I find it interesting that Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Christians think what they believe matters in the least bit.

When we die we will be dead. If there is an afterlife who knows what religion is right one,

Don’t waste your time worrying, put up the wreath, put up the tree and enjoy Santa and egg nog. No one cares in this life or the afterlife you hung up a wreath or had an Xmas tree

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Lol.... no.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

Christmas represents commercialism.

Christians want to force themselves on everyone else. The “assimilation” comments earlier are really disgusting.

Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you, but it's not to everyone. It's ironic that you're complaining about Christians "forcing themselves" on people in the same comments where you're insisting that our holy day is about what you think it's about not what we do.

To be completely honest, you must admit that the fact that Christian’s celebrate Christmas for two months, that it’s literally everywhere even in secular areas such as government and schools. That cities and towns use tax payer money to decorate their streets with lights, wreaths, and trees. That schools are off for up to two weeks in some places, that many offices close during that period too. That all this makes it open to anyone to celebrate and interpret as they see fit.

If you all kept it close, celebrated just in the day of, like other religions do for their holidays in this country, then no one else would need to partake. We’d wish you a merry Christmas and move on to the next day. Like you do for people of other faiths.

But it’s not that way because it not just a sacred religious event, it’s a whole all encompassing societal expectation.

You are absolutely correct.

Agreed.

It’s everywhere- even in non-Christian countries like China, Japan, Korea.

It’s a global phenomenon.

Fun fact- I learned my neighbors are baking a cake for Christmas this year and not doing a tree or lights or gifts because…. It’s Jesus’ birthday! So some Christians are going old school Puritanical now.

It is what you make it. Enjoy the fun and the less you (and all of us heathens) take it as a religious holiday, the less it becomes religious.

And wouldn’t that be a fun, ironic take on the war on Christmas?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

Christmas represents commercialism.

Christians want to force themselves on everyone else. The “assimilation” comments earlier are really disgusting.

Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you, but it's not to everyone. It's ironic that you're complaining about Christians "forcing themselves" on people in the same comments where you're insisting that our holy day is about what you think it's about not what we do.

To be completely honest, you must admit that the fact that Christian’s celebrate Christmas for two months, that it’s literally everywhere even in secular areas such as government and schools. That cities and towns use tax payer money to decorate their streets with lights, wreaths, and trees. That schools are off for up to two weeks in some places, that many offices close during that period too. That all this makes it open to anyone to celebrate and interpret as they see fit.

If you all kept it close, celebrated just in the day of, like other religions do for their holidays in this country, then no one else would need to partake. We’d wish you a merry Christmas and move on to the next day. Like you do for people of other faiths.

But it’s not that way because it not just a sacred religious event, it’s a whole all encompassing societal expectation.

I never denied that anyone was free to interpret it as they see fit. In fact, I explicitly said "Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you" that's fine. That's obviously true. The PP I'm responding to, however, did come in and say "Christmas represents commercialism" in response to someone saying that that Christmas represents the birth of Christ. They're the ones denying that the day can have multiple meanings, and forcing their secular meaning on Christians.

The “birth of Christ” and attending mass are the religious bits. None of the wreaths, Santas, trees, holiday lights, piles of cheap toys, etc are religious. Christmas™ is commercial.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol “averse to Christmas?”

you sound judgmental AF.

This is so mean. I grew up in a religious Jewish home and my mother was extremely "averse to Christmas" and drew offense at anything related to Christmas. I was not because she was judgmental. It was because she was forced to practice Christian customs as a child even though she was Jewish. This includes saying daily prayers in public school. There is a long-standing tradition of expecting non-Christians to celebrate the birth of someone else's Lord and Savior and it's offensive. A Christmas-style wreath would never have been displayed in her home.

So both of you are too dumb to understand that wreaths have nothing to do with Christianity or Christmas. Great.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

Yup.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

Christmas represents commercialism.

Christians want to force themselves on everyone else. The “assimilation” comments earlier are really disgusting.

Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you, but it's not to everyone. It's ironic that you're complaining about Christians "forcing themselves" on people in the same comments where you're insisting that our holy day is about what you think it's about not what we do.

To be completely honest, you must admit that the fact that Christian’s celebrate Christmas for two months, that it’s literally everywhere even in secular areas such as government and schools. That cities and towns use tax payer money to decorate their streets with lights, wreaths, and trees. That schools are off for up to two weeks in some places, that many offices close during that period too. That all this makes it open to anyone to celebrate and interpret as they see fit.

If you all kept it close, celebrated just in the day of, like other religions do for their holidays in this country, then no one else would need to partake. We’d wish you a merry Christmas and move on to the next day. Like you do for people of other faiths.

But it’s not that way because it not just a sacred religious event, it’s a whole all encompassing societal expectation.

You are absolutely correct.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the above poster from another perspective.

My parents were immigrants from India in the 60s. They wholly embraced America as their new home. Christmas is everywhere for weeks, months actually. They embraced it as part of the American culture. Because how could they assimilate otherwise? We already stuck out like a sore thumb. We had a tree, my dad would dress up as Santa, we exchanged gifts. Honestly, the part of the country we were in, I would have been a pariah at school if I didn’t partake in the festivities.

I was never confused that we aren’t Christian. I was taught that many paths lead to God and this was the path for the followers of Jesus. (Yes, people tried to convert me all the time, didn’t live in this area at the time. Really, that just left me more convicted in my faith.)

I understand that it’s different for those of Jewish faith or Jewish origin. But they have a holiday during this time too. So it makes sense. My holidays are before and after Christmas, but not during the last two weeks of December, when most people are out of school or when it might be a slow time at work.

My relationship to this time of year is the memories I created with my family. It’s my holiday too and I celebrate how I have with my family growing up. Completely secular, lots of fun, and time spent with my own family now. My kids aren’t left out, they know Christians believe their God was born around this time (though that’s debatable), they know the origins are from pagan Europe. Also not a problem for us since our religion is pagan.

Life is short. Celebrate. I love all the holidays in this country, none have to do with my ancestral heritage, they’re part of my American heritage. Be merry!

This makes a lot of sense. My Indian DH also celebrated Christmas when he lived in India although I still don’t understand why and how (he doesn’t have a great answer like you do). We celebrate Diwali and Christmas with our kids. Why not? It’s fun and I strongly believe one can have two or more religions, unless one is a fundamentalist and that’s not our approach.

Because in India, all festivals of all major religions are celebrated at least in an institutional way and we have federal holidays for it. History of various religion and belief systems are depicted in comics as well as Bollywood movies. Politicians want to woo all electorates. Also, we have a very sizeable population for all varieties of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists, Jains and Jews. Military, paramilitary, police and government are wholly secular.

My father was in Indian Army. We always had a wonderful Christmas celebration in the officer's club. Some grown up would dress up as Santa and distribute presents to kids that our parents had wrapped up for us. Santa arrived on a horse or motercycle and once even on a helicopter!!

I think it is great to celebrate all fun festivals of other religions in a secular manner. As long as there is celebrating, food, decorations, festivities involved - why not?

BTW - Once upon a time, Indian work week was of 6 days. Yes, we went to school from Monday to Saturday. Imagine if we were not having federal holidays for all major festivals of major religions, how awful our lives would have been?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

Christmas represents commercialism.

Christians want to force themselves on everyone else. The “assimilation” comments earlier are really disgusting.

Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you, but it's not to everyone. It's ironic that you're complaining about Christians "forcing themselves" on people in the same comments where you're insisting that our holy day is about what you think it's about not what we do.

To be completely honest, you must admit that the fact that Christian’s celebrate Christmas for two months, that it’s literally everywhere even in secular areas such as government and schools. That cities and towns use tax payer money to decorate their streets with lights, wreaths, and trees. That schools are off for up to two weeks in some places, that many offices close during that period too. That all this makes it open to anyone to celebrate and interpret as they see fit.

If you all kept it close, celebrated just in the day of, like other religions do for their holidays in this country, then no one else would need to partake. We’d wish you a merry Christmas and move on to the next day. Like you do for people of other faiths.

But it’s not that way because it not just a sacred religious event, it’s a whole all encompassing societal expectation.

I never denied that anyone was free to interpret it as they see fit. In fact, I explicitly said "Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you" that's fine. That's obviously true. The PP I'm responding to, however, did come in and say "Christmas represents commercialism" in response to someone saying that that Christmas represents the birth of Christ. They're the ones denying that the day can have multiple meanings, and forcing their secular meaning on Christians.

This argument has been repeated recently in at least 3 dcum threads. It's also a 2,000-year old argument, so probably won't end here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

Christmas represents commercialism.

Christians want to force themselves on everyone else. The “assimilation” comments earlier are really disgusting.

Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you, but it's not to everyone. It's ironic that you're complaining about Christians "forcing themselves" on people in the same comments where you're insisting that our holy day is about what you think it's about not what we do.

To be completely honest, you must admit that the fact that Christian’s celebrate Christmas for two months, that it’s literally everywhere even in secular areas such as government and schools. That cities and towns use tax payer money to decorate their streets with lights, wreaths, and trees. That schools are off for up to two weeks in some places, that many offices close during that period too. That all this makes it open to anyone to celebrate and interpret as they see fit.

If you all kept it close, celebrated just in the day of, like other religions do for their holidays in this country, then no one else would need to partake. We’d wish you a merry Christmas and move on to the next day. Like you do for people of other faiths.

But it’s not that way because it not just a sacred religious event, it’s a whole all encompassing societal expectation.

I never denied that anyone was free to interpret it as they see fit. In fact, I explicitly said "Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you" that's fine. That's obviously true. The PP I'm responding to, however, did come in and say "Christmas represents commercialism" in response to someone saying that that Christmas represents the birth of Christ. They're the ones denying that the day can have multiple meanings, and forcing their secular meaning on Christians.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

Christmas represents commercialism.

Christians want to force themselves on everyone else. The “assimilation” comments earlier are really disgusting.

Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you, but it's not to everyone. It's ironic that you're complaining about Christians "forcing themselves" on people in the same comments where you're insisting that our holy day is about what you think it's about not what we do.

Christmas itself may be a semi-holy day. But Santa, the gifts, etc all came about later for commercial and political reasons. Not religious.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

Christmas represents commercialism.

Christians want to force themselves on everyone else. The “assimilation” comments earlier are really disgusting.

Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you, but it's not to everyone. It's ironic that you're complaining about Christians "forcing themselves" on people in the same comments where you're insisting that our holy day is about what you think it's about not what we do.

To be completely honest, you must admit that the fact that Christian’s celebrate Christmas for two months, that it’s literally everywhere even in secular areas such as government and schools. That cities and towns use tax payer money to decorate their streets with lights, wreaths, and trees. That schools are off for up to two weeks in some places, that many offices close during that period too. That all this makes it open to anyone to celebrate and interpret as they see fit.

If you all kept it close, celebrated just in the day of, like other religions do for their holidays in this country, then no one else would need to partake. We’d wish you a merry Christmas and move on to the next day. Like you do for people of other faiths.

But it’s not that way because it not just a sacred religious event, it’s a whole all encompassing societal expectation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

Christmas represents commercialism.

Christians want to force themselves on everyone else. The “assimilation” comments earlier are really disgusting.

Christmas might be a commercial holiday to you, but it's not to everyone. It's ironic that you're complaining about Christians "forcing themselves" on people in the same comments where you're insisting that our holy day is about what you think it's about not what we do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a religious season. You are free to culturally appropriate our religious holiday as an excuse for consumption or home decor, but it doesn’t change the fact that a Christmas wreath is a Christmas wreath.

You have that backwards. Christians have co-opted pagan traditions and commercial efforts.

The only people who believe this are the people on this board who want to feel better about using a religious holiday of a faith they despise to feel a part of something cultural. Because the only culture they have left is ideology.

Riiight . . . is there any biblical support for Christmas? Much less Christmas wreaths? You do know that Jesus was a Jew who lived in a desert. Not a whole lot of Douglas firs in Jerusalem.

The old school Christians that I know don’t put up Christmas trees in their house at all.

+1

They celebrate “the birth of Jesus”, not Christmas.

Ok, so Christmas doesn't celebrate the birth of Christ What DOES Christmas celebrate? And why are people angry that some people don't feel connected to the day and to hoopla that surrounds it's for 2 full months?

I don't read anyone as being angry (though this post sounds a little angry I suppose). People are trying to explain.

I think one reason there is a disconnect here is that you are grouping everything even remotely "Christmas adjacent" into one giant pile of "hoopla" and saying it's all oppressive.

And what some of us are saying, especially those of us who are not Christian but do participate in some of the secular parts of that hoopla, is that you don't have to group it all together, and that not all of it is about Christmas and definitely not about Christ or Christianity. You actually can pick and choose and when you do, you might find that there are things about the season that are enjoyable, all without getting converted to Christianity or even giving into the commercialism around it.

I am not Christian. I do not believe Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and that he was the son of god or that he died for my sins. Full stop. I don't celebrate Christmas in that way. I don't go to church. I don't put up a nativity scene or teach my kid about the birth of Jesus except to say "Some people celebrate the birth of Jesus during Christmas and he is a significant part of their beliefs."

But I put up a tree and lights. I'd put a wreath on the door. I enjoy seeing lights up around town this time of year of any variety - the early lights for Diwali, Christmas lights, a menorah in a window, whatever people want to display. It's dark out and it brightens things up. I have a "winter solstice tree" in addition to a Christmas tree in my house. Candles and lights in December are a very old and very natural tradition. Seasonal affective disorder is a new-fangled name for something that's been around for centuries.

My family exchanges gifts. It's nice. We try not to go overboard, but we are a frugal family generally and it is nice to have a designated time of the year when we loosen the budget a little and buy everyone some things they really want or need. It's also a great way to teach our kid how to think about others, who to be gracious in receiving gifts and also thoughtful in giving them. We also do "Santa" but somewhat halfheartedly (this is probably the one area where I do kind of bend to the culture around it, though my DH really wanted to do Santa so it's not like our family is totally unwilling). But we don't talk about "naughty or nice" and we are very careful to explain to our kid that Santa is a tradition for some families and not others, that kids who don't get gifts from Santa aren't bad, they are just form a different cultural tradition, and that Santa is just something fun, it's not to be taken super seriously. I look forward to my kid outgrowing Santa to be honest.

Sorry for going on long, I'm just trying to explain. I respect your choice not to participate in "the hoopla". But if you are one of the Jewish posters, I will reiterate a point from up thread: it may be easier for you to separate yourself from all of it because you have a cultural tradition for this time of year that incorporates lights and food and family togetherness (if you choose to celebrate it, I am aware Hanukkah is not a very significant Jewish holiday). Those of us who are not Jewish but also not Christian don't have that. So we embrace some of the secular aspects of at the season and it's nice. It doesn't mean I'm suddenly Christian. It just means I don't want to spend Thanksgiving to New Year studiously refusing to decorate or celebrate or enjoy any aspect of a season that actually has some pretty great things to offer even people who are not here for the birth of Jesus.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Winter solstice is celebrated by most cultures who experience short days and evergreens have been associated with those celebrations for far longer than Christianity has existed. If anything, Jesus’s birth was grafted onto those celebrations

This. We are secular humanists and we do a holiday tree with lights and evergreens around our home in the tradition of our European ancestors and as a way to brighten the dark, cold winter months. We don’t do anything Christian or even pseudo-Christian, like Santa, but we like the decor.

Same same! Getting warm and fuzzies reading of othera' customs and values matching our family's!