Do you guys celebrate Christmas?

[Ladyhawk]

I really don't want to this year. Basically, it's all about being exposed to fundy family members and having the bible shoved down my throat before I can open presents which they probably think I don't deserve.

I don't have the money to buy presents for others and because of that, i don't want them to buy presents for me.

I just don't want to go through it this year, but if I don't, I'll be labeled a "Scrooge."

:shrug:

Has anyone else stopped celebrating Christmas? How did it go over with other family members? I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to protect myself and my own beliefs.

[Az]

1. I celebrate the tradition of gathering together

In a time when the weather drives us into isolation. Its one of my favorite holidays. Has nuthin to do with Jesus and everything to do with humanity. Just because the Catholic Church tried to usurp such an important festival of the people does not mean I have to give into them even after all these centuries.

I say screw the John Gibson's of the world and celebrate your love for those around you and be as jolly as you wanna be. Show them they can't stamp their beliefs on how we celebrate life.

On Edit: When people ask what I am celebrating I tell them the birth of Socrates. Who like Jesus we don't know when he was born anyway.

[FM Arouet666]

2. F#$% Christmas

The whole "merry xmas" vs "happy holidays" debate will, no doubt, be raised as a pivotal issue in our society. Gay marriage, abortion, the ten commandments, and the Merry xmas debate. Yep, screw the deficit, the war dead, the lies, the corruption, repugs take on the important issues.

I have not celebrated christmas in years, I tend to work over the holidays, and given the choice, I always work xmass instead of new years.

You can still celebrate family, friends, good food and wine, life.

Religion?, we don't need no stinking religion.

[JNelson6563]

3. Celebrate things that make you happy

We are atheists but we feast and enjoy a few presents. Many of my fried=nds are also atheists and we still meet up for cocktails and even exchange little gifts just cause we love each other and like to do those little things for each other.

I think of it as celebrating the solstice. :toast:

Julie

[Phentex]

23. Same here....

food, family, friends....I don't need a birthday to celebrate that!

[Taxloss]

4. It's Festivus for the rest of us.

per Seinfeld.

I have no problem with Christmas. For me, it's time I cherish, one of the few real holidays I get all year and the only really extended period I actually get to spend with all my family together in one place. We even attend carol concerts - for the music, of course.

I see the difficulty if you don't get on with your family. That's a real shame. But there is still a strong case for spending time with them. If you miss out now, you may regret it in later life.

[BiggJawn]

5. Xmas season has already started here....

No, not the green and red shit in all the stores, the LTTE about the 7th season of "Why isn't Bay-Bee Jeebus welcome on the Courthouse Square?" which is beginning.

Never mInd that every church in town has a Nativity Scene on their lawn, and you can go to the huge, over-done drive-through LIVE nativity (they use llamas for camels) out at the eastside baptist megla-mania-church, Nooooooo, GAWD will withold his blessings from, and refuse to let his face shine upon the peeps of Tippy County unless widdle Jeebus is moved out of the back of the pickup truck he sits in every night and is welcomed onto the courthouse lawn....

For myself, I observe and celebrate the Solctice, just like I have for many years, figuring if others want to hijack it for for somebody's birtday, WTH....

[Book Lover]

10. Oh those poor llamas

Do they have headgear and other crap tied onto them?

[progressoid]

6. I've been a scrooge for many a season, but still celebrate it...

mostly to placate the family. I ignore most of the tedious religous stuff and stick to the fun, pagan stuff. I will again be the only one NOT going to the xmas pageant at church. But, my in-laws are taking us to see a Christmas Carol this year (booooring).

Presents will be less than skimpy this year since we're broke. That's fine with me since I don't see shopping as an expression of love for my family and friends.

On the up-side, we'll bake lots of things and drink some good wine. Plus, I'm in charge of lights....last year I made a 6 foot dodecahedron out of 24 stings of lights. And I think we will start a new tradition of listening to David Sedaris' "Six to Eight Black Men" this year.
http://www.keepmedia.com/pubs/Esquire/2002/12/01/139613?extID=10026

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. I give gifts to children

Adults can go fuck themselves.

[phantom power]

8. I celebrate Christmas.

At least, I like to put up christmas trees, have parties, give gifts. As an actual Christian would point out, those aren't really the "reason for the season" But I call it Christmas anyway.

[Book Lover]

9. I call it Yule and always have

even when I was a paid-up practicing Catholic; after all, in school we were taught that Jesus was most likely not born around the Roman solar festival (yes, some Catholics get decent educations), so why pretend (so my logic went). There's nothing inherently theistic about having a big meal to celebrate the days getting longer; that's my view on the season now.

My pat diagnosis? You sound like you have holiday fatigue more than anything else, and that's something even the hardest of fundies should be able to understand. If you still want to be a part of your family's celebrations, they can understand that because of all the stress in your life this year, that you need to have a low-key holiday season. Not that they necessarily *will*, of course, but it's possible.

[enlightenment]

11. I stopped years ago, though I still go visit my parents.

They're not much for the hoo-haw, either.
I stopped giving gifts -- now I donate to Heifer, International, and give the young ones cards indicating that I bought a critter in their name.
Yes, I know Heifer has a semi-religious background -- but I have never, ever seen it brought to the foreground in any way, and I truly appreciate the focus of their work.
If I were in need, I would rather that someone give me the means to help myself (in this case, an animal) than a handout.

[ozone_man]

12. I always liked picking out and decorating the tree.

The best part of this Pagan holiday, but all of it is Pagan, from the mistletoe and holly, to the Winter Solstice celebration, to the giving of gifts. I've never had a religious feeling about Christmas, or about anything for that matter, but the sense of wonder of the decorated tree, the smell of balsam fir, time spent with family and friends, the slowing down of the hectic pace of life, maybe some Celtic music, catnip gifts for the kitties, that's what I like.

It helps to live up North where there's some snow by Christmas time.

[soleft]

13. pretty lights, presents, nice music, good Capra flick, lotsa food

I like it

[trotsky]

14. You bet I do, but I celebrate the REAL reason for the season.

Solstice. There is almost nothing in the "traditional" Christmas that is Christian in origin. Xmas trees, wreaths, yule logs, giving presents, Santa Claus, yada yada yada. Christmas to me is a holiday that celebrates humanity mastering nature. We learned to observe the path of the sun, and knew the moment when the days stopped getting shorter and started getting longer. We knew the trees would come alive again, that the earth would bear fruit again. It's a holiday that ties us to our primitive ancestors, who observed and hypothesized and theorized and learned just like we do today. I love the holiday more now than I ever did as a Christian.

[Bill McBlueState]

25. hey, that's a great interpretation

In fact, a lot of the ancient solstice celebrations weren't to acknowledge the sun's weakness on the shortest day of the year; they were to celebrate the sun's birth, since people knew the sun always came back. I'm sure it would be depressing to compare the average American's knowledge of basic astronomical cycles to that of many ancients.

[trotsky]

27. Ugh, I don't even want to think about that.

Though, in the average American's defense, knowing those kinds of astronomical and seasonal patterns is irrelevant to their lives. Not so for the ancients - it could mean the difference between knowing when to harvest and starving due to rotten crops!

[reprobate]

32. And that's why so may 'Massiah' god-men were supposed to have been born...

...on Dec 25. To signify that they were born to die and be born again. Don't they all represent the cycle of life: Birth, Death, Birth. It represents all of nature.

[StellaBlue]

28. Amen to THAT!

What you said.

[A HERETIC I AM]

15. Tell them you're going skiing in Colorado.

Or whatever. Just remove yourself from the gathering. You are an adult and entitled to do so. DON'T LET THEM MAKE YOU FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT, EITHER!!

As far as your question, I celebrate what the REAL meaning of the season is, namely the Winter Solstice and the fact that it heralds the returning of the sun and the approach of Spring.

The real "Birth of the saviour" The sun.

(Luckily, my big brother is as atheist as i am and if i want a family gathering that is decidedly secular, i just go to his place!)

[onager]

16. I enjoy my favorite Xmas movies...

Life Of Brian
National Lampoon Xmas Vacation
Bad Santa

And my most favorite of all...

Edmund BlackAdder: ...So, shall I begin the Christmas story?

Prince: Absolutely. As long as it's not that terribly depressing one about the chap who gets born on Christmas Day, shoots his mouth off about everything under the sun, and then comes a cropper with a couple of rumcoves on top of a hill in jolly Arab-land.

Edmund: You mean Jesus, Sir...

Prince: Yes, that's the fellow. Keep him out of it. He always spoils the X-mas at-mos.

[reprobate]

33. As a very OT, were you aware that the actor who played the prince,

Hugh Laurie, now plays Dr. House on TV? Tho I regard his role as House as thoroughly professional, his over the top rendering as the Prince all those years ago still brings tears of laughter to the eye.

[lazarus]

17. I call it what it's become

Clausmas.

[neebob]

18. I've always done Christmas as minimally as possible -

spend a couple hundred bucks, mostly on my son, attend parties as invited, enjoy the decorations - but mostly it's a big forced march that I resent and am glad when it's over. I haven't even put up my (fake) tree for years, since I got my third cat. My family didn't make a big deal of any holiday, so I don't feel guilty - just pressured by friends and co-workers, mostly.

I have gotten some flack from my former in-laws, though, for telling my son there was no Santa Claus as soon as he was capable of conversing. They say he didn't have a childhood, because of that and the Easter Bunny and whatever else I told him the truth about. And my mother disagrees with my rationale for telling him, which stems from finding out from friends in the fourth grade and feeling very, very stupid and blaming my parents for selfishly continuing the charade and all the time I spent worrying that I'd been bad enough to get a lump of coal.

[trotsky]

19. I refused to support the Santa Claus myth with my kids as well.

I didn't outright tell them there was no Santa Claus, but whatever questions they asked I answered truthfully. With my son, one of his very first questions was, "Is Santa Claus real?" No beatin' around the bush with that one.

And yeah, got a fair amount of family guff for not lying to my kids. Fuck 'em, these are my kids and I get to screw them up any way I choose. ;-)

[salvorhardin]

21. But... but... but...

You denied them of the magic of believing! :-)

[Kolesar]

20. Hang in there, Ladyhawk

I don't know how to advise you, as I am of the athesticocheapskaticus extraction myself. I buy my sweetie some stuff, and that is it. My family are former believers, so I have it easy.

[really annoyed]

22. Our family is "faith-mixed"

We've got Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Pagans, and Atheists.

I think we all just celebrate the food and gift parts of the holiday. My mom celebrates the religious aspect of the religion, but doesn't expect anybody else to.

But I understand about the money part, Ladyhawk. I have zip at the moment, and I have a lot of gifts to buy.

[DavidDvorkin]

24. Of course not

And I gave my reasons here:

http://www.dvorkin.com/essays/athechris.htm

[Az]

30. What's wrong with silliness?

I have more than enough reasons to gather together with those I love and be silly with them. Being an atheist doesn't mean we have to have a be stoics. People have been gathering in celebration of family during the coldest time of the year for millenia. Long before the idea Jesus came about people were gathering on cold nights to share in the ties that really matter. The Catholic church came along and tried to squash it but failed. Even today they continue to try to squash the humanity of the celebration and fail.

I say celebrate that which comes natural. I say stick a huge yule log in the churchs eye and continue to celebrate the humanity rather than their fostered divinity on this occaision. Use your own icons and symbols. Don't let them define you or force you to reject something wonderful simply because they tried to steal it.

[DavidDvorkin]

34. Different uses of "silly"

You're saying that we don't have to be stoics, that we can loosen up and have fun. I don't claim otherwise. I'm using "silly" in the sense of "stupid, dumb, foolish, half-witted."

As for what comes naturally, Christmas doesn't come naturally to me, whether or the religious elements are disguised, and that includes the pre-Christian religious elements. It all seems alien, awkward, and silly.

[Az]

35. It may be geographical

I live in the north (Michigan). And I can tell you winter can be isolating. The shorter daytime also leads to a sense of isolation and worse depression. As such the idea of gathering together and celebrating with loved one's gives an emotional lift at the height of this season. From a purely practicle point of view it seems like a good idea.

[Discord]

26. My opinion is in general... Xmas is for kids.

The wonders and magic of the holiday season and all that ya-ya.

I only celebrate it with the children of my family who are religious and celebrate it themselves. I grit my teeth through the capitalist consumer butt-schwagging season. I don't celebrate it myself personally, but don't want to take the fun away from the kids in the family, so I play along.

I also happen to have a b-day thats 4 days before X-mas, and it's on the winter solstice, so I think thats a just fine time to celebrate.

:party: :toast: :woohoo:

[HamiltonHabs32]

29. I celebrate Xmas

I come from a christian family (protestant) so I grew up with xmas being a great deal..being from the great white north it's hard not to get into the xmas spirit.. the snow.. the decorations.. the food.. the blah blah blah.. Its fun. During my younger years we rarely went to church or celebrated Jebus or anything like that we just got together with the family and celebrated Santa.

Of course now that I am older I still enjoy Xmas even though I am not as materialistic as I was as a kid, Now it's more about watching your unlikely family members getting tipsy and giving each other silly gifts

[shrike]

31. I think Christmas is largely a secular holiday for most people

Despite the annual disagreements about putting up manger scenes, most people I know are anxious to a. get loot. b: eat a lot of food. c: go skiing/fly to the Caribbean. And I live in a red state.

The religious among us (I'm one of them) do their own thing, but I think most people hardly think of the christian aspect anymore. My stepdaughter and her family are secular (agnostic, deist; like my hubby they really don't care one way or the other), but they put up a tree, do the presents, all the decorations. They're cool with their kids singing Christmas carols in school because it has no impact on the kids the rest of the year -- they don't get any of it at home.

Hubby the agnostic hates Christmas, but for a different reason: he hates trees, shopping, traffic, gift-giving (he rebels at the thought of HAVING to give a gift), decoration, and so forth. But after 10 years, he knows enough to get out of my way -- because I love all thatstuff.

[frogmarch]

36. In my family

we like Christmas and have a big family feast on December 25th. The date is a convenient one for us because none of us has to work on that day.

Some of us are atheists, some are agnostics, some are UUs with a kind of earth worship thing going on, some are Buddhists, some are Hindus, and some.are Christians (both Protestant and Catholic). Because we don't talk about religion at our get together, we all have a good time. The only division we have is that the vegans and vegetarians generally like to seat themselves away from the meateaters during mealtime.