liverpool, proudly presents a Glorious Vesak Festival 2026 for the 4th consecutive year. We warmly invite all to witness the splendor of Vesak and gather merit. The festival will be held with great devotion at the Liverpool Mahamevnawa Monastery premises on: May 15, 16, and 17, 2026.

(Buddha Lotus Mantra [AI slop]) Robotic dreams of Vesak

Get ready for change! The Vesak (Wesak) Full Moon Festival of Lights 2026 ignites

(WTC) As we are now experiencing the Full Moon of Scorpio on May 1, 2026, it brings with it the ability to step into a transformative energy that allows us to expand more deeply into a new phase of a divine plan. Self comes into focus.

This means that the alignment of Cosmic energies are opening up so that each individual can enter more deeply into the shadow of self and allow for deeper healing to occur within the body's full system (physical-etheric-emotional-mental).

While that may seem like so much “esoteric verbiage,” it carries with it a very real-world shift in what is occurring in terms of our spiritual potential.

The moon in Scorpio can be intensely emotionally challenging each year, as it is a time of deep reflection that allows for an opening of the subconscious mind into a state of purity. This is a rare occasion for humanity to allow for reflection. Doing so can cause emotional upheavals and challenges to occur.

For most of us it is difficult to realize that there are elements in our reality that no longer are working... More: walkingterrachrista.com

• Vesak - Hindu American Foundation
• NWDA Programs: Northwest Dharma Association

Vesak in Los Angeles at Lankarama (5/9)

Visit Lankarama Buddhist Temple for Vesak

Dhammakaya in Azusa will hold Vesak on 5/31

🙏 INVITATION: CELEBRATE PEACE AND MINDFULNESS AT LANKARAMA BUDDHIST TEMPLE: The Los Angeles Sri Lankan Theravada monks of Lankarama are honored to invite everyone to join in a profound Vesak celebration, marking the birth, great enlightenment, and final passing of the Buddha Siddhattha Gotama (Shakyamuni).

This sacred event is an opportunity for community, introspection, and spiritual growth.

• 🗓️ Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
• 🕔 Time: Starts at 5:00 pm (PT)
• Who? Everyone is welcome!

All participants are encouraged to observe the Eight Precepts and join us for a meditation retreat throughout the Vesak program. It is a wonderful chance to deepen practice and find inner tranquility.

La Puente is a suburb in the SGV of LA County

How to join: 📍 ON SITE (in-person): Experience the celebration firsthand at Lankarama Buddhist Temple, 398 Giano Ave., La Puente, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

💻 ONLINE (virtual): If unable to attend in person, join live on: Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok.

Follow and subscribe to @BhanteDevananda for livestreams and updates. For more information or inquiries: 📞 Phone: (626) 913-0775 📧 Email: LankaramaUSA@gmail.com. May all beings be well and happy!

• "Buddhist Christmas," VESAK 2026, in Los Angeles
• Vesak with Texas Peace Walk monks to Washington DC
• 2026 Los Angeles Vaisakhi Celebration in Los Angeles
• Visakha (Vesak) Day 2026, Dhammakaya, Azusa: A Celebration of the Buddha, Sunday, May 31  •  6:00 PM-8:45 PM | Eventbrite
• 🌺 Preparing for Vesak 2026: Sacred Gathering for Peace

#Vesak #Vesak2026 #LankaramaBuddhistTemple #BhanteDevananda #MeditationRetreat #EightPrecepts #Buddhism #BuddhistCelebration #LaPuente #CaliforniaBuddhism #Mindfulness #Peace

Vesak Day celebrations, Berkeley (5/9)

Come join us in celebrating the Buddha's birthday, enlightenment, and final nirvana. Chanting, food, tea, and blessings, everyone is welcome. On Saturday, May 9, 2026, we celebrate Vesak, a day to commemorate the Buddha's birth, mahabodhi, and parinirvana. Hopefully we will become more aware of the fact that we are intrinsically the same as all buddhas and thus will be inspired to use the Buddha’s teachings, his Dharma (Doctrine), to help ourselves and others.

• Location: Universal Chan (445 Colusa Ave, Kensington, CA 94707)
• PHOTOS: Vesak Day: Buddha's Birthday Celebration Tickets, Saturday, May 9  •  9:00 AM - 2:00 PM | Eventbrite

Four Jews TRY to celebrate Xmas in Israel

(Insightful Nomad) What happens when four Jews try celebrating Christmas in the Holy Land?

• Christians are hated, treated horribly, and even spat on and attacked by Jewish Israelis. Try visiting, American Evangelicals; see what happens.

New Year Sacred Ceremonies (12/27)

• 

  Come to a conscious yoga party!

  10th Annual New Year Sacred Ceremony, Fundraiser, and Veggie Potluck with Stella Han
• KINSHIP STUDIOS kinshipyoga.com
• Highland Park, Northeast Los Angeles
• Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, 6:00-10:00 pm
• Room: Studio B
• Register here: Kinship Studios

Event: Tenth annual New Year Sacred Ceremony (yoga fundraiser for girls, veggie potluck, and gift-giving blanket Native American tradition). Social, potluck, gift-giving blanket price: $25 in advance, $33 day of event.

Beneficiary: Fundraising proceeds will be donated to Yoga Gives Back (YGB), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers women and children in India through education and micro-loans.

• Learn more: yogagivesback.org hosted by Yogini Stella Han, MSW
• In the Valley? Come to the Vegan Winter Solstice Party and Candlelight Ritual for Animals, Saturday night, Dec 27, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup

ABOUT: Join us for Kinship Yoga’s beloved annual year-end gathering to honor what we are releasing and welcome what we are inviting in. We do this through community, intention setting, and celebration with live music and activities, plus a vegan/vegetarian potluck to share with all -- and lots of gifts.

All fundraising proceeds are donated to Yoga Gives Back (YGB)!

Event Schedule and Flow

• 6:00 pm–7:45 pm: Sacred Ceremony - a contemplative space honoring the interconnectedness of all life, with culturally respectful observances and shared intentions for peace and renewal in the year ahead.
• Smudging with Sage – cleanse and ground as we begin.
• Guided Journaling – reflect on the past year and set clear, heart-aligned intentions.
• Sacred Chanting – unite our voices and cultivate collective harmony for the New Year.
• 7:45–10:00 pm: Gift-Giving Blanket, Fundraiser, and Veggie (vegan/vegetarian) Potluck Gift-Giving Blanket – inspired by Native American traditions. Bring one or more new or gently used (mindful) items to place on the blanket, then select a gift someone else has offered. (No purchase necessary—and re-gifting is highly encouraged!

ALL ARE WELCOME—whether or not you're bringing a gift, come to receive.

Fundraiser for Yoga Gives Back

– How? We’ll host a small silent auction and raffle gift certificates. Anyone can also donate monetarily by Venmo: @stella_han_yoga. (Please note “Yoga Gives Back” or “YGB” + your email and phone; this info is visible only to Stella Han). Cash/checks accepted on site. For checks, please write: “Yoga Gives Back.”

Veggie Potluck (optional)

I have to choose what I wear very carefully.

If you’d like to contribute a vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free dish, please email Stella (coordinator) at email stellaheartyoga@gmail.com or come with the dish's name and all ingredients on a small card. All dishes must be vegetarian or preferably vegan (purely plant based). Please include a small ingredient card for transparency (noting any potential allergens. It's appreciated by the health conscious). Potluck contributors will receive 2 raffle tickets—so please let the host know when arriving with one.

What to Wear?

Yoga pants and gear are fine. Or dress warmly and comfortably. Festive or spiritual white attire is welcome (optional) as we gather to set intentions for the New Year.

Questions? Please contact Stella Han by email (stellaheartyoga@gmail.com) or call the studio or send through the Wisdom Quarterly messaging system.

Second party option (FREE)

All are cordially invited to our festive holiday party to celebrate the winter solstice with good cheer and join a candlelight ritual to bring light to animals suffering in dark places around the globe. The ritual includes devotional chanting with Devi Daly as sacred witnessing and an expression of compassion. As the shortest day and longest night of the year, the solstice symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and the return of the light. May our lights usher in a new era of inner peace and peace for all beings! It's a vegan potluck, too. Calabasas, in the San Fernando Valley More

• Vegan Spirituality Online Gathering (every other month, January, March, etc.), Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 5:00 PM | Meetup
• Yogihantas, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen B., Araceli, Veronica, Cody (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Buddhist way to give for Christmas

The Buddhist Way to Give at Christmas | No stress, just pure joy

(Buddha's Wisdom) Dec. 23, 2025: What if we could give at Christmas without stress, guilt, or keeping score?

• 🎁 CHRISTMAS DOESN'T HAVE TO FEEL HEAVY.
• DISCOVER HOW BUDDHIST WISDOM CAN TRANSFORM GIVING.

For 2,600+ years, Buddhists have practiced dāna (letting go, giving, sharing, generosity, charity), the art of generous giving that liberates both giver and receiver.

This ancient wisdom offers a profound alternative to the anxiety, obligation, and reciprocity calculations that often shadow modern Christmas giving.

Through Buddhist teachings, human psychology, and everyday Christmas moments, this video shows how giving without attachment changes not only the holiday season…but the mind/heart behind it.

📿 DISCOVER:

• The ancient practice of dāna and its three stages of joy (before, during, and after giving)
• Why expecting gratitude turns giving into stress
• Why the Buddha said the "gift of Dhamma [the Teaching, Doctrine, Dharma] surpasses all other gifts" and what this means for our Western pagan holiday we call Christmas (Christ's mass)
• The three moods of giving: reluctant, calculated, and free (and which one we're actually practicing)
• The hidden emotional contracts behind Christmas gifts
• How to give, and receive, without pressure, debt, or obligation

🙏 If this changes how you experience Christmas this year, subscribe to Buddha's Wisdom for weekly explorations of ancient practices that address modern life. The next video might be exactly what someone needs

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 Christmas magic meets Buddhist wisdom
• 01:19 The Christmas giving paradox
• 03:19 What is Dāna? The Buddhist art of generosity
• 06:13 The three moods of giving
• 11:01 How to practice dāna at Christmas
• 17:29 The ultimate Buddhist Christmas gift
• 19:30 The one gift experiment

📱 JOIN COMMUNITY: Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (x.com/BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom). ☕ Support the channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom

#Buddhism, #Christmas, #BuddhistWisdom, #Dāna, #MindfulGiving, #StressFreeChristmas, #BuddhistTeachings, #Generosity, #SpiritualWisdom, #christmasgiving #Mindfulness #NonAttachment #HolidayStress #InnerPeace

📚 SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

PRIMARY TEXTS:

• The Dhammapada (verse on the gift of Dhamma)
• Early Buddhist texts in the Pāli canon (teachings on dāna and generosity)
• Accounts of Anāthapiṇḍika's generosity (Vinaya Piṭaka)
• The Buddha's final teaching (Mahāparinibbāna Sutta)

SCHOLARLY CONTEXT:

"Dāna: The Practice of Giving" - Selected Essays from Early Buddhist Texts

"Generosity in Early Buddhism" - Bhikkhu Bodhi's translations and commentaries

"Buddhist Ethics" - Damien Keown (Oxford University Press)

MODERN APPLICATIONS: Studies on mindful giving and psychological wellbeing

Research on gratitude practices and stress reduction

Comparative religious studies: Generosity across traditions

© Buddha's Wisdom - Making ancient wisdom accessible for modern life.

• Buddha's Wisdom (YouTube), Dec. 23, 2025; Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Sheldon S., Crystal Quintero, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

A Quaker-Buddhist Christmas, LA

Buddhists will perform the Om Mani Padme chant in the Talent Show unless the Dalai Lama does

WHAT HAPPENED?

More similarities than differences

People gathered in silence from all over Los Angeles, guitars in hand. At 10:00 there was group singing of traditional hymn from the hymnal book with old Quaker and Shaker songs, accompanied by piano and violin. Meanwhile, everyone was setting up the vegan potluck. "Service" convened, which means a silent meditation punctuated by anyone who wants to stand up and say something, moved by "spirit," as it occurs to them. An hour later, there are announcements, joys and sorrows, children coming in to talk about what they've been doing outside or in the schoolroom. Then the socializing started with a storm and a self-serve line of many delicious treats. An hour later, the Talent Show began at the mic: stand up comedy, singing, poetry, guitar, drums, Irish fiddlers, a ballet recital, kids doing the "peace train" accompanied by Cat Stevens' hit song, lots of laughs, fun, and creativity.

Silence, singing, eating, and being peace

The Orange Grove Friends Meeting (OGMM, ogmm.org, Orange Grove Monthly Meeting) is having a spectacular (and very liberal) Quaker Christmas Celebration for all its Atheist, Agnostic, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, (Anti-Zionist) Jewish, Muslim, Pantheist, Secular, and Sufi attendees. It's a vegan/vegetarian potluck with caroling (singing beautiful traditional seasonal songs from the hymn book), feasting, friendship, socializing, and a big TALENT SHOW. Sign up with Kindred. It's all FREE.

• Orange Grove Friends Meeting House
• Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, 12:00 pm (noon)
• VEGAN POTLUCK FEAST AND TALENT SHOW
• 520 E. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104
• Silent service begins at 11:00 am (just enter and sit)
• RSVP (FREE):
• (Disclosure Project) A Buddhist Quaker Christmas Vegan Potluck Celebration, Pasadena (FREE), Sun, Dec 21, 2025, 11:00 AM | Meetup
• (PasaDharma) Buddhist Quaker Christmas Vegan Potluck, Pasadena (FREE), Sun, Dec 21, 2025, 11:00 AM | Meetup
• (Nature Center) A Buddhist Quaker Christmas Vegan Potluck Celebration, Pasadena (FREE), Sun, Dec 21, 2025, 11:00 AM | Meetup

Why? It's The Zen of Quakerism as described by Peter Taylor in Friends Journal.

Quakers and Buddhists have [more than] a few things in common. Most importantly, they share a common humanity and a commitment to creating peace in the world.

What to expect in Quaker meeting for 'worship' in silence

Pasadena + Santa Monica are unprogrammed meetings in peaceful silence

They are both enlightenment religions. Both [Founder] George Fox and the Buddha experienced a transformative, liberating awareness through the dedicated practice of quiet contemplation.

• Welcome to Quaker Buddhists! by John Marsh - Quaker Universalist Voice

The best tasting foods give peace to the world.

My life is an intersection of these religions. I was born a Quaker [referred to as a "Friend"], to Quaker parents with Quaker grandparents and great-grandparents. I attended Friends schools through college. I sat in many meetings for [silent] worship [waiting on the spirit to move me and fellow parishioners]. I have always been proud to be a Quaker.

I found Buddhism later in life, when I was 27 years old. I was looking for a tonic for depression. I found Buddhist philosophy and writing soothing to my condition. I liked that Buddhism talked about meditation as a remedy to suffering.

Friends: Buddhist-Quaker harmonic unity/nature

Even though I had been meditating [listening, sitting in receptive silence, being move by the presence of a Godly Great Spirit] all of my life in Quaker meetings, I had always struggled with how to do it.

As a child, meeting for worship [which for unprogrammed Quakers means no priest, preacher, pastor, or person in charge, just Friends sitting in silence punctuated by anyone who wants to stand up and speak as they are moved to do] was somewhere between difficult and excruciatingly painful.

Quakers get monkey mind?

[Monkey Mind:] To amuse myself, I would count things. I would count people with glasses. I would count ceiling tiles. I would count the seconds on my watch. I would welcome any spoken message that would break up the monotony of the silence. I would welcome the break of meeting so I could talk and run around again.

When I learned to meditate in the Buddhist style, I learned to keep my awareness focused by counting my breaths. I learned to hold my body still while I focused my mind [heart]. I found a specific place to put my hands.

In meditation, I was relieved of the burden of being moved by the Spirit to speak and say something spiritually profound.

Learning Buddhist meditation techniques taught me how to sit in Quaker meeting. Through all those years of Quaker upbringing and Quaker education, I had somehow missed that fundamental teaching.

Oh Gosh... Let's talk about a cool religion: What is Quakerism?

The enso or Zen zero of stillness

In my Zen Buddhist practice, I sat many hours of meditation. I did sitting meditation, walking meditation, chanting meditation, bowing meditation, eating meditation [mindfulness], tea-drinking meditation, and listening meditation. I went on a retreat to the Detroit Zen Center and did cooking meditation, cleaning meditation, weeding meditation, and hours and hours of sitting meditation.

• The Deep Spiritual and Practical Links Between Quakers and Buddhist Plum Village — Discovering Quakers

All that meditation was not necessarily peaceful or easy as I did it. What I found is that the rest of my days became more peaceful and easier to manage. The meditation worked. It created peace. More: The Zen of Quakerism

Peter Taylor explains his motivation for practicing Zen and Quakerism

• The Vegan Cake Bible: Bake, Build and Decorate Spectacular Cakes (Sara Kidd)
• VIDEO: The Wisdom of Silence: Life-Changing Lessons from Quaker, Buddhist & Sufi Traditions 🌿🧘‍♂️
• What's the difference between “programmed” and “unprogrammed” Quaker 'worship'?
• Vegan Winter Solstice Party & Candlelight Ritual for Animals, Sat, Dec 27, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup
• Kundalini Reiki class levels l,ll and lll, Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 12:00 PM | Meetup
• Vegan Winter Solstice Party & Candlelight Ritual for Animals, Sat, Dec 27, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup
• Adventures in Church: Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Jen B., CC Liu, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

South Park season ends w/ rage bait

(Armchair Analysis)

(DemocracyNow.org)

Hitler and the Nazis' War on Christmas

Krampus loves tasty children.

During the Christmas season in Germany, there was plenty of Silent Night and O Tannenbaum—two Christmas carols that originated there.

But during the Third Reich, one was more likely to hear a hymn called Exalted Night instead of a silent one.

The popular hymn—which dwelled on motherhood, renewal, and holiday fires—seemingly fit right in with the rest of the Christmas songs. But like so much in Nazi Germany, it was a carefully constructed fake, written by a Nazi songwriter as part of an attempt to apply Leader Adolf Hitler’s hateful ideology to Christmas.

Saint Nikolaus, an angel, and a clutch of Krampi in Begleitung des Krampus und Engeln (Wiki)

 

I'm not Hisler...yet. Give it time. One more term

During the 1930s and 1940s, the Nazis did their best to transform Germany’s beloved Christmas traditions into Nazi ones. Though Hitler’s attempts to create a national church failed, his party’s attempt to redefine religious celebrations was more successful.

To do this, they used ideology and propaganda to put the holiday in line with the national socialists’ antisemitic values.

Have you been misbehaving, little child? Krampus is here!

Jews traditionally love Christmas, right?

The Nazis’ problem with Christmas was baked into Christmas itself. After all, [Nordic depicted] Jesus Christ was a dark-skinned [Mizrahi] Jew—and both antisemitism and the goal of expelling Jews and Jewishness were part of the core of Nazi ideology.

This presented a problem when it came to Germany.

An Ashke'NAZI Jew is my ideal German.

Not only was the nation devoutly Christian, but it was the place where many Christmas traditions, like Advent calendars, [Krampus and Saint Nick aka Santa Klaus], Christmas trees, and Christmas markets, were born. The Nazis knew it would be impossible to eradicate Christianity entirely, so they decided to rework it in their own image. More

• Erin Blakemore | HISTORY, Nov. 10, 2025; Sheldon S., Seth Auberon, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

What happened at Nightmare B4 Xmas?

The Nightmare Before Christmas | voice actors | live vs. animation | side by side comparison

What's scarier than the color orange?

As the Buddhist Rains Retreat (Vassa) period is ending with a giant celebration of Kathina in Los Angeles, Halloween is just kicking off at the Hollywood Bowl with Danny Elfman presents Disney presents Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas (LIVE). It is a spectacular psychedelic show with live classical music performances, voice actors, a female violin solo, a rock band doing old Oingo Boingo songs as the encore, and lots of amusing music. The Oogie Boogie song got a new performer after the passing of the former voice actor, and he did a magnificent job of some kind of jazz blues low bass reminiscent of Kelsey Grammar singing his show's opening song or The Grinch song.

• VIDEO: Nightmare Before Christmas w/ Danny Elfman