Why do atheists celebrate christmas and other religious holidays?
I have seen lots of people who have claimed to be an athiest and say christian and catholic religion is all faulse and not true, but yet they celebrate christmas, infact one person who i know if a big atheist but yet at christmas greeted me merry christmas?
I don’t get atheists, they say they are but yet they celebrate religious holidays, whats your take on all this?
Indeed – they sure do! Why wouldn’t they? =)
November 30th, 2009 at 5:14 am
I’m not an Atheist but I guess they celebrate the holidays because of the presents. I don’t think people celebrate Christian holidays for the Christian purpose.
VIVA LA RAZA!
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November 30th, 2009 at 5:50 am
They celebrate holidays because the holidays have become so commercialized that they are almost not even about the religious aspects anymore…just about buying things and throwing huge parties for your friends.
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November 30th, 2009 at 6:01 am
Probably because Christmas has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity any more!
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November 30th, 2009 at 6:15 am
I think it’s just the thing to do. Just because you can’t dance, doesn’t mean you can’t go to a dance. They enjoy the fun aspects of the religious holidays. Most Christians have no problem with what others do.
Yes, there are Christians who do celebrate Christ in their "fun" holidays.
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November 30th, 2009 at 6:58 am
I don’t celebrate x-mas. I put a tree with lights on it in my front window and give my kids presents, but we are more celebrating winter and we dont have angels or any religious symbols. We celebrate all the seasons. And when my kids are old enough, I hope to not have to put the tree up!
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November 30th, 2009 at 7:40 am
With the exception of going to church on Xmas eve, the other traditions are all pagan oriented. Same with Easter.
Where in the bible did you think the Easter bunny was mentioned?
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November 30th, 2009 at 8:17 am
For the same reasons Christians do, it is tradition. We all know Jesus was most likely NOT born on December 25th. It is now a cultural tradition, not a religious one.
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November 30th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Define celebrate.
I don’t know any Christians (but my Aunt and her family) that actual "celebrate" it.
Everyone else just spends money and buys presents…or go to church.
I am an Atheist…and I never grew up in the whole presents thing and celebrating Christmas. Mainly, because my Dad was a single parent and worked 7 days a week (my mother died) and all my relatives on both sides lived hours away.
Although, as you get older ANY holiday is just a burden…it’s boring and old. It’s only enjoyable once you have kids and you can see the joy in their faces and such.
I say Merry Christmas…because it is CHRISTMAS! That’s what it is called! Regardless if it’s related to religion or not. Saying Happy Holidays is bullshit.
One of the reasons Atheist’s may celebrate Christmas is because they use to be religious and they were brought up around Christmas…so it’s out of habit.
But rarely anyone celebrates Christmas for Jesus…they just want their presents.
Jewish people don’t celebrate Christmas… (don’t believe in Santa and all that).
If I feel like celebrating (if you want to call it that) a holiday then I will.
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November 30th, 2009 at 9:03 am
If your a christian, do you have a pine tree?
or do you have eggs at christmas?
neither of these are christian, in fact they are very pagan…
and technically jesus was born in july times, and just moved to "christmas" when constantine made it the holy roman empire.
as for why
who doesnt love presents?
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November 30th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Explain to me how a lighted tree, gift giving, mistletoe and many other traditions have anything to actually do with religion or "Jesus?" BTW, Jesus wasn’t born on Christmas either…so therefore Christans are celebrating Pagan traditions.
All these traditions are Pagan.
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November 30th, 2009 at 9:55 am
im an atheist but i just celebrate it for the fun of it, i mean come on, its a great holiday.
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November 30th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Christmas, easter, all that jazz?? well, their now hallmark holidays. I even know jewish people who prefer to celebrate christmas, simply because it’s more comfortable, and less religious. If you don’t have a jesus cross and all that crap, then it’s all halmark and family oriented. That’s how i celebrate christmas.
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November 30th, 2009 at 10:55 am
That is a stupid question.
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November 30th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Because Yule was a Pagan festival before the Christians adopted it.
We also have Harvest festival – Lammas, and Imbolc – the light of the new year. Oestara – With the Bunny and the eggs.
Plus we like parties – and dancing.
I suppose you dec your halls with Holly and toast the Yule log the same as we do.
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November 30th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I do not celebrate Christmas. I have 3 nephews and one great nephew and I do buy them gifts because they are young and I respect their parents wishes. However, the adults in my family know that I am an Atheist and know that I will not participate in any function. I do not buy gifts for my sisters, nor my parents. They buy me stuff "just because" and never complain that I do not buy them anything for Christmas.
So, I must ask you this: Why do Christians celebrate Halloween? Isn’t that "Satans Holiday"?
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November 30th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Maybe because…….it’s fun? Who doesn’t like a celebration, anyway? And Christmas is the biggest one in this country. It’s more than just a celebration of the birth of Christ. Christmas can symbolize different things to different people. For most people who celebrate Christmas, yet do not follow the Christian religion, I think it’s just because it’s a celebration of love and of sharing that love all around and giving gifts to those you love. It’s a wonderful time of year! A time of giving!
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November 30th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
In my opinion, most of the people on YA that say they are Atheist, really are not. They just aren’t Christians and feel that they have to classify themselves in some category.
As far as Christmas, Jesus may not have been born on this specific date on the calendar, but Christians have chosen to celebrate his birthday on this date yearly. The gift-giving came from the fact that God gave us Jesus to be the eternal gift of life and Savior.
Everyone likes to receive gifts and give gifts for the joy of doing something to make someone else happy.
The same goes for gathering for Thanksgiving with family for a traditional family-shared dinner. Then, there is Easter with Egg Hunts and prizes and usually another family-shared dinner, again.
People don’t forsake families on holiday get-togethers for the sake of adding a religious belief title onto their name.
I have known of unbelievers to attend a Christmas or Easter pageant at a church, just because their child was performing in it.
There are many, many more reasons why people do what they do, but they’re just speculations.
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Having friends of many religious beliefs
November 30th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Oh for goodness sake, must you people always try to stir up trouble? If this were a serious question you would have just looked it up, seeing as on this site alone it’s been asked hundreds of times before. They celebrate it because they want to, and actually Christmas was a Pagan holiday before Christians even came around.
Greenshootuk: Goodness. A bit defensive and superior, don’t you think? No matter what you would like to believe, not everyone believes Christianity to be true and good. And it really WAS a pagan celebration long ago. Many Christians who have done their research will tell you the same. But when saying so no one is telling you you cannot celebrate for God and Jesus, they are simply telling you it was not ALWAYS about God and Jesus. So take a deep breath and loosen up a bit, okay?
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November 30th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Christians came up with something which touches the centre of the human heart. Atheists, although they profess not to believe, still have a vestige of humanity which is touched by the Christian ideas around Christmas.
However, this they find a bit of an embarassment. How can religion really be doing good? So denial kicks in and new myths are invented.
"We’re not really celebrating Christmas, its just a secular holiday "
or
"It’s not really Christian at all, its all pagan"
Neither are true, just self deception.
Christmas and the customs surrounding it are Christian. There is no evidence that any of them are pagan. Commercial interests have hooked into Christmas to make money, but there is nothing new in secular businesses trying to profit from religion.
Atheists celebrate Christmas because its core Christian message still appeals to them, even if they would prefer that it didn’t.
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November 30th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
While christmas holds religious meanings for some it is not entirely Chirstian. Many traditions were stolen from the pagans, and currently, Christmas (at least in the US) is more a cultural festival than a religious festival.
I celebrate it because to me it is about celebrating life and love and friendship. Its about doing good to your fellow man, and personally I think that any excuse to get people doing that more often is a good one!
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November 30th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Indeed – they sure do! Why wouldn’t they? =)
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November 30th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Why not? it’s been so commercialized that it’s not about Christ for many people.
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