Atheism and Holidays (Christmas)

[shadowofman]

There is always reason to celebrate the fact that the sun's track will begin to rise, the days will get longer and warmer. Imagine the fear that ancient people had when they were observing the heavens.

What if the warm thing in the sky continues to dip further and further until it falls off the side of the earth?

You'd have to make up stories to keep your sanity. Luckly, we now know that the warm thing is a burning ball of Hydrogen without benevolence/malevolance. That our winter seasons are just local perspectives of the rotations of planets. The son of god will rise and give everlasting life.

All that said, we need more holidays, not less. And lights on strings are cool all year round.

[Trimmer]

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?

But you are hypothesizing a celebration honoring the action of "stringing up slaves" - celebrating the negative act - while Christmas is the celebration honoring the life and ostensibly positive contributions of one who was "strung up", not of the stringing itself. In that sense it's more along the lines of Martin Luther King Day (and I'm drawing an intentionally narrow comparison here; let's not get off on "Trimmer says MLK Day is the same as Christmas..."), which is not in any stretch a celebration of his assassination, but rather of his life and his contributions.

 

If there were some twisted celebration that actually honored and specifically idealized acts of murder, oppression, racism, mayhem, whatever, then yes, I would refrain on principle. But even though these acts are sometimes at the core of our holidays and celebrations, (MLK, Christmas, Veterans' Day, Memorial Day) the celebrations themselves usually honor the people or events that symbolize a rising above the mayhem, and idealize the positive elements of the human spirit to which we aspire.

 

By what principle would one refrain from that?

 

In answer to the original question, I am an athiest, and I don't have any problem celebrating Christmas with my family and friends as a cultural holiday. And in this, let me clarify, I don't mean a commercial holiday... My approach is similar to others above; I think quankanne's statement eloquently sums up my feelings:

 

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.

 

It's also - correct me if I'm wrong - one of the few celebrations which seems to feature "spending time with family" as one of the actual celebrated ideals. I know that family is a traditional part of the rituals in a lot of our holidays (Thanksgiving dinner, Labor Day and Memorial Day barbeques, etc...) but in my family's experience, one of the actual points of the Christmas Holiday was reflecting upon, honoring, and appreciating the family.

[shadowofman]

What about Columbus Day? Native Americans are completely and rightfully offended by this holiday.

Reckless's hypothetical is not at all rediculous.

Christmas and Easter are holidays with such an ancient history, for all we know the origional celebrations were possibly marked by human sacrifice.

Doesn't mean we can't spike some egg nog or whatever.