Britain is hardly a Christian society, most people here don't care, unlike America where there are many Christians, who follow Christianity as their religion all year round and actually pay attention to the teachings of the Bible.
They make fun of people who are Christians and think it is weird. Yet they celebrate Christmas as if the have every right. Why not celebrate Eid, Divali and Hannukah? It's all about getting drunk, getting a holiday and a present. All very commercialised now, you can't spout rubbish like 'Jesus was born' when you would be one of those to laugh at those people in city centres who shout out the teachings of the Bible. I would like to hear some serious answers on this. I have asked many colleagues, none of them Christians who have openly denounced all religions, who shut up when asked and mumble something about Jesus.
2006-10-22 07:17:01 · 27 answers · asked by The Face 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
Sorry I am not a Christian. I am a Muslim, I celebrate Eid , that is also about being with your family or did you think we get together and plot to overthrow the Queen and bomb England?
You can get together and see your friends and family anytime but I can see that there some people you can only stomach once a year!
2006-10-22 08:42:18 · update #1
I can't complain , all you people go to the pains of sitting next to smelly old uncles and I can reap the benefits of the January sales!
True. True. nyboby who metioned that it is tradition were closer to answering the question. I forgot that once upon a time British people were Christians and it came from there. It's just looking around now I can never see any (apart from Britney Spears but she gyrates in her underwear and slept with someone before marriage when she said she wouldn't so maybe she's following some other religion).
2006-10-22 08:50:04 · update #2
There is one thing which answers both parts of your question.
Why do atheists in England celebrate Christmas? - Tradition
Why do they not celebrate Eid, Divali and Hannukah? - Tradition (i.e. they're not traditional in England).
A few generations back the majority of people were Christian, and our national religion is Christianity. Christmas was therefore widely celebrated. That has continued down the generations. These days most people see Christmas as a time to be with family, and to give and receive presents. The fact that they celebrate it removed from Christianity doesn't matter.
2006-10-22 07:30:29 · answer #1 · answered by Steve-Bob 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not possible for an atheist to "celebrate Xmas." They might protest and insist that they ARE celebrating it, but no, they are not because they CANnot. Christmas, by the way, isn't a "holiday." It's a holy day during which time religious people (I'm a Hindu) celebrate the birth of the avatar Jesus. Atheists are simply doing what so many other people are doing -- maxxing out their credit cards during the so-called "holidays," buying trees with lights, and stringing lights over the roofs of their homes, eating turkey, having relatives over, but they are not "celebrating Xmas." As i say, that is not possible. But to be fair, many millions of Christians also do not celebrate Christmas because they behave the same way as the atheists during the Christmas season, giving little (if any) attention to Jesus. Is that celebrating Christmas? No. I'd say that a very small % of people in the world actually celebrate Christmas as a solemn holy day ...
2016-05-21 22:44:55 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should really learn your history!!!
In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday.Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century
By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today's Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the "lord of misrule" and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined "debt" to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.
2006-10-22 14:19:28 · answer #3 · answered by Gaily 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Personally I celebrate it because it's FUN. I don't believe in any of the religious aspects but the expectation, the festival atmosphere, the family and friends style celebration, that's all good. There's been a similar type thing at that time of year long before Christians appropriated the midwinter festival into their religion.
I don't celebrate Eid, Divali or Hannukah in the same way because it's not as big a thing in my country as Christmas. I'd probably join in on the fun parts of those if they were as big or celebratory as Christmas here.
2006-10-22 07:21:52 · answer #4 · answered by dm_cork 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The Brittish really know how to celebrate Christmas. The whole place looks like a Christmas card in winter. If electricity wasn't so expensive, they would put up more outside Christmas lights. They don't let religion get in the way of a good reason to celebrate. The old Druid Yule customs have never been extinguished. The new Archbishop of Canterbury is a Druid and I can only expect that Christmas will get even better. Christmas in the US died in the parking lot at Walmart.
2006-10-22 07:28:33 · answer #5 · answered by estee.tabernac 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
December 25th was a major festival long before the christians hijacked it. It was a gift giving festival and most people celebrate it in this sense. Christians also give gifts so its not aethiests celebrating a christian festival but the other way around. Christians are celebrating what was originally an athiest (or at least pagan festival) It makes me laugh when christians talk oabout people forgetting the true meaning of Christmas when in fact they are the only ones guilty of this.
2006-10-22 07:27:53 · answer #6 · answered by malcy 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I actually don't celebrate christmas. For me on 25th December it's a beer, curry and tv or i work.
However, for people that are christians it's fine. Let them celebrate it. I have celebrated divali and christmas with respective believers on a purely social level.
The commercial/retail side of christmas can only be considered secular now. It has nothing to do with christianity. Santa - wasn't his appearance created as a coca cola advert?
Some people go to church on 25th if they are christians. The rest of us do not all celebrate christmas actually.
It's an example of how religion can be overpowering and infiltrates people's freedoms.
I would love to have christmas cancelled, but the social side is enjoyed by many so each to their own.
i would suggest that christians should go and look after the elderly or needy on christmas day and leave us atheists to enjoy the retail side!
2006-10-22 07:29:30 · answer #7 · answered by brainlady 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because way before Christians latched onto the idea of celebrating Christmas in december, pagans were already using it as a midwinter festival. And I happen to like the idea of bringing goodwill and love to others at a time when everything is cold and dark and depressing, don't you?
2006-10-22 07:30:44 · answer #8 · answered by Miss Emily 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well. They celebrate because they like the commercial side of Christmas (i.e. the presents, the decorations and the food). It also a good time when the atheists friends and family will have been given time off work so that they can get together for a good old "Knees up".
2006-10-22 07:27:56 · answer #9 · answered by Lolly9 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well, some people celebrate it as a time to spend with family instead, to all do something together for one day in the year.
As just about everyone celebrates Christmas and not so many people Edi, Diwali etc. it is the one most people pick because then they can all do something together.
2006-10-22 07:19:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋