Non-Christians who celebrate Christmas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm Hindu, we celebrate Christmas, and we also have no problem saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays".

Why we celebrate it - that has already been answered in this thread. It's a part of American culture, and we are Hindu-Americans. It's a fun winter holiday. It's a fun family holiday. It's a season to be jolly.

Same here. In fact the non Christians who don't celebrate baffle me

I am Jewish and do not celebrate Christmas (unless you call a movie and Chinese food celebrating Christmas, and we don't even always do that).

What do I need to explain? I also don't celebrate diwali or ramadan. I assume you do not celebrate purim or sukkos.

If you lived in India, you'd probably celebrate diwali as it is more secular. Purim and sukkos are more religious. I attend Passover at my Jewish friend's homes.

I'm not sure why the two big Christian holiday are so secular, but they are. Easter bunny and Santa are commercialized and very secular. They have nothing to do with Jesus's birth or resurrection. Good Friday is religious but not secular (unlike the others) and it's only celebrated by Christians.

I do not know what I would do if I lived in India, as I do not.

Purim and Sukkos have huge 'secular' components. In Israel lots of non believing Jews celebrate them. You may think of them as religious because in America secular Jews ignore them - that is not because Purim or Sukkos are any more inherently religious than Christmas, but because those secular Jews (unlike their Israeli counterparts) are culturally assimilated.

Christmas is secular (Easter is not nearly as secular as you think, and even Christmas is not THAT secular) because it began by appropriating the pagan Saturnalia, and because in America it was further commercialized. With all due respect, it being a Roman pagan holiday does not make it more attractive to me, nor does it being a celebration of consumerism do so.

Now I am tolerant, and want my Christian and other gentile neighbors who celebrate to enjoy it. I can also admire my neighbors' decorations, christmas trees, etc. I don't need to do any of that myself though. Similarly I am interested in hearing about and seeing Diwali, but do not think I need to celebrate it as my own holiday, as it is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm Hindu, we celebrate Christmas, and we also have no problem saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays".

Why we celebrate it - that has already been answered in this thread. It's a part of American culture, and we are Hindu-Americans. It's a fun winter holiday. It's a fun family holiday. It's a season to be jolly.

Same here. In fact the non Christians who don't celebrate baffle me

I am Jewish and do not celebrate Christmas (unless you call a movie and Chinese food celebrating Christmas, and we don't even always do that).

What do I need to explain? I also don't celebrate diwali or ramadan. I assume you do not celebrate purim or sukkos.

If you lived in India, you'd probably celebrate diwali as it is more secular. Purim and sukkos are more religious. I attend Passover at my Jewish friend's homes.

I'm not sure why the two big Christian holiday are so secular, but they are. Easter bunny and Santa are commercialized and very secular. They have nothing to do with Jesus's birth or resurrection. Good Friday is religious but not secular (unlike the others) and it's only celebrated by Christians.

I do not know what I would do if I lived in India, as I do not.

Purim and Sukkos have huge 'secular' components. In Israel lots of non believing Jews celebrate them. You may think of them as religious because in America secular Jews ignore them - that is not because Purim or Sukkos are any more inherently religious than Christmas, but because those secular Jews (unlike their Israeli counterparts) are culturally assimilated.

Christmas is secular (Easter is not nearly as secular as you think, and even Christmas is not THAT secular) because it began by appropriating the pagan Saturnalia, and because in America it was further commercialized. With all due respect, it being a Roman pagan holiday does not make it more attractive to me, nor does it being a celebration of consumerism do so.

Now I am tolerant, and want my Christian and other gentile neighbors who celebrate to enjoy it. I can also admire my neighbors' decorations, christmas trees, etc. I don't need to do any of that myself though. Similarly I am interested in hearing about and seeing Diwali, but do not think I need to celebrate it as my own holiday, as it is not.

Another Hindu here. I didn't grow up celebrating Christmas so don't feel the need to now. I enjoy the lights and shopping, festivities and food. Since Diwali comes right before Christmas my kids don't miss much either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Christian and a minister. The things you listed are pagan in origin. Christianity adopted them in an effort to combine the nativity with well-established pagan winter festivals. Lights and festivities make the celebration of the birth of Jesus much more fun! So anyone can celebrate the winter holiday and more importantly, Christ would welcome all to the celebration regardless of spiritual path.

How would you know something like that? It suggests that there is something in the Bible that indicates that Christ would want people who don't believe he is the Messiah to be celebrating his birth.

Except Christmas isn't His birth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Christian and a minister. The things you listed are pagan in origin. Christianity adopted them in an effort to combine the nativity with well-established pagan winter festivals. Lights and festivities make the celebration of the birth of Jesus much more fun! So anyone can celebrate the winter holiday and more importantly, Christ would welcome all to the celebration regardless of spiritual path.

How would you know something like that? It suggests that there is something in the Bible that indicates that Christ would want people who don't believe he is the Messiah to be celebrating his birth.

Except Christmas isn't His birth.

Right -- that's been established on this thread and elsewhere. It's the celebration that seems to attract people - as a winter celebration has for centuries, whether observing the return of the sun or honoring other gods, who were also born around the winter solstice. It seems like a good time to party, irrespective of religious beliefs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Christian and a minister. The things you listed are pagan in origin. Christianity adopted them in an effort to combine the nativity with well-established pagan winter festivals. Lights and festivities make the celebration of the birth of Jesus much more fun! So anyone can celebrate the winter holiday and more importantly, Christ would welcome all to the celebration regardless of spiritual path.

How would you know something like that? It suggests that there is something in the Bible that indicates that Christ would want people who don't believe he is the Messiah to be celebrating his birth.

Except Christmas isn't His birth.

Right -- that's been established on this thread and elsewhere. It's the celebration that seems to attract people - as a winter celebration has for centuries, whether observing the return of the sun or honoring other gods, who were also born around the winter solstice. It seems like a good time to party, irrespective of religious beliefs.

And it doesn't matter much if Gods that people don't believe in approve of everybody joining in the celebration

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Jewish SIL and her extended family celebrates Christmas...it is bigger for them than Hannukah in terms of actual celebrating. They do all the secular fun, which made things easy when all of their kids married non Jews.

My son's friend's family is hindu and does a big Christmas celebration with all their Indian friends. In fact, I know of several hindus who celebrate Christmas. They all say something along the lines of hindu being a multi theist religion so they don't have issues with Christmas being a Christian holiday.

My persian (non-Christian) hairdresser celebrates Christmas. She said it is one of her favorite holidays.

"which made things easier when the kids all married non-Jews" - maybe celebrating Christian holidays, even in a secular way contributed to them marrying mom-Jews.

Is that a bad thing?

I guess not for that family.

Well the parents may not have been thrilled with their kids marrying non-Jews.

[Anonymous]

I'm Jewish and don't celebrate Christmas. I enjoy the beautiful, decorated trees in others' homes and stores as well as the festive lights on people's homes. But we ourselves do not have a tree nor light up our house for Christmas. We don't do santa, have stockings, or give presents to each other for Christmas. I will bake cookies during the holidays and share them with neighbors or particpate in an angel tree program through work or scouts and am happy to attend a Christmas party at a friend's house and things of that nature.

I think many Jews don't celebrate Christmas despite the secular trappings associated with it because of the history of the Jewish people often being forced to convert to Christianity and resisiting, crusades, Spanish inquisition, etc. And celebrating the birth of the Jesus who Christians believe to be the messiah but Jews do not would be like celebrating that a day to commemorate that the earth is round when you believe it to be flat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm Jewish and don't celebrate Christmas. I enjoy the beautiful, decorated trees in others' homes and stores as well as the festive lights on people's homes. But we ourselves do not have a tree nor light up our house for Christmas. We don't do santa, have stockings, or give presents to each other for Christmas. I will bake cookies during the holidays and share them with neighbors or particpate in an angel tree program through work or scouts and am happy to attend a Christmas party at a friend's house and things of that nature.

I think many Jews don't celebrate Christmas despite the secular trappings associated with it because of the history of the Jewish people often being forced to convert to Christianity and resisiting, crusades, Spanish inquisition, etc. And celebrating the birth of the Jesus who Christians believe to be the messiah but Jews do not would be like celebrating that a day to commemorate that the earth is round when you believe it to be flat.

+1. Although many aspects of Xmas have been secularized, the holiday and its trappings remain fundamentally Christian. I don't think most Jews, particularly those who live in areas with decent Jewish populations, celebrate even the more secular aspects of Xmas. We certainly don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm Jewish and don't celebrate Christmas. I enjoy the beautiful, decorated trees in others' homes and stores as well as the festive lights on people's homes. But we ourselves do not have a tree nor light up our house for Christmas. We don't do santa, have stockings, or give presents to each other for Christmas. I will bake cookies during the holidays and share them with neighbors or particpate in an angel tree program through work or scouts and am happy to attend a Christmas party at a friend's house and things of that nature.

I think many Jews don't celebrate Christmas despite the secular trappings associated with it because of the history of the Jewish people often being forced to convert to Christianity and resisiting, crusades, Spanish inquisition, etc. And celebrating the birth of the Jesus who Christians believe to be the messiah but Jews do not would be like celebrating that a day to commemorate that the earth is round when you believe it to be flat.

+1. Although many aspects of Xmas have been secularized, the holiday and its trappings remain fundamentally Christian. I don't think most Jews, particularly those who live in areas with decent Jewish populations, celebrate even the more secular aspects of Xmas. We certainly don't.

That has been my experience too with friends who live in Jewish communities in Silver Spring and Hindus who live in NoVa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm Jewish and don't celebrate Christmas. I enjoy the beautiful, decorated trees in others' homes and stores as well as the festive lights on people's homes. But we ourselves do not have a tree nor light up our house for Christmas. We don't do santa, have stockings, or give presents to each other for Christmas. I will bake cookies during the holidays and share them with neighbors or particpate in an angel tree program through work or scouts and am happy to attend a Christmas party at a friend's house and things of that nature.

I think many Jews don't celebrate Christmas despite the secular trappings associated with it because of the history of the Jewish people often being forced to convert to Christianity and resisiting, crusades, Spanish inquisition, etc. And celebrating the birth of the Jesus who Christians believe to be the messiah but Jews do not would be like celebrating that a day to commemorate that the earth is round when you believe it to be flat.

+1. Although many aspects of Xmas have been secularized, the holiday and its trappings remain fundamentally Christian. I don't think most Jews, particularly those who live in areas with decent Jewish populations, celebrate even the more secular aspects of Xmas. We certainly don't.

+2 We never celebrated it growing up. I give my husband a gift who is not religious but brought up Christian. We've had a tiny tree just for the Christmas eve and day in the past (some years, not all) and a gift or two each but that's it since I have no interest in it. I only do a tree at all for my inlaws, who are amazing people.

[Anonymous]

I'm Muslim and I love Christmas
My partner is a non practicing Catholic. We exchange gifts and have a tree in our house, I cook a nice meal. Sometimes we have friends over

[Anonymous]

Well one way to handle things is the way of the Eastern Orthodix Church - the holy, sacred rites connected to the birth of Christ are called "Nativity" whereas the secular trappings are called "Christmas".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My Jewish SIL and her extended family celebrates Christmas...it is bigger for them than Hannukah in terms of actual celebrating. They do all the secular fun, which made things easy when all of their kids married non Jews.

My son's friend's family is hindu and does a big Christmas celebration with all their Indian friends. In fact, I know of several hindus who celebrate Christmas. They all say something along the lines of hindu being a multi theist religion so they don't have issues with Christmas being a Christian holiday.

My persian (non-Christian) hairdresser celebrates Christmas. She said it is one of her favorite holidays.

"which made things easier when the kids all married non-Jews" - maybe celebrating Christian holidays, even in a secular way contributed to them marrying mom-Jews.

Is that a bad thing?

I guess not for that family.

Well the parents may not have been thrilled with their kids marrying non-Jews.

Lol that was my thought too.

As far as I'm concerned (Jewish), Christmas involves Christ even if many people celebrate it in a secular way. Christ is in the name; it was originally religious and for many people still is; etc etc. Otherwise it would be called winter solstice or something, which Jews don't celebrate anyway. We don't do Christmas. If other non-Christians do that's fine, I don't care, but I get annoyed when people tell me I should celebrate Christmas because it's not religious. To a reasonably practicing Jew, it is. I have my own religious holidays. I don't need to appropriate other people's. I enjoy watching my Christian friends celebrate, I love the religious music (the real religious music sung by choirs, not the schlocky pop versions), the trees and lights and decorations are beautiful. I enjoy all that as an observer. I just don't do it myself nor do I feel a need to. In fact it would feel extremely strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:all in all, it seems like Christmas is thriving, and Christ is not.

Are you one of the people who gets irrationally angry is someone wishes you "happy holidays?" Because it feels like you all are in the same group and the dissonance between only wanting believers to celebrate Christmas but wanting everyone to have a merry Christmas is pretty amazing.

[Anonymous]

I am not Christian. I am pagan and Yule, or winter solstice, is my preferred holiday. However I almost never have it off and it's only a few days before Christmas. So I declare all week to be Yule and have all the same fun as everyone else. Most of the trappings of Christmas are pagan- at.least the ones I love, like the tree and the lights- and I adore baking and cooking. We always have a special meal and do presents. Why not?

I grew up in a Jehovah's Witness home so no holidays for me until age 18. So as far as I am concerned, everyone can celebrate the many winter holidays however they please