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?

We do Festivus in our house, get the aluminum pole out and let the feats of strength begin!

Actually not having anything to do on Christmas Day feels very liberating 😄
We'll probably eat cheese on toast and watch some of the excellent telly that I'm usually too busy to ever watch.

Why would you (or anyone else) celebrate the birthday of a deity you don't believe in?

Lots of people don't celebrate his birthday. They, and I amongst them just use it as it was used for thousands of years before Church hijacking to get together with a family, have a feast and a merry time and forget that it's cold outside. Where I am from we still have end of harvest fairs too
If Christians wanted holidays only Christians would celebrate, they shouldn't have nicked the most popular non christian ones

@itreallyisanicefence

What was it about the lamp that made him angry?

OP I don't do Xmas myself, mum wants to do things so I go along with it. but I'm tempted to send out solstice cards. Normally I don't send any cards, not sure what I'll do!

@babdoc

So people who don't belong to your cult are missing out.

If you are not religious I see nothing wrong with not celebrating Christmas. Perhaps just have a get together on New Year's Eve?

@Babdoc that is a disappointing post from you

I've talked with you in the past as church as an atheist and thought you were more open minded.

As a pagan I celebrate the winter solstice which is Yule in the pagan calendar, then the Christians came and stole much of the festivities and rebranded as Christmas. Most festivals (Easter, May day etc) have Pagan beginnings.

@Babdoc- do you live in Dickens?

Like many people worldwide, we celebrate the winter solstice. We surround ourselves with family and lights and remind ourselves that the cold and dark will end.
In our culture and family tradition, that celebration has come to be known as Christmas and because it is part of our culture, we engage in the traditions of Christmas to celebrate the solstice. The fact that some people have attached an extra story to the traditional winter celebration is irrelevant.

Plus it is just easier to celebrate on the days work is closed.

It's nice to celebrate the birthday of a person who brought so much insight and understanding to the world and how it works, and whose words have inspired and motivated so many since . Raise a glass to Sir Isaac Newton on December the 25th!

Do it! You’ll love it👍

We celebrate Yule, just me , DH and DD. We then do something with family or friends for Xmas. We’re not into religion in the sense of Christ is the Light of the world.. solstice is about the light returning to the world, days getting longer again, it’s time to celebrate surviving the darkest night and looking forward to brighter days etc. Later religions took over the old pagan holidays and manipulated them to fit the “new” religions.

It’s silly. All cultures celebrate a mid winter festival, whatever it’s called.. Just have a lovely time with your nearest and dearest and celebrate that👍

Op for me it would depend how the rest of your family felt about it - would your late teen DC's be upset by not celebrating Christmas?

@Moonmelodies all hail Newtonday!

Tsk - it's Newtonmas

(channels TBBT)

Red baubles and a perfect tree topper😁
(Random pic from google)

Most people in the UK celebrate a pagan/secular christmas anyway.

Christmas is such a mish mash of different influences, I am not religious but certainly celebrate christmas.
Equally you could ask why christians want to celebrate such a pagan festival- reindeers, stockings, holly and ivy, santa- all pagan in influence.

I am happy to celebrate a midwinter festival which includes solstice, yule and carols.

Absolutely - we switched to celebrating Yule a long time ago but we still mark the 25th as "present day".

Elphame

Absolutely ( and a wave).

Christmas isn't "owned" . And the basic idea filters across many frames of view- the return of the light, a celebration of light, festivities in the darkest of days.

Celebrate o( or not) in whichever way feels right.

No one is fit to judge.

Considering Christmas is a pagan festival full of pagan observances. Surely all pagans would celebrate Christmas.

Christmas isn't a pagan festival. Yule is, which is celebrated on the winter solstice. Christmas is the Christians shamelessly copying Yule. Either things completely the same, or some differences. Like changing the Yule log tradition to a cake! It's all derived from the Yule. But Yule is celebrated on the winter solstice which usually falls on the 21st, not the 25th.

The clue is in the title CHRISTmas.
You don't need to be a Christian to celebrate at this time of year, it's just something else.

It would be fine to do it if you want to, but depending on how exactly you are looking to celebrate, the solstice would be a religious festival as well. I guess it would also have to mean something to you and the others in the family too, if it's to be any more fulfilling than you find Christmas. Does it? Do you hold any pagan beliefs yourself?

There are some lovely seasonal recipes on this site which are a bit different to the usual fare in the UK at that time of year.
gathervictoria.com/tag/yule/

My dd was born on the winter solstice. In a snowstorm. Of course we celebrate it!