Do you know one single Atheist who doesn't celebrate Christmas?

Celebrating Xmas as a secular holiday is not hypocritical to me. Enjoying friends, family, gift exchanges can be separated from celebrating the birth of Christ. Here is an article discussing all the myriad forms Christmas has taken throughout history.

Here is a quote from a history source…

” A Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas evolved over 2 millennia into a worldwide religious and secular celebration, incorporating many pre-Christian, Pagen
traditions into the festivities along the way. Today Christmas is a time for family and friends to get together and exchange gifts.”

Aster, to answer your question – Yes, me.

I am as close to atheist as I can be although I was raised Jewish.

On Christmas I eat Chinese food, go to movies, and watch football.

I don’t do anything christological but suck on candy canes.

I gave this a GQ. Most people that I know (know personally, not from internet), that were raised as Christians and now consider themselves Atheists still celebrate Christmas.

I forgot to answer your original inquiry. I am not attached to Christmas anymore now that my daughter is grown, but I do look forward to spending time together and exchanging a few gifts.
This may or may not be on the actual day and while I look forward to a get together to exchange gifts all in all I don’t really care much and can happily spend the day alone and celebrate on an alternative day since my daughter is at the age now where she often has multiple demands on her during the holidays to spend time with her SO’s family, her dads family and I have no problem picking an alternative day. Yes, in many ways it is just another day and I hate being pursued by others that think being alone on Xmas must mean you are sad and depressed.

Not at all.

To answer your question, yes, I know several people that do not celebrate Christmas; some are atheists; some not. All are, in my opinion, “Humbugs”.

I think that it depends upon the use of the word “celebrate” as opposed to “observe” which, to my way of thinking differentiates between those who do such things as party, give gifts and decorate because it is the cold, dark winter season and most of us will accept any excuse to do so (celebrate) and those who do the same things specifically because it represents (observes) the day Christ was born.

A couple. But they’re single and have no children. I don’t think they celebrate their own birthdays either. I think having no children has something to do with it.

Your premise is inaccurate as it assumes that Christmas as we know it was always or is currently only a Christian holiday. It has secular roots that date back further than celebrating Christ’s birthday.

In fact, Christ’s birthday was likely in the Spring as that was when the census was done by the Romans. It was only decided to “celebrate” Christ’s birthday in December to piggy back on the already popular winter celebration and shore up waning interest in Christianity.

“I think it’s being a hypocrite to celebrate Christmas if you’re an Atheist .”

That’s okay. I think it’s being a hypocrite to celebrate Christmas if you’re Christian.

What has Christmas got to do with religion anymore? It’s a festival of greed and excess.

@dappled_leaves Please explain the hypocrisy of Christians celebrating Christmas. I can’t wait to read your answer!

I don’t celebrate Christmas now in any way – for myself – though I do occasionally give gifts to mark the occasion for others who celebrate it. I also take the day off work, because it would be silly to forgo a paid holiday and spend the day alone at work (though there is always work to be done).

I also enjoy some Christmas carols, just for the music – lyrics be damned – which would sound silly played at most other times of the year.

I do know some atheists who don’t celebrate Christmas, mostly due to their specific relationship with their family. Although many atheists who were raised Jewish, do not practice it mostly due to it not being a big part of their culture. To many people Christmas is a time to celebrate your love for you family and illustrate that love in the form of a gift.

So I completely disagree with you that it is hypocritical for an atheist to celebrate Christmas. Christmas does not originate with Christianity. Many of its traditions and practices etc originate with paganism. Such as the festival of Saturnalia. Jesus Christ (if he existed) was not born in December.

Furthermore Christmas has evolved into a more secular tradition and very commercial too. We could possibly do with less of the overexposed commercialism; but for economic reasons I know that isn’t going to happen. But even some of the Christmas songs have a lot less religious undertones to them (All I Want for Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock, Rocking Around the Christmas Tree etc)

To be an atheist is to not believe in God. There is nothing about atheism that prevents them from practising a celebration day of dedication for the love of their family or friends. This is in fact, what Christmas means to a lot of people.

My wife is Jewish and despite my non-believer status we celebrate Christmas. For us it is a wonderful holiday celebration and we also honor the reason for Christmas with our traditions.

Think all how much of our country celebrates the 4th of July and only a fraction have a clue as to the real reasons behind that celebration.

@NerdyKeith Christmas may very well have secular beginnings but , to go with the now it’s a celebration of the birth of Jesus (even though he was born in the spring). So since we now have special church services about Him and carols about Him it is a Christian holiday for Christians to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. Secondarily, we celebrate by giving gifts . The commercial aspects of it can be depressing and greedy. I don’t see that ending anytime soon.
My late MIL and her sisters and brother were so happy on Christmas Day when they found an apple in their stockings. That was it for them and I think it exemplified a non-commercial way to celebrate. It was followed by an enormous dinner complete with freshly killed turkey, homemade rolls and hand churned butter. If this reply sounds stupid it may be just that considering my fatigue today. lol

So… what are Jews celebrating with Hanukkah?

Conversely, I have a friend in the Yucatan. She is an atheist, raised in the Anglican Church. She loves to go to Catholic High Mass at midnight on Christmas Eve at the old cathedral in Merida. It’s quite a spectacle and very beautiful. I’ve joined her twice. It is a really thrilling experience for her, she gets all excited. But it’s not a religious experience for her. It’s more like a night at the opera. Then we go off into the jungle as spend the night on top of a Mayan pyramid. It’s quite an experience, and not at all hypocritical.

@Aster
I’m certainly not arguing against the fact that for many people it is still a “Christian” holiday. But presently speaking, that is just not what it means for everyone. If people still want to believe that its the brith of Christ, power to them.

To me and many others it is a day to dedicate the love we feel for our family and friends. And we if we can make the celebration our own in a positive way. What is the harm?

@Aster I am not a Christian, but the vast majority of my family still is. When they get together at Christmas, are you telling me I should not take the opportunity to go see them? Bear in mind that this is often the only time I get to see some of them—and certainly the only time I get to see all of them at once outside of the occasional wedding.

Yes, I go to my family’s Christmas parties. Occasionally, I even go to church with my mother. It means a lot to her, even though it means nothing to me. In my mind, I’m not really celebrating Christmas so much as taking an opportunity to be with my family and celebrate togetherness. I imagine that it’s the same for most non-Christians who get together with Christian friends and family on Christmas. The idea that this is somehow hypocritical is absurd.

For the record, I’ve also driven friends and family members to their polling station on Election Day even though I knew they were going to vote for someone I didn’t support. Is that hypocritical? Or is the fact that I believe in the value of democratic participation enough to get me off the hook for that one?

@NerdyKeith No harm at all. I’m not accusing anyone of a crime. It reminds me of wearing green on St Patrick’s Day when we’re not Irish. And I’m not Irish.

I celebrate Giftmas. My relatives celebrate Christmas. I’m not about to give up a pagan winter ritual because Christians think it’s a real date to celebrate their holiday. I like lights and food and presents. Christians are the hypocrites for celebrating a pagan holiday, unless you are a Jehova’s Witness.

And on the top of my tree is Buffy, because she died thrice and came back from the dead. And “she saved the world, a lot.”

Not my fault that Jesus chose to be born on xmas day, not going to let the attention grabber spoil all the fun ;-}

As an atheist, I don’t really care that much about religion playing a role in my life – so neither do the religious aspects of Christmas. Without religion playing a role in it, I don’t see how it would be hypocritical – and especially not why it would be bad, as the tone of your post seems to suggest.

To answer your question, though: no, I don’t know any atheist who don’t celebrate Christmas. (Heck, it’s a day off, so you’re practically forced to celebrate.) I do know Muslims who don’t, though, which makes more sense, as they might actually care about the religious connotations.

Certainly it’s as reasonable to observe a widely recognized holiday by keeping a few traditions, public or private, as it is to, say, have a barbecue on Memorial Day. Is that hypocritical in any way, do you suppose?

What definition of “celebrate” are we using here?

@Jeruba Great point!

I’m going to chime in with all the jellies who have said some variation on “Christmas is no longer an exclusively Christian holiday.” It’s a cultural holiday now as much as a religious one, and it’s really the Christians who secularized it. So if an atheist wants to take part in the non-religious aspects of Christmas (and maybe play along with some of the religious aspects), who cares?

If you mean celebrate, as in, take the day off, it’s a national holiday, what do you expect?

If you mean attend a family event, I attend family events for bullshit reasons all the time, it’s a social obligation not something I look forward to, same fro presents, not something I need a religious motive for.

If, lastly, you mean celebrate as in, give a shit why it’s a day off from work and such, then I don’t. Atheists don’t have special days off, I’ll take what I can get, doesn’t mean I care.

By the way, don’t assume that every language has such a clear connection between Christmas and Christ.

Italian and French, to name a couple, just call it an antiquated term for “The Birth”, I never actually made the connection with the name’s meaning until I figured out what it meant, ironically after I realised religion wasn’t for me.

As a side note: the Romans and the Celts held a festival of renewal on the longest night of the year (december the 25th at the time) and, if anything, I would celebrate that because the main object of the festival was food, music, dancing and getting hammered on beer and we do sorely too little of all of them.

I don’t believe in patriotism, either, but I still enjoy fireworks sometimes. I guess that makes me a hypocrite, too.

There’s nothing hypocritical about celebrating Christmas in your own way. Christians stole it and turned it into what they wanted to, and I can do the same thing.

@Aster, no worries!

As an Irish person, I have no problem people joining in on the celebrations and festivities of Patrick’s Day. A lot of people just love the banter and fun of it. I’m not especially patriotic and I enjoy a good Paddys Day celebration.

I’m agnostic and I don’t celebrate Christmas.

In the other hand, I don’t try to un-celebrate it either.
If I’m given small, token gifts I accept them willingly. If invited to a holiday party with people I enjoy, I’ll go.
I don’t disapprove of other people celebrating Christmas, and I don’t want to give them the impression that I do disapprove.

Similarly, I don’t eat meat, but I won’t refuse an invitation to eat out. And once there, if people are eating meat, I don’t act all disgusted because I don’t care. My choices are my own, and for my own reasons.
Live and let live.

My family and I (just the three of us) celebrate a story of generic winter-time gifting event. We may or may not have a tree (a pagan tradition). Last year the tree was decorated with salt-dough cookie-cutter snowmen that my son and I painted to look like video game characters. The tree topper was a cardboard gingerbread man my son decorated with paint and glitter.

The year before that I think I just hung some evergreen boughs on the walls. Fa la la, and all.

I like festivals and holidays and traditions. I like looking forward to turkey on Thanksgiving and mulled wine at Yuletide. I find this to be especially true because I live somewhere that doesn’t have a dramatic change of seasons. Christmas day was 85 degrees, I believe. I couldn’t make sugar cookies because they’d melt before I could cut them.

One year, I’d like to have a totally Medieval Christmas holiday. Not all that high-class, going to mass nonsense, the lower class lighting of the Yule log and banging pans at midnight to scare away the ghosts.

Fun and educational.

I don’t. I do with my husbands family, or if a friend invites me for Christmas, but I don’t celebrate Christmas. If we are home for Christmas, my husband and I, I make one if the dishes his mom traditionally makes (she makes like 7 different things for Xmas Dinner) but we don’t do anything. Sometimes I follow tradition and go out for Chinese food Christmas Day.

The main reason I don’t celebrate Christmas is I’m Jewish, it has nothing to do with believing in God or not.

I think most people raised as Christians celebrate Christmas even if they are atheist and secular now. The whole gift thing and getting together with the family.

Of course it is. The truth is, an atheist doesn’t celebrate Christmas, because Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ. It is a religious holiday for us and a time to be with family and like minded believers. We don’t buy each other gifts at Christmas. We give gifts for each others’ birthdays. At Christmas young children are visited by Santa. I buy my grandchildren a small gift to put under the Christmas tree and buy them something great for their birthdays. We make their birthdays special and remember whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas.

@MollyMcGuire Then why do so many Christians think I should have a Christmas tree?

What a silly thing to say. @JLeslie

Christmas has never had any relationship to Jesus’s birth. The holiday was created to preempt pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice.

@Love_my_doggie Thanks for that little nudge as I google your words and learned a lot about the genesis of Christmas I had never known. Interesting!

I am Atheist and I celebrate Christmas, but not in the religious sense exactly. I love giving (and receiving) presents. It is the spirit of the season that makes it so enjoyable and worthwhile. And I endeavor to keep the spirit year round, as all should.
“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old City knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed, and that was quite enough for him.
He had no further intercourses with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principal ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that truly be said of us, and all of us!”
-from “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens

I think it is worth it to take pause and review the info @Love_my_doggie presented that is compelling in highlighting that December 25th is more relevant and symbolic of the winter solstice than the birth of Jesus. So let individual interpretations of how one chooses to celebrate this time of the year prevail…Tiss the Season and to each their own.

@MollyMcGuire A silly thing I said? Or, what people tell me about having a tree?

@Aster

You said you’d love to hear the point of view of someone who believes that it is hypocritical for Christians to celebrate Christmas. Since no one replied further on that point, I’ll give it a go.

But just to clarify, this is not a viewpoint which I have invested a lot of energy into persuading others about even tho it makes perfectly logical sense to me.

That being said, the Christian, group which does not celebrate Christmas and harshly judges that the Christians who do are hypocrites is, of course, the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

And their position is solidly backed up by history. As @Cruiser discovered when Googling for info about the origins of Christmas, it had virtually nothing to do with Christ at all since he clearly wasn’t born in Dec.

It was basically a compromise with Paganism and heavily colored by populist myth. The tree, for starters, Santa Claus, the lump of coal in the stocking,
etc. etc.

It’s as Pagan in origin as Easter (another one in their crosshairs, and for good reason.)

And they reserve their harshest judgement for those Christians who year after year propogate the whole Santa Claus myth by lying to their kids that he is real for as long as they can get away with it (as long as the kids are still gullible)

It’s one thing to speak of Santa as embodying the spirit of giving and love (which many Christians do); it’s quite another thing altogether to actively keep up the pretense that this is an actual person and putting energy into elaborately sustaining that myth and only fessing up when the kids get old enough to figure it out for themselves.

On that point, I would agree with them. You don’t have to ban the whole Santa thing. But you don’t have to buy into it whole hog and lie to your kids about it either.

But, I digress. In addition to JWs there are some severe Fundys who exist to take the joy out of everything who also harshly judge other Christians as hypocrites for being too lavish, “worldly” or over the top in their spending or decorating.

So, there is no lack of Christians just waiting to judge others as hypocrites by their own criteria (while conveniently overlooking the fact that Christmas has very little to do with Christ to begin with) Ironic doesn’t even begin to cover it.

So, there you have it. And the JWs are deadly serious about it. Some if them will drive around to the houses of others in the congregation to check up and make sure that they don’t have up any lights or decorations for the holiday. I know someone who used to be JW and that was his experience.

It all comes down to that word “celebrate”. To be fair, from a practical standpoint Christmas is a forced holiday. You simply can’t get around it. Consider for example how one would go about not celebrating Christmas. Do you insist on not taking the day off from work? Carry those unopened Christmas cards from your mailbox to the trash bin? Can you refuse to leave the house at night avoid all the lights and decorated houses?

But that isn’t the worst of it. The commercial and marketing deluge is relentless and so intense that thought of avoiding reference to Christmas is only realistic for those who are comatose.

Or Jewish.

Don’t you know that Jewish Christmas dinner is at a Chinese restaurant ? Chinatown is quite busy every Dec. 25th.

@Astor I think it’s just another day that Christians have taken over from us pagans and I’m sick of it. It was OURS first and I think it’s time Christians stop using our celebrations for their own use. Jesus wasn’t even born in December.

@elbanditoroso Let’s get together some time!

Watch Chinese Food on Christmas. by Brandon Walker.

@cazzie I know I wish the pagan holiday was separate from the birth of Jesus holiday. I bet a lot of people would agree. You would think hard core Christians would be in favor of it too. Stop polluting the birth of Christ with all the commercial and material stuff. Plus, in America we could get another Federal holiday out of it maybe? Another day off.

“celebrate”:
putting up decorations.
having a family get-together.
singing songs.
engaging in specific rituals.
giving presents.
making special food.

I do not do any of that shit.

I am atheist and I celebrate Christmas
Here are some (but not all) of my reasons
-Many of my friends are Christian, or at least they go to church occasionally. If I did not celebrate Christmas, I would miss the opportunity to hang out with them at a happy time of the year
-My parents celebrated Christmas (my mom loved Christmas) and it is part of my tradition base. No way I could not have Christmas tree.
-It’s fun
-Believe in the diety or not, Jesus’ fingerprints are all over Western civiization. Might as well acknowledge it

It’a both a secular and religious holiday so the question is specious. I know Jewish people who trim trees and exchange gifts.

As noted above it’s the evolution of many holidays that existed as part of the Winter Solstice since long BC.

No. Every one I know, including me, celebrates the season and time off. There are family gatherings, lights, shopping sales, gift giving, dinners, etc without a hint of religion. It is a wonderful time of year.

@LuckyGuy Do you have a tree and trade gifts on Christmas with your family and have a special Christmas meal with your family?