What do atheists think about Christmas and how do they celebrate it?

Question

Nothing dorogitory intended. Christmas can be considered a religious holiday. Do you refrain from getting involved, or do you view it as a harmless tradition that is fun?

Answer 1

Christmas was originally an astronimcal observance of the Winter Solstice. It was co-opted by early christians in an attempt to convert pagans.

For me, the holiday is about getting together with family and friends and enjoying a well-deserved break from a hectic shopping season (I'm in retail).

I don't go to church and I deny my mother's wishes to say grace at Christmas dinner. Yes, I still call it Christmas simply out of tradition, but it has zero religious or spiritual meaning to me.

Answer 2

most atheists know more about Christmas and its roots than most Christians do. Most of them don't care about the religious aspect of the holiday because its roots are not really in Christianity and it is not truly a Christian holiday. It is generally a good time to spend with friends and family, exchange gifts , have a good meal and participate in family traditions, which most Christmas traditions have no Biblical foundation anyway.
I think those that have the biggest problem with Christmas are those who are of a completely different faith and celebrating Christmas excludes what they would celebrate- atheists don't generally fall into this catergory.

Answer 3

I would imagine that would depend on the atheist. Some would simply celebrate the family holiday. (they wouldn't object to the word holy day either).
Others, however, might feel they needed to make a point and refuse to celebrate Christmas in any way. I would hope they could find some other traditional holiday - perhaps New Years? where they could have a good time until they came to discover the joy they can have in knowing God.

Answer 4

My large family is mostly agnostic and athiest. We get together to celebrate a great Christmas, every single year. Stockings, tree, dinner, presents- everything besides the prayer.

There is a lot more to this holiday than religious faith. Regardless of whether or not Jesus was the son of God, he was a hero. Who knows if what was written of him is true or made up. But one thing is certain, Jesus single handedly sparked a new age.

Mostly, when we celebrate Christmas, we are thinking of each other. Each year we are left with some very unforgettable, happy memories.

Answer 5

December 25th is just another day. Why live a lie for one day per year, trying to be nice to people you treat like crap the other 364.24 days?

Actually, that's not true: the religious DON'T spend christmas day with people they don't like, trying to make up with them. Instead, they treat those people worse by avoiding them instead of making amends and friends. So much for "christian love".

I treat people the same every day of the year; at least there's honesty in that. For that reason, I also don't participate in Mythmas. Here are some good reasons not to:

1. Giving gifts and participating just encourages belief in the myths. It needs to be shunned, not celebrated.

2. If people are going to "help their fellow man", they ought to do it year round. Give every month or not at all; doing it only in December is kissing "god's" rear pucker to score brownie points.

3. Ever heard of "separation of church and state"? The christmas myth is religion and has no place in schools or government; tax money should not be spent on it.

4. People who don't "celebrate christmas" should not be forced to participate nor should _their_ holidays be treated as of less importance. Why is April 8 not a statutory holiday and buddhists can be forced to work, yet they're not allowed to open their businesses on December 25th if they want? (If anyone's response is, "they'll force christians to work on the holiday!" what do you think happens to buddhists, muslims, hindus, etc. on their holidays?)

5. If anyone says "most people are christians anyway", that's called "tyranny of the majority". By that argument, jews shouldn't be allowed to celebrate Hannukah since they're a tiny minority. Would anybody stand for that?

Mythmas is a waste of time, money, effort and emotion. If people want it, have it and enjoy it, but do it privately instead of expecting non-adherents to participate.

I am soooo glad to be living in Taiwan right now; last December, I didn't hear a single "christmas" song until pulled out my "Les Brown: Nutcracker Suite" CD. In January.


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Answer 6

Christmas is a consumerist orgy of greed and hypocrisy. If it was a religious holiday like Eid and Yom Kippur are religious holidays, I'd have no problem with it but it's irritating how people try to spread holiday cheer when all i want to do is burn Christmas trees. Honestly, shouldn't Easter be the big holiday, it's the reason the faith exists in the first place, isn't it. Christ was even born on Dec 25, they just used the date to replace an old pagan holiday.

Answer 7

Well, I'm sort of stuck celebrating Christmas due to family politics. My family is Lutheran, I'm atheist, my husband-to-be is agnostic, and if we didn't celebrate or started celebrating another holiday, my family would wonder why and then the proverbial cat's out of the bag. They find out, I'm as good as disowned, so I don't have much choice in celebrating Christmas.

If I had a choice, I'd probably celebrate the winter solstice and do the meal and gift giving them, but I can't on account of my family.

That said, I still manage to enjoy the holiday and distance myself from the religious aspects of it all. We exchange gifts and spend time together as a family. We serve a ham and have a big meal. I try to put more emphasis on giving and family togetherness than religion, even though, yes, I'm well aware that Christmas is a religious holiday. I just take the more secular aspects until my family and I can agree to disagree on religion.

Though I do sometimes end up going to Christmas Eve services, typically when we're at my uncle's for the holiday as he's a Lutheran minister. Again, thanks to family politics, I don't have much choice in whether or not to go. I've only skipped once back when I was in college and I got it on the nose afterwards, so I haven't dared do it again because they'll wonder why and "I didn't feel like it" isn't a good enough answer for them, so I go.

Fortunately, I do like listening to the various holiday carols(even if they ARE religious. I also happen to like the song "Amazing Grace", especially on bagpipes) and my uncle's church can be quite lovely when they turn off the lights and do the candlelight service with all the little candles. I also love the bell choir they have, although they don't have it every year, which is a bummer, because it's really pretty to listen to.

I might not have much of a choice in going if we're at my uncle's and do the service thing, but I can tolerate it because the lights and music are quite pretty to see and listen to and I've found people are a lot more giving, so I don't feel completely excluded like I tend to other times of the year.

I don't mind the holiday, religious or not. I've grown used to the family politics so whether I agree with what my family goes and pulls with me each year, I can deal with it and have found other things to like about Christmas. I like to give(lol, as a kid, it was the other way around... :P), I like to work my backside off all morning cooking in the kitchen and seeing everyone's face light up when they eat, I like to be with my family. I even like the music and pretty lights.

Something I've started doing when I have Christmas at my place that I hope catches on with the rest of the family is what I call the "Christmas Wish". It's the Christmas version of what I do on Thanksgiving in place of a prayer. No, I don't forbid prayers. I let people pray if they want, but I've made it clear that I won't be coerced into doing a prayer circle in my own home when I don't share the faith.

So for Thanksgiving, I go around the table and each person says what they're thankful for. For Christmas, we go around the table and say a Christmas wish. My only rule is that it has to be nice. No saying; "I wish so and so would start going to church" or "I wish Bush would choke on another pretzel" sort of thing. Gotta play it nice, no taking jabs at each other. Christmas, after all. Keep the politics and nastiness out of it.

I started it last year, although it ended up just being my mother, fiance, and myself. Dad had a cold and my grandmother was in the hospital and had been since shortly after Thanksgiving(she's fine now, btw). I'm hoping it'll work this year, too, so maybe it'll catch on and remind people of the true spirit of the holidays, which is giving thanks and being giving, not being spiteful towards those you don't agree with.

Answer 8

It was fun when my family was alive, but not so much fun any more. I see it as a great tradition and I wish anyone celebrating it as a religious holiday or tradition a great time.

Answer 9

well lets put it this way. i have yet to meet an atheist either online or in the real world that has a negative opinion on christmas. somewhere out there there are people who have a problem with "Merry Christmas", i and (so far) everyone ive met doesent have a problem with it. as a matter of fact i myself say "merry christmas" to pretty much anyone i come across doring christmas time.

as for how most atheists spend their christmas i dont know. i usually go to my grandmas house and celebrate there. lotsa food, lotsa conversations and at midnight we pass out the presents (we cant wait til morning)

christmas to me, like thanksgiving, is an excuse to get together with the family and have a good time.

i think thats how it is with most people.

Answer 10

Atheism is simply a disbelief in the existence of God. It is not a belief system (it is a dis-belief system). Consequently, one cannot say or even surmise what an Atheist thinks or believes about anything else.

Grouping all atheist as this this or this would lead to faulty reasoning. It would be like grouping all left handers as uncoordinated and emotional. Some may be, so may not be.