Does religion feature in your christmas?

[Mindtrope]

I have some very religious members of my family.
I always think it odd that she sends me cards with pictures of camels and sand dunes at christmas time.The only thing we do is listen to Carols at Kings, sweet in a traditional way, but not for the religious aspect.
Is your house a jesus free zone?

Then perhaps Christmas shouldn't either.

We aren't practising Christians - we're pretty much athiests - but Christmas features JC heavily as does Easter. We don't tell it as fact in our house but rather "this is the story". We read/talk about the nativity then say Santa brings presents for baby Jesus' birthday and all the children of the world celebrate with him coz he's such a top bloke . A bit messed up maybe but I want DC to appreciate why we (by "we", I mean our family) celebrate it. We'll go to church for the crib service on Christmas Eve then we bake biscuits for Santa.

Well it is kind of the point yes Jesus is at the centre of our Christmas

Culturally Christian atheists here. Have not one, but two flying spaghetti monster tree ornaments. But when we go to my parents' house for Christmas (every other year), there is a Bible reading and prayer by my father (and before him my grandfather used to do it). They will go to church, we don't but very much respect the different approaches to Christmas. Last year they came over to spend Christmas with us and didn't insist on their traditions.

Overall, for me, just as much as for them, Christmas is about spending time with the people you love.

It's a midwinter festival of light, feasting, and family and friends here, just after the solstice. Family including grandparents are all atheist, especially FIL who was raised in a joyless Christian sect. Kids do Nativity plays at school and I make sure they know Bible stories, but they're just stories to us.

I do love Christmas hymns and carols though, so lots of those all through December.

Yes, we are Methodists and so are DH's parents. This year, we'll be with them and will all troop along to their little chapel to celebrate with the 20 or so regulars and their families. They are a warm, welcoming bunch and it will be an important part of the day.

A week before that, we have our own church's family Carol service, with Nativity, which will riotous and easily be the most joyful morning in December. And nine lessons and carols later on in the evening. No-one else in the family likes that one, but I am a singer, so I'll be there. It will probably be the occasion when I actually spend some time reflecting properly on what it means for God to be present in a human life. Lots to think and pray about in a year when there's been too much disturbing stuff going on.

Roses, the Christians nicked Christmas from the pagans, so maybe you shouldn't be featuring it in your house.

roses, the church tried that- didn't work. Here in Scotland it was illegal to celebrate christmas for 400 years, it was banned by the church,

I don't see much mention of santa in the bible, the bible does warn against decorating christmas trees as being heathen, and the stockings? Mistletoe? Holly and ivy? Reindeer? Stockings? Yule logs? All very christian.

We do realise the true meaning of Xmas here, although quite diverse with religious views within our family. We also celebrate the pagan side of things, I haven't yet been able to get anyone to come to mass with me, although dd3 is leaning more towards the Jesus side of things.

We write a letter to Jesus every year with our 'resolutions',things we want to achieve in the coming year and that is our gift to him.

Religion has never entered our house - Christmas for us is a chance to spend more time with family and friends, time off work and lots of eating and drinking!

That's a bit unfair Roses. We could tell you to bugger off; tacking your Christian celebrations onto a pre-existing mid winter festival.

Rises I'm afraid that ship sailed many many years ago!

j3 We do realise the true meaning of Xmas here, which is what exactly?

No Jesus here either, we're all atheist. We do have to go to the kids Christmas carol service in a cathedral though. I never send religious themed cards (but all the ones from my catholic family do usually feature nativity scenes.), we don't have a nativity.

We cover all bases.
Christian here- Catholic/ evangelical. So we'll be doing celebrating Advent, midnight Mass or service Christmas Day morning- doing both is knackering!
We have several nativity sets but also ridiculously extravagant Advent calendars.

Christmas? Yes of course. The clue's in the name.
But I celebrate Yule and Hogswatch quite happily with those that don't want religion with their festive fun.

the bible does warn against decorating christmas trees as being heathen
Does it? Where? (Not snark, genuinely intrigued).

DH is atheist and I am vaguely CofE. I take any of the DC who want to come to church around Christmas. It makes me stop and think a bit about how I live my life.

Interestingly, In Scotland for years xmas was no biggie, it was hogmanay/new year when the family got together. My granpa would happily work xmas eve & xmas day was just a holiday, It was new years day we were expected to go to granny & granpas for the family get together (with very hungover men folk ). That has died out with my gandparents generation & xmas is as big in Scotland as elsewhere - but that is pretty recent, only the last 50 years, I reckon.

I like to make this a time for charity so Christmas includes volunteering and giving to charity as well as indulging ourselves. I very occasionally go to a church service but I think it's nostalgia that gets me there and I enjoy the sense of community.

Catholic Household here, we have an advent candle and a nativity scene (as well as a Christmas tree)

We usually go to mass either at midnight or on Christmas morning but this year we have a baby so we'll be going to the crib service. I love hymns/traditional carols.

I buy both religious and secular cards, secular cards for non religious/other religions' friends and religious ones for people like my grandmas or people I think would appreciate something different/traditional.

the bible does warn against decorating Christmas trees

What utter bollocks!

Not at all in this house.
I like a Xmas Carol but that's for the music and the memories of childhood, rather than the sentiments.
It's a month off work and lots of socialising with friends for me.

Nativity here, Carols from Kings, midnight mass or mass on Christmas morning.

I'm Catholic and DH is atheist. We are bringing the children up Catholic. We go to church anyway so of course at Xmas, even DH goes Xmas eve and that for me is the official start of the celebration. We have a crib and I generally send Christian themed cards. I love Christmas carols and music. Of course a lot of the traditions are pagan in origin or modern additions. I don't care why or how others celebrate, but Christ is big part of it for me.

No Jesus in our house, thank goodness! Completely free of sky fairies of any denomination. Lego friends and MLP is a different matter...