Do you know any non-Christians that "celebrate" Christmas? What do you think about that?

Question

By "celebrate" I mean putting up a tree, decorating, exchanging gifts. Partaking in the secular aspects of the holiday without worshipping.

Do you think this dimishes, enhances or has no effect on the religious aspects of this particular holiday?

Some of your answers are very interesting - particularly the one by Cinnamon that indicates that I'm upset - I'm not.

The question is worded to be balanced and fair and does not reveal my own personal ideas on this subject.

Please feel free to email me if you'd like to know my personal stance on this issue - I just didn't want to influence the answers I got - I'm really interested in what people of all faiths (and non-faiths) think and feel about this. Thank you!

Answer 1

Truth is, I doubt it matters. Christmas hasn't had anything to do with Jesus in many, many years. And to a point, it never had anything to do with Jesus ever.

Jesus never celebrated his own birthday, none of the Israelites nor the early Christians (those before the 4th century, when the Roman emperor Diocletian switched to Christianity and made it the official Roman religion) did. When the Romans switched to Christianity (named it Catholicism, which is the modern-day Catholics with the pope and everything), they attempted to follow the command to spread the Good News.

But Christianity was a very radical idea at the time (with the one God and only one God idea). No one was biting basically. So the Catholics began a series of compromises designed to bring people in. Basically they let them keep their various traditions but said to change the meaning of them. You want to keep your cross, by all means; we'll just say Jesus died on a cross instead of a pole. You want to keep that tree for decoration, cool; we'll just use it in our celebration of Jesus' birth. Things like this.

To get the Greeks and Romans off of their beliefs, the Roman Catholics told them that they could continue to celebrate Saturn's birthday, but instead they'd call it Jesus' birthday. We know for a fact it wasn't Jesus' birthday, because winter time in Israel is freaking freezing. Not just cold, not just freezing, it is freaking freezing. There is no way there would be any shepherds out with their sheep when Jesus was born. Jesus actual birthday is unknown; but based on info given in the Bible, it can be localized to very late summer or early fall time (August or September probably).

So since Christmas isn't really about Jesus' birthday, not celebrating it in the "Christian" form doesn't diminish it at all, because there is nothing left to diminish. It was a compromise to convince people to join, and so it is a lie. Whether it served a good purpose or not (and therefore justified) is a matter of your personal moral code, but it went against mine so I don't celebrate.

Answer 2

Why does it bother you? The tree is among many elements of Christmas that are of Pagan origin.

For the majority of the country, and even the world, Christmas is not celebrated as a religious holiday. It does have Pagan roots (just read history) and non-Christians will continue to celebrate it until the end of time. There is nothing you can do to stop that so you are wasting your energy wishing them away. How the secular community celebrates has no bearing at all on how Christians celebrate because it is a personal thing.

Instead of acting like this is a hardship, why not accept them? They're not hurting you so why are you so judgemental about what they do?

Edit: To the poster who asked the original question, there is actually a huge number of people on here who are upset that non-Christians celebrate Christmas. So I was addressing the universal "you" who do get outraged.

Answer 3

I am not Christian, and I celebrate Winter Solstice. The way my family has always celebrated our holiday is very similar to the way that Christians celebrate Christmas. Growing up, we had to re-iterate every year to my friends that it was not a Christmas tree, etc. Decorating, including possibly having a tree, exchanging gifts, etc. are common in many religions for various holidays. This year my family will be celebrating our holiday, and joining my fiancee in celebrating Christmas since he is Christian. There is a saying that I hear at our Unitarian Universalist church all the time that sums up why we feel it is perfectly acceptable to join together to celebrate holidays even if we do not believe in their meanings -

We need not think alike to love alike.

Answer 4

I have known some people who were Jewish and put up a tree for their kids so they didn't feel left out at Christmas when all of their friends had Christmas trees. They used to joke that it was a Hannakuh bush. I can remember one family that went so far as to put up a tree and decorate with small Star of David ornaments.

I never really thought about this diminishing the religious aspect of the holiday, but I guess that it really does. It completely takes away the tradition and religious significance of putting up a Christmas tree. It would be no different if someone who wasn't Jewish put up and lit a Menorah because their child had Jewish friends. Sure the Menorah would be up and lit, but there would be no significance to it, the same as putting up a tree only because it happens to be the 25th of December.

Answer 5

One issue that a lot of people have been talking about for a long time is the commercialization of christmas . . .

Is it a good thing or a bad thing? . . .it's debatable . . .

Then another issue is the separation of church and state, and the placement of christmas decorations like nativity scenes on public grounds . . .

If non-christians participate, they are probably more tolerant of supporting the holiday, so it probably enhances it, and they are probably less likely to object to decorations including nativity scenes on public grounds.

As for the commercialization, non-christian participation probably has a mild increase in that aspect, but the holidays have certainly gone commercial without their participation . . it's probably due more to the promotion by the companies who stand to gain from christmas sales.

The other issue of course is that the timing of the christmas holiday was established to conflict with the pagan celebration of winter solstice . . .or saturnalia .. . and many of the christmas traditions probably originate from pagan traditions.

Answer 6

perhaps on Christmas. What i don't understand is the could desire to declare it weeks till now Christmas, as some seem to have. maximum human beings non-Christians do not ideas nicely desires. it is whilst somebody says "Merry Christmas" love that's a project that it gets stressful. Edit: I additionally do not understand why people who are not going to work out you for a collectively as bypass with "Merry Christmas" over "happy trip journeys," are they like, "i wish you have a sturdy Christmas and your New 365 days's sucks"?

Answer 7

I know plenty of non-christians that celebrate Christmas.. I think that in some aspects it deminishes Christmas but then its a matter of religious choice. Some ppl dont understand what Christmas really represents and think its all about Santa. Similar to the way ppl say Halloween is the devils holiday. I personaly believe that the holiday is what u make it out to be... if u chose to worship then worship if u chose not to then dont.. but I do think it makes ppl not as aware of what Christmas represents...

Answer 8

The tree and decorating can mean different things to different people. Most of what you know about this decor was "borrowed" from pagan traditions a long time ago.

I have a Holiday Tree and I am darn proud of it.

The coming season is more about family, friends and giving. Isnt that a good thing regardless of who is doing it?

Answer 9

Yep, I do. I think non-christians can celebrate Christmas, minus the religious aspect with no problem. I see no reason why everyone can't enjoy the holiday.

Answer 10

Here is the thing. At first, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, and Satan himself divert attention from lots of people by creating Santa. (noticed spelling), then it is all commericalized. However. Satan later found a better way to have people turn away from Christmas, instead of divert attention from people. He chose to abolish the whole thing so that no schools should even mention Christmas. I guess that's Satan's plan.

As far as I know, I know some Muslim and Jewish people don't celebrate Christmas. As a matter of fact, the true celebration is to pounder about the meaning of this holiday, it is birth of Christ not to think about what to give or what to get to relatives.