AH!!! Tis the season!..................for the Christians?

[Captain_Shinzo]

The other day, ( Yes, another story of Shinzo's life. : ) me and my friends were talking about the holidays and what we were getting.
We were all excited and talking about what we wanted.
Of course, I mentioned I wanted Windows 7 and Left4Dead 2 along with some other things.
In the middle of the conversation I was continuing, however, one of my very smug Jewish friend said the following:
" Wait...your Atheist. Why do YOU celebrate Christmas? "

This is a PERFECT example of how ignorant some Christians can be. =.=
Why? Isn't Christmas a Christian religion?
Well, let me explain...

1.) The Christian was based on FALSE evidence of " Jesus's " birth.
It was actually more stolen from other religions mostly but even so.

2.) What part of Christmas is religious what-so-ever?
That is like saying Easter praises Jesus even if they both have no ties at all.

3.) I has a tree and presents. Why would I NOT celebrate Christmas?

Some say that Jesus is the reason for the season...but how?
In a motto more of my own, wouldn't the season be more of the reason for the season?

I mean, we just party for the sake of partying. That isn't so bad.

However, some Christians don't understand this and will even be insulted by this. =______=

So happy holidays!!!

* P.S. We should all celebrate Christmas together. =o *

Discuss:
The Holidays, religion, the season, AND NOT Kanye West.  

[In Search of a Dream]

This post reminded me of this video(of which I think was posted in a different thread by another user): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDlx4PLJXJU

...This vid may or may not be very relevant to the topic.  

[B1g_crunch]

 

[Miz Sharpe]

8D I celebrate the hell out of Christmas!

It's just too much fun to pass up. Who says atheists can't enjoy gift-giving, and gift-receiving, and food, and family get-togethers?

Also, I'm pretty sure most people here would already know this but I would like to bring up that most Christmas festivities were ganked from pagans.  

[Captain_Shinzo]

Miz Sharpe

8D I celebrate the hell out of Christmas!

It's just too much fun to pass up. Who says atheists can't enjoy gift-giving, and gift-receiving, and food, and family get-togethers?

Also, I'm pretty sure most people here would already know this but I would like to bring up that most Christmas festivities were ganked from pagans.

Agreeing with everything you said. =3
I would also like to add onto that Pagan part.
when the Christians first came to America, along with James Oglethorpe, they came mostly because they wanted to get away from the Pagan beliefs.
Technically, Pagans celebrate birthdays which Christians didn't want, for some reason, and Christmas was considered a birthday celebration so they didn't celebrate it then.  

[dl1371]

if he says that, tell him that religious people cant celebrate american holidays(presidents day, mlk day...) because america is a secularist country and secularism is bad

ps i love x-mas  

[Indie_lullaby]

I celebrate christmas smile

This year I am mostly celebrating the fact my first semester of college will be over. Yay! biggrin

I plan to make up my own holidays to celebrate.  

[MiniSiets]

My family is Christian, but no one even actually brings up Jesus or religion at all for that matter whenever we all get together to celebrate. The typical argument is that Christmas is actually intended to celebrate Jesus' birth, but in reality the season passes by with most families not even thinking of it like that. Most of the time, it is just thought of as a general time of giving, charity, and strengthening family bonds. Not to mention of course, what little evidence we have to work with about Jesus' supposed time of birth places it more around the summer than the winter. Fact is, as much as some Christians would like to think that Christmas is their special holiday and only people in their Jesus fan club can celebrate it, it's just not true.

MiniSiets: Atheist and proud celebrator of Christmas! biggrin  

[D i v i n i t y]

Just like Mini, my family is Christian and we celebrate Christmas, but no one ever even mentions the name "Jesus" or anything.
Christmas is becoming more and more about the season of giving, family, and charity rather than its supposed "Jesus's Birthday". The holiday has progressively become more and more secular and is no very secular even among a lot of Christians. At my old church, they even had a man dress up as Santa Claus and some reindeer decorations inside the church! More and more people celebrate the holiday for its secular value and not for its Christian value.  

[alteregoivy]

I may say "Merry Christmas!" or whatever, but that's not what I'm celebrating.

I am celebrating the winter solstice, the days getting longer again. It's a time set aside to celebrate with family and friends and eat and give gifts and all that.

I mean, although Christmas was ganked from a pagan holiday, there is still a strong Christian / religious sentiment there.

I like happy holidays better.  

[Anavis]

My friend (who went to college in Japan) gave me this perspective, and I looked at it and went, "Hey, I do that, too!"

Apparently, in Japan, Christmas is "give-each-other-presents day" and there is no religious element, Christian or otherwise. This is the sort of thing I have always treated it as, so it makes a lot of sense. smile  

[Labtech Soosh]

Quote:

In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking. It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born.

In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.

Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule itself means “wheel,” the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Hollyberries were thought to be a food of the gods.

The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshipping huge trees.

Did you mention to him the brilliant mythology of Krampus?

 

[I Am A Mountie]

Our family rarely talks about religion. My dad is an agnostic, my mom is Christian I think, my brother is 7 and doesn't care, I'm an atheist. Christmas is basically party and prezzies rly.  

[Aquilla the Druid]

bonjor everyvon im an ateist like you and this is probable the most interesting topic iv ever heard biggrin i dont think jesus wes the son of god but its likely someone just had a son and called him jesus in the same year nothin godly in any way and like many of you i celabrate christmas for the bonding and generousoty not the celebration of some kid birth not to be harsh  

[[-Erik-]]

Everyone have an atheist christmas and a scientific new year :3