I celebrated it growing up, family members still celebrate it.

Its not a religious holiday for me. It has no religious significance whatsoever. Its about family and giving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you explain it to your kids? When they find out that their friends celebrate it because of Jesus' birth, but that you don't believe. Do you just tell them because it's fun.

Yes. Pretty simple, really.

It's people like you who are high-jacking our holiday and taking the meaning out of it. get your own holiday.

I can't take the meaning out of your holiday. Only you can do that.

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

Wow, I did not intend to seem as snarky as I apparently did. Sorry! Let me be clear. I am not necessarily opposed to non-Christians celebrating Christmas. I remember asking my parents about this when I was a kid. They said that they are fine with it because it's their hope that in the festivities of the season, they will somehow get that mustard seed of faith. I try to keep that mindset, but I have a hard time with it when it comes to people who make fun of us the rest of the year. I wrote this post after receiving a "Warm Wishes" card from a friend who speaks out against Christianity every single chance she gets. It seemed very hypocritical. The only purpose of her card was to show off pictures of her Aruba vacation. these are the people I have issues with. If you are a non-Christian who would like to participate in the season, I simply ask that you respect our religion during the "off-season" as well. Please don't try to convince yourself that it's not a religious holiday. Of course it is.

Yes, I do try to minimize the commercialism and focus on Christ during the season.

I know the pagan history of trees, but don't believe the theory that that's where the Christmas tree originated. The tree, wreath, holly, etc is a symbol of eternal life.

I think you need to go back and refresh your memory about the origins of Christmas as we know it. As you have said in a later post, you know that the traditional celebration was on Epipheny. However, in the 3rd and 4th centuries, the Western Christian Churches were finding they were losing out a lot of followers to many of the pagan religions of the time. With Epiphany being about 2 weeks after the traditional pagan Winter Solstice celebrations, which at the time were very large and popular, the Christian churches were having problems maintaining the Faithful. The Christian churches moved the Christmas celebration back in order to compete directly with the large Winter Solstice celebrations. What you think of as eternal symbols of life, were adopted from the pagan rituals in order to make the Christian celebration more familiar. The use of pine trees had been in use by Druidic and pagan religions for centuries, the tree and needles were cleansing, the pine cones and nuts were fertility charms. Holly, juniper, mistletoe all have long associations with pagan rituals or particular importance to pagan rites that were well known for centuries, but only adapted for Christian purposes after the date change. Wreaths, stockings, yule logs, caroling, wassail and other symbols were adapted from earlier non-Christian traditions.

A lot of what we now associate with Christmas is at least half adapted from other religions all in the name of making Christmas and Christianity more attractive and familiar to lure people into the Faith.

Anonymous wrote:but xmas is a pagan holiday

It's actually a pagan/Christian mash-up. Yule/Winter Solstice/Saturnalia/the birth of Mithras were some of the Northern European winter holidays. The Roman Catholic Church adopted December 25 as a celebration of the birth of Jesus to lure people away from paganism. Many pagan customs accreted around the Christian celebration.

As an atheist, I don't feel bad about celebrating Christmas. Why should I? Christians borrowed the date and the holiday customs from someone else in the first place.

There's room for everybody in the holiday season.

Happy holidays!

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Anonymous wrote:How do you explain it to your kids? When they find out that their friends celebrate it because of Jesus' birth, but that you don't believe. Do you just tell them because it's fun.

Yes. Pretty simple, really.

It's people like you who are high-jacking our holiday and taking the meaning out of it. get your own holiday.

Is this what Jesus would say?

Not the OP, but another religious poster here: actually, probably, yes, it would be what Jesus would say. Jesus wasn't all sunshine and unicorns. Remember when He lost His temper and turned over tables and threw out the money exchangers from the temple? Because He was mad that they were sullying His Father's house w/ commercialism?

Wait, are you just describing a scene from the movie Jesus Christ Superstar?

??

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Actually, I do. I don't even have my house decorated for Christmas yet. We are currently celebrating Advent and then we start celebrating Christmas on the 24th. And you don't know me but I am one of the least commercialized Christmas celebraters ever -- my 5yo DD has never even seen Santa and this is the first year we are even doing Santa for her b/c we were waiting until she finally clued in to who he is, b/c of kids at school. And I bought her gifts at second hand stores and am one of the most vociferous posters on here about avoiding commecialism, not just at Christmas time. We also don't have a TV so that helps: she never sees commercials, so she doesn't know what she doesn't have. So, yeah, you probably hate me. That's ok, people hated Jesus too. If He couldn't convince them, and He was God, imagine how small my chances are of convincing you here, an anonymous poster on a parenting message board!

Hey, you sound like me except I'm atheist. We do Christmas in that we give the kids a couple of little gifts, decorate just a bit, and spend time together. We also don't have a TV and don't spend any time talking about what we want for Christmas or making lists or looking through advertisements of toys. You sound awfully smug about your lack of consumerism. Don't feel bad, I'm smug myself. But isn't part of being Christian that you're supposed to be non-judgmental?

Sorry it came across as smug. It is hard to describe your lifestyle here on a website and, when put all down in words all in one place, it does come across as smug, but I was simply intending it as informational, o reply to the first pp.

but xmas is a pagan holiday

Anonymous wrote:
Actually, I do. I don't even have my house decorated for Christmas yet. We are currently celebrating Advent and then we start celebrating Christmas on the 24th. And you don't know me but I am one of the least commercialized Christmas celebraters ever -- my 5yo DD has never even seen Santa and this is the first year we are even doing Santa for her b/c we were waiting until she finally clued in to who he is, b/c of kids at school. And I bought her gifts at second hand stores and am one of the most vociferous posters on here about avoiding commecialism, not just at Christmas time. We also don't have a TV so that helps: she never sees commercials, so she doesn't know what she doesn't have. So, yeah, you probably hate me. That's ok, people hated Jesus too. If He couldn't convince them, and He was God, imagine how small my chances are of convincing you here, an anonymous poster on a parenting message board!

Hey, you sound like me except I'm atheist. We do Christmas in that we give the kids a couple of little gifts, decorate just a bit, and spend time together. We also don't have a TV and don't spend any time talking about what we want for Christmas or making lists or looking through advertisements of toys. You sound awfully smug about your lack of consumerism. Don't feel bad, I'm smug myself. But isn't part of being Christian that you're supposed to be non-judgmental?

Why can't they celebrate it? It's a free country and there is a lot of diversity so you can do your own thing. Religious people do this all the time, pick and choose whatever they want to do.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you explain it to your kids? When they find out that their friends celebrate it because of Jesus' birth, but that you don't believe. Do you just tell them because it's fun.

Yes. Pretty simple, really.

It's people like you who are high-jacking our holiday and taking the meaning out of it. get your own holiday.

Is this what Jesus would say?

Not the OP, but another religious poster here: actually, probably, yes, it would be what Jesus would say. Jesus wasn't all sunshine and unicorns. Remember when He lost His temper and turned over tables and threw out the money exchangers from the temple? Because He was mad that they were sullying His Father's house w/ commercialism?

Wait, are you just describing a scene from the movie Jesus Christ Superstar?

I'm an atheist and this is the dumbest question ever.

PP. nope. A scene from the bible. You know the book on which Jesus Christ Suoerstar was based

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you explain it to your kids? When they find out that their friends celebrate it because of Jesus' birth, but that you don't believe. Do you just tell them because it's fun.

Yes. Pretty simple, really.

It's people like you who are high-jacking our holiday and taking the meaning out of it. get your own holiday.

Is this what Jesus would say?

Not the OP, but another religious poster here: actually, probably, yes, it would be what Jesus would say. Jesus wasn't all sunshine and unicorns. Remember when He lost His temper and turned over tables and threw out the money exchangers from the temple? Because He was mad that they were sullying His Father's house w/ commercialism?

Wait, are you just describing a scene from the movie Jesus Christ Superstar?

OP - I'm not athiest, but can answer part of this. We celebrate Christmas on Epiphany - where it is strictly religious. We attend services, have dinner with the family and there is nothing commercial about it. However, on December 25 - it's the commercial fun part of Christmas. It is the day to exchange gifts, see what Santa brought, have dinner with family, and do whatever festivities are typical. So, I think that like Atheists, we separate the religious aspect of the holiday with the Christmas season, which is more of an American tradition.

I celebrate the coming of Santa Clause not the coming of our Lord and Savior.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you explain it to your kids? When they find out that their friends celebrate it because of Jesus' birth, but that you don't believe. Do you just tell them because it's fun.

Yes. Pretty simple, really.

It's people like you who are high-jacking our holiday and taking the meaning out of it. get your own holiday.

Is this what Jesus would say?

Not the OP, but another religious poster here: actually, probably, yes, it would be what Jesus would say. Jesus wasn't all sunshine and unicorns. Remember when He lost His temper and turned over tables and threw out the money exchangers from the temple? Because He was mad that they were sullying His Father's house w/ commercialism?

I hope you take Jesus' message to heart, PP, and avoid the commercialism of the holiday, too. I mean, since you're all about getting real about Jesus. I hope you avoid gift exchanges, Santa, and all that commercial crap.

Actually, I do. I don't even have my house decorated for Christmas yet. We are currently celebrating Advent and then we start celebrating Christmas on the 24th. And you don't know me but I am one of the least commercialized Christmas celebraters ever -- my 5yo DD has never even seen Santa and this is the first year we are even doing Santa for her b/c we were waiting until she finally clued in to who he is, b/c of kids at school. And I bought her gifts at second hand stores and am one of the most vociferous posters on here about avoiding commecialism, not just at Christmas time. We also don't have a TV so that helps: she never sees commercials, so she doesn't know what she doesn't have. So, yeah, you probably hate me. That's ok, people hated Jesus too. If He couldn't convince them, and He was God, imagine how small my chances are of convincing you here, an anonymous poster on a parenting message board!