Do you celebrate something similar to Christmas-how do you handle that situation during the holidays if your family has different beliefs than you?
2006-10-13 17:52:34 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
We celebrate Yule or Winter Solstice. We are glad that the days are getting longer and spring is on it's way. The rebirth of the sUn. We have adopted much of it from the pagan's beautiful rituals. We decorate a tree (with all homemade ornaments), hang stockings, and buy presents. However the adults in our family do not buy for each other, instead we buy for children from the Angel Trees or Trees of Sharing. On Yule eve we sing, play games, talk, drink cider/cocoa/eggnog, tell stories and have a blast. (Yes we have the uncle who drinks too much too...LOL) Then we put all our little ones to bed, while the adults put out Santa stuff. We burn a candle all night to welcome the sun and most of us stay up all night talking, catching up with family news, looking at old photo albums etc. Just before sunrise, we wake the little ones, bundle up and go outside to watch the sunrise and experience stillness. Then we head in for presents! We cook a huge breakfast and enjoy each other. Most of us voluteer to work on christmas day so that our christian and other friends can have the day off to be with their loved ones. Those of us who have the day off anyway cook a big traditional meal and we all get together again, before work and school start again.
My entire family is a collection of liberal christians, agnostics, atheists and pagans. (except for my Southern Baptist Father who gets drug along in the fun and can't help but to enjoy himself) I love my family so much...they rock!
2006-10-13 18:07:18 · answer #1 · answered by Medusa 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some prefer instead to celebrate the Winter Solstice, which happens on December 21st (Christmas is based off of pagan holidays that celebrated the Solstice). Generally those atheists hard-core enough to celebrate the Winter Solstice may recognize the Summer Solstice and the Equinoxes as times of celebration, though probably not as much as the Winter Solstice.
They don't do any paganistic sun-worshipping rituals, though. I think it's just an excuse to have a party.
2006-10-14 01:04:40 · answer #2 · answered by Logan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I could live without it. The only presents that I have to do with are when my husbands family get together. We play dirty santa. Everyone brings a wrapped gift from home. Something that they do not want. We draw numbers and then open a gift. When someone has a turn they can either pick a package to open or take someone elses gift (that they have already opened) then that person has to pick another gift. It is all for fun and usually there are one or two things that everyone wants. Sometimes there are really terrible items. Not for kids thought. They get real stuff. Everyone is off from work and school at that time so why not enjoy.
2006-10-14 01:25:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does it matter? Those who celebrate Christmas are not really honoring Christ for two reasons. One, Christ never told his followers to celebrate his birth. Instead, he commanded that they observe the anniversary of his death. And second, Christmas is of pagan origin. In in this light, nominal Christians and atheists can all have a merry old time at Christmas.
2006-10-14 01:02:22 · answer #4 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christmas is a pagan holiday, just like Halloween. Yes we celebrate it, but only because it is fun and brings the family together.
2006-10-14 00:59:20 · answer #5 · answered by trouthunter 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I 'celebrate' Christmas in that I'll take the few weeks off that I get offered, go home (usually), and have a big dinner and give presents. I don't go in for the religious stuff, and most of my family isn't big on it either. We'll listen to 'christmas music', but that's mostly just tradition, not because we believe anything in particular. My grandparents will go to mass, but the rest of us just sleep in.
It's a good way to end the year, and a good excuse to go all the way home.
2006-10-14 00:57:55 · answer #6 · answered by eri 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's easier to go with the flow. Atheists are still the minority. I also celebrate some pagan holidays with my friends.
2006-10-14 01:01:28 · answer #7 · answered by NHBaritone 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my friend is an atheist, but he still celebrates Christmas. He doesn't do the whole midnight mass thing or anything that has to do with Jesus, he just gives out presents.
2006-10-14 00:56:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes i do celebrate "Christmas". (mostly because they looked at me weird when i started handing out presents in march for jeffmas).
how do i handle it? i don't really, problems have not yet come up. I still go to mass with my mother, mostly because i worry about her during the walk to church and back.
2006-10-14 01:15:14 · answer #9 · answered by PandaMan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that everything to do with Christmas has been corrupted by evil(except when people have nativity scenes).
I personally don't celebrate Christmas, i usually fast just to be different, and get alone somewhere and pray to God and give thanks for sending Jesus to be a blood sacrifice.
2006-10-14 01:11:49 · answer #10 · answered by jesus_freak557 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋