If you're getting hung up on the "Christ" in Christmas, and getting wound up about non-Christians celebrating on Dec. 25, then I assume you're like the SIL/BIL of the OP and you have no Christmas tree, holly or mistletoe (since those are all druidic symbols), you don't have any Santa Claus paraphernalia, since he has nothing to do with the celebration of Christ, etc., etc.

Same with Easter. If you buy into any of the bunny stuff, eggs, etc., you're not celebrating the Christian holiday, you're celebrating in a pagan manner.

If you do any of that, then you've kinda forfeited the right to get all uppity about how anyone else celebrates the holiday, because you're not being pure about it, either.

It's kinda like the joke about the guy who goes up to a woman in a bar and says, "Would you sleep with me for a $1M?" When she says she might, he says, "Would you sleep with me for $100?" To which she responds, "What kind of woman do you think I am?" And he says, "We've already established that, we're just working on the price now."

As an atheist, I love the magic of Christmas for kids. I love the parties, the joy, the shared events, and the spirit of giving that infuses the season. My children will get a Christmas tree, they will sing Christmas carols, and they'll participate in all the festivities of the season. And it will be magical for them, they will love it and be happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They both teach religion, and have strong views on what Christmas should be. They told their 4 year old (and 1.5 yo) that there is no such thing as Santa, are anti-gift for Christmas and am not even sure will do a tree. Christmas is about serving people. They come from out of town to see us, the grandparents and other extended family ever year.

Since they have strong and noble feelings about this, we all defer and have a lame lame lame Christmas. I am not even christian, but I like Christmas. I like that it is filled with love, and joy, and is a little over the top. Before this started, we would do like $20 gifts within the family so it was not like we were overdoing it. But I can't be the one who says, actually, I would like my kids to get to open gifts, wonder about santa claus, or eat more cookies than necessary.. And it all sounds so good in theory, to escape this consumerism and spend the whole break volunteering, and giving and going to church, but in practice it is a little drab to have such a ..fundamental.. Christmas. Vent over.

You sound like you're a very confused individual. If you're not Christian, you shouldn't be celebrating Christmas. Full stop.

LOL! Go ahead and keep telling yourself that you are celebrating Christ, as you are hanging your decorations on your Christmas tree, setting out your Santa Claus figurines, kissing under your mistletoe, carrolling, and exchanging gifts (ALL of which are derived from the Pagan holiday and just "adopted" by "the Church" and in reality have ZERO to do with Christianity or Christ.

*sigh* SO many sheeple....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They both teach religion, and have strong views on what Christmas should be. They told their 4 year old (and 1.5 yo) that there is no such thing as Santa, are anti-gift for Christmas and am not even sure will do a tree. Christmas is about serving people. They come from out of town to see us, the grandparents and other extended family ever year.

Since they have strong and noble feelings about this, we all defer and have a lame lame lame Christmas. I am not even christian, but I like Christmas. I like that it is filled with love, and joy, and is a little over the top. Before this started, we would do like $20 gifts within the family so it was not like we were overdoing it. But I can't be the one who says, actually, I would like my kids to get to open gifts, wonder about santa claus, or eat more cookies than necessary.. And it all sounds so good in theory, to escape this consumerism and spend the whole break volunteering, and giving and going to church, but in practice it is a little drab to have such a ..fundamental.. Christmas. Vent over.

You sound like you're a very confused individual. If you're not Christian, you shouldn't be celebrating Christmas. Full stop.

God, I love this. Hey, uber-Christian: if you didn't want Christmas to get all secular, y'all shouldn't have pushed it into every damn crevice of our secular lives, with a federal holiday and Christmas songs on the radio 24/7, and Christmas plays and celebrations in public schools. Now it's gotten too big for you to control the definition, and it's a mostly secular holiday. It's like the Kleenex folks getting all pissed because we don't refer to Puffs as "facial tissue." Hee hee hee.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heck no- we go full on Irish Catholic bacchanalia. Suck that, Cromwell!

Awesome

Ha ha!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They both teach religion, and have strong views on what Christmas should be. They told their 4 year old (and 1.5 yo) that there is no such thing as Santa, are anti-gift for Christmas and am not even sure will do a tree. Christmas is about serving people. They come from out of town to see us, the grandparents and other extended family ever year.

Since they have strong and noble feelings about this, we all defer and have a lame lame lame Christmas. I am not even christian, but I like Christmas. I like that it is filled with love, and joy, and is a little over the top. Before this started, we would do like $20 gifts within the family so it was not like we were overdoing it. But I can't be the one who says, actually, I would like my kids to get to open gifts, wonder about santa claus, or eat more cookies than necessary.. And it all sounds so good in theory, to escape this consumerism and spend the whole break volunteering, and giving and going to church, but in practice it is a little drab to have such a ..fundamental.. Christmas. Vent over.

You sound like you're a very confused individual. If you're not Christian, you shouldn't be celebrating Christmas. Full stop.

Wow, what an idiot you are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you can't have the secularized parts of Christmas at your house as a non-Christian. I have Halloween and I am a non-pagan. Why can't you have a tree, Santa, presents, make paper chains with your kids, drink eggnog, sing non-religious holiday songs (Jingle Bells, Here Comes Santa Claus), and watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on TV? All of that stuff is just about Santa, having family time, and showing love by giving gifts, not about Jesus (you can tie it to Jesus if you want to, but you don't have to).

Folks can do what they but CHRISTmas began as a religious holiday. Op can't get mad that her in-laws wants to celebrate it that way.

They should really make another name for folks who just want to get egg nog and sit around the tree exchanging gifts without acknowledging the religious aspect of it. Those folks are celebrating something else and it's not Christmas.

Amen. It's called "December 25". By all means, drink some egg nog, but if you're not Christian, you're not celebrating Christmas.

TRUE. Maybe, they are celebrating the original holiday of Winter Solstice. But if you are celebrating Christmas as a "Christian" holiday, you are celebrating a Pagan holiday that was just taken over by Christians in order to make it more appealing for people to convert (or be forced to convert) to Christianity. There really is no "Christian aspect" to it. You can say it's about Christ all you want, it doesn't make if valid. However, do what you want. Celebrate when you want. Make yourself happy. Give gifts and have a beautiful Christmas tree. Celebrate with family. But in realtiy, "Christmas" is not a Christian holiday. In reality, it has absolutely nothing to do with "Christ" or the birth date of "Christ". -, an Atheist who celebrates Christmas because it's fun and nice to celebrate with family.

Well put. +10,000

Anonymous wrote:They both teach religion, and have strong views on what Christmas should be. They told their 4 year old (and 1.5 yo) that there is no such thing as Santa, are anti-gift for Christmas and am not even sure will do a tree. Christmas is about serving people. They come from out of town to see us, the grandparents and other extended family ever year.

Since they have strong and noble feelings about this, we all defer and have a lame lame lame Christmas. I am not even christian, but I like Christmas. I like that it is filled with love, and joy, and is a little over the top. Before this started, we would do like $20 gifts within the family so it was not like we were overdoing it. But I can't be the one who says, actually, I would like my kids to get to open gifts, wonder about santa claus, or eat more cookies than necessary.. And it all sounds so good in theory, to escape this consumerism and spend the whole break volunteering, and giving and going to church, but in practice it is a little drab to have such a ..fundamental.. Christmas. Vent over.

You sound like you're a very confused individual. If you're not Christian, you shouldn't be celebrating Christmas. Full stop.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you can't have the secularized parts of Christmas at your house as a non-Christian. I have Halloween and I am a non-pagan. Why can't you have a tree, Santa, presents, make paper chains with your kids, drink eggnog, sing non-religious holiday songs (Jingle Bells, Here Comes Santa Claus), and watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on TV? All of that stuff is just about Santa, having family time, and showing love by giving gifts, not about Jesus (you can tie it to Jesus if you want to, but you don't have to).

Folks can do what they but CHRISTmas began as a religious holiday. Op can't get mad that her in-laws wants to celebrate it that way.

They should really make another name for folks who just want to get egg nog and sit around the tree exchanging gifts without acknowledging the religious aspect of it. Those folks are celebrating something else and it's not Christmas.

Amen. It's called "December 25". By all means, drink some egg nog, but if you're not Christian, you're not celebrating Christmas.

TRUE. Maybe, they are celebrating the original holiday of Winter Solstice. But if you are celebrating Christmas as a "Christian" holiday, you are celebrating a Pagan holiday that was just taken over by Christians in order to make it more appealing for people to convert (or be forced to convert) to Christianity. There really is no "Christian aspect" to it. You can say it's about Christ all you want, it doesn't make if valid. However, do what you want. Celebrate when you want. Make yourself happy. Give gifts and have a beautiful Christmas tree. Celebrate with family. But in realtiy, "Christmas" is not a Christian holiday. In reality, it has absolutely nothing to do with "Christ" or the birth date of "Christ". -, an Atheist who celebrates Christmas because it's fun and nice to celebrate with family.

Anonymous wrote:Heck no- we go full on Irish Catholic bacchanalia. Suck that, Cromwell!

Awesome

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if the responses would be any different if OP were Christian and referring to another religion's holiday. Ex: I am not Jewish but my Jewish BIL and SIL are sucking all of the fun out of Hanukah for me and my kids. I just want to focus on the presents but those old stick in the muds are making it about service and religion. Or I am not Muslim but my Muslim BIL/SIL are sucking all of the fun out of Ramadan for me and my kids...you get the picture.

I think if people tried to celebrate other religious holidays like a joke it would considered offensive. I have many Muslim family members and would never dream of making any of there holidays into something else, but apparently it's okay to assault Christian holidays.

How would it be offensive if they are doing it in their own home? If no one else knows that you are celebrating Hanukah even though you aren't Jewish, what is the problem?

Isn't Ramandan not a lot of fun anyway? I thought the whole point of Ramadan is sacrifice, prayer and fasting, and Eid it the celebratory holiday.