Do you celebrate Christmas? If so, later in life, how would you explain it to your kids?
English
#Offtopic
-
If I'm still atheist by the time I have kids I'll tell them what Christmas actually means for Christians.
-
I tell 'em Slow down, you know you can't catch me I move too fast on the gas don't chase me Slow down, slow down
-
Feeeeeeeeellllllllinnnnnggggg awkward
-
I wouldn't even consider Christmas as a religious holiday anymore. It's so commercialized and has become more of a cultural thing.
-
I celebrate the Roman-Pagan holiday of Saturnalia.
-
"It's the time of year when we buy people presents and Santa Claus jumps down the chimney to watch you sleep before drinking our milk and eating some food."
-
Yeah, I do. Christmas has been modernized whether you like it or not. The focus is now giving>Jesus.
-
Even some Christians forget why they celebrate Christmas What's even funnier is that some don't even give a shit
-
Lots of good answers here, I'm actually surprised. Like others have said to me it's about spending time with loved ones.
-
Do I buy into the ridiculous commercialised, buy-lots-of-expensive-shit part of Christmas? No Do I celebrate the birth of jesus? Fu[b]c[/b]k no Do I spend valuable, joyful times with my family? Of course. Christmas itself is a massive piece of shit.
-
Christmas is heathen in origin. Jesus was actually born in the spring, [b]when the herders take out the sheep[/b], but it was changed to the time of the Germanic winter feast in order to convert them to Christianity.
-
Yes. I'll tell them it's a time of year to enjoy family, food, and gifts.
-
I <3 Christmas and I'm kind of shaky on the whole god thing.
-
It was originally a pagan holiday
-
santa originates from the netherlands and coca cola, you tell me how the part that 99% of families celebrate is connected to anything religious.
-
Edited by SpeechlessMoon: 12/1/2013 6:29:02 AMI celebrate the consumerism and ideals of christmas. I mean come on, I think we can all agree it isn't about christ anymore. Also, may I call out all of my fellow atheists? Can we stop flipping the -blam!- out everytime someone says merry christmas to us? Seriously, they are just trying to be polite, and there is no way they knew you were an atheist. Also, if we are going by terms of engagement as a social parameter, you must respect their terms, so you have no right to get angry about someone saying merry christmas...... Just sayin
-
Edited by RIP delta: 12/1/2013 6:28:29 AMNo. It is an excuse for a family gathering though as there is a strong likelihood that extended family are all available. People get small presents and we have a big meal, but that is largely tradition as my mums family were brought up Catholic (though none are now practicing). If I have kids, I'll be ashamed if I fail to bring them up with the belief that they deserve hundreds of £ of free stuff i addition to what they already receive simply because it is the 25th of December. I'd try to tell them that Christmas is sort of religiously significant to some people (although technically it really isn't even slightly), tell them the origins of the celebration and why we don't attach much significance to the date, and hopefully why hyper-consumerism is balls.
-
The same way the Christians explained it to the pagans.
-
...implying most Christians celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and not simply the holiday created by consumer-based western societies to get people to buy more shit...
-
Just explain the whole Santa clause stuff no?
-
Yes, it's a culture thing. It's like this, I'm an Australian and we celebrate the Queen's birthday. Some people believe Australia should become a republic, but you can bet that they still take that day off of work.
-
Edited by Trad: 12/1/2013 8:17:01 AMFamily time, being able to give, other simple joys from the holidays. You know, the things that most people would say matter. I'm not having children though, so I guess I don't have to worry.
-
Yes I do celebrate Christmas because my grandmother's a protestant and my step-grandfather is catholic, my grandfather used to be an atheist but he's dead, so I guess I only visit my grandmother for Christmas. Meaning we celebrate it. Eh, it's the season of giving who cares about the religious connotations? Well religious people I guess, but I don't fit into that category! ^_^
-
Yeah. I don't believe in all the son of god stuff, but the spirit of giving is what matters. Inb4otherholidayshavegiving.
-
I tell them about the ancient Pagan ritual we are observing.