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Original poster

Muslims “celebrating Christmas”

197 replies

lastofallthebugs · 25/12/2025 21:45

I follow a fair few Muslim footballers from the premier league on social media. Every year they post pictures of their children in front of Christmas trees, wish followers/fans a merry Christmas and seem to be enjoying the holiday for exactly what it is - time with family and friends. They always seem happy and grateful for the break.

And every year, without fail, they are attacked by a seemingly strange subset of people who think they shouldn’t be doing this at all and shouldn’t join in. The same seems to extend to other Muslim people I see online - they get hatred for having a big family dinner at Christmas time.

AIBU to think you can’t have it both ways? You can’t say you want people to integrate, but get angry when they do!

OP posts:
Clarehandaust · 26/12/2025 17:27

I always say they’re allowed to Choose the parts of Christianity they like to celebrate just as Christians like to indulge adultery, Sex before marriage theft and lying

EBearhug · 26/12/2025 17:21

RainbowBagels · 26/12/2025 17:13

Why would you want to fast during Ramadan as a non Muslim? Fasting is a religious observance to get you closer to God. Christians do it during Lent for the same reason. It just seems odd to just do it for no reason. It's different from Christmas, which has a secular and a religious element, and is just a time everyone is off at the same time so convenient for a family get together. Its purely religious.

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Christians also fast during Lent because it was traditionally the time of least available food in the northern hemisphere. It's no coincidence.

RainbowBagels · 26/12/2025 17:13

JHound · 26/12/2025 15:15

Everytime I have mentioned to muslim
acquaintances / colleagues that I want to fast during Ramadan they have been very positive and encouraging.

Show quote history

Why would you want to fast during Ramadan as a non Muslim? Fasting is a religious observance to get you closer to God. Christians do it during Lent for the same reason. It just seems odd to just do it for no reason. It's different from Christmas, which has a secular and a religious element, and is just a time everyone is off at the same time so convenient for a family get together. Its purely religious.

Parker231 · 26/12/2025 17:03

JHound · 26/12/2025 15:37

I used to work in Montreal. The company I worked for had a substantial Jewish client base so I would say “Happy Holidays in acknowledgement of several holidays over that time of year

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Small world - we live in Montreal. Happy holidays is also a common phrase here - a copy probably from the US.

floppybit · 26/12/2025 15:44

In the case of Mo Salah for example, it’s often other Muslims who think it’s inappropriate for him to have a Christmas tree in his house etc.

JHound · 26/12/2025 15:37

Parker231 · 26/12/2025 09:12

My US friends say ‘happy holidays’ - doesn’t bother me - has the same meaning.

Show quote history

I used to work in Montreal. The company I worked for had a substantial Jewish client base so I would say “Happy Holidays in acknowledgement of several holidays over that time of year

PersephonePomegranate · 26/12/2025 15:36

How horrible.

I'm all for people of different backgrounds participating in each other's cultural celebrations. Any criticism is definitely racist regardless of who is doing the criticising.

All celebrations are based on joy. We should be spreading happiness and understanding, not barring people, especially those who wish to integrate and take part.

JHound · 26/12/2025 15:29

Ponoka7 · 26/12/2025 06:43

I partly agree because those shouting the loudest are never having the intelligent discussions. But given young girls are being put to death for trying to escape the man (usually at least twenty years older) they've been sold to, given the removal of rights of women, we can discuss how privileged the male Muslim footballers are by posting putting up Christmas celebrations, especially when their wives still cover up. Many young female SM influencers are being killed in the M.E. for their behaviour. How parts of a religion is picked by the privileged men, while the women are suffering for the new rules around modesty, leaving the house, driving (the women are still being dragged from cars etc) from many Muslim countries. Many Muslim countries are rejecting a theocrasy interpretations of Islam and moving to more secular rules. Unfortunately, it's again, the men who can live like that. I can remember someone in a Big Brother series objecting to the meat needing to be halal and alcohol restrictions, yet the Muslim man dressed in drag, with makeup and smoked. You can't cherry pick to that extent. It puzzles me as much as some of the career driven, relationships rejecting, single mothers, who adored Charlie kirk. I'm hoping the footballers, when retired, will campaign for better conditions for women and aren't just going for SM popularity.

Good Lord….

JHound · 26/12/2025 15:24

Xmasbells1 · 26/12/2025 05:06

I don't think racists are ever going to be logical. A Muslim family celebrating Christmas is no different than all the atheists and agnostics who celebrate Christmas, which is probably most of the uk. Christmas is as much a cultural as a religious celebration.

Edited

This! While my family is partly Christian I am not and never have been.

But I still do the Christmas catch-up with friends and family.

JHound · 26/12/2025 15:15

FateAmenableToChange · 25/12/2025 23:35

I don’t have an issue with it, I’m not religious and celebrate Christmas as a family occasion so would be very hypocritical to pass any judgement at all.

Although … I have wondered what the reaction from the Muslim community would be if I started publicly observing fasting, meditation and reflection during the month of then Ramadan for health and wellbeing reasons, and celebrating that achievement at Eid. I love the idea of it and think it would be a wonderful thing to do. But again I am not religious so that would not be a part of it. Do you think I’d be commended? Or have a Fatwa issued against me 😂 My observation is tolerance can often be one sided.

Everytime I have mentioned to muslim
acquaintances / colleagues that I want to fast during Ramadan they have been very positive and encouraging.

Blusteryskies · 26/12/2025 14:04

They're just ignorant bigots who want any excuse to hate Muslims. They're probably entirely unaware of the fact that Jesus is an important prophet in Islam. They're probably so dim that they don't even know that Jews, Christians and Muslims all pray to the same god.

AhBiscuits · 26/12/2025 13:36

I'm atheist and celebrate Christmas so I definitely wouldn't criticise a Muslim for doing the same.

AgnesMcDoo · 26/12/2025 13:36

As atheist who celebrates Xmas I agree

LemograssLollipop · 26/12/2025 13:31

It's the outright Islamophobes and the very staunch Muslims who seem to hate on the festivities around Christmas. As long as it doesn't take away from what you believe, we are lucky in this country to be able to do as you like. Have fun and enjoy the time off work and school.

It's heartwarming on this thread to read how most people have open arms and are not interested in pointing fingers and dictating what is halal or haram for others to do.

Frankly there's bigger more important things to froth about.

Vargas · 26/12/2025 12:00

I think it’s fabulous when people from other cultures join in - wonderful for the integration of our society and probably really special for their children as well.

Kumquatzest · 26/12/2025 11:57

I'd think that most of the disapproval is coming from other Muslims who have a more hardline interpretation of the religion and think it's haram to celebrate a Christian/Western holiday.

Parker231 · 26/12/2025 10:54

Purlant · 26/12/2025 10:36

Ridiculous. The majority of the UK isn’t Christian (myself included) and still celebrate Christmas. We just don’t do the religious bit.

Agree for our family religion plays no part in our Christmas celebrations - doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy it.

OnBoardTheHeartOfGold · 26/12/2025 10:43

There’s a Muslim run restaurant in my friend’s local area that invited anyone in need for free Christmas dinner between 1-4 yesterday.
lovely gesture. I also know lots of Muslims gave to food banks for Christmas.
it never gets any traction but Muslims are generally really charitable and donate higher than average rates.

Purlant · 26/12/2025 10:36

Ridiculous. The majority of the UK isn’t Christian (myself included) and still celebrate Christmas. We just don’t do the religious bit.

Roseandviolin · 26/12/2025 10:17

That's awful, what's next - Muslims won't be sold Christmas cards/decorations? I hope haters are found and prosecuted

MamaJenni · 26/12/2025 10:12

Athiest here and i celebrate with my fam. No church visits etc but we still celebrate the day without the christian element

paradisecircus · 26/12/2025 10:09

No point trying to rationalise the views of people like that

JoyintheMorning · 26/12/2025 09:48

Whatever culture we come from, we all like a good story and the Christmas story is a good story. Without considering the principle of a Messiah it is a story of a baby of humble birth generating millions of followers that spread to every country of the world in a few hundred years.
When we move into January stand by for reports of Muslims buying Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns.
Q. Why do 'these people' buy these items?
A. Because they are nice! They and we enjoy them.
Happy New Year.

BogRollBOGOF · 26/12/2025 09:43

Kayleighfish · 26/12/2025 07:58

As a practicing Christian, we do all sides of it. We love the tree/presents/big dinner and toys and games. But for us there's a constant undercurrent to what is - for us- the 'true' meaning of it. So on top of all the secular stuff, we do church and prayers and lead up mixed in too.

Jesus, if you really wanted to go into that deeply, loved everyone regardless. He wouldn't turn anyone away on xmas regardless of religion I'm sure. So why should we?

Not too sure if he'd like Wham!, though.

I think he'd likely be alright with "giving my heart"
The drinks are free at Club Tropicana too... I wonder if that wine used to be water...

Dragonflytamer · 26/12/2025 09:38

We have a completely secular Christmas in our house. Santa in the morning. Family and consumerism is in the afternoon, followed by some Santa based films.

Everyone can do it how they like - every tradition was made up at some point

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