If you follow another religion or culture, how much do you ‘join in’ with Christmas?

[SlothWithACloth]

It’s interesting to see what others do. I know lots of people of other faiths get together with family in Christmas Day. We do that too and have a big meal at my mums with siblings and their families.
We also do stockings for the dcs with a few bits in them but no big gifts.
We do like to see the Christmas lights, watch Christmas films and go to the panto.
We give cards and gifts to friends that celebrate.
We don’t have a tree or any decorations though and dc know we don’t really celebrate Christmas but join in, just like others can join us on our special occasions.
What do others do?

I feel no awkwardness about celebrating an entirely secular christmas. I don't think the majority of christmas traditions are Christian anyway.

Sounds like you've found the right balance, OP.

My dh didn't grow up celebrating Christmas but I did, so he goes along with it all for my sake. We celebrate his culture's festivals as well. Neither of us are religious, though, so they're more of a secular cultural thing in our house.

We’re Jewish. We usually have a big meal with family on Christmas Day with kosher versions of the normal Christmas dinner. We do our presents on Chanukah but as we have some non-Jewish family we also do some Xmas presents with them. We don’t have decorations up though I do love seeing other peoples decs. My kids would love us to have a free but it feels too weird for me.

Tree not free!

I always find a shame when people of different faiths don't join in at all because it's actually not a religious festival at all.
It's a blending of so many different things and can be whatever you want it to be without religion at all.

I'm surprised more people who have multi generation living in the UK don't realise this yet...

The tree, the Dec's etc all have zero to do with the religious side.
For me it's a festival of light, bringing light in our darkest days. It's about human resilience and hope, to celebrate and make something dark, light and happy.

The tree, the lights... Surely people of all traditions and cultures enjoy seeing them?

The religious side is the story of the nativity, going to church... '' some '' carols...

There is huge mixing pot for everyone to take part in.

I also have decorate with spring things at Easter... Pastels, eggs.. And Halloween stuff at Halloween.

It's marking the change of seasons more than anything else.
I think some people just like their houses a certain way and don't want the clutter etc of decorations.

Its a pretty inclusive secular festival in that most of the traditions don't have religious routes. I do most of them apart from go to church or pray.

We're Jewish and have garlands and fairy lights but no other substantial decorations. Our children receive presents for Hannukah, and like @TickledOnion, we give and receive Christmas presents with the non-Jewish part of the family and others.

We don't keep kosher so enjoy pigs in blankets and all the rest on Christmas Day itself. It's a lovely excuse to get together with family. Which is how most Jewish holidays are marked anyway - get together with family to celebrate not being wiped out again and eat! ¯\(ツ)/¯

Which is how most Jewish holidays are marked anyway - get together with family to celebrate not being wiped out again and eat! ¯(ツ)/¯

I know someone who uses the exact same description for Jewish holidays, as an entirely secular Jew who really enjoys the cultural traditions. I always liked the dark humour of it.

It chimes for me with the traditional (not at all morbid!) Irish toast: may we all be alive this time next year

Ooh yes, and we do stockings too - normally full of sweets, chocolates and small gifts.

@SlothWithACloth we do exactly the same as you. No tree, it’s just takes it that step too far. We love to see other people’s trees and lights and do all the Xmas food, family visits, advent calendars, no presents for the kids they get those on Chanukah but I’m the first for the poinsettia.

I'm probably coming at it from the other side that if like to make our Hanukkah celebration bigger. We celebrate both in our house.

@geekaMaxima

Which is how most Jewish holidays are marked anyway - get together with family to celebrate not being wiped out again and eat! ¯\(ツ)/¯

I know someone who uses the exact same description for Jewish holidays, as an entirely secular Jew who really enjoys the cultural traditions. I always liked the dark humour of it.

It chimes for me with the traditional (not at all morbid!) Irish toast: may we all be alive this time next year

Thanks for this. It always makes me smile in a wry way. Cheers to you!

Re. a poster above saying the tree isn’t Christian, I thought it was a Luther thing? He of the Protestant religion.

Jewish but i converted from Catholicism .. I celebrated Christmas as a kid but as I am not from a Christian country, it was very low key as most of my friends did not celebrate or have a tree. We had a tiny tree, a nice lunch at a hotel and the kids got a few presents, went for Mass and that was it. I was a bit shocked when i realized how many presents British children get. So I didn't really ever see christmas as special, Chinese New Year was a much bigger thing in comparison... the food, the money!.

DH is the child of a Jewish convert so had many Christmases with his Christian grandparents. We don't have a tree but would exchange gifts and eat a nice meal together. I would buy Baileys and chocolates.

We’re Hindu, but I love the whole family coming together and wintry cosines of Christmas. We have a big tree, and decorations we’ve acquired when travelling or DD made in nursery etc. We usually try to go home to Asia to family, but this year we are just staying here, bubbling with next door neighbours and having a big roast. DDs a December born so she gets some small stocking presents but main gifts are birthday gifts. DH and I buy each other something small £20 or such. We’d buy bigger gifts for family since it’s usually tied in with annual trip home to see them, but this year we’ve instead done spontaneous presents through the year given covid.

I love watching Christmas movies, the lights, the wintry weather and drinking hot chocolate.

I wonder if religious people are offended that we all celebrate this secular version of Christmas completely divorced from nativity and Jesus.

@TheRubyRedshoes i think it depends on how religious you are...

www.aish.com/sp/so/So-Whats-Wrong-With-a-Christmas-Tree.html

I am not orthodox so i don't really think that a christmas tree is going to lead to intermarriage or any of that. But I was never really into christmas so I don't really see the point of it. I celebrated Christmas as a child and I never found it fun or exciting. I would still give gifts and have a nice meal but gifts and food are always nice regardless of the day.

@TheRubyRedshoes

I always find a shame when people of different faiths don't join in at all because it's actually not a religious festival at all. It's a blending of so many different things and can be whatever you want it to be without religion at all.

I'm surprised more people who have multi generation living in the UK don't realise this yet...

The tree, the Dec's etc all have zero to do with the religious side.
For me it's a festival of light, bringing light in our darkest days. It's about human resilience and hope, to celebrate and make something dark, light and happy.

The tree, the lights... Surely people of all traditions and cultures enjoy seeing them?

The religious side is the story of the nativity, going to church... '' some '' carols...

There is huge mixing pot for everyone to take part in.

But you sound a bit coercive, and as though, if people of other faiths/cultures knew better, they'd join in -- surely it's up to people what festivals they want to celebrate, whether or not you consider them secular enough to appeal to all?

And lots of other faiths have their equivalent in terms of light overcoming darkness, food, lights, decorations and family, which are more meaningful to them -- Diwali for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, for instance, or Chanukkah for Jewish people. Some of my Jewish friends do celebrate Christmas in a mild way, but depending on when Chanukkah falls in any one year, you might just feel disinclined to have another big festival so soon after your own, which is more meaningful to you.

I mean, if someone suggested I join in the Big Secular Feast of Happy Togetherness, which falls this year on December 29th, all you'd get out of me would be a post-Christmas groan.

I wonder if religious people are offended that we all celebrate this secular version of Christmas completely divorced from nativity and Jesus.

Some definitely are. I was taught (aged six) by a nun who was incredibly sour about our excitement about presents and Santa and fun and food when she felt we should have been thinking solely about the Baby Jesus.

That's one crazy article literally putting 1 +1 = a zebra 🦓, utter nonsense.

Slight drizzle, when I've asked old school pals or some ladies at work etc, dc school pals, they don't celebrate because it's not their religion.
And yet in the UK, religion is faltering and many people do Christmas with no religious angels all

@TheRubyRedshoes I am not a big fan of Aish either. but they are very prominent in the modern orthodox sphere so i sometimes read them to get an alternate view on things (or what is the predominant religious opinion in this country).

Most British Jews belong to an orthodox congregation (including my relatives). Its not like America where the majority are Reform and a Chanukah Bush is actually a thing. My rabbi is a Russian Jew and he loves his christmas trees (they are called a different thing in russia and i forgot what its called)., but no orthodox rabbis would agree with him.

Y I get that, not wanting endless festivals, but due to it being religious isn't a full reason.

If I lived in Thailand and they had the big... Dry festival before monsoon season... I'd take part.. Maybe its hijacked by a Buddhist god but for me it's more about the seasons?

"" *

More about the seasons and quite frankly whatever I want it to be. It am not ruled by any dates or dictates when it comes to the Dec's up or down etc. Who or what it's for.

@TheRubyRedshoes it's not just religion, it's a cultural thing that we may not have grown up with.

My Hanukkah celebrations are based on a religious event but I'm not religious and lightning the menorah is not a religious act for me. It is however based on religious significance, same as most Christmas traditions. I would never expect non Jews to light a menorah a spin a dreidl in their own homes just because it's fun. It is fun, but for many people it is not relevant to their culture or faith so why would they?

Christmas can be like that too, if you weren't raised celebrating it.