To go to midnight mass although I'm an atheist?

[teacoupons]

My best friend is lodging with us and has asked me to go with her to midnight mass tomorrow. She's a Catholic but not a practising, she goes to uphold the traditions her family brought her up with.

People have told me IAVU for saying yes and I'm disrespecting myself. My grandparents are Catholic and I went to a Catholic school but because I don't believe in God I should be ashamed of myself.

AIBU to tell them to mind their own business and go and support my friend?

Not going tonight, but go to Westminster with my mum most years - she is an ex-Catholic and staunch atheist, I am an atheist I suppose - but we both like the music, the candlelight and the sense of coming together and sharing something.

Westminster Cathedral mass is magical. Highly recommend!

"As Atheist Communist Jews, Christmas was strangely important in my family"
Alexei Sayle on the News Quiz
just before Jeremy Hardy's WONDERFUL rant / version of the Christmas story
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b018ft15
listen and enjoy

and then enjoy the church experience tonight

I would like to get a nativity set too, and talk about the nativity story, next year. Haven't broached the subject with DH though as he's much more atheist than me IYSWIM. I feel it's important to honour it at home (obviously they will do it in school).

I am not a "believer", but I just love Christmas services, in big old churches. My DD's (she's just about to be 15) school xmas concert was held in a lovely old church and was just magical. Last year it was amazing because when we came out it had snowed heavily, and was like a fairytale!!