I ask this sincerely because i,ve gatherd that some choose to be atheist because they personaly have no proof that a God exsists. but that others may have more of a societal issue concerning religions.i.e,religous wars,terrorism and so on.so i was wondering if anyone refrains from celebrating religous holidays or perhaps changed them.
2007-03-08 06:35:12 · 16 answers · asked by matowakan58 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The secular aspects, yes.
2007-03-08 06:37:36 · answer #1 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Christmas really doesn't have much to do with today's religions anyway, when you think about it. It has roots as the Babylonian Feast of the Son of Isis (gift giving and lots of eating and drinking) or the Roman public festival Saturnalia on Dec. 25 (the commemoration of the dedication of the temple of Saturn), and even in the Pagan celebration of Germanic tribes called Yule, or the celebration of the birth of the sun god Mithras on December 25 (where kissing under mistletoe originated and where animal and slave sacrifices were hung to decorate trees... where Christmas trees originated).
So really, since none of these religions are around today, Christmas is nothing more than an excuse to shop and laze around the house. Pope Julius I created the birth of Christ as a festival on the 25th of December in 350 AD to make it easier for Roman Pagans to convert to Christianity, since they celebrated their festival at around the same time.
Anyway, to answer your question, I do not celebrate Christmas, and call me a grinch if you want, but I feel that many people do not know what they are actually celebrating to begin with.
2007-03-08 07:00:15 · answer #2 · answered by dmlk2 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is a holiday for being with friends and family, yes. It is also a time to spoil little kids by giving them extravagent presents so that you can watch them freak out. I could not care less about your religious fantasies.
People have always had a celebration at about that time of the year. It is the longest nights of winter and the turning point of the solar cycle.
2007-03-08 06:46:06 · answer #3 · answered by U-98 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christmas, in the US anyway, is a commercial event, not a spiritual event. The practice of making and giving small gifts originated in the Roman pagan holiday Saturnalia which Christians replaced with a celebration of Jesus birth (the date of whichis actually not known). I actually give gifts throughout the year for no occasion at all, but I do pile them up for the Christmas Holiday. It's strictly a cultural thing and most of the folks I exchange gifts with are also not Christians.
2007-03-08 06:45:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
For me growing up, Christmas wasn't emphasized as a religious holiday. It was about presents. Sure, we were forced to go to church, but that was just the price you paid.
My husband and I have now started our own tradition - we'll exchange gifts but we don't get crazy. He got me jewelry and I got him pornos. I made a special breakfast, appetizers and hot toddys and then we had a nice dinner. Not the usual fare, but I didn't get too crazy there either.
We just celebrate it as a time of gift giving, because it feels rather sad to do nothing when everyone else is doing something.
2007-03-08 06:43:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes I do. I like anything that helps people relax, get together with friends and family and have a good meal (and a drink)! The spirit of generosity is good too (though it's occasionally difficult to find with all the commercialism!)
Besides, I think it's nice to have a celebration of the year's ending and the prospect of spring.
Did I mention the food and drink?
.
2007-03-08 10:33:11 · answer #6 · answered by Nobody 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No big deal. It's just some Jewish guy's birthday. I don't "celebrate" it, but I'm not passing up a good party either. The same goes for some Jewish affairs (if they're good!), and all kinds of Druid and Buddhist get-togethers. They like having me around to break the monotony of the officiousness.
I haven't been invited to a Muslim shindig, so I don't know about those.
2007-03-08 06:43:57 · answer #7 · answered by JAT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christmas itself is almost entirely secular. Santa Clause, magical reindeer, trees, and so on. Most of it has roots in pagan celebrations/ritual and has no relation whatsoever to Jesus (even theologians will tell you he wasn't born on December 25).
We have as much prerogative to celebrate christmas as christians do, except we can often recognize and appreciate its true origins.
It really isn't a religious fare anymore. However I can't speak for all atheists as obviously some may have different practices (Kwanzaa for instance).
2007-03-08 06:45:27 · answer #8 · answered by Mike K 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I celebrate Christmas to make my family happy, and when I have kids, they will probably get presents from Santa, for the fun of it.
2007-03-08 06:51:56 · answer #9 · answered by ☭ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I give presents to my family and friends on the 25th. Call it whatever you want. If you feel better, I'll say I celebrate Winter Solstice a few days late.
2007-03-08 06:41:12 · answer #10 · answered by glitterkittyy 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Do I celebrate Gift Day? Yes. I also celebrate my birthday, Valentines Day, and New Years Eve....anything where I can get presents and some nookie.
2007-03-08 06:41:00 · answer #11 · answered by funtasticfool 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋