Would you say that non religious people still can celebrate Christmas?

[Anonymous]

Well I woke up after just 4 hrs of sleep and my brain got caught up with this stupid sentence my ex said... so here we're haha

Last year he called me during Christmas (after he already broke up) wish me a great x-mas, asking how I'm etc and his sister had invited me for dinner (I didn't go) but like he wished me marry X-mas and then said "oh wait you you're not religious anyways hahaha i don't have to congrat you" (he ain't that religious himself smh) and I was like just cause I'm not religious doesn't mean or family doesn't celebrate or that it isn't important to us.
I think there is more to Christmas then Jesus's bday, like getting together with your family and expressing your love and appreciation for each other and like my mom still does a Christmas dinner and I just never attend cause my stupid stepfather is there but I would love to and I will do Christmas dinners in the future and just for now I'm spending them alone

Anyways what is your opinion?

[Lliam]

Celebrations of the winter solstice were co-opted by Christianity.
It's even highly doubtful that Jesus was born in mid-winter. So why did the Roman Catholic church pick the time of winter solstice celebrations for "Christmas"?

The following article has some good information.
https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

Our current Christmas traditions didn't begin to develop until the mid-1800s.
Washington Irving and Charles Dickens both contributed to the modern meaning of Christmas.
Currier and Ives paintings became iconic symbols of old-timey Christmases.
Thomas Nast invented the modern image of Santa Clause in 1863.
Films further cemented our Christmas traditions.

One of the most important aspects of Christmas is nostalgia. It's a time when we remember childhood, family gatherings, presents, food, lights and decorations. Even as adults, we long to retain the feelings we had as kids. We even feel nostalgic about old Christmas music.

So I don't think a person has to be religious in order to celebrate Christmas. Christians don't have an exclusive claim to the holiday just because the name "Christmas" stuck.

I'm not religious, but I love the message of A Christmas Carol. I love the lights and images that make cities, towns, shops and homes look bright and cheerful. The solstice is a great time to celebrate the harvest, good food and drink, warmth, generosity and good will.

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Christmas even if I'm turned off by use of the holiday to encourage consumers to buy cards and "presents" for everyone they know.

[Mansearching]

Of course they can. Christmas is for everyone not just religious people. Him saying what he said was just to get under your skin.

For the other part, my opinion is be there for your mom. You need to stand up to step-father and talk say we don't get along but we need to tolerate each other for my mother. Something like that so you can be with family and mother. You'll never know how much longer you got. I know that for a fact. My mom is getting older and slowly getting alz or dementia. She may not remember who I am next year.

I'm telling you from experience. Celebrate with family.

[Asker]

Oh sorry my stepfather and I are long past that part, but generally you're definitely right

[Mansearching]

None of my business whats between him and you. But if it's that bad, your mom should understand.

[Dinklex3]

No, lol. My family (mom specifically) is pretty religious. We were NOT allowed to celebrate Christmas as a kid (except for 1 amazing occasion thanks to my dad).

We didn't celebrate Halloween, Christmas, or Easter. We tried to fight with my mom to celebrate Christmas one time. She asked what Christmas was. We said "uhh.. Jesus Birthday" she said "Well if it's his birthday you shouldn't be getting presents and we should spend the day in church, right? 🙂"

Then we cried because we didn't want to go to church 😂

I was able to celebrate it as a teen though and my mom lightened up on restrictions because she saw how sad we were even though she'd celebrate the New Year like Christmas.

I'm not super religious, but I celebrate for the vibes

[BlackBeauty90]

@melanieeeB - Kindly tell your ex that by celebrating Christmas as it is nowadays he's an uneducated heathen and about as religious/Christian as a sponge.

Christmas trees, yule logs, Christmas meals, etc. are all old Germanic / Scandinavian / Viking traditions and have less than nothing to do with Christanity or Jesus's birth.

Heck Christmas trees the concept is about 70 years old. If someone says that's religious and assoicated with Jesus tell them polka dotted flying unicorns are real.

[BlackBeauty90]

*the wide scale / commericalized concept of having a Christmas tree is modern

[Jennz6]

@BlackBeauty90 Merry Christmas 🎄 🎁 I love your profile picture

[Wish4UrB00ty]

Yeah I would agree with you that it is a good time to make time for family and spend with family. As a Christian I do specifically celebrate Christmas as Christ's birth day but the holiday was actually only centered on his birth by the church to give people a “more religious” theme to celebrate then the original pagan holiday had been. So I’m my mind it is us “religious” people who have stolen the holiday anyways… haha! I think you are free to celebrate it how ever you feel right about it.

[Kaneki05]

I have strong views against religious ideals and traditions. So I don't. But not every Atheist is a strong atheist and them ones are the ones who do celebrate it.

I am much a fan of self created traditions whatever they may be. And Family appreciation is one of those things I would think you would is regularly if you cared about it.
It's like valentines why would I spend that one day to do something nice for her when I can just do it spontaneously.

Maybe I spot something nice buy it for her why would I wait until Christmas to do that? is just my thoughts. Create your own traditions and live life doing nice things when you have the opportunity.

[LovingLoverReturned]

What does it mean to celebrate Christmas? I don't don't know. So maybe people think they are celebrating but they aren't if they do it their own way. Religion tends to have rules.

As for Christmas though. It is heavily inspired by Yule (a non Christian) holiday so feel free to do as you like because Christmas itself isn't strictly religious. A person can be in a religious state of mind and celebrate it.. or in a non religious state of mind and celebrate it.

[Sjoerd85]

The traditional Christmas tree is a reminder that it was originally the mid winter feast (not religious at all), to celebrate the shortest day, after which the days would be longer again.

Christianity just took it over later (and Coca Cola once put a guy with a beard on the back of a truck in a commercial, which was so successful, it led to santa claus being added to it as another tradition... First in the US, later also in other places).

To me, it isn't about religion at all, because I am not religious.

[NathanDavis]

in here, everyone is welcomed alike...

and a lot of people that are not so religious or not religious at all... still celebrate Christmas

and... then you also have some religious people that do not celebrate it because they do not like the "commercial and superficial" aspects of it

in my personal case, and traditionally... there is a lot of dedication to observe baby Jesus birthday and the Virgen of Guadalupe and this on the earlier part of the 24th... but as soon as it get closes to the 9pm... then it is all party and celebration for everyone alike, religious or not... lol

[Red_Arrow]

Christmas is a religious holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ. I know all the arguments of how the time of year is wrong, many of the things now attached to Christmas have little or nothing to do with Christ, and many pagan points have been tied to it. But the absolute reason for the season is the birth of Christ. Attending church, praying, remembrance of Christian traditions, etc. all are for the religious. However, the idea of Christianity is peace, forgiveness, sharing, etc., which is available to all. Coming together in extended families and giving gifts are not religious, but have become a part of Christmas and can be celebrated by all, not just the religious.

[Anpu23]

Its still a social holiday, also it has a base in pagan beliefs. So yes you can celebrate as part of a cultural event, as well as part of tradition. Shortest day of the year, beginning of winter, end of the year none of this is particularly religious.

[Chrissydamusicgirl]

I say sure! Christmas can mean anything you want it to mean no matter who you are. As a Muslim myself I don’t rlly celebrate religiously but being Latina there is a cultural component involved. I share w family and exchange gifts as expression of generosity. And I am thankful for the birth of our beloved Prophet Isa [jesus] (as), and reflect on the virtues of him and Prophet Muhammad. However I don’t treat it as a celebration of his birth rather giving thanks for it (as our holidays follow the lunar calendar). I still vibe with any holiday music that doesn’t say Jesus (as) is the son of God (because we just believe he’s a special prophet), so yeah. And I get to share with family. That’s what it means to me. And everybody gets to define it their own way

[Chrissydamusicgirl]

PBUH**

[jshm2]

Christmas is nothing to do with the "birthday" of Jesus, kiddo. Jesus was born around Spring, not Winter. Also, it's not really a religious holiday.

The purpose of Christmas was a holiday period for the Roman empire. It's just got more commercialised and less colonial, is all.

[BlueScorpio]

Christmas doesn't have anything to do with the Lord Jesus, cause Christmas is historically tied to pagan tradition.

[Fromdusktilldawn]

I think Christmas has nowadays already exited the religious domain and entered pop culture. I mean St. Nicholas and Jesus being born are facts. Ignoring the fact that Santa is based on St Nicholas, now what is religious about Santa Clause living on north pole with a magic sled and flying reindeer and him delivering billions of kids presents through chimneys? That has nothing to do with religion anymore

[FunkyMonkee]

I do!! There's no such thing as god but Christmas is still a fairly big deal, to me. I'm not into it for the religion, just the feeling it gives you.

[CrazyGirl2]

Yes, of course! I’m Jewish, and even I celebrate Christmas. I always hear this kinda argument, but people fail to understand there is the religious Christmas which focuses on the birth of the Christ. But Christmas is also a Federal holiday, so even if you despise anything religious you may still celebrate Christmas, just focus on the federal holiday. Anyone can celebrate any holiday, the more the merrier!

[PBandJ_Nerd]

Yes. My family isn't religious, but we still celebrate Christmas. We've been attending church, so we've done some of their holiday stuff such as pie day and handing gifts in for kids who usually don't get Christmas presents. Other than that, we've just done our regular Christmas stuff. Which is just baking cookies, trying out places holiday food, getting and wrapping presents, putting up the tree, etc. Nothing has to be religious about doing this. It's just tradition.

[JDavid25]

I mean "non-religious" people have been doing it all this time.. Even got the Christmas mascot "Santa"..

[Subarugirl]

Of course! Christmas is more cultural than it is a religious holiday. That’s like Jews celebrating Hanukkah, or the Northern Europeans celebrating Yule.

[TheSpaceGnome]

I'm not religious and I celebrated it for most of my life. Free stuff, fancy foods, and pretty lights was all it amounted to, no religious overtones.

[chilldude33]

more holidays = more fun

sorry to hear that someone makes it not fun for you

[Asker]

Thanks🙏🏼

[RavVid]

I prefer to celebrate the Solstice instead of Christmas. Christians pinched Christmas off the pagans. Solstice can be the 21st, 22nd or 23rd December so it is just a minor mistake to be the 25th.

[EmmaMary]

Yes they can... And I just happen to be one of them!