LaChatteNoire Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 My SO and I are both atheist. He has been for his entire life (his dad is agnostic but I think his mom was christian and is now atheist). I've only been for maybe 8 or so years, as I was raised catholic until I dropped out of Sunday school in 5th grade. (I was always getting in trouble for asking too many questions and was quite frustrated with the whole thing.) My entire family is catholic. Anyway, we were talking about how we would raise our future children and he mentioned that he does not want to celebrate Christmas. I don't really have a problem with that entirely, but I still would like to have some sort of "holiday". Maybe it's because I've celebrated it for my entire life and just feel it's necessary? I don't know. As a child, I looked forward to Christmas because it was a time that all of my family, even relatives from out of town/state, would come together and I enjoyed giving gifts and watching their smiles. Now, I know that there doesn't need to be a special holiday to give someone a gift and see a smile on their face and that most holidays are commercial, but I still like it. And I like the smell of christmas trees. My question is, how do fellow atheists celebrate the holiday? Or do you? If your family (mom, dad, etc.) celebrates it, what do you do with your own family (children)? Would you give them gifts or just have them accept them from their grandparents? And if you do give them gifts on christmas, what reason do you give for them receiving them? Good behavior? I just would like to know what others do... Link to post Share on other sites
disgracian Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I dislike the commercialism. I donate to charities and send people the postcards that say "Dear x, a goat/water pump/cow/etc. has been donated on your behalf". Cheers, D. Link to post Share on other sites
Star Gazer Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Santa and Rudolph aren't gods. You can still believe in them. Link to post Share on other sites
norajane Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 We decorate with lights and holly wreaths and a tree and we give gifts. We have a lovely dinner and desserts. We enjoy gathering the family together and sharing stories and jokes and conversation. There are no religious aspects to it, really. It's just a family party, with presents and nice smelling evergreens. Because everyone has the time off from work, it's a great time for us to get together. Link to post Share on other sites
sb129 Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Christmas stopped being a religious holiday along time ago. Jesus left the building when Coca-Cola glorified Santa and the corporates brain washed us into believing its all about buying bigger and better gifts so you can out do "The Jones". But as an atheist, Christmas can still be a very important time of year. For me its not about celebrating the birth of an implausible figment of christian imagination. Its about celebrating family, friends and food.... ohhh the food. WB (my fiance) is almost a militant atheist, and he loves Christmas. We went to see a comedian the other night who was quite obviously an atheist. He said that to the marketing execs, Christmas is called the PGP- Primary Gifting Period. Its all about money to them, so why not make it about whats important to you and utilise the time off that way! It would be ashame to deny your children the opportunity to receives gifts, celebrate their family and watch Grandma fall off her chair after drinking to much egg-nog! Link to post Share on other sites
JamesM Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Christmas stopped being a religious holiday along time ago. Jesus left the building when Coca-Cola glorified Santa and the corporates brain washed us into believing its all about buying bigger and better gifts so you can out do "The Jones". Oddly enough as a Christian, I agree with this. For the most part, Christmas no longer is celebrated as a Christian holiday. Yes, some things are still said to make it seem that way, but in reality, most people view it as a day of giving. Now, interestingly enough, we separate Christmas and gift giving in our house. This does keep some semblance of Christmas as a religious holiday. I tell you that because it may help you in keeping the gift giving traditions alive in your family. We have a day at the beginning of Mid winter break that we call Present Day. This is the day we give our kids their presents and make a day of celebration of gift giving. If I was an atheist and wanted to keep Christ out of Christmas, then I would simply call it something different while keeping the same celebration. Trees, lights and gifts have nothing to do with a celebration of Jesus' birth. BTW, many Christians do not celebrate Christmas for many reason including that it is no longer really a celebration of Christ's birthday, and that we do not know when Christ's birthday really is. Link to post Share on other sites
quankanne Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 But as an atheist, Christmas can still be a very important time of year. For me its not about celebrating the birth of an implausible figment of christian imagination. Its about celebrating family, friends and food.... ohhh the food. and along that same line, the holiday season can be completely about the spirit of giving. Not in the sense of one-up-manship or making someone feel beholden to you, but in the sense of sharing a part of yourself with others. Like when you buy or create a gift, you do it with love for that particular person, or by helping someone in need (the example disgracian gave was a beautiful example of this). Because really, I think that's what Christmas is supposed to be about, putting something of yourself into the things you give or do for another, and it's a gift that isn't just limited to believers or excludes non-believers – it touches on the common good and kindness all humanity shares. Link to post Share on other sites
blind_otter Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 I agree. Santa Claus is not a god. Link to post Share on other sites
underpants Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Festivus for the rest of us. Link to post Share on other sites
Moai Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Christmas didn't start out as a Christian holiday. It is a celebration of the Winter Solstice, and as Christianity spread they (the Catholics, the only Christians at the time) tried to stomp it out, but found that they could not. So they co-opted it. The Yule log, mistletoe, and the Christmas tree are all pagan. In fact, the reason that you put bulbs, popcorn strings, and tinsel on your tree is because Barbarian armies would put the internal organs and intestines of their vanquished foes in the trees after the slaughter. In Germany, it was a celebration in honor of Odin. Odin Odin Odin! Thor Thor Thor! Jesus was born in the Spring or Summer, not in December (if he existed). Easter is also a co-opted pagan holiday. Interestingly, the giving of gifts is a tradition started by Dickens in "A Christmas Carol." Christmas was becoming a time when young men (18-25 or so) would run amok in the streets, putting out street lamps and getting drunk. This didn't happen everywhere, of course, but was prevalent in Britain and the US in the 1800s. As far as celebrating Christmas goes, I buy gifts for my older sister's family because they are believers and get me gifts, and I don't want to be a jackass about it. But my younger sister and I do not exchange gifts, nor do my fiance and I. Everyone else I know is an atheist also, so we don't do much of anything but enjoy the free day off. If I happen to work in an office I do the secret Santa thing, of course. Other than that, just another day. I hate most Christmas music, so I avoid malls like the plague at this time of year, and I never listen to the radio. It's A Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies of all time. Link to post Share on other sites
sb129 Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 I love Christmas food. And I love an excuse to give and receive presents. I too HATE Christmas music. The radio stations are cranking it up right now, drives me nuts. I wish I had written some of those Christmas songs though- guaranteed income for life! I love the time off most of all, except its better in my country where it is hot in Devember! We are spending Christmas cruising the Nile this year, so I can't imagine its going to be particularly "festive". Moai, I love Its A Wonderful Life too. I thought of you the other night when the comedian we saw was talking about renaming easter the "implausible resurrection period". Link to post Share on other sites
Reckless Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 have a problem with adopting a religious (albeit not Christian) ceremony. No one would refrain on principle? I must admit as a black person, if there was a celebration that started of a celebration of say "string up black slaves" and over the centuries lost its original significance ... the slaves eventually becoming say, the exchange of chocolate cookies and a good time was had by all (in other words, Thanksgiving... jus kidding) I would have a hard time celebrating it. I can't completely forget the past, should we? Link to post Share on other sites
sb129 Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 have a problem with adopting a religious (albeit not Christian) ceremony. No one would refrain on principle? I must admit as a black person, if there was a celebration that started of a celebration of say "string up black slaves" and over the centuries lost its original significance ... the slaves eventually becoming say, the exchange of chocolate cookies and a good time was had by all (in other words, Thanksgiving... jus kidding) I would have a hard time celebrating it. I can't completely forget the past, should we? No, of course not, but your post is really a little extreme don't you think? The modern Christmas is a mish mash of pagan and religious traditions and as a result is a very contradictory holiday- it is religious if you want it to be, orr not if you don't. People can celebrate it or not however they want. We are just saying what it means to us, and to me, ANY excuse to have time off work to get together with friends and family is a good one. People celebrate all sorts of things that mean one thing to them, but another to someone else. Link to post Share on other sites
quankanne Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Jesus was born in the Spring or Summer, not in December (if he existed). moai, you're too funny! However, I'm completely with you on celebrating goodwill towards others ... that's the grease that makes this squeaky wheel of a world work. ditto on the overkill of carols. One station here started playing them Thanksgiving day, and it's just too damned much. Whatever happened to a nice, gradual, peaceful build-up to Christmas? Thank goodness for Advent Link to post Share on other sites
Blackfrost Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Christmas didn't start out as a Christian holiday. It is a celebration of the Winter Solstice, and as Christianity spread they (the Catholics, the only Christians at the time) tried to stomp it out, but found that they could not. So they co-opted it. The Yule log, mistletoe, and the Christmas tree are all pagan. In fact, the reason that you put bulbs, popcorn strings, and tinsel on your tree is because Barbarian armies would put the internal organs and intestines of their vanquished foes in the trees after the slaughter. In Germany, it was a celebration in honor of Odin. Odin Odin Odin! Thor Thor Thor! Jesus was born in the Spring or Summer, not in December (if he existed). Bravo for attempting to educate LS! It's amazing to me, how many people go through life without any understanding of the traditions that they follow, and where they originated from. So many people will believe almost anything they're told from a young age, without question. If you wouldn't have pointed this origin of the holiday on the 25th I would have done it for ya Christmas existed before jesus Link to post Share on other sites
desertguy Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 I'm an atheist, and nobody in my family is religious, but I still enjoy Christmas. It's more about giving, especially trying to come up with unpredictable but good gifts, which is part of the fun, and spending time with my family. sb129, good point about Christmas music and the royalties which must be huge for some of those Christmas "classics". I do aggree about the incessant Christmas music too. On Sirius sattelite radio, their holiday channel started playing Christmas music even before Thanksgiving, sheesh! The one thing though I will NEVER get is the whole Black Friday phenomenon. Who wants to get up at 5 am on a day off and brave a bunch of other insane people to do shopping, of all things.. I seriously don't get it. Link to post Share on other sites
Storyrider Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 It's A Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies of all time. <----Moai, first the Beatles in common and now this. As a Jew, I can enjoy Christmas to a point and then it gets tiresome. Hannukah is really only a minor holiday which has been inflated to compete with Christmas. We do have a tree, but we keep it pretty low key. We do Hannukah, light the candles, etc. as well. I really can't stand sending out cards to everyone who I would otherwise naturally lose touch with, but I feel I should or I look like a lazy, selfish person. Link to post Share on other sites
JamesM Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Moai, thanks for the education. You are correct. any of the so-called Christmas traditions were actually adopted by the Church as a way of making pagans welcome. Most Christians today would not approve of such if it happened today, but yet "we" celebrate Christmas as if it is a Christian holiday. While the meaning of Christmas...as in a celebration of Christ's birth...is Christian, most of the traditions are not. However, this quote is incorrect..... Christmas existed before Jesus I am guessing what you meant is that the day we celebrate was a pagan holiday prior to being a Christian holiday, but by definition, Christmas could not have happened before Jesus' birth. Did my birthday exist before I was born? Link to post Share on other sites
DutchGuy Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 If the world would turn Atheist over night, they would still celebrate christmas. You don't have to give up the tradition only because you don't agree with it's foundation. Link to post Share on other sites
Zona76 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 What do you think about this? Up the street from me a family has a Nativity scene display where Santa kneeling, cap in hand... is bowing down beside the manger. Now THAT'S crude! Link to post Share on other sites
Topper Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 christianity is nothing more then a remake of the earlier solar man/god religions. Jesus is just a Jewish version of Mithra and Horus. Both sun Gods with 12 followers. The 25th of Dec was the birthday of Mithra and Easter follows as another important per-Christian Holiday. If Easter were the actual time of the Passion then why does it not fall on Passover? now you see there isn't any problem with a atheist , agnostic or a pagan Celebrating these not so Christian Holidays. Link to post Share on other sites
Geishawhelk Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 ...Another thing peiople seem to overlook is that Jesus was not poor. No, he wasn't. He came from a very respectable and relatively comfortably well-off family. His 'father' was a Carpenter, right? No Bosch or Black&Decker in those days. All hard graft and hand work. So Joseph must have been a powerfully-built man, lugging wood around and building and crafting anything from houses to footstools. Work was plentiful and good. He was a skilled craftsman, and his work was probably much in demand. He had the present-day equivalent of the family hatchback car (a donkey - most people walked everywhere then, he at least managed to make use of an ass!) and - here's the crunch: Jesus was born in a stable, NOT because Joseph had no money for accommodation, but because there was NO ROOM at the inn. He was late and everything was fully booked. But he could have afforded it, had the room been available. The British viewpoint of Christmas changed and became more sombre and altruistic, due to the Puritanical influence of Cromwell, during the short period in History when England became a Republic. (Look at this site). Once Cromwell was out of the way, King Charles the Second restored Christmas, and a Hey nonny no! Link to post Share on other sites
sb129 Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 He was late and everything was fully booked. But he could have afforded it, had the room been available. No ebookers back then. Link to post Share on other sites
Geishawhelk Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 And no profiteering on e-bay... Small shack, complete with bale of hay... bids start at 10 sheckels (normal price, two.....)! Link to post Share on other sites
samsungxoxo Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I'm an atheist, and nobody in my family is religious, but I still enjoy Christmas. It's more about giving, especially trying to come up with unpredictable but good gifts, which is part of the fun, and spending time with my family. sb129, good point about Christmas music and the royalties which must be huge for some of those Christmas "classics". I do aggree about the incessant Christmas music too. On Sirius sattelite radio, their holiday channel started playing Christmas music even before Thanksgiving, sheesh! The one thing though I will NEVER get is the whole Black Friday phenomenon. Who wants to get up at 5 am on a day off and brave a bunch of other insane people to do shopping, of all things.. I seriously don't get it. Me too!!!!!!! Christmas doesn't mean ''oh the birth of crist thing'', to me it means ''Sharing things with your loved ones''. Link to post Share on other sites
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