Atheism and the holidays

Most atheists celebrate Christmas with their religious family. Those who come from a fully atheist family usually just celebrate it non-religiously. It's a Wonderful Life works just fine as fantasy and metaphor--it's not really compatible with any actual Christian theology anyhow. I haven't seen Elf, but what I've heard of it, and the plot summaries I've read, indicate that it's not religious, just another use of metaphor about human kindness. In general, American Christmas is not really all that religious--atheists believe in the ideas of giving and renewal and evergreen trees as a symbol of life just the same way religious people do.

A handful of atheists do refuse to celebrate Christmas on ethical grounds, which puts them in the same category as Wiccans, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, etc., etc. They stay home and have a pleasant day with their families. Some even celebrate the solstice, which is pretty much the same as celebrating Christmas.

I watch football, eat ham, take a nap, open presents, try not to grimace when I get an ugly scarf for the sixth year in a row, take pictures, talk to relatives I haven't seen in a long time, and am conspicuously absent when the rest of my family goes to church.

Isn't that pretty much what everyone does? There's no problem for me celebrating a historical event, even if the timeline and actual date were arbitrarily decided by some celibates on the other side of the world centuries ago. *shrug* I celebrate the Fourth of July and try not to cringe when I hear the US is a democracy for the umpeenth time. I can celebrate the brith of Jesus without wearing out my knees on the prie dieu at Mass.

Happy Holidays.

billythrilly7th said:

What happens?

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I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Well, maybe just a little info...

I celebrate a completely secular thing I call Christmas just because that's what I grew up celebrating with my family, most of whom are gone (my immediate family all died years ago), I like to hang ornaments we hung together on a tree and set out the stuffed Santa my parents gave me for my first Christmas. I'm starting to feel weird about the angel topper, though, so this may be the last year for her. There's nothing else remotely religious in the house (well, I have my family's old Nativity scene, but I don't display it).

I get invited to all sorts of holiday parties, and I go to the ones I want to and can. I don't care if they're Christmas parties or holiday gatherings or whatever. My friends all know I'm an atheist, but don't leave me out.

Is there an exchange of gifts?

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I exchange gifts with friends who are celebrating Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, and anything else that falls at this time of year. My husband and I (both atheists) exchange gifts on December 25th and have a day that looks a lot like the Christmases of our childhoods.

Can you and do you watch movies like Elf and It's a Wonderful Life and enjoy them for what they are without worrying about the religious aspect of them?

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I'm not remembering the religious aspect of Elf, but I can even sit through some of those cloying Lifetime movies that have religious overtones. I can even enjoy them. I can celebrate a character having a renewal of faith, though I think they're believing in a myth. It's sort of an "It's nice...for them" thing.

Are there holiday parties where you do get together?

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Do you mean with other atheists? Or do you mean just with the people in our lives. Yes to the latter. I know there's a local atheist group having a holiday gathering, but I don't know the particulars.

Separate from any of the religious aspects I'd hate to think you miss out entirely on the hap hap hapiest time of the year.

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Eh, I personally think that's summer.

Isn't Christmas more of a social holiday than a religious one for many people? Most people I know are not religious but celebrate anyway.

I feel compelled to point out that when I was Christian, I hated Christmas because it was a thinly disguised pagan holiday and had almost no actual Christian overtones--there's a kid in a manger and sometimes some talking animals, which is hardly the essence of Christian belief. Now I just hate Christmas because it's tacky and commercial.

Elf is religious? Giving gifts is religious?

Seriously, I do what everyone else does, but without praying or worhsipping. I go the same parties as everyone else, there are not secret parallel godless parties.

More than anything else, Christmas is a celebration of consumerism, oneupmanship, and a mashup of old pagan traditions. Nothing but happiness and joy, except for the stress and shame. Hooray.

But as my family and relatives are not uniformly atheist, we still nominally celebrate it.

billythrilly7th said:

What happens?

Is there an exchange of gifts?

Can you and do you watch movies like Elf and It's a Wonderful Life and enjoy them for what they are without worrying about the religious aspect of them?

Are there holiday parties where you do get together?

Separate from any of the religious aspects I'd hate to think you miss out entirely on the hap hap hapiest time of the year.

So....how do most atheists handle December and holiday time?

Thanks.

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My immediate family is half atheist and half Jewish, and we do all of the above. Except watch Elf. You've some strange traditions, Billy.

Is there an exchange of gifts?

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I used to because I felt pressure, but not anymore.

Can you and do you watch movies like Elf and It's a Wonderful Life and enjoy them for what they are without worrying about the religious aspect of them?

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A good story is a good story so I watch Christmasy movies.

Are there holiday parties where you do get together?

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I don't do parties. Not just during the Holidays, but year round. The only parties I attend are sibling related (weddings, baby showers, etc.) When I'm invited to a party where a gift is expected (wedding, birthday, etc.) I send the most expensive item on the wish list to make up for my absence.

ChristineR said:

I feel compelled to point out that when I was Christian, I hated Christmas because it was a thinly disguised pagan holiday and had almost no actual Christian overtones--there's a kid in a manger and sometimes some talking animals, which is hardly the essence of Christian belief. Now I just hate Christmas because it's tacky and commercial.

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I don't give gifts, but it's more because I'm antisocial than being atheist.

veinglory said:

Elf is religious? Giving gifts is religious?

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I haven't even heard of Elf, but the giving gifts at Christmas thing would appear to come from the Three Wise Men bearing gifts for "The Newborn King." That's in one or more of the first four books of the New Testament.

Sure, giving gifts is not in itself inherently religious, but doing so at Christmas appears to be a tradition of Christianity.

veinglory said:

Seriously, I do what everyone else does, but without praying or worhsipping. I go the same parties as everyone else, there are not secret parallel godless parties.

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Well, the parallel godless parties aren't SECRET, you can find them on Meetup if you can figure out the seekrit Atheist/Humanist/Secular/Freethought keywords. Wish I could think of some hints to give you, but they would throw me out of the Atheist/Humanist/Secular/Freethought seekrit societies...

ChristineR said:

I feel compelled to point out that when I was Christian, I hated Christmas because it was a thinly disguised pagan holiday and had almost no actual Christian overtones--there's a kid in a manger and sometimes some talking animals, which is hardly the essence of Christian belief. Now I just hate Christmas because it's tacky and commercial.

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Second this.

Christmas isn't anymore of a religious holiday to Christian than Halloween is a religious holiday to druids. It's all been commercialized. Plus, Christ wasn't even born in december, so it's false to be celebrating his birthday - unless it's a very merry unbirthday.

The custom of giving gifts comes from the Saturnalia, the Roman celebration of the solstice. But really gift-giving is a human custom, not a specifically religious one. I haven't heard any reason why people gave gifts on the Saturnalia, other than it just being a general fun atmosphere.

Check out Tim Minchin's White Wine In The Sun. Brilliant secular Christmas song which, sadly, didn't get anywhere near the Christmas number one slot.
I'm at work right now, or I'd link a YouTube video, so you'll have to make do with the lyrics.

White wine in the sun I love this song

ChristineR said:

The custom of giving gifts comes from the Saturnalia, the Roman celebration of the solstice. But really gift-giving is a human custom, not a specifically religious one. I haven't heard any reason why people gave gifts on the Saturnalia, other than it just being a general fun atmosphere.

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I've even read that red and green as the colors of Christmas are from pagan festivals.They used the colors of fertility, green from trees, grass, etc, and red for a woman's menstrual blood. (Can't find where I read that, but I did).

Billy writes of "Christmas time," but I think of it as the holidays, and I am mindful of the many holidays that converge this time of year, each important and meaningful to those who celebrate them. The "reason for the season" is that convergence, and the church officials who chose December 25th for Jesus' (spring or summer) birthday knew it and capitalized on it.

... though I'm not religious, I still enjoy religious-themed movies like The Song of Bernadette, which is top-heavy with religion. The appeal is the goodness of the characters and their concern for the welfare of others. In this way they serve as role models -- for all.

I shun all elements of this stupid festival while my wife goes and visits family. It's not so much that I'm an atheist as I'm a personality-type who finds ceremonies and rituals largely pointless.

So during holy-days I do exactly what I'd normally do -- but recognising that certain shops will be closed, and that everyone will be someplace else.

As a Pagan, I celebrate the winter Solstice by burning a Yule log, welcoming the sun back and eating. But as a Jewish atheist, I avoid any kind of Christmas celebration. Although may Christians have themselves secularized the holiday, for me to celebrate it would still be somehow buying the idea behind the holiday of that religion. I do say 'Merry Christmas' to my Christian friends and if I had the kind of job where they needed somone to volunteer to work on Christmas (and easter), I'd do that.

Instead, here's our tradition;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1uZ_W7atDE

ChristineR said:

Most atheists celebrate Christmas with their religious family.

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This.

And Christmas, to me, is memories of childhood, of the trees and decorations and presents. Good times. Waiting for Santa. Family get-togethers. I still get sentimental. I still enjoy watching "A Christmas Carol" and all the other movies, religious or secular. I still love listening to the carols.

And just because I don't believe, doesn't mean I don't think the story of Jesus' birth isn't full of wonder and hope, something we need in this world.

I do believe Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.

I love what atheist Penn Jillette does for the holiday season. Because blood donations fall at this time of year, he not only gives blood, but also promotes blood donation.

billythrilly7th said:

What happens?

Is there an exchange of gifts?

Can you and do you watch movies like Elf and It's a Wonderful Life and enjoy them for what they are without worrying about the religious aspect of them?

Are there holiday parties where you do get together?

Separate from any of the religious aspects I'd hate to think you miss out entirely on the hap hap hapiest time of the year.

So....how do most atheists handle December and holiday time?

Thanks.

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My family is not Christian, I am personally agnostic and we basically take it as a "festivus for the rest of us" .

We exchange gifts under a tree.

I have no problem watching Christmas movies although they aren't really my thing.

Sometimes we attend holiday parties, my parents still have a tree and presents though we aren't religious.

It's just a fun time of year I guess, we usually vacation this is my first "white Christmas" in awhile..

I grew up aithiest -- and yes, I have read the Bible (I personally like the sexy King David stuff). I've even been to Churches on occasion. I think the Christmas story is charming, and exciting. The Romans come and slaughter all the babies, the parents make a run for the border in the dead of night, the baby is born in a cave, the true King of the land. It has all the earmarks of good fiction (except the big gap between Egypt and preaching at the temple, but never mind). The story won't make me become religious, in the same way that reading "the Old Man and the Sea," or "Lord of the Rings" will. I think that athiests really don't see the need for religion, and on the other hand, those who believe, would be terrified without that system of beliefs. Religious people wonder how Aithiests fill the gap, and don't understand that there is no gap. Most Aithiests celebrate Christmas usually the way their families did-- trees, red ribbons, egg-nog, Santa, gifts, snow etc., it it a family tradition, and giving gifts is fun and brings joy to others. It dosen't need a meaning. It just is.