atheists and Christ-mas?

Yes, and I give my kids gifts.

The evergreen tree is a pagan symbol, but nice try. And actually my tree is white and fake...fitting with the holiday. Not many evergreen trees in Jerusalem.

I have no tree as I live in an apartment, plus they are messy. I open my presents that my grandmother and husband get me and then tell them thank you. If I never celebrated Christmas again it would be ok with me. I will do it all festive like when I have a child, but otherwise, I could care less. I have never been a pomp and circumstance kind of person. Like lets just get on with it ok. I celebrate it because it's cultural tradition in the United States.

Oh and Lashasha, if you believe in god, we atheist have souls, they're just going to go to hell. Now, don't you feel silly saying such a mean thing like that.

I celebrate Yule, which is the Pagan "christmas" - Except they had Yule first. The Christmas Tree is just a Yule Tree with a star on it.

Yule is the celebration is the Winter Solstice.

Yule obviously is just a rip-off of Christmas, since obviously something can rip off something else if its 3000 years older than Christianity its self.

Hey!

No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth probably occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible records shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter. So why do we celebrate Christ’s birthday as Christmas, on December the 25th?

The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess

of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.

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 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.

In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion

went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.

Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany. A prominent Lutheran minister of the day cried blasphemy: “Better that they should look to the true tree of life, Christ.”

These are the true origins of Christ-mas. It is a pagan holiday, which was dressed up in a Christian facade.

Instead of helping people find Christ, they decided to bring those people's pagan worship into the house of God. In the Bible, those sorts of ideas done by kings and priests (of Israel) were NOT well received. In fact, I think a lot of killing and condemnation (from God) was usually involved when someone did such a thing.

Hope all that helps! Have a wonderful day!

Luv ya,

Tashi :)

P.S: Just so you know, I'm a Christian. And I don't celebrate Christmas.

My husband is an atheist. We celebrate Christmas and put up a tree. I do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. It was never commanded in the Bible that I do so. It was a holiday created by Pagans so I don't really see it as very religious. God never told us to celebrate the birth of Christ.

To my experience, Wink Cat, atheists and agnostics

tend to celebrate Christmas & New Year's Eve as one

since, after all, they're only a week apart.

Personally, I'm an agnostic/Buddhist; and I just like to

"rejoice" as it were, in the charm of the season.

i'm actually Christian and i even have a dificult time with this holiday. well maybe not so much the holiday but more of all the hooplah that surrounds it, especially when "Christians" try to put their spin on obviously secular and/or pagan and/or downright profane ideas. I can't stand most holiday movies and music. Some may call me a scrooge, but i just like to keep it real....really real.

Just because I don’t believe in the Tooth Fairy why do you think I am a inane, immoral, inconsiderate, idiot?

I am sorry, but I don’t believe that there is some invisible, all knowing, all seeing being, with total power is bothering to try and subtly control my life. The world isn’t that nice, it would be great if it was, but the world is a harsh and cruel place and no Virginia there isn’t a Santa Clause; unless you make one.

I am sorry to be the one to tell you this but a belief in God has just a much basis behind it as a belief in Santa Clause; “Oh, but wise people tell us it is true.” And “It wouldn’t be on TV if it wasn’t true.” There are books published about both of them, songs, stories, rhymes, legends and so on. Both are invisible beings who like the tooth fairy steal away in the dead of night not letting us see them or giving us any real proof of their existence. Yet Santa Clause leaves track; his presents. He leaves gifts behind so there is more of a reason to believe in Santa Claus than in any God.

I don’t like to ridicule other people (despite what tone you may detect here). I don’t like to announce that I am an atheist. I do like getting and giving presents, and I do like the spirit of Christmas. So yes I support Christmas and even play the same game as the rest of the world. It is nice to be able to see someone smile and this is the season when you can give them gifts to make them happy. We use Christmas as an excuse for giving presents and it is as good an excuse as any. Plus I can’t afford to do it year round.

NO, I don’t believe in Christmas, or god, or Santa Clause. But, I do believe that Kris Kringle or Saint Nicholas was a real man. A real man who celebrated Christ’s birthday by giving poor children gifts to make their winter less bleak. He was a rich and very nice German man who started a wonderful tradition. He was real, his spirit and his generous nature were all real things and they are carried forth in our traditions today, a tradition that I honor. I also honor Valentines Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, President’s Day, voting in an election and a few dozen other traditions and practices of modern society. They don’t have to have anything to do with God though.

Learn more about atheists, most believe Christ existed, also the Christmas tree was used long before you believe.

Allan Sherman, a Jewish Comic, said his family celebrated Christmas because

people were involved in good feelings, good times and being kind to

each other. He did not want to deny his children those pleasures.