Atheists: how do you plan to celebrate Christmas, or not?

Are you really as ignorant as you sound?

Christmas is nothing to do with either Christianity or Islam but it does have it's origins in the midwinter festival and many other basically pagan rites but since much of it is a celebration of nature rather than religion everyone should be able to enjoy it and be happy together despite religion!

The ancient European pagans celebrated the midwinter festival and a number of other festivals long before Christianity ever existed!

Babylonians celebrated the feast of the Son of Isis with gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift giving and the goddess of fertility, love, and war.

The Romans held a festival on 25 December called “Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, celebrating their own god Sol Invictas – PAGAN!

The Persian god Mithras, the Syrian sun god Elah Gabal, the German Sol, the Greek Helios and the Mesopotamian Shamash. But also Saturnalia, honouring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. The law courts and schools were closed. No public business could be transacted an this is where the holidays originated - ALL PAGAN!

Wax tapers were given by the more humble to their superiors. The origin of the Christmas candle - PAGAN!

In Rome groups of costumed went from house to house entertaining their people. And this was where the carolling Christmas tradition originated PAGAN!

Statues of the Mother and lover or Mother and son were paraded through the streets not only in Italy but also in Africa, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and Bulgaria. Thus, the symbolism of the Heavenly Virgin and the infant child paraded on a yearly basis are not of Christian origin. They stem from the Mother-goddess religion, which is very ancient ENTIRELY PAGAN!

Scandinavian countries celebrated Yule honouring Thor – PAGAN!

In Germania (not Germany) they celebrated midwinter night followed by 12 wild nights of eating and drinking. The 12 days of Christmas PAGAN!

The church under Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25 in 350 AD in order to try to hijack the PAGAN festivals but it was largely ignored. Christians did not really celebrate Christmas until 378 but it was then dropped in 381 and not resurrected until 400.

The Christmas tree stems from pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice, which included the use of holly boughs ivy and other foliage as an adaptation of pagan tree worship. Holly and ivy represented male and female. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual - all PAGAN!

Santa Claus came from the Dutch “Sinterklaas” and was a tall figure riding a white horse through the air and usually accompanied by Black Peter, an elf who punished disobedient children. Also the origin of the reindeer, sleigh and the elves ALL PAGAN!

The modern red coated Santa was brought about by coca cola!

AMERICA ACTUALLY BANNED CHRISTMAS several times and is the originator of the expression “Happy Holidays” which came about because of the pagan origins of Christmas to include all religions and traditions!

The Venerable Bede, an early Christian writer pointed out that the Christian church absorbed Pagan practices when it found the population unwilling to give up the festivals. Thus a lot of what Christians now see as Christians practices are in fact pagan!

Christmas is the time of year christians strive to prove just how pagan they have become

I celebrate the heck out of Christmas. I point out its non-christmas origins to try and spread some knowledge. This holiday should be very important to Athiests. The origins of the holiday are a story of sticking to your beliefs, no matter what dominating force comes to push you around.

Christmas used to not be called Christmas. There used to be a whole lot of different festivals around this time most of them Pagan and going by many names. When the Roman Empire took over control long long ago, they realized people were not going to stop celebrating their old customs and ways. So the Roman empire decided to bundle them all together and call It "Sol Invictus" and changed things around to fit their customs and the official day was set to December 25'th. It was all an act of dominance and intimidation with a thin veneer of "tolerance".

Later in History, When the Catholic church took over control, they realized people were not going to stop celebrating their old customs and ways. They renamed Sol Invictus to "Christmas" even though Jesus was not born anywhere near December 25'th. This was done because the Church wanted to force people to celebrate Christ if they were going to try and have a nice holiday. It was all an act of dominance and intimidation with a thin veneer of "tolerance".

At some point the pagan aspects of the holiday started bothering the church. The church could not wipe the Pagan origins of the holidays away any more than the Romans could. This infuriated the Christians who then tried to have Christmas banned in parts of Europe in the 1600's because it still adhered to its pagan roots in spite of everything the church had done to beat it out of people. The ban was eventually lifted. People are not going to stop celebrating their customs and ways.

Celebrating continued onwards through the years always with Christian flare ups. In America, during the industrial era, commercialism started making the holiday its own thing entirely which really made Christians angry. After all the lies they managed to layer on to this day? How dare someone take attention away from that! So now, every year, Christians try to play themselves as some sort of victim who's holiday is at war. When in truth... they're the ones who stole the holidays.

"Christmas" is an important celebration, but not for Christians ( or ancient Romans). It should be a time of shame for them. They should leave the holiday alone for it never was and continues to not be about Jesus. Everyone else who isn't interested in dominating and controlling, can celebrate the fact that in spite of a long history of people trying to tell you what to believe in and do, you're still able to break free. THAT should be celebrated. Our history is amazing. Don't forget it. Celebrate it.

I celebrate the winter Solstice, I get together with my loved ones and we have a nice dinner, play some board games and exchange a few small gifts. I call the ones that are far away and tell them I love them and I enjoy q quiet, peaceful season.

Why should I ignore the parties? Your god isn't going to be there to bother me is it? I only ignore invitations to boring "praise god" stuff.

No, I don't "go away" as badly as some of you wish I would.

No, I am not the "proverbial" grinch, why would I be?

You know, Christians whined and fussed till everyone in the western world has to celebrate "Christmas", and now they go around trying to say we shouldn't. You people need to make up your minds.

I believe christmas is the second time of year you can spend money for your family other than someones birthday.

Have a christmas tree (pagan in origin anyway, introduced to Britain by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria), buy presents for friends and family, have a nice dinner, go to parties if you want. The sort of festival we see at Christmas pre-dates christianity. Atheists tend to just see it as a nice holiday, time to remember family and friends etc. We just don't do the churchy bit.

I love celebrating Pagan holidays.

Now that we switched to an artificial tree (can thank a cat for that one after having a wad of toy mouse fur and pine needles removed from his gut not quite two years ago) my brother in law already dragged it into the house today. We'll do our usual family traditional... getting out the old heirloom ornaments, the mementos made into ornaments to remember those that are now gone.. family, food, cards, gifts...the usual normal things most people do other than the Jesus part of it.

We'd probably go to parties we wish to attend if available, though we don't know many people who throw parties, especially not these days with everyone's finances down.

Christmas is a great FEDERAL holiday! it's a lot of fun! I open presents and give presents and my family is super happy. I may not believe in Christ but then again you don't believe in evil Spirits that get scared when you have a costume on yet you celebrate Halloween. I don't ignore invitations I go to many of my friend's New Year parties and sometimes Christmas EVE parties.

:)

I use Christmas as just one day to celebrate with family and friends. U may do it for Christ. I do it for myself, family and friends

Christmas was originally a holiday worshiping the Pagan deity Mithra. But I will celebrate with lots of eggnog, ham, gifts, and candy :D

The Christians appropriated a Pagan festival (Saturnalia).