As an Atheist do you celebrate Christmas?

Question

As an Atheist do you celebrate Christmas [or a type of Christmas tradition, such as the tree, dinner, gifts, etc]? How do you celebrate it?

Thanks.

I'm just trying to get general suggestions / opinions on this.

Answer 1

I celebrate it as a family get together. Its the one time in the year we all get together. I do do gifts/decorations and all the normal stuff mainly because I like the spirit of giving. I actually dislike recieving gifts but can't tell you why. I accept them so others will not be uncomfortable or hurt. Even though year after year I preach to them to spend their money on others. I don't go to church but will listen as my grandmother does the yearly prayer at dinner and I use that moment to in my heart wish the best for my family as well. I get choked up listening to my grandmother who is in her 90's

Answer 2

well since i grew up in a catholic family, I still respect their holidays. I mostly celebrate it so I can spend time with them and have fun. I do not pray to their god, but i respect their believes and traditions. I do help decorate the house and tree and buy gifts fo them. It's just mostly about respect and the weather just makes it special. I do not really con cider myself an Atheist because I do feel like there is something out there, but we do not know about it or of it, so I do not pray to anything or anyone. I do not agree with hat religion has become, so I do not con cider myself a part of any religion alive today.

Answer 3

I celebrate Santa Christmas with the tree and gifts.

Answer 4

i replaced into raised Christian. My mothers and fathers (now a million former-xtian and a million Lutheran) have a pair days of the 300 and sixty 5 days set aside to delight in eachother's corporation (normally), have a severe high quality meal, and each so often substitute presents or basically take a seat around the hearth sipping whiskey for some hours. what type of an fool does not connect interior the festivities? i'm not likely to church, hell we hardly went on holiday journeys besides- we basically celebrated at present considering that replaced into custom and it replaced into relaxing. i don't have a faith telling me i'm not allowed to the two :) so i'm able to occasion it up any way i opt to. On Christmas or Easter, i could rejoice ANY form of holiday journeys, because of the fact the dates and distinctive of the traditions from those holiday journeys have been form of borrowed from numerous different cultures. Wanna know the humorous factor approximately this question? the persons who heavily ask it, never take think of roughly Christmas bushes, colored eggs, Easter bunnies, Santa or the different holiday mascots and traditions you may think of of that originated from till now cultures and by way of years of custom have been branded new meanings and given new names and practices. i think of while you're gonna ask something, you will discover greater counsel there. Asking it is exceptionally pointless, heresy does not prepare and atheists do not relatively have everybody to offend by using having relaxing on "somebody else's" holiday. How dare we.

Answer 5

Yes, why not? I still have family that are Christians. And I put up a tree and decorate at my house, since there is nothing Christian about the majority of the traditions celebrated during that time.

Answer 6

I do. I love the old Pagan holidays like Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. I'm actually surpised that Christians follow these.



We have a tree, a dinner, exchange gifts.

Answer 7

It's national holiday, for this country's backbone is or was a Christianity. I thank my employees with some extra bonus for their job well done. I hang a X-Mas wreath on my front door. I don't do gift giving between friends or family members, because it becomes an exchange of gifts. Some aren't fortunate enough to do so, and I think it's a moral issue as well.

I bake several batches of cookies to share w/ my neighbors, or have a cup of coffee or tea with them.

In my Asian ancestor's old country of non- christians, they do this on New Year's Day , and small gift giving with family and neighbors, and cook some celebratory foods to share.

Answer 8

If your a real Atheist, then no you shouldn't celebrate Christmas. But who really does anything by the book anyway! I say do it for fun, so you have an excuse to throw a party.

Answer 9

Christmas celebrations are mostly pagan, not christian - even for christians. The 'embrace, extend, extinguish' approach used by the church to replace other religion's festivals didn't work too well with christmas.



I celebrate christmas not as a pagan, not as a christian, not as an atheist, but because it is a tradition, much like new year's eve, independence day or thanksgiving.

Answer 10

Yes, I do. It was a tradition growing up and I enjoy it. Though now I have removed the Christian parts that my family practiced in my youth and have introduced my children to the real origins of Christmas: the winter solstice and the celebrations that followed.



FYI Sarah Lee: the Jesus of the bible was not even born in December. It's about time you knew.

Answer 11

I know Christmas was based o n Pagan traditions and many god men like Jesus were born on Sept. 25th. Why turn down Free rum?



Besides I like surprises that are spontaneous not on birthdays or Christmas.

Answer 12

I celebrate Christmas for tradition. I put up a tree, have a nice dinner, give gifts, etc.



I do not celebrate it because of religion.

Answer 13

I am an atheist and the rest of my family is non-religious (but not atheists) we still put up a tree and exchange gifts during Christmas mostly out of tradition.

Answer 14

Yep, christmas is actually a pagan festival, so I don't feel hypocritical about it. I have a tree, family, presents, dinner, alcohol *happy grin*, usual stuff. To be honest I think most christians don't celebrate in a religion-centred way anyway.

Answer 15

Christmas stopped being a purely religious holiday decades ago. Every year I tithe the gods of shopping and pay my respects to your Sainted Claus in hopes of receiving many consumables.



Since my son is grown, I now skip the tree and go straight for the metalic wrap, then we go to my Mom's for ham and too many pies.

Answer 16

Yup, we have a tree, santa comes with gifts for the kids then we watch a new movie while I make a feast for the whole family.

Answer 17

in my house we celebrate it as a time to get together with family and enjoy the season, we also decorate a tree and still do the santa thing with the kids. we just leave god out of it.

Answer 18

Since many Americans treat Christmas as more of a materialistic, Hallmark card invented event, knock yourself out.



Lots of people take the "Jesus" out of Christmas by buying buying buying and forgetting the real meaning anyway.

Answer 19

I am an atheist an I celebrate christmas. because for me its not about the religious part but its about being with family and being close to them. But I refuse to pray or go to church with my family but they are ok with that.

Answer 20

I do.

I enjoy spending time with my family, having a nice meal and exchanging gifts and enjoying the spirit of the holiday.



I don't go to church with them, but I spend the rest of the day enjoying family and friends and the spirit of the day.

Answer 21

as an atheist myself i still do celebrate christmas as my family are still quite religious and christmas for us is not so much focused on religion as family, not often we all get together to enjoy each others company

Answer 22

Yes, as an atheist, I celebrate Christmas. In fact, I have a nativity scene which I put in my front lawn. Odd?

Answer 23

I don't.



But I know many who do. I've never figured out what Santa, reindeer, north pole, elves, mistletoe, trees, and songs about mommy kissing santa clause have to do with jesus anyway.



its just a big commercial monster.

Answer 24

We celebrate it the way the majority of Americans celebrate. By eating, spending time with family, going into debt, and not going to church or bringing religion into the holiday at all.

Answer 25

Absolutely. Tree, gifts, egg nog, lights. Its a great reason to spend time with family and think on those you love. No need to invent false reasons for it.

Answer 26

I visit my family and eat their food. If you wanna call that a celebration go ahead.

Answer 27

Yes. I put up a Christmas tree, I visit my family, I give and receive presents, and I drink egg nog.

Answer 28

I don't really know what I am... but I celebrate Christmas. I think alot of people who don't believe in God celebrate it.

Answer 29

Yes, I don't think Santa Claus is anywhere in the Bible.

Answer 30

it's based on pagan tradition, along with halloween, mayday, and groundhog day.



halloween=samhain

beltaine=mayday

and imbolc=groundhogs day.

Answer 31

I am not an Atheist, but yes, they do celebrate it just as we are.

Answer 32

who relates christmas to religion are mistaken or just abusing christmas. christmas is a consumers holiday.

Answer 33

Well..I HATE religion..but I LOVE THE GIFT PART!!! And I HATE Santa Claus and FAKE GODS!!

Answer 34

YOu shouldnt celebrate the birth of our savior if you dont even believe in him!!!! YA give your kids gifts but you can not sit there and turn down the person that died for our sins and say you dont believe in him and then celebrate his birth!

Answer 35

the atheists are so quick to say how stupid they think christianity and its traditions are, but they still want to celebrate christmas...

Answer 36

yes I worship the tree

like all good Celts

Answer 37

*drink*



im pretty sure eveybody who's not in poverty has dinner on december 25th

Answer 38

No, I actually hate christmas. It's a lame, over-hyped, over-commercialized holiday with shitty music.

Answer 39

You guys suck