Atheists who celebrate X-mas

[Atticus89]

The celebration of christmas in it's proper form, the worship of Christ and his birth, has only every constituted of one thing; going to church on christmas eve (and on christmas day) to pray and celebrate the birth of the human god.

Everything else done is not strictly Christmas, but tradition. That is saying nothing of course about the origins of these traditions but they are no way and in no part a religious celebration.

Saint Nicholas is a Christian Saint, of East European (german?) origin, coloured by Coca Cola and dumped in the North Pole.

Coca Cola created Santa Claus as we know him. Don't think for one minute that this is even close to a religious holiday.

Actually, the popular American image of Santa Claus wasn't created by Coca Cola but by the famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast, responsible for other such creations as the Republican elephant, the Democratic donkey, and the modern form of Uncle Sam.

 

[dietpeachsnapple]

Athiests celebrating Christmas? Maybe not for the religious reasons, but I see no problem with it being for personal reasons.

 

[humor_involuntario]

I prefer the commercialized version of the holiday, that it's about giving gifts, helping our fellow man, spending time with loved ones, getting wasted on egg nog, and watching holiday movies on the boob-tube. My atheist best friend very much agrees, but also claims he's merely just celebrating the Winter Solstice. Hell I wish we could de-religionize it so everyone could enjoy it.

That being said, I don't celebrate Easter because of the religious reasons. Not that I'm an atheist, I'm agnostic, I just don't feel right celebrating it if my hearts not in the subject matter.

As has been said, Christmas was never Christian, and Jesus was born when Shepherds had their flocks in the fields by night- which is autumn, specifically September or October. Pretty much everything in the holiday comes from Pagans. Decorated trees? Pagan. Giving gifts? Pagan. Holly and the kissing thereunder? Pagan. Even Eggnog is pagan, coming from the North. Also, the idea of the rebirth of the sun and light is pagan. It's Winter Solstice under a "Christian" name. Winter Solstice celebrates the rebirth of the sun and the days getting longer, which it starts to do now.

And, Easter is also a pagan holiday, Sacred to the goddess Eostre. And the imagery of that is also pagan. It's a celebration of fertility, thus the imagery of eggs, chicks, and rabbits (rabbits especially having lots of mating, there's a reason it's called "boinking like bunnies").

http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter1.htm

In some countries, they light fires on Easter (The Netherlands being one of them). This is probably a holdover of the pagan "Jumping of the fire" where a bonfire would be lit and people jump over it.

I started out Christian, went pagan, and am now an atheist (with a steady stream of agnostic- I really just don't care, honestly).

again, easter is a holiday celebrated b many cultures and religions. pagans brought the whole rabbit and egg thing, but easter was celebreated by the jewish people as their exodus from egypt, and it was probably given in other places.
amd just one extra comment for the whole pagan stuff: you know, pagans were not THE big thing, so I came to this conclucion: If there were so many pagans that the power hungry medieval church had to create important holidays for them. why they didn't did it for the jewishs? or the gypsis? "The pagans did it first did not explaind everything, and even if the church was probably the worst thing that happend to man at that time, I don't think they had to re-write their whole agenda for a minority. (again, easter as it is celebreted is pagan, but the other methods of celbreating that certain holiday are not, as most are from jewish origin [the chrisian part is for the resurection, that happend around the same time the jews were celebrating their holiday, as a reason to imprison him])

 

[Krylock]

Christmas is a captilist scam to sell popular products. Its all about the gifts nowa days.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Christmas has actually become a cultural icon in America. Even non-religious people or people of non-Christan faiths observe it in some way in the USA. A large amount of secular traditions and idea float around it and probably more then the actually religious part of it. Not everyone goes to church on Christmas but everyone know it is Christmas.

 

[Andantil]

I'm a nihilist and I celebrate it. Whenever anybody calls me out on it, I say I'm celebrating "Arbitrary Gift Giving Day"

Christmas only has any religious meaning if you're christian, otherwise it's just a commercial holiday.

 

[Steamtech]

As a follower of Druidism, I would just like to anounce, in the spirit of the subject, Blessed Yule to all whom it may concern!

 

[Smooth Operator]

I think Christmas is no longer just a religious holiday I believe in god but I know several atheists who celebrate X-mas and some of my other Christian friends do not think they should be celebrating if they do not believe in Christ but I believe it has gone past that to just a holiday to come together and show each other we care.

Like it was said before Christmas has no connection to Christianity or Christ, and Christ was not born on Christmas, the holiday was simply taken over and renamed.
Christmas before was a pagan celebration of life, that is why it's symbolized by an ever green tree, because in winter everything else seems to "die", and on the 25th the length of night starts to decline signaling that light and life is coming back.

 

[L-J-F]

It really is selfish how people want to spend time with family, give gifts and just be pleasant while not believing in supernatural beings.

Amen, what dicks.

 

[Dags90]

Any excuse for a holiday, right?

I'm glad I'm not the only person who throws a "World Hemophilia Day" party.

 

[Iron Lightning]

Oh, I love Saturnalia, I celebrate it every December 25th even though I... what's that... they're calling it what now?... really... how queer.

*ahem*

Oh, I love Christmas, I celebrate it every December 25th even though I don't believe it the mythological stories behind the holiday.

 

[Mr C]

Christmas has nothing to do with Christianity, never did. The pagans made it an the Christans stole and renamed it. Now it's a commercial holiday celebrated by most people regardless of religion. People like getting gifts and spending money, why not celebrate it?

Well said, too many Christians fail to realise that their most important holiday has nothing to do with their religion.

OT: I get presents. That's what Christmas is about, now anyway.

I don't believe but I still like a good cheerful holiday, food and booze.

Just to comment on the quoted post, surely any Christian worth their salt would consider Easter (another pagan hijack) to be the greatest event of the year. No resurrection, no religion, after all birth also happens to those who aren't the offspring of deities.

 

[Caligulove]

Christmas never really had any meaning rooted in Christianity for me. Family was never particularly religious when I was growing up and yet still celebrated Christmas with everyone else at the same time. Combine that with the fact that Jesus wasn't even born on December 25th when reading the Bible in scrutiny- so even less to do with Christianity.

 

[BabyRaptor]

Christmas is about spending money. That's it.

I "celebrate" Christmas, but if you're talking about religious holidays I go for Yule.

 

[DalekJaas]

I prefer the commercialized version of the holiday, that it's about giving gifts, helping our fellow man, spending time with loved ones, getting wasted on egg nog, and watching holiday movies on the boob-tube. My atheist best friend very much agrees, but also claims he's merely just celebrating the Winter Solstice. Hell I wish we could de-religionize it so everyone could enjoy it.

That being said, I don't celebrate Easter because of the religious reasons. Not that I'm an atheist, I'm agnostic, I just don't feel right celebrating it if my hearts not in the subject matter.

As has been said, Christmas was never Christian, and Jesus was born when Shepherds had their flocks in the fields by night- which is autumn, specifically September or October. Pretty much everything in the holiday comes from Pagans. Decorated trees? Pagan. Giving gifts? Pagan. Holly and the kissing thereunder? Pagan. Even Eggnog is pagan, coming from the North. Also, the idea of the rebirth of the sun and light is pagan. It's Winter Solstice under a "Christian" name. Winter Solstice celebrates the rebirth of the sun and the days getting longer, which it starts to do now.

And, Easter is also a pagan holiday, Sacred to the goddess Eostre. And the imagery of that is also pagan. It's a celebration of fertility, thus the imagery of eggs, chicks, and rabbits (rabbits especially having lots of mating, there's a reason it's called "boinking like bunnies").

http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter1.htm

In some countries, they light fires on Easter (The Netherlands being one of them). This is probably a holdover of the pagan "Jumping of the fire" where a bonfire would be lit and people jump over it.

I started out Christian, went pagan, and am now an atheist (with a steady stream of agnostic- I really just don't care, honestly).

I was under the impression Christmas was moved to December 25th as it was the same date as the Roman equinox, or winter solstice festival. 1 of the 2.

But yes very good I enjoyed reading about Easter.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Considering that my birth "faith" wasn't Cristian, no. I've never celebrated Christmas.

 

[TheDarkestDerp]

Well, it's not all that different from most holidays really. Hallowe'en is to many people Samhain or Sowhein's festival or harvest celebration or such, a religious holiday, but for me it's always been a pretty good excuse to dress up and go out to get candy. No reason why everybody can't celebrate Crimmus either, I'd think. Any excuse to get together with friends, loved ones and have a themed get-together of good times seems a pretty good thing to me.

 

[Brownie101]

My friends and I (Most of us are either Athiest or Agnostic) have just cut out the middle-man and call it "Gift-Day". Nothing to do with any deity or any other traditions. It's just about the presents.
Yes, we've given in. And we're loving it.