Comments on: An Atheist Christmas

By: Jinx

Jinx — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:19:21 +0000

I celebrate new years the way it was ment to be celebrated!….i get flat out drunk with my friends and family!

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:58:20 +0000

Are there any atheists out there who have made a decision to celebrate New Year’s as a meaningful time to look back and look forward? My extended family has slowly all become atheists (each on his/her own time without any pressure from any of the others) and in addition, we have all begun to be put off by the spend-spend-spend mentality of commercial christmas. We are talking now about celebrating a family time together during this coming new year’s period, just because we all get time off from work at that time and also we can give each other presents, which we love to do. I am struggling with this because as the matriarch of the family, I have many memories of years gone by when we did go to church and did have santa, but the memories are about family times and not about the religious or santa-ness. I think it would be sad, for me that is, not to have the traditions that bring back those memories.

By: Lorraine Grula

Lorraine Grula — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:18:39 +0000

Great post.

You have my sympathy on being raised a Jehovah’s Witness. Glad you escaped!

Christmas is TONS of fun. I agree with the poster above who stated that the origins Christmas have nothing to do with the birth of Christ. Christ was probably born some time in October. Christmas came about when the pagan governments declared the Wintern Soltice (Sun God festival) to be a Christian holiday. A practice condemned by the Bible. So I laugh at Bill O’Reilly and the culture warriors who freak out over the secularization of Christmas. They need to read a history book!

Merry Christmas!

Lorraine Grula

By: Bryan

Bryan — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:55:32 +0000

Dead on, Dave!

That’s my position on Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday, probably in part due to my birthday being on New Year’s Eve. My wife has a hard time understanding how I can celebrate it since I “don’t believe in anything” and she’s a very light Christian.

I once had a strongly Christian coworker ask me how I could celebrate Christmas if I was an Atheist. I had to explain the whole pagan/secular thing to her. Then our Jehovah’s Witness coworker backed me up on the pagan parts since they actually recognize that.

The only point we differ on is that I like Christmas music, even the overtly religious ones. I think they are beautiful and love to love to listen to them. I’ve worked retail at Christmas and never got tired of the songs.

By: Faz

Faz — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:06:26 +0000

I can’t imagine anyone would include a bloody crucifix in their Christmas decorations. You’re thinking of Easter.

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:07:23 +0000

Both Christmas and Easter are Pagan holidays hi-jacked by the Christians. I often hear people say, “what does hiding colored eggs have to do with Jesus?”, the answer is of course “Nothing”. And a Pagan friend of mine told me that the “Christmas Tree” is specifically mentioned in the Bible as an example of Idol worship which is a sin to Christians. The other complaint I hear lately is that stores and ADs saying “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry Christmas. As if Christmas is the ONLY holiday celebrated at that time of year.

By: eric

eric — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:17:12 +0000

We celebrate the same way. Lots of lights, a big (fake) tree, lots of presents. My household is one atheist (me), one Christian (my wife) and two kids, that are just kids no religion, no atheism.
We have a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends, even the very religious family members which happen to be her parents.
I’ve started to feel that Christmas has become more of “commercial” holiday rather than a religious one, but of course I could care less.

So on with the “Merry Christmas’” and caroling and the cookies and milk for Santa!

By: Doug

Doug — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:27:49 +0000

Great post. This is how we handle the holidays at our house too. It’s becoming ever more apparent to me that there are a LOT more of us out there than I would have hoped for. Who needs a religious reason to celebrate family anyway?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:11:03 +0000

I thought that was how most atheists handled Christmas. Certainly it is here. Most people I know are openly atheist and as far as I know none of them boycott the festival. We just ignore the religious parts (if we can find any).

By: Dave Hitt

Dave Hitt — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:45:02 +0000

Jehovah’s Witnesses, who reject it for the very reasons you cite.

By: Mark.V.

Mark.V. — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:17:13 +0000

I also am puzzled why secular people oppose christmas, there is nothing christian about it, it is a pagan festival that was hijacked by the christian church. It is the christians who should have problems with the festival and non-religious should take it back and celebrate it the way it was meant to be celebrated.

BTW that fundy cult you were raised in sounds a lot like the one I was raised in.