question for you atheists?

Question

why do atheists even celebrate around our christmas? if there so offended why dont they just have there "family reunions" another time of year? why celebrate at all? just a curious thought

Answer 1

You'll notice the 25th of December never explicitly comes up in the bible, yes? You'll also notice the abundance of other religions who have festivals around the same time of year? Throughout the ages, it has been easier for a society to accept a new faith if the dates of its celebrations are the same. This is why the actual details of celebrating easter often have little to do with the christian assertion of the date (there's nowt in the bible about that exact date either). The ancient Romans were more open about this - even compromising the names of their gods with the names of the local ones: Sulis the sun god of old england is a case in point - when the Romans brought the sun god Minerva to Britain, they dedicated their grand spa in Bath to "Sulis-Minerva". After a while things just become part of our language & society, like saying "bless you" when somebody sneezes, for instance.

We celebrate it because it is a society custom to do so, just as we date things in relation to AD & BC benchmarks.

Hope that helps,

Answer 2

::smack:: That's for believing Christmas is a Christian Holiday. It was originally the Pagan Winter Solstice. Where do you think christmas trees and yule logs come from? Those are Pagan traditions. Christians are the ones, technically, who shouldn't be celebrating Christmas.

It's my opinion that the Winter Solstice is a human tradition, hence the reason so many festivals and holidays fall around that time of year. Therefore no one should be barred from practicing whatever holiday or family get together they want to celebrate. Deal with it.

Answer 3

Your assuming that atheist celebrate Christmas as you do.
I am agnostic. There is no Jesus or any of that. The tree is from a Pagan holiday called winter solstace and I think its cool so yeah I have a tree.
But basically its a family reunion with lots of food and present exchange. But obviously I would look kinda silly going back to work and saying "how was your family reunion"

Answer 4

Because, if you haven't noticed, there isn't exactly an annual atheist holiday when everyone gets vacation time. My family and I sometimes do the tree and presents just because it's tradition (that frankly has nothing to do with Jesus), but most importantly it's a time when all of my family members get a break from work and can come together. (Contrary to popular belief, atheists have family values!)

Answer 5

The same reason you would celebrate New Years. Are we all really that excited about the date changing? It gives everybody an excuse to party. Christmas does the same for reunions. Also, it doesn't hurt that the kids are out of school for two weeks and most of us are allowed to take time off of work which makes traveling easier at that time.

Answer 6

'Our Christmas'? You mean the midwinter booze-up formerly known as Mithras?

Thing is, people in the northern hemisphere need an excuse for a widwinter party regardless of the religion currently in fashion.

As you obviously haven't noticed, only a small fraction of the population spends the time singing miserable songs to deities. The rest of us have a bash.

'Your christmas' indeed! This is another one you stole from the pagans. And they did it better than you. Now it belongs to the big stores and us ordinary folks.

CD

Answer 7

I specifically don't.

In the U.S. most atheists have christian friends and families, and it's around this time of year that everybody has a few days off.

Of course, the winter solstice celebration of death and rebirth is actually millennia older than your jesus... In fact, that's why christimas is celebrated on that day.

Answer 8

Do you celebrate halloween? Why?
That's a pagan holiday.
Well based on a pagan holiday, seen as I have pagan friends.
The reason they celebrate around christmas is so the corporations will have more money around that time of year don't you see that?

Answer 9

I don't celebrate. I think christmas is all about getting a bigger present than you did last year. Humans are too greedy! You know, my father played with a small handful of marbles, and thought of everything to do with them. I had a box of legos, and I imagined the world! My children want x-box, and Ipods, and TV sets and dirt bikes....and more, and more...The kids I watch at the heath center dnon't even know how to pretend! I gave them a huge cardboard box, and they didn't know what to do with it!

Answer 10

If everyone else is celebrating, and it's such a festive, family time of year, why not? I celebrate christmas as a day when I show how thankful I am for my loved ones by giving them gifts.