To celebrate Winter Solstice instead of Christmas?

[Parsley65]

No-one in our family is religious, the kids are in late teens and I don't see the point of celebrating something that means nothing to me or anyone else in the family.
However, I would like to celebrate something.
In the past I have thrown my efforts into making Christmas a special occasion, so this year think I'd like to do something similar, but with a non religious twist and not on the 25th.
I haven't mentioned it yet. What do you think?

Go for it! I celebrate it as winter solstice, starting on 21st with main dinner/family on 25th and seeing friends & family at various times over the festive period. I find it takes the pressure off having the one day where everything’s supposed to be perfect, and also creates less stress trying to fit all the special people in our lives who are spread all over the country. Works for us

You can do what you like?

I’d be down

Sounds great and you can come up with your own new traditions for your family in the future.

I’m sure a lot of the traditional Xmas stuff is based on more pagan festivals anyway, the wreaths, tree etc all hark back to nature. It’s only the Christian parts (minimal these days) and Santa parts that are pure Christmas.

Lights, food, decorating with nature and spending time with family can be made into a festival any day of the year.

I’m thinking of doing a Thanksgiving meal this year - no US connections but it just seems like a nice thing to do and it’s all about the food, which appeals to me!

I start with celebrating the solstice with candles - I get SAD so getting to 21 Dec without psychiatric involvement is a major achievement, and the kids like knowing the days are getting longer. We celebrate a secular Christmas with trees and feasting and presents, but make it a whole winter festival of 12 days or so, spreading out the cheer. If family visits require it, we move Xmas day to the day before or after, to suit.

I'm surprised that you bothered to celebrate Christmas in the past if no-one in your family sees the point.

Seems a bit pointless to have to think up something to celebrate though just because you'd like to celebrate something.

Celebrate whatever you want though.

Is this one of those pointless threads someone raised earlier though?

I celebrate both

I don't think it's a pointless thread OP.
We celebrated the santa part of xmas but now we have grown up dc and gd is only a baby yet.
I think you can celebrate what you like.
I love hearing the carol concerts on xmas eve but I'm not religious.
This year will be very low key and more a time for us all to be together at some point.

Do what you like. Why do you need validation from a bunch of strangers? Unless you are trying to appear superior by dismissing Christmas as a religious festival.

We celebrate both here.

Your life your choice.
Enjoy however you celebrate.

Celebrate Festivus

A festival for the rest of us

We have a traditional Christmas - for family - but we're not generally religious. I have pagan inclinations so really I'm celebrating Yule and keep some of the traditions, but we do Xmas day on top.

Do what you want

Christmas is just a re-badged "pagan" festival to help people through the bleakness of winter anyway.

So if our particular culture's winter festival doesn't work for you it makes perfect sense to find or create one that does.

Do whatever you want. Surely you don't need to get validation from strangers?

I love this idea. I have traumatic Christmas memories and always dread it. However I like the idea of creating something new

Do whatever you want. Surely you don't need to get validation from strangers?

What's the point of mumsnet again? 🤔

@jackparlabane I bought a SAD lamp the other day and this morning DP said 'what is that thing in the kitchen, it makes me feel really angry' 😐

Ring out those bells

Sounds fun! Id get on board

We do both. Seems to make more sense to me celebrating the days getting shorter again, I see the whole thing as an appropriated pagan festival anyway!

FFS the days getting longer obviously!!!

I always celebrate both but in different ways.

I feel more spiritually aligned to the natural event of the solstice, whereas Christmas I see as a time for family/friends/presents rather than a religious or spiritual celebration (I am not of any religion).

Do whatever you want to do. My family are Catholic and I was brought up as such, however I am a confirmed atheist. This does not prevent me from loving Christmas: the build up, the traditions, the lights, the tree, the films, the parties, Santa, presents WITH my religious family and with friends who are not. We all do it in our own way, as should you, whatever you call it. Hogmanay is part of that time of year and is a huge deal up here for us- so the celebrations are all across a 2 week period.

It does feel like a pp said that you want to state to the world " I'm different. I celebrate the Winter Solstice" and comes across as pretentious. Like pp have said Christmas is just a rebranding of pagan rituals. And we all know that the guy called Jesus ( I believe he was a man who existed, just not the son of God for me) was born in the summer!