Atheists and Christmas?

Question

I am the only Atheist in my Christian family of five, should I celebrate Christmas with them? None of my other friends, so it's not like I could go to an Atheist party or anything like that. Also, is there any specific holiday only for Atheists? I feel left out!

Answer 1

I'm an atheist, and I celebrate Christmas. It may interest you to know that Christmas was originally a pagan holiday, not a Christian one. Pagans celebrated it as the solstice and as a tribute to the evergreen tree (which mysteriously stayed green throughout winter). I believe that the Romans called it Saturnalia, and the pagans in Britain called it Yule. I first learned about this from my high school English teacher, and I was much more comfortable celebrating Christmas after I learned it. The link below has some interesting info. (Naturally, pagans are usually not atheists, but I find paganism less offensive than I do Christianity, since pagans do not seek to force their religion on others.)

Christmas today is part pagan (Christmas trees, mistletoe, etc.), part Christian (nativity scene), part German (Santa Claus), and part downright commercial. I personally don't mind celebrating it, and of course, am free to choose whiat I include in my celebration. I buy gifts and admire others' Christmas trees (though I don't put one up myself, mostly because I travel to visit relatives at Christmas), but I don't attend church or nativity plays.

I don't think it would be very friendly of us to have a holiday that was ONLY for atheists. I'd rather have a non-religious celebration that simply didn't make requirements regarding its guests/celebrants beliefs. My friend's brother is having a Festivus party (based on George's Dad's invented holiday on "Seinfeld"), and some people have solstice celebrations. Some solstice celebrations may be pagan in nature, but they need not be; the solstice is a legitimate astronomical occurance. Then there's New Year's Eve, which is also non-religious.

Answer 2

Actually, these days it seems like Christmas is even more an atheist holiday than a Christian one by seeing all the commercial buzz and fancy house decorations and such. Most of the activity you see or read about during this time of year has absolutely NOTHING to do with either CHRIST or CHRISTIANITY, which means it is therefore pagan or atheist activity even if it is not recognized as such due to the enduring stigma of those words in our culture. So in effect if you are atheist it is not Christmas you are celebrating on December 25th each year, but rather the most basic social institutions of family and community, just as the ancient pagans did with their Winter festivals, which had nothing to do with Christianity, but from which Christianity adopted some traditions and symbols like the Christmas tree. As you can see from the above explanation, "Atheist Christmas" is a misnomer.

Answer 3

I'm an Atheist and I celebrate Christmas because the origins of the holiday go back to a celebration of the "return of sunlight".

It was only made into a "Christian" holiday much later.

Answer 4

I also can not say for myself that I am too religious, but I celebrate Christmas. It was always a part of my life and the time when family is gathering. The time of peace, rest, joy and celebration and there is no reason for you to feel left out. I hope you don't feel uncomfortable in these occasions, so just go ahead and have a good time with your family.

Answer 5

I'm a Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan, but I still celebrate Christmas and even still call it that. If you think about the wider picture, what are we really celebrating around that time of year? Most people value being around family and friends for the holidays.

Try looking up the meaning of the solstice, and see if you can find something out of that to make yourself feel included. I consider change important to me in a spiritual and non-spiritual way, and I believe that the Christmas season, representational of birth, or a light in winter, is important for what it represents--above the 'actual' birth of Christ or the 'original' meaning of the holiday.

A common misconception about athiests is that they don't/can't/won't derive MEANING from anything just because of a lack of a belief in God. I don't understand how it's connected. Find meaning in a way close to your heart!

Answer 6

I always celebrate Christmas with my family, even though I'm not a fan of Christianity. The holidays are all about being with family, and enjoying their company.

Answer 7

You say you don't believe in God. But God believes in you. You sound like a child trying to get attention by declaring you are an Atheist because the rest of your family is Christian and you know that would be the one thing that would be the most upsetting for them. One day, maybe you will grow up and realize life is too short to spend time thinking of ways to hurt people who love you. Since Christmas is a very important day for Christians, why don't you keep your Atheist comments to yourself and let your family celebrate like always. Try not to be such a pain in the *** so the rest of the family can enjoy the holidays. You say you feel "left out". Trust me, until you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, you are left out. Get used to it!

Answer 8

I think you CAN celebrate the "Christmas" holiday with your family. The whole idea of the season is friendship, family, love and giving. You can be a big part of that and just spend the time with your family having a great time. Also, giving is not just a christian tradition, anyone can give to others whether it be gifts or time doing volunteer work, it would be appreciated.

Answer 9

Im sure it's fine. My brother is Atheist also and he celebrates christmas. Well he just does the present thing. He doesn't read out of the bible with us on christmas eve. But he does respect us for what we believe.

Answer 10

Christmas is originally a secular holiday. There's nothing wrong with celebrating with your family.

You can always start your own traditions.