To ask why do you celebrate christmas if you don't belive in god?

[bollywoodfan]

Mostly everyone seems to celebrate chritmas - making the dinner, having people round and giving presents, but there are very few people now who are celebrating it as the 'birth of Jesus'?

A lot of people I know say they are atheist and don't beleive in god at all. So then why all the fuss about one day that doesn't have any 'significance' for you? I am not criticising anyone, just seems that people get stressed about making the perfect dinner & even getting into debt to buy presents etc and then don't even acknowledge the 'real' reason for christmas. We have our festivals e.g diwali where we make special food and have lots of family round for a party, but we always have prayers before the celebrations and it is inconceivable of anyone celebrating diwali without that.

Not meant to be an offensive post at all, just a question which is difficult to ask in real life for fear of upsetting people.

bollywoodfan Sorry. Want to take back my "dumb question" snark. I'm very tired and grumpy. It's a reasonable question, asked in a reasonable way. Apologies.

I'm from Northern Europe and my ancestors have always celebrated mid-winter, darkest day of the year after which the day will start to get a bit longer again, way before Christians tried to make it theirs. We also celebrate mid-summer. It's ok to have secular holidays as well, no?

We are non-believers. We do Christmas for our the DCs. They believe in Santa and we enjoy the magic. Also, we wouldn't let them be the only kids that Santa didn't come to

I've always celebrated midwinter, the solstice, the turning of the year; it's lovely to share it with those that you love.

This time of year has nowt to do with xianity, as the historical jesus wasn't born on Dec 25th, and all of the associated traditions and myths were taken from and displaced other, older belief systems.

The 'real' reason for the season (in the tapir house) is to spend time with my loved ones, near and far.

An answer to the OP's question in song courtesy of Tim Minchin

I like presents, drinking in the mornings and massive lunches.

Because it's brilliant. Even though Doctor Who is very silly.

Xmas got mixed up when the early Christians took on the pagen celebrations to get more people into the churches. The Yule log, the tree and the food is all the pagen part, the Jesus birth is Christian. However, most Christians know Jesus wasn't born at Christmas.
Personally we don't do Xmas for the above reasons, but tbh each to their own and my understanding is most don't do Xmas for the god part anyways.

I don't envy the stress everyone has to deal with, the money spent but the feelings are always nice :)

We do celebrate it as well! We did santa for the kids and we have decorations up with a tree. We give gifts to the neighbours and teachers and kids in the family. We don't make turkey as my DH's family is vegetarian, but we do make special food. Its lovely to see the lights around and I hate Jan when all the decs/lights come down. Maybe we should call it 'mid-winter festival' after all, but I do love the nativity!

I believe in God but I well kbkw that the Christian tradition took on the Midwinter festival for celebration of Christ's birth because nobody knows when it was.

So Christmas/Midwinter Festival call it what you will. ..all I know is that I am full of Christmas dinner and can't move, won't move.

We celebrate the day though we are in no way religious. Winters are long and dark and gloomy, and a festival of family, light, gift-giving and food is not something to miss.

This is the first year I have celebrated "Christmas" and it's for the DCs sake, magic of Santa etc not religion however,
I celebrate Yule the winter solstice, as a pagan and they know this and I have explained how other religions see it and celebrate (Christians and Jewish so far) as I want them to decide for themselves.
Plus I would hate to be the only child at school who doesn't celebrate then get teased.

Christmas is commercial - fact

I support my local shops - help them get fat while i do too!

Because the entire thing is a pagan winter festival that was celebrated long before the whole story of Jesus and that came along.

That's the real reason for Christmas, a pagan holiday Christianised by people who wanted to convert pagans.

peer pressure

It's a old pagan festival hijacked by Christianity and tescos etc.

It's a time to get family together, it's part of the Britsh culture as well. It's traditional. You don't have to work and it's a convient break in the school year, work year and I can't imagine life without it. Plus I like the carols:)

My Muslim neighbours wished me merry Christmas, lent me some tree lights as they noticed mine weren't working when they popped round and generally we're very kind to the dc about Santa. I wouldnt exclude them, just as I wish them a happy eid etc.

Plus it's a day or two off work for most people and something to look forward to. Rebranding it as the winter festival might not fly. It's an idea though:) can we keep Santa?

and santa was a grumpy old preist who came dpwn and only gave presents to good kids. Santa was green dressed when forst used but chnaged to red by the cococola advert.

Not true lisad123

www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/santa/cocacola.asp

I've often wondered why people who do believe in God would go for all the consumerism/getting into debt/loads of presents/over indulgence. Seems to miss the mark, if you are religious?

As an atheist, its just a cultural celebration- time to see friends and family and a bit of a treat in the middle of the misery that is winter

The name of the festival is christmas, people can celebrate it regardless of their belief in any or a Christian god. Most of the practices have little to do with Christianity or have elements that predate Christianity, and very few claimed Christians even do the important Christian observances, so it's more why Christians do all the non-Christian elements.

Feast days are more about reaffirming social bonds than about pure religion imo even for those who are religious it's as much about family as the birth of Jesus.
I am not sure about the Santa thing. I prefer to downplay it and have most presents as gifts of love from family and friends than a magical stranger (think I will only do stockings and maybe one thing from Santa for my children).

I think India has the right idea. Christmas Day is still a public holiday, though its relevance to the mass of Indians is tenuous (yes, I know that Jesus is revered as a prophet, but Muslims don't big it up).

Everyone treats it as a time to get together with e family, a day off for everyone. And, as far as I know, no-one resents the Brits for forcing this on them. They just get on with it.