For Athiests: Do you observe or celebrate Thanksgiving? Christmas? Easter?

Question

Also, do you participate in saying grace or prayer before the Thanksgiving meal? Exchange gifts on Christmas Day? Go on Easter Egg hunts?

Answer 1

Yeah, so does this mean I'm gonna be kicked out of the atheist club?

Added: I don't say grace or participate in prayer. I quietly allow others to do as they wish, though.

Answer 2

For the first part of your question, yes, I celebrate Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
I usually work on Easter, though if I did I wouldn't.

The question here is, why do you assume these are actual religious holidays?

Thanksgiving is a modern day "harvest festival", and saying grace or prayers during it is no different then saying grace or prayers for any other meal. As such, I wouldn't pray or say grace for any meal, as God doesn't put the food on my table, farmers, butchers, manufacturers, truck drivers, grocery store clerks, and ultimately, *I* do.

As for Christmas, it was originally a PAGAN holiday co-opted by the Catholic church... and is so commercialized nowadays it's a purely secular holiday that some people use to go to Mass.
Exchanging gifts on Xmas? Also a pagan thing.

As for Easter Egg hunts... if I gave a damn about the holiday in any way, shape or form, why wouldn't I? Seriously... eggs.

Answer 3

Thanksgiving? Sure, that is not a religious holiday. I do not participant in any kind of saying grace but if others wish that is fine.
Christmas? Sure. Again not a religious holiday for me but I do celebrate my family and friends and exchange gifts.
Easter? Not really. And what do easter egg hunts have to do with religion?
I'm sure you've heard this a million times but Christmas and Easter are really pagan holidays that early christians adopted in order to attract more converts.

Answer 4

Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday...it celebrates the first meal between the Pilgrims and the Indians (which was more like Europe imposing it's ways on the rowdy natives, and much more like a bloodbath than a feast). But as I like turkey, yes, I "celebrate" it. Christmas and Easter were both originally pagan holidays that were usurped by the Christian church as a way to control and convert the masses...but since I like chocolate bunnies and presents, yes, I partake in the secular activities surrounded with both. (and everything you're describing--gifts and egg hunts--are more secular, and have nothing to do with the religious connotations).

No, I do not say grace or pray before meals. I do not believe in such things. But I do like food. And if there is an occasion to eat, I will do so gladly.

Answer 5

I was brought up in a Catholic family, however I am now atheist/agnostic. Saying that. I still say grace before most meal times. To me it's gone from directly thanking God for providing, to just acknowledging the fact that for whatever reason, I have quite a lot to be thankful for and there's a lot of hungry people out there who wont be eating and it does well to remember that.

I do the Christmas thing because everyone does that, and seeing as people have been doing it for 2000 years or so, you'd be hard pressed to find any atheists that dont. Same with Easter. Chocolate and eggs are more of a pagan ritual anyway, so if you mind my celebrating the winter solistice at Christmas and the spring equinox at Easter, I'll adjust my dates accordingly.

Answer 6

I was raised Christian, and always celebrated those holidays, so I do still celebrate them, just without the religious connotations. Most of my family is still Christian, so when we get together at Christmastime, they say grace at meals, and I sit respectfully while they say grace. I exchange gifts, at Christmas, I just consider it to be a celebration of love and family. Thanksgiving is a celebration of freedom, and again of love and family. We don't celebrate Easter as much, but sometimes we'll go to an event like an Easter egg hunt with our family or friends just for the fun of it.

Answer 7

I observe Thanksgiving; it is an opportunity to reflect on fortunate I have been. I celebrate a winter holiday. We have Santa and get together with family and exchange gifts. We also celebrate a spring holiday. I do take my kid to Easter egg hunts, too. Christmas and Easter celebrations are largely rooted in pagan traditions. These celebrations existed long before there was a Christian religion.

Answer 8

Christmas and Easter were pagan holidays -- gift giving is not religious - if you are going to "celebrate" the religious Christmas, you should be celebrating the birth of Christ, not gift ex-changing.

Easter egg hunts and the easter bunny are NOT religous - where does that come in to play?

Thanksgiving -- why celebrate a holiday where thousands of Native American's were massacred? Hmmmmmm?

For many athiests, pagans, satanists, etc.. that have respect for their family may continue to be with family on these "holidays" out of respect for family - doesn't mean they have to celebrate anything.

Answer 9

Yes, these were pagan holidays before they were Christian. I acknowledge those aspects of the holidays. As for Easter- Spring Soltice. Christmas - Winter Soltice. Thanksgiving is an American Holiday and not a Christian one.

I am part of a family, that is Catholic. So, Grace is said; I do not make people uncomfortable by excluding myself. However, when I held Spring Soltice at my house this year. The meal was blessed with a song sung by a Shaman.

Be grateful for the food on our table is seen more than as a religious rite, but a sacred one as well.

Answer 10

It is a day off from work to hang out with family and friends. Grace? No. No to Easter egg hunts, yes to exchanging gifts. Why upset those in the family that believe?

Answer 11

I don't say grace or prayers. thanksgiving in not celebrated in the area of the world where I live. Yes we exchange gifts on christmas day. December 25th has been a date of celebration linked to the winter solstice long before the christian delusion was started.
Easter no.