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Do any atheists or agnostics celebrate Christmas at all, even in a secular fashion? Is it acceptable to celebrate Christmas as an agnostic, merely out of the spirit of generosity and kindness rather than out of celebration for Jesus' birth?
We do, though it's more pain in the rear then anything else. If there was no kids involved, i wouldn't even bother. It's more of a family getting together and getting fed, presents for kids, and just talking and having fun. No prayers ever said at our table, thank god!
We do, though it's more pain in the rear then anything else. If there was no kids involved, i wouldn't even bother. It's more of a family getting together and getting fed, presents for kids, and just talking and having fun. No prayers ever said at our table, thank god!
Yes as long as my kids are young and look forward to Santa coming to visit, yes yes yes.
You can absolutely have a fun Christmas if you only concentrate on the entire Santa mythology and leave out the religious aspect. Its totally possible.
Yeah we've told him the birth of Christ part, etc, but even to a kid its boring and not nearly as exciting as Santa Claus and the North Pole.
I say enjoy the holiday as much as you can in whatever way suits your family best. When they grow up, we probably will have a pretty downsized holiday, as well, at least until the grandkids show up but thats another chapter in life.
All holidays are man made. Even Christmas. Even though I'm a Divine Love Christian, we celebrate xmas as bringing the brotherhood of man to earth. Presents are for the children because it represents giving to one another instead of receiving. We actually haven't had a tree for a couple of years now although I miss the decorating part! My son is 16 so he could care less anyway.
In all my searchings for God and reading all kinds of spiritual books, I've found, even if you compare it with the bible, that Jesus' birthday is in August so I don't celebrate His birthday on xmas.
I'm under the impression that while we refer to the holiday as 'Christmas', there are also elements of earlier european pagan origins which mark the winter solstice? Hence the use of trees, the myth of Santa, etc. There are quite a few elements of the christmas holiday celebration that don't seem to have anything to do with the birth if Jesus.
So, if you are an atheist living in the southern hemisphere, celebrating christmas really doesn't make much sense at all!!
That said, I do celebrate it to a certain extent, but I dislike both the religious and commercialised aspects of it. Particularly the latter since I have only rarely encountered the former.
Do any atheists or agnostics celebrate Christmas at all, even in a secular fashion? Is it acceptable to celebrate Christmas as an agnostic, merely out of the spirit of generosity and kindness rather than out of celebration for Jesus' birth?
I do not personally celebrate it. I think, if someone has children that it would be unkind to them to not celebrate the holiday. Focusing on the non-religious aspects would be the way I would handle it, I think.
I'm under the impression that while we refer to the holiday as 'Christmas', there are also elements of earlier european pagan origins which mark the winter solstice? Hence the use of trees, the myth of Santa, etc. There are quite a few elements of the christmas holiday celebration that don't seem to have anything to do with the birth if Jesus.
So, if you are an atheist living in the southern hemisphere, celebrating christmas really doesn't make much sense at all!!
That said, I do celebrate it to a certain extent, but I dislike both the religious and commercialised aspects of it. Particularly the latter since I have only rarely encountered the former.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson
I do not personally celebrate it. I think, if someone has children that it would be unkind to them to not celebrate the holiday. Focusing on the non-religious aspects would be the way I would handle it, I think.
20yrsinBranson
Honestly watching the little kids having so much fun with it is the only main reason I have to celebrate it. I don't think looking forward to Santa coming is such an awful thing. Its fun. Without little kids involved, it really isn't much (to me), as that's 90% of the fun of it.
After they grow up, its going to be more of a family gathering like Thanksgiving is a month prior.
I consider it a dark of the year celebration - the whole Christmas thing was laid over top of much more ancient winter solstice partying. Besides, the pagan-origin things are fun, the Christian things are dreary. Like any other dark of the year religious things, I respect their stuff but do not participate in the religious aspects.
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