discussion Atheists, do you celebrate Christmas?

[Space Cowboy]

I’m an atheist myself, yet I still love Christmas. I don’t care about Jesus or some made up grandpa in the clouds, or any religious background this festivity may have.

 

However, I do enjoy the time away from college, the gifts, the delicious food, family gatherings, festive decorations, and even those cheesy Christmas movies that are always fun to watch.

[simplywohoo]

Since the christmas we know today has VERY little to do with religion, I don't really see a correlation anymore (personally). We talk about santa and gifts and that's it. Could be at any other time of the year. 

 

So in short: ja

[Illuminati]

There's nothing religious about Santa in coca cola red clothes, the gift giving or decorations so sure

[truthteller]

i celebrate every holiday that gives me a day off

[Jack!]

I’m an atheist and I celebrate, although I did grow up in a Christian household and still have religious family members.

 

However as said above, Christmas has become so paganised it’s so lightly seen as a religious holiday anymore. One of my Muslim friends at work celebrates now. Especially since she has young kids in school who hear other kids talking about Christmas.

[Alldeezy]

yes but only for santa, snowman and pressies .. I don't celebrate it for the god stuff

[greeneyedsoul]

Just for the traditional food/dishes. 

[Bloodflowers.]

Yes, I am a cultural Christian

[jesus del rey]

1 minute ago, Jack! said:

I’m an atheist and I celebrate, although I did grow up in a Christian household and still have religious family members.

 

However as said above, Christmas has become so paganised it’s so lightly seen as a religious holiday anymore. One of my Muslim friends at work celebrates now. Especially since she has young kids in school who hear other kids talking about Christmas.

Christmas didn't become paganised, it became a commodity, just like anything else under global capitalism. There is a big difference between the two. 

[Zaram]

7 minutes ago, Jack! said:

I’m an atheist and I celebrate, although I did grow up in a Christian household and still have religious family members.

 

However as said above, Christmas has become so paganised it’s so lightly seen as a religious holiday anymore. One of my Muslim friends at work celebrates now. Especially since she has young kids in school who hear other kids talking about Christmas.

That is really cute 

[alexrex]

Im an agnostic, but I believe that having days off from work is good for the soul 

[John Slayne]

well, sorta kinda. it's nice to have days off and i did buy some presents for my partner, but that's about it. i do think halloween is the superior holiday and can't stand most of christmas music. also people asking 'wHaT ArE yOu DoInG FoR xMaS??' gets irritating very quickly when i don't really care for the holiday. 

 

that said, i think it's nice to have some sort of big holiday (or even two or 3 would be cute) as a culture so i'm not too bothered. like someone said above, i celebrate anything that gives me a day off lol

Edited December 25, 2023 by John Slayne

[Revolution]

Christianity is a Middle Eastern religion and Christmas has nothing to do with the Middle East. It’s some repurposed pagan holiday. So I can repurpose it too 

[brazil]

Im agonistc and yeah, i celebrate it with my family. They Christians, but still it has little to do with religion nowadays, as said.

[Khal]

This is giving, “what do atheists say when someone sneezes next to them”

[Miss Show Business]

Basically what everyone else has said. Christmas has pagan roots, so the religious angle of it is already on shaky ground.

 

For me, Christmas is about family and giving. I've grown up to love Christmas, the festive decorations, the music, the over-the-top of everything. I love it.

[Gelato]

No. My family are but I'm just eating some of the food.

 

Instead of joining in I've actually started preparing for key events in the new year, including writing a 1,000-word ode to Austin Mahone that I plan to publish on ATRL on his 28th birthday (4 April). Hopefully I will have thread making abilities by then!

 

I hope everyone who is celebrating has a great time! Meanwhile I'll work on refining the paragraph about his tree trunk thighs. 

[Mr. Peanutbutter]

For me Christmas is the Santa Klaus party, same way as Easter is the Easter Bunny Chocolate party. I don't even associate any of this with religion. I just enjoy the gifts and the cool moments these holidays create with people

[Gov Hooka]

You gotta include non atheist, non Christian options in poll lolol

[Sweeftie13]

Not Christmas in the Christian sense, that is, I don't celebrate the nativity and I don't go to mass. For me it is the celebration of winter, of family values and of the sun becoming more present again (something that has always been celebrated on December 25th since ancient times) 

[SimpleKindofLife]

Nope I loathe this holiday

[Afterglow]

5 hours ago, Space Cowboy said:

I’m an atheist myself, yet I still love Christmas. I don’t care about Jesus or some made up grandpa in the clouds, or any religious background this festivity may have.

 

However, I do enjoy the time away from college, the gifts, the delicious food, family gatherings, festive decorations, and even those cheesy Christmas movies that are always fun to watch.

That's kind of an unfair and rude statement. You can not believe in something and not stomp on other peoples beliefs and making. them seem frivolous.

 

And I'm just in it for the time away from work tbh. Not religious whatsoever. 

[Cruel Summer]

I’m sitting here waiting to start helping with cooking and all that literally right now. It’s really not primarily a religious holiday anymore, honestly, so yes. It’s just gifts and family dinners and all that kind of thing; I wouldn’t go with if they wanted to go to church or something, but they don’t bother to do that. It’s never had a particularly religious angle for my family, though.

 

But I’m not a fan of of the way it’s infested a huge chunk of the year. It’s like you wake up November first and everyone is desperately sprinting toward Christmas for two straight months - it just swallowed up Thanksgiving and now it’s threatening the other holidays, too. I could do without that, some changes to how we culturally view Christmas would be nice.

 

Either way, merry Christmas and happy holidays to most of you! 

[Rotunda]

Why wouldn’t I celebrate receiving gifts?

[NoOneDiesFromLove]

I celebrate the holiday I guess but not Christmas itself. My parents still go to church on Christmas Eve and they don’t bother asking me if I’m gonna go anymore