Worst time of year to be an atheist?

[Craig4]

I like Xmas, I find easter just annoying "YAY lets us sing the Poptart has risen from the grave, hossana"

You've got spend an Easter in Italy. It's a meal that starts with glasses of Prosseco at noon and doesn't end until a grappa digestivo in the evening. The main secondi (meat or fish course) is usually a goat that's been roasted on a spit though at larger gatherings it's an ox. You might be hungry again in a couple of days.

 

[IDB87]

I often find it strange how people assume that this is the worst time of year to hold an atheistic belief. As if you look around, see all the decorations and just get consumed with rage or something

I'm a cultural Christian.

I think Baby Jesus under the tree is a bit silly, but don't really care overall.

I love the Holidays. I love everything about it, especially the brandy eggnog.

 

[IDB87]

Christmas is the time of year when all faiths come together to celebrate the birth of our lord and savior: Money.

Amen.

 

[Halfcentaur]

Considering this holiday predates Christ mongers, it is odd. The festival of lights is a fine thing to have in the darkness of winter.

 

[Travis]

In case anyone missed it I don't think this is the worst time of year to be an atheist. I just get people who try to comfort me because they think I must be hating it.

 

[Dats]

This is the time of the Winter Solstice Festival. The turning of the Earth and the promise of Spring to come.

How can you be angry at anything or anyone?

Easy if you choose to be, for example I am upset at your blatant hemispherism.

 

[Mudcat]

I have been working the service industry (mostly restaurants) for the past 10 years so I have come to dislike holidays, weekends and sporting events, all for reasons that absolutely nothing to do with my stance on religion what so ever. Christmas holds a... shall we say special place in my heart.

Oh I have nothing against people gathering with their family and spreading cheer during the bleakest, coldest times of the year. They want to celebrate some religious observance while they are at it? I'm cool with that. But it has gotten ridiculously pretentious and the most annoying aspect of all is the damned music.

Hearing the same stupid song with a dozen remixes each repeated infinity is enough to get on my nerves and if it were my job to actually play that music for a living day in and day out (like at a radio station) I'm pretty sure I wouldn't last the first day.

 

[Bloodtoes]

This is the time of the Winter Solstice Festival. The turning of the Earth and the promise of Spring to come.

How can you be angry at anything or anyone?

This, pretty much. I'll use whatever seems appropriate at the time, or just reciprocate whatever greeting was sent my way.

My parents are not religious but they are conservative in a way. They like things to be the way they've been since they were kids, and that means they celebrate Christmas and decry official celebrations using terms like Winterfest. To them, though, Christmas is that time of year for getting together as a family and enjoying good company and good food. They don't see it as religious.. *shrug* yet still my mom decorates the house with Christmas decorations, and little toy angels and such. It's just part of the atmosphere, and it's quite enjoyable.

Me, I live 2,000km away most of the year and am happy just to have some time to go home and be around family for a couple weeks. I couldn't care less what greetings they use. I think you'll find more Christians getting uptight at this time of year than atheists.

 

[Craig4]

Thanksgiving is the one I could do without. They might as well call it "Passive Aggressive Day", "Dysfunctional Extended Family Day" or "Your In-laws Remind you They're in a Loveless Marriage Day".

 

[Ryokan]

christmas is derived from "christs mass"

We were pretty lucky in Scandinavia, the Christ Mass name never caught on and we're still celebrating Yule. It's not very different from how the rest of the Western world celebrate the season, but at least the Christians don't have as good reasons as they do in other countries to claim the holiday as purely theirs. In Scandinavia, it's almost purely a secular holiday.

 

[IMST]

Thanksgiving is the one I could do without. They might as well call it "Passive Aggressive Day", "Dysfunctional Extended Family Day" or "Your In-laws Remind you They're in a Loveless Marriage Day".

My condolences. Thanksgiving is the holiday when my family generally gets along. Christmas is a lot to do with what you're describing above for us, minus the in-laws.

 

[Complexity]

The worst thing about this season is that perfect strangers feel that it is fine to try to interact with me.

They don't understand that the only reason they are perfect is because they are strangers.

I'm really not in the mood for people this millenium.

 

[kittynh]

how many people believe in Santa Claus? And the non believers still manage to enjoy Xmas

 

[mikeyx]

I often find it strange how people assume that this is the worst time of year to hold an atheistic belief. As if you look around, see all the decorations and just get consumed with rage or something.

I mean most Christmas stuff is aesthetically pleasing. Do I really need to believe in baby Jesus to appreciate it? I don't think so. I do think it's dumb to get angry over the phrase "happy holidays" though.

Anyone else ever run into this attitude? Every run into someone that actually tries to console you?

Whats ironic is many christians wont participate in the excessive commercialism. Maybe atheists just need a counter holiday. Do you have the pole in the crawlspace?

 

[mikeyx]

Okay is it me or did it finally fall to me to make the obligatory festivus reference

 

[jj]

Like I say to people:

Hey, look, a party on the darkest day of the year (ed: give or take) is a good thing. Why do some people have to spoil it?

 

[Damien Evans]

around here it seems Christmas has not much to do with any religion, its a time of big bussines for stores and a cool time to meet your family and eat far too much.
actually for me it is my favorite time of the year.

Same here, but we also get to go to the beach, while you freeze.

 

[h.g.Whiz]

The worst thing about this season is that perfect strangers feel that it is fine to try to interact with me.

Transpose your post in big letters on a shirt.

 

[Complexity]

Transpose your post in big letters on a shirt.

It needs to be pithier, so that it can be written in large letters.

I don't want to give people any reason to get closer.

 

[Seismosaurus]

Nope.

It might be different in the UK.

Hell no. UK society in general is very irreligious. I've been an atheist my whole life and it's never even occurred to me that I was missing out on some religious component.