Do you Reject the Holidays as an Atheist?

[six7s]

The False Dichotomy Bar & Grill Christmas Menu

Apéritif:

• Château de Chasselas
• A cup of cold tea... without milk or sugar... or tea... in a cracked cup

Entrée:

• Roasted Sweet Potato & Green Pea Soup with warm ciabatta bread
• A load of rotting fish

Mains:

• Roast Christmas Turkey Breast with a macadamia stuffing, baby potatoes, cranberry jam & spiced wine gravy
• A crust of stale bread and a cup of sulphuric acid

Dessert:

• Traditional Christmas Plum Pudding with brandy custard sauce & sweet cherries and cognac
• A lecture on 'The perils of materialism, greed, fashion and idolatry in contrast with the neoclassical paradigm of environmental awareness, equality and the supply/demand for peace in the 21st century'

$42 per person

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​

 

[James the True]

I've always looked at Christmas as a celebration of life, family and friends. That's the only religion I've ever needed.

James the True

 

[RandFan]

The Greatest Fiction Ever Told!

I revel in it. I love it. The music. The imagery. The festive atmosphere. I just love it.

!!!!APPEAL TO AUTHORITY ALERT!!!!



If the guy who wrote The God Delusion can celebrate Christmas then so can I. So there.

God bless us. Every one.

 

[RandFan]

So, why are you doing it?

Why were you doing that?

Well, no, he doesn't. He allows the TV to dictate his life, whether it's broken or not. And I see many atheists allowing the church to dictate their lifes in much the same way: They should be free to do whatever they please, but they subject themselves to same arbitrary rules even if they apply their reverse forms.

I'm not sure that you have justified your argument. Where I live Christmas is everywhere. On TV, on the radio, in the stores, on the stores, etc., etc..

It's my culture. A great big part of it. I'm an atheist but I am also a cultural Christian. Sure I can ignore it but I can't pretend that it isn't there. I'm not going to be the grouch when I'm invited to parties or told "have a Merry Christmas".

I lived in a largely Hispanic community when I was first married. We partied hard on Cinco de Mayo. And I'm not Hispanic. So sue me. When in Rome and all that jazz....

My wife doesn't care much for the religious aspect and isn't a big fan of the religious overtones but she is respectful and she also wants to share in the fun. She doesn't act the grouch either and we've made plans to celebrate Christmas. We will have a tree and decorations (we got rid of or nativity scene). But all the rest can stay. It's largely secular.

BTW: It's not conventional wisdom that Christ was born in December. December is the time of many pagan holidays. So Christians don't really own it.

 

[Rasmus]

I'm not sure that you have justified your argument. Where I live Christmas is everywhere. On TV, on the radio, in the stores, on the stores, etc., etc..

It's my culture. A great big part of it. I'm an atheist but I am also a cultural Christian. Sure I can ignore it but I can't pretend that it isn't there. I'm not going to be the grouch when I'm invited to parties or told "have a Merry Christmas".

I may not have been clear enough.

I enjoy Christmas myself. I am looking forward to going home and meet my parents, in fact.

I think truethat is being grouchy, though - teaching his kids lessons instead of celebrating seems like a grouchy thing to do to me. And that is what I think is allowing the church to dictate his life.

He could teach the same lessons all year long, but he decided to do it instead of christmas.

I see nothing wring with celebrating it, and nothing wrong with not celebrating it, either. But if you don't celebrate and make a huge issue out of it, you might as well admit that it's just as much about christmas as the celebratuions would be. (And if you are all about christmas, personally I think you could pick the option thats more fun.)

Merry christmas!

 

[RandFan]

I may not have been clear enough.

It's probably the chip on my shoulder. Let me re-read your post.

Wait a minute. You said:

My Christmas is entirely secular, just like the rest of my life.

Nope. You were clear enough. The problem was mine. Sorry.

I enjoy Christmas myself. I am looking forward to going home and meet my parents, in fact.

I think truethat is being grouchy, though - teaching his kids lessons instead of celebrating seems like a grouchy thing to do to me. And that is what I think is allowing the church to dictate his life.

He could teach the same lessons all year long, but he decided to do it instead of christmas.

I see nothing wring with celebrating it, and nothing wrong with not celebrating it, either. But if you don't celebrate and make a huge issue out of it, you might as well admit that it's just as much about christmas as the celebratuions would be. (And if you are all about christmas, personally I think you could pick the option thats more fun.)

Merry christmas!

Cool.

 

[arthwollipot]

I seriously can't stand the trappings of christmas - the decorations, the santas, and most especially the carols oh god the carols... but I've always enjoyed the purely secular experience of getting together with family and friends.

 

[Damien Evans]

I see Christmas as more of a cultural thing than a Christian thing. I celebrate it, wish people Merry Christmas, and don't give a smeg about the religious aspects.

What he said.

 

[fuelair]

I'm wondering about the hegemony of Christmas in which we atheists find ourselves immersed.

Ironically Christmas has always been a holiday that disappoints and yet each year I strive to make it work.

This year I'm having Christmas party on December 12th. PM me if you live in NYC and like to come. I'd love to have a smattering of atheists there.

But I'm wondering about the implications of my desire to celebrate a holiday with my family that sort of goes against the traditions I am building for myself.

Last year I decided to forgo Christmas with the kids and we served at a homeless shelter instead. That was a disaster as far as my kids were concerned.

Curious if others have given this thought?

For the kids, age may have a lot to do with it. Kids are neat but stuff has an allure - as does doing neat stuff that others are also doing. Hopefully they will pick up helping others as they grow up. I have no problem with kids enjoying the holidays - I just avoid the Jesus track - and when I had a beard, around christmastime a number suspected me of having a secret identity if you get my drift. Homeless shelters can be scary for little ones!

 

[Dancing David]

I see Christmas as more of a cultural thing than a Christian thing. I celebrate it, wish people Merry Christmas, and don't give a smeg about the religious aspects.

As a pagan atheist I agree, it is a cultural celebration, the dark days and the hope for the return of summer.

Brrr, not that we have had an ass cracker of a winter in a while but still, cold and dark.

 

[Dancing David]

I seriously can't stand the trappings of christmas - the decorations, the santas, and most especially the carols oh god the carols... but I've always enjoyed the purely secular experience of getting together with family and friends.

Hmm, I like the decorations and the good food, not the bad music.

 

[arthwollipot]

As a pagan atheist I agree, it is a cultural celebration, the dark days and the hope for the return of summer.

Brrr, not that we have had an ass cracker of a winter in a while but still, cold and dark.

Not here it's not. Bright and hot, and perfect pool/beach weather.

 

[Dancing David]

I may not have been clear enough.

I think truethat is being grouchy, though - teaching his kids lessons instead of celebrating seems like a grouchy thing to do to me. And that is what I think is allowing the church to dictate his life.

He could teach the same lessons all year long, but he decided to do it instead of christmas.

Psst, truethat is a girl.

Don't call her dude either.

 

[EverLastingGodStopper]

Hmm, I like the decorations and the good food, not the bad music.

I looooovvve the bad music. My family does not. tee hee

 

[ve2vfd]

I seriously can't stand the trappings of christmas - the decorations, the santas, and most especially the carols oh god the carols... but I've always enjoyed the purely secular experience of getting together with family and friends.

Hear hear!

I'm very much a grinch at Xmas and you won't find a tree, light or even a card in my place. But I do enjoy getting together with my family and exchanging gifts (I don't like receiving, but do love giving).

Pat

 

[Safe-Keeper]

I will celebrate Christmas (or rather Yule) this year, as every year. Can't refrain from celebrating it when my family does. Also, if Christians could start celebrating Yule when it had nothing to do with their beliefs, then so can I.

 

[ve2vfd]

Why not celebrate "Lets exchange presents" day?

Ah what the heck, it's christmas (notice the non capitalized c) and even being a hardcore atheist I like it that way... it's not "the holidays" and I don't wish people "seasons greetings"... it's merry xmas y'all!

Pat

 

[Fredrik]

No. Christmas is a secular holiday despite the unfortunate name. Christians have merely hijacked what was originally a winter festival. Just remember that Christmas is not about christ, it's about Santa, Rudolph, Christmas trees, and shopping. All of the materialism that Christians point to as a debasement of the holiday, is actually what it's all about. I think Atheists should embrace that, run with it, and not let Christians steal our cultural traditions from us.

This is how almost everyone thinks of it here in Sweden. No one has hijacked it here. Our word* for it doesn't even have "Christ" in it. I would however replace "Rudolph" with "Donald Duck" because the TV is showing the same Disney crap every december 24th at 15:00, and I would add "food" and "family" to the list. (For those who don't know how to subtract 12, 15:00 is 3 PM).

*) The word is "Jul" and it's pronounced kind of like Yule, but we pronounce the "u" differently, and the "l" too actually.

 

[Jorghnassen]

I celebrate Xmas (Christmas, Noël, Yule, whatever you want to call it), with an amalgamation of traditions that coalesced together over time. A freaking pine tree with lights and decorations in the house, a model train going around it, a Nativity scene that is now overrun by sheep from all over the world (gotta love the metaphor), all the presents, all the food (turkey and meat pies eaten past midnight, foie gras, homemade donuts, cake shaped like a log...). Gotta watch A Charlie Brown Christmas at least once, and I like my Christmas carols to be the religious kind. Being a lapsed Catholic I can at least "identify" with those (more likely I'm just the kind of guy who believes music died in 1827.... the songs about the holiday season and Santa and the celebration itself are more recent and thus usually much worse). And most of all, I gotta go home (i.e. to my parent's house) where I am guaranteed at least a few inches of snow on the ground. Because it can't be Xmas without snow and family. I don't care about the origins of the various traditions, or that the Nativity story is complete fabrication regardless of the historicity of Jesus in general, or that Christmas may now be run by a big Eastern syndicate. The commercialism and various PC naming issues do irritate me a little, but once I'm on vacation, I don't give a hoot about those either...

 

[Darth Rotor]

My next door neighbor does not celebrate Christmas.

He does that JW thing.