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Permalink Reply by Limber Lightfoot on March 11, 2010 at 7:08am

Yeah sure, I love Christmas. We do everything but go to church or talk about God. Santa yep, Rudolf sure, Christmas tree...fine, cake, too much food, presents, family.....

It's pretty easy to avoid religion at Christmas. :-)


We do Easter with my family too, eggy fun.

I see these holidays as largely cultural.

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Permalink Reply by gsw on March 11, 2010 at 9:01am

Actually, this problem was solved in my family years ago, since one set of grandparents are Catholic and the other set atheist:
- all the children have a Solstice festival - with all the pagan midwinter trappings - tree, presents, sherry, too much too eat and lots of laughter - with the atheist grandparents - and
- all the children have a Christmas festival with carols and church and any pagan midwinter trappings they have managed to integrate - with the religious grandparents.

Both sides get to see the brats grandchildren and everyone gets to celebrate what they want.

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Permalink Reply by Max Power on March 11, 2010 at 9:43am

It's a celebration of mindless consumerism, sure I'm in. The kids love it of course. It's pretty easy to celebrate Xmas and Easter in a totally secular way. The birthdays of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny ;)

I say keep the Christ out of Xmas!

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Permalink Reply by Graeme on March 11, 2010 at 9:44am

My family is non-religious. We do the family, tree, gifts and food things like people have described here.

As an adult the only issue I have with christmas is it's my birthday too. If anyone mentions jesus to me during the holiday season I point out that I'm sick of this jesus guy. It's my birthday too and he's dead, I'm not. Being in Canada it's rare to meet someone that mentions "the reason for the season". The odd time it has happens, as it did this past christmas, they get a stunned look on their face and change the subject.

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Permalink Reply by Eagle Ashcroft on March 11, 2010 at 11:20pm

The only thing I like about christmas is that my family and friends give me presents which is usually something I can use and need. Its one time I too can get something to someone I like. I also like looking at all the lighted up houses and yards around town with their holiday decorations. But as far as the birth of Jesus I look at it as the birthday of just another fictional character much like Santa Claus, his elves, Father Christmas and a magical sleigh that can fly through the air and give everyone on earth presents in a single night just like the birth of the son of a god in human form. As a non-believer christmas is just another excuse for working people to take a day off and give presents to their friends and family.

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Permalink Reply by Kristine R. on March 11, 2010 at 11:53pm

This is to the two or three posts about putting "Christ" back in Christmas or whatever...
even before I became atheist, I never looked at Christmas from a religious point of view and saw it more as a way to spend time with family/give and receive presents. So given that, I do hope that this next Christmas won't be so awkward for me if I look at it from that perspective

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Permalink Reply by Tak G. on March 16, 2010 at 4:00am

I like giving and getting presents. I love the decorations for both christmas and easter. It's an excuse to get together with family. It's cultural, it's festive, it's a day off of work, you can celebrate both holidays in a secular way...so hell yeah. I just don't respond to the jesus talk any more and when it's brought up I just sort of smirk.

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