Why do Christmas if you don't believe?

[Mrspotter12]

Really not wanting to start a bun fight, but it you aren't religious and don't believe in Father Christmas - to the point of not wanting to "lie" to your DC and so asking what to tell them, then why do it? Why have Christmas at all?

I'm an atheist but celebrate Christmas because I'm not a miserable bastard.

Because I LOVE IT squeeeeee!

I’m an atheist. Raised religious, and as part of my compulsory R.E. in school learnt that 1) J.C. - probably real 2) 25th Dec almost certainly NOT his D.O.B 3) the peeps bringing the Christian faith to the barbaric celts and others chose the tradition Winter Solstice time to make the transition easier for the pagans.
So while I don’t believe in fairy stories about blue eyed Middle Eastern sons of god I do want to carry on with some of the traditions I enjoyed as a child - family get togethers, Santa, extended time of work for parents- and also celebrate ye oldie pagan traditions, like the shortest day of the year just before the 25th December meaning that the days grow longer and we head towards Spring, renewal and hope.

didn't ever lie to DD...so no santa BS here.

Christmas is cultural in this country...you don't have to believe in any specific sky fairies to engage in local culture. I expect if I lived in a different culture I'd engage in their festivals for preference.

Christmas as we know it now is fairly recent. Its not that long ago that in some parts of the country it was a working day

Prio to Victorian times and factory work apparently Christmas was the fuill 12 days - each day having it's own tradition. It was a slack time of year on farms - it got shortened down in cities as there was work to be done.

But yes I understood Dickens bascially invented the modern Christmas we know.

You can celebrate Christmas and/or you can enjoy Christmas.

To me it is something to get us through the dark days of Midwinter.

Was the same in Pagan times. It just breaks up the Winter a bit. I am ambivalent, but often enjoy it too. Just because it's there and in reality it is unavoidable for most.

I take it for what it is, but am minimalist about it really, saving the planet from tat and not being influenced by ads for over the top consumerism.

It's a nice time of year. Most people are happy and that's good too!

I believe in having a good break and some fun with my family. It's an excuse to push the boat out, have a bit of a feast and brighten up the house at what would otherwise be a miserable time of year.

@DonDrapersOldFashioned yup, like @bigKiteFlying says, the tree itself came with Albert, but the British have decorated their homes with evergreen boughs and wreaths for centuries. Evergreen is handy for Jesus metaphors, but a nice carry-over from pre-Christian festivals expressing faith that spring would return.

Basically its a young childrens festival and for the shops to make money and for gluttons.
The christmas dinner and the food is horrible, I'd rather have a pizza than a big roast dinner anyday.

Because DH and the children insist on it. Also if you say you dislike Christmas and want to ignore the whole thing, people leap on you with words like "Grinch", "Scrooge" or "Bah Humbug".

My ideal Christmas would be leaving the UK around the 15th December to return around 3rd Jan and miss the whole thing. Hate it.

It's my favourite childhood memories and I want my kids to have that, it's fun, all the family get together, it's a part of our nations culture...

God imagine if atheists didn't celebrate things they don't believe in...the economy would collapse 😂

I said this once to my MIL and BIL who arent remotely "religeous" and said they hated "doing" christmas, I said, "dont do it then, its not compulsary". Christmas WAS originally a pagan festival of winter. If you believe their was a Jesus, no-one knows when he was really born, some say July. For years I didnt "do" christmas because my MIL made it so stressfully, I would be ill by October, then the DGK came along its been resurected, but not going daft, told the DKs this year everyone a secret santa and maximum spend of £5, not getting into debt anymore (not spoken to bullying MIL for years)

Because everyone needs some light and gathering with friends at the darkest time of year

We don't celebrate Christmas.

The trees, the food, the cake, the puddings, the presents and the December date all predate christianity by a long, long way. All the way back to the Pagans. The residents of the British Isles have been celebrating mid-winter long before the christians came along and renamed it.

We don't visit church or think about a character in a book being born which are the only elements christians can lay claim to

We just call it "Christmas" because it's bloody hard to avoid so we might as well join in.

@kikibo here here, they did well turning Samhain into Guy Fawkes didn't they!

You have the pagan part which is celebrating the middle and coldest part of winter with a feast. The Tree which is German, the cards again which are from the victorian era as is Santa. Which part is Christian exactly?

I don't think losing the art of giving gifts should be lost. Its one time when people still seem to get the concept of respect and see others in a better light than any other time. Gift giving does not have to be expensive either.

Samhain is Halloween. Guy Fawkes in 5 November.

I don't personally, but of those I know who don't believe and do have Christmas traditions, I've been told - as many others said here - mainly that they enjoy the holiday traditions as well as things like it's an easy time to go visit family, that their family would be disappointed/a pain the ass if they didn't bother with it, that they don't want their kids to feel left out, among others.

I mean, it's the middle of November and it's already everywhere. Many people find it easier and more fun to join in and go with it - and those of us who don't and would rather not deal with Christmas again (I can dream), it can be quite draining to deal with the comments and insults so I really don't blame anyone for enjoying the fun if they want regardless of their opinion on Christianity or the debated history around it all.

This is hilarious, did anyone actually read the OP?

I celebrate Halloween but I don't believe in ghosts

I find the whole "if you don't believe in God why do you do Christmas" question quite depressing, especially for people who are actually devout Christians - the idea that Christmas is like a sweetener for the bitter pill of being a Christian. That's how my mother presented it - when I expressed doubts about God (or Santa, actually!) she would say, well, does that mean you don't want presents at Christmas? And I remember thinking, aged 8, that there was something not right about making me choose between presents and the truth as I saw it. I think we just never spoke about it again (I'm no fool ) but I hope I'd do better if my kids came to me professing to believe in something different to what I do.

Because life can become very mundane and monotonous, we all need something to look forward too. At the start of the year I look forward to my holiday, and after that I look forward to Christmas. Life would be very depressing if we just worked constantly with nothing to be excited about.

OP do you really believe in Father Christmas though?

It's the midwinter celebration and was so long before christianity and santa were made up. My parents didn't ever perpetuate the santa lie to us, and I have no intention to doing so with my kids. OP if you can't see that it is a cultural celebration these days for most people rather than a religious one, then I am baffled!