Non- Christians celebrating Christmas

[Anonymous]

Op maybe you would feel better if nothing was recognized. School could be year arou d with better timing for breaks. They could cycle through with a week long break whenever it works. People could use their own time to celebrate whatever they want. Businesses would be open 365 days per year and employees use their holidays to recognize their religion. No special time for anyone... inclurung Christians.

[Anonymous]

Excuse the typos.

[Anonymous]

You all are missing the point. Deliberately, I assume. But let me try to get you back on track.

The point is NOT that anybody is butthurt that you're celebrating Christmas. So stop already with the dumb deflection of "don't tell us how to celebrate Christmas", because that's not the question being asked here.

The point is, WHY? It would be like me celebrating Eid or Hannukah, and then bitching about the gifts and visiting relatives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, maybe you would feel better if nothing was recognized. School could be year around with better timing for breaks. They could cycle through with a week long break whenever it works. People could use their own time to celebrate whatever they want. Businesses would be open 365 days per year and employees use their holidays to recognize their religion. No special time for anyone... including Christians.

You know, I really like the idea of schools being open year round. - Tiger Mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op, maybe you would feel better if nothing was recognized. School could be year around with better timing for breaks. They could cycle through with a week long break whenever it works. People could use their own time to celebrate whatever they want. Businesses would be open 365 days per year and employees use their holidays to recognize their religion. No special time for anyone... including Christians.

You know, I really like the idea of schools being open year round. - Tiger Mom

Yeah, and teachers and students drifting in and out on days when the spirit moved them, so to speak. Oh wait, that would never work.

[Anonymous]

Not whenever lol. Breaks would be planned around the education system rather than the way it is now. It works well elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did. I'm just a normal Methodist, not even evangelical or anything. But I find it very odd and confusing. And a little bewildered when people insist it's a "cultural" holiday (but then turn around and insist this is not a Christian nation).

But whatever. If you ask them what they're celebrating, they'll say "the joys of family" or whatever. Why they can't just have themselves a family reunion in the summer or take Thanksgiving as an opportunity to do these things, I don't know.

The partaking of all the rituals and symbolism of Christmas while insisting you're not "Christian" is really strange to me.

It was a day to celebrate family. The same way I enjoyed thanksgiving. Why do you care either way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We hijacked your holiday. Mwahahaha!

Winning the war on Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all are missing the point. Deliberately, I assume. But let me try to get you back on track.

The point is NOT that anybody is butthurt that you're celebrating Christmas. So stop already with the dumb deflection of "don't tell us how to celebrate Christmas", because that's not the question being asked here.

The point is, WHY? It would be like me celebrating Eid or Hannukah, and then bitching about the gifts and visiting relatives.

Many Christians in Egypt participate in Eid activities. America is majority Christian. Christmas culture is pervasive. It would be very odd if many (not all, and not even majority) non-Christians did NOT do something for Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all are missing the point. Deliberately, I assume. But let me try to get you back on track.

The point is NOT that anybody is butthurt that you're celebrating Christmas. So stop already with the dumb deflection of "don't tell us how to celebrate Christmas", because that's not the question being asked here.

The point is, WHY? It would be like me celebrating Eid or Hannukah, and then bitching about the gifts and visiting relatives.

Many Christians in Egypt participate in Eid activities. America is majority Christian. Christmas culture is pervasive. It would be very odd if many (not all, and not even majority) non-Christians did NOT do something for Christmas.

This is a great comment -- I had no idea that Christians in Egypt participate in Eid activities, but it makes sense (to me) that they would, in the same way that it makes sense (to me) that non-Christians in the US might rather adopt some Christmas practices versus sitting home & feeling Grinchy. (Note: Although associated with Christmas, the Grinch was actually a fictional character created by Ted Geisel, a/k/a Dr. Seuss, in 1957, and thus is available for co-option by non-christians.)

I suspect a lot of the people who celebrate without belief were raised in Christian homes & sticking with the traditions they feel comfortable with. But here's a first-person essay from Neil Gaiman, whose family is Jewish, talking about how & why they came to have a Christmas tree every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[I suspect a lot of the people who celebrate without belief were raised in Christian homes & sticking with the traditions they feel comfortable with. But here's a first-person essay from Neil Gaiman, whose family is Jewish, talking about how & why they came to have a Christmas tree every year.

It would help if I included the link, wouldn't it?

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/neil-gaiman-hanukkah-with-bells-on-1203307.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We hijacked your holiday. Mwahahaha!

Winning the war on Christmas.

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I'm an atheist who was raised Catholic. My entire family is Catholic. My DH was raised Catholic. My DH's family is Catholic.

Our families celebrate Christmas. We celebrate it, too. It's within our cultural heritage. We are secular Catholics, the way some people are secular Jews.

I don't see what's weird about it.

It contradicts your commitment to atheism? That's what's weird. Atheists shouldn't celebrate the birth of a deity.

DH and I are atheists. Our children are not. They are being raised in a religion that they can decide to reject when they are older. I think religion gives a moral frame work to life. Atheism's philosophical frame work is harder to pass on to children. You have to want to be a nice person because there is no external factor like heaven or hell. So we do Christmas and take our kids to mass on Christmas Eve. We participate in a cultural ritual that we don't believe in because we, and more specifically our kids, are a part of society.

I agree that kids need a moral framework. What you do is fascinating. Do you take them to church every Sunday or only on Christmas Eve?

We try to go once or twice a month. Why is this fascinating? I assumed most people do this.

That's your problem right there. Why do you think others are like you? No, this is really peculiar.

I think atheism is too much for little kids. Do other atheist just tell their kids there is nothing?

Yes. That is exactly what we told our kids. We are a fluke of the universe. We are as ephmeral as butterflies, and just as beautiful. There is nothing after death. There is no meaning to this life except what we make it, so you should work hard to make your life mean something beautiful or great or kind. They had an existential crisis getting their heads around it when they were very small, but they were over it by age 6 or 7.

BTW, we celebrate Christmas. My very Catholic parents insist on it. When DS#1 was two months old, my mother bought a tree and ornaments and a creche and descended on my house with it. She was leaving until we put it all up.

(She also DIY baptized the babies in the bathtub. She thinks I don't know, but she told my little brother. Whatever. It made her feel better.)

The nice thing about having your own children is you can raise them the way you see fit. Although other posters have said I am a failure as a parent because I am raising them with a religion they are free to reject when they are older, I think you are free to make your own choice with your kids. I disliked your comment earlier that I am a failed parent for my choice.

?

I didn't say that. Different poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all are missing the point. Deliberately, I assume. But let me try to get you back on track.

The point is NOT that anybody is butthurt that you're celebrating Christmas. So stop already with the dumb deflection of "don't tell us how to celebrate Christmas", because that's not the question being asked here.

The point is, WHY? It would be like me celebrating Eid or Hannukah, and then bitching about the gifts and visiting relatives.

If you were Jewish, and secular, no one would be surprised by this. There are tons of secular Jewish who celebrate their heritage with the big Jewish holidays.

As more and more people come out of the atheist closet, you're going to have get used to the idea that secular people of Christian heritage are going to continue to participate in some cultural traditions that were originally religious.

Because they want to.

Because it makes the grandparents happy.

Because they might as well.

Because they don't want their kids to feel left out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The point is, WHY? It would be like me celebrating Eid or Hannukah, and then bitching about the gifts and visiting relatives.

Why are you an idiot?

Think about what you would do if you lived in a country where the majority of people practice a religion different from yours. If you were in India, Diwali is a major holiday that is celebrated by the majority of people. Part of the celebration is to set off firecrackers, because it's fun. So fun that even non-Hindus do it. Luckily, when those non-Hindus then complain about having an earache the next day from all the noise, Hindus don't post on mommy-sites about how annoying that is.