Are you observing the Christmas holiday?

[Hooboy !!]

It's funny. Having been raised as a Jehovah's Witness, I never ever observed the Christmas (or any other) holiday, because they believe that they are all "pagan" corruptions of the True Faith.

One of the early problems I had with this world view though, was that I never learned how to give and receive gifts. Sounds kind of stupid, but it has turned out to be a very difficult thing for me. When people I knew would give me gifts, I was embarrassed and uncomfortable, not knowing what to say. Then, I would never think about showing how I felt about a person by buying them a little something to show them how I felt (oddly, they can't read my mind).

So, my wife and I started a little thing where we would give the kids presents at the end of each school semester, which created some awkwardness, because one of those events occurred right around Christmas time. This forced us to alter the event slightly to avoid there being any confusion about whether or not we were observing Christmas. Our goal was to teach our kids how to give and receive gifts.

As time went by, and I became a solid atheist, I began to wonder why I don't observe the Christmas holiday. I had long since given up my beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness, so nothing was stopping me.

For the first time in my life, I put up a Christmas tree this year and there is a huge pile of presents underneath it. And guess what... I love it. Next year I plan on putting up a bunch of Christmas decorations instead of the subdued and conservative ones I have up now and really getting into the spirit of the holidy.

Why?

Same reason why I like Mexican food and having a manicure. Sure, I am an atheist and I do not buy into the whole "Jesus is the son of God" thing, but... So what? I enjoy the experience, even if it is out of character for me. There is nothing wrong with exposing ones self to new and different things. For me, it is not about Christ. It is about being with family, letting them know how you feel about them and ritualizing the event in some time honored traditional way. Anything would do. This is good enough.

So have a happy holiday (won't say merry Christmas)! I know I will.

[Matty]

I fully agree. Having been raised in a atheistic or religiously indifferent family, it has always been about family, food, drink, merriment and time off work!! with no religiosity whatsoever. Nowadays is no different except i have snowboarding and a new hot tub to look forward to.

Xmas in Canada is great too, the whole white Xmas thing really does add a different edge than the raininess of Uk Xmas. We hqve my mum and 7yr old nephew coming out over the holiday week too, so that'll be lots of toboggan fun, snowball fights and the like. Yay.

All the best and happy hols to everyone.

[Viti]

I love love love Christmas. I celebrate it as a human tradition...what is unusual about celebrating the return of warmth and light after a long dark winter? Nothing! Enjoy!

[linwood]

I`ve never been really crazy about xmas.
If it weren`t for my wife and kids I probably wouldn`t note the occasion at all.

Maybe I`m lucky I have them huh?
:)

[MonCapitan2002]

I don't celebrate relgious holidays.

[lisarea]

Same reason why I like Mexican food and having a manicure.

Because you're a metrosexual?

I guess that makes a kind of sense.

Anyways, I like the holidays, too, which I am going to make an effort to not refer to as "Christmas" anymore.

My family, I think, does it right. No religion involved, we do our best to get together but don't stress it too hard, and gift giving is totally optional. If you can think of something good to get (or make) someone, do it. If you can't, don't. Cuts down on the stinkyassed "bath sets" I have to store under my sink until they evaporate.

At my house, we always get a tree and decorate the hell out of it, we always have lots of food, and everyone always gets at least one or two presents to open (and the dog gets more presents than everyone else combined).

So yeah. I do love me some metrosexual winter celebrations.

[Revolutionary]

Other - Only to the extent to which my social obligations require me to.

[Hooboy !!]

Anyways, I like the holidays, too, which I am going to make an effort to not refer to as "Christmas" anymore.
Bill O'Reilly has been on a crusade this year because places have gone from saying "merry Christmas" to "happy holiday" and instead of it being a "Christmas" tree it is a "holiday" tree. He cracks me up, because he thinks it is a full on assault of religion by atheists. I guess he needs something to talk about. Whatever.

I can understand why people do not want to say "merry Christmas". When I was a believer, I was very uncomfortable when someone would say it to me. I did not know how to respond. Because, I did not share their belief and if I said "merry Christmas" in return, I would be recognizing/celebrating Christmas right along with them.

The notion is absurd.

When people wish me a "merry Christmas", I say "thank you and have a happy holiday". And I genuinely mean it. It is a Christmas celebration. I don't have to believe it to appreciate it or want to wish them a little happiness.

Calling a Christmas tree a "holiday tree" is like calling a burrito a "small flour tortilla wrapped around some kind of filling." It's a buritto!!! Call it a buritto. Its a menorah, not a "candle holder for 9 candles". Call it a menorah.

It's OK to call it a Christmas tree and to celebrate Christmas. It is not like you are getting baptized or anything. God is not going to strike you with lightening for blaspheming His holiday. It's just for fun. Enjoy!

[Illithid]

We have quite a lovely tasteful Christmas tree with a nice pile of loot under it, mostly for the munchkin. My wife and I bought a house for each other this year (well, we'll be making payments for quite some time). I agree with Linwood, if it weren't for my family I wouldn't do anything. Well, I'd still go visit my grandmother in Beaumont and get her a little something. I've always hated the present thing, mostly because I can never figure what to get anyone, and I don't really want anything myself that I don't go get. So I let my wife do the shopping (which she has done by approximately October every year), and I defer a few purchases so people can get them for me.

Like Resident Evil 4. Nothing says Christmas spirit like blowing a zombie's head to rags with a shotgun.

[penumbra]

Calling a Christmas tree a "holiday tree" is like calling a burrito a "small flour tortilla wrapped around some kind of filling." It's a buritto!!! Call it a buritto. Its a menorah, not a "candle holder for 9 candles". Call it a menorah.

It's OK to call it a Christmas tree and to celebrate Christmas. It is not like you are getting baptized or anything. God is not going to strike you with lightening for blaspheming His holiday. It's just for fun. Enjoy!

We actually call it a Solstice tree. And we celebrate in the traditonal pagan way, partying and carousing. To each his own. :devil3:

Happy Solstice to the Druids - the original tree huggers

[Revolutionary]

Nothing says Christmas spirit like blowing a zombie's head to rags with a shotgun.:rolling:

Rock on. :thumbs:

[lisarea]

When people wish me a "merry Christmas", I say "thank you and have a happy holiday". And I genuinely mean it. It is a Christmas celebration. I don't have to believe it to appreciate it or want to wish them a little happiness.

And I don't have a problem with that myself. I've never been religious, but I never thought twice (OK, twice, but not THREE times or anything) about "Merry Christmas." It's a greeting, and it's meant well. I always accepted the warm wishes gratefully, and even returned them.

Thing is, in recent years, I've had a few people tell me I'm *not allowed* to celebrate "their" holiday because I'm not a Christian. Not just in the newspapers and TV or anything, but in real life, to my face.

So I won't. I'll celebrate the solstice with my pagan solstice tree, and bloviating Christians can explain to me why they're trying to coopt something God specifically warns them against. Because regardless of the currency of the rules outlined there, it's not as though they have any claim to the practice.

But yeah, if someone tells me Merry Christmas, I'd probably still say it back. Unless they're being a dick about it.


Calling a Christmas tree a "holiday tree" is like calling a burrito a "small flour tortilla wrapped around some kind of filling." It's a buritto!!! Call it a buritto. Its a menorah, not a "candle holder for 9 candles". Call it a menorah.

I actually had a menorrah for like a million years before I realized what it was, so that illustration didn't really have the oomph it might've had you not just grossly overestimated my cluefullness.

[Worldtraveller]

I voted 'other', mostly cuz there was no magical brownies option. :D

Every few years, my wife will get it in her head to really decorate, make me put the lights up around the house, assemble the tree, bake gazillion cookies and give them out to all our friends....basically drive me nuts.

But most years, we stay away from any mall, strip mall, or store that has more than 2 places of business in one location from the week before thanksgiving, until after the new year. We send cards to those whom we are 'obligated' to...family, and close friends. Everyone else gets e-cards or something.

We haven't decorated for...about 4 years now with all the moves and relocating we've done since 2002. I have a feeling I'm going to be asked to to something next year though.

We usually use the holidays as an excuse to get ourselves something, but our big holidays are more personal. Birthdays and anniverseries is where we usually get ourselves something involving big $$$.

Cheers,
Lane

[Murmur]

No. :( I'd spend it with family but they're down in Louisiana & I'm stuck up here in Tennessee. I'll be all alone *whinge whinge whinge* eating frozen pizzas... :crying:

murmur

[Zygote]

What the heck, call it Christmas and wallow in the kitsch. When else can you go all out with shiny stuff and still be considered a rational human being?

Christmas has never been a religious holiday for me, so it doesn't carry any baggage. It's a time to celebrate family nad generosity and bright shiny lights in the darkest days. I personally enjoy feeling festive when it's dark and cold outside. We have a tree. We sing carols. We make and buy presents. We put up lights outside. We have a ritual of making gingerbread houses with another family - we've been doing it for almost 10 years now, I think.

Christmas can be a lot of fun.

[NZSkep]

seeing as christmas is winter solstice in disguise (not a very good disguise)down here in the southern hemisphere we should celebrate it on 25th of July. It just feels wierd going out for a bbq on the beach on christmas day.

[amaradulcis_nyx]

It's beginning to be an obligitory holiday to travel in really crappy weather. (Most of my family lives two hours north of me and I will make the trip, hoping I don't slide into a snow filled ditch.) I've told my sister I'll attend a C-Mas eve church service with her. I don't mind going, actually. Going into a church doesn't make me a Xian anymore than going in a garage makes me a car. ;)

I have no idea what else we'll be doing - my dad got remarried about a year ago, so this will be our first C-Mas together if we all gather at their house. I buy one gift for my immediate family (but not step-family) members but don't spend too much. It is nice to get a gift, of course. Mainly I like being with my family (as long as there's not too much chaos with the kids) for a few days and having really good, homemade meals. I just wish it wasn't in the winter when the weather's so crappy here.

Might focus on the 21st instead since it's the solstace and my sister's birthday. I have greens out on the porch already. Am looking up Yuletide celebrations for fun. There's got to be something about a night of debauchery, right? :devil3:

[Aristophanes]

I celebrate chanukah :D

though I have nothing against X-mas... and I am an atheist... I was also raised a jew... and i got a bunch of jew friends, so we take turns hosting parties throughout the eight nights.
;)

[starling]

It's funny. Having been raised as a Jehovah's Witness, I never ever observed the Christmas (or any other) holiday, because they believe that they are all "pagan" corruptions of the True Faith.And that's a good reason to observe Yule right there. :D

One of the early problems I had with this world view though, was that I never learned how to give and receive gifts. Sounds kind of stupid, but it has turned out to be a very difficult thing for me. When people I knew would give me gifts, I was embarrassed and uncomfortable, not knowing what to say. Then, I would never think about showing how I felt about a person by buying them a little something to show them how I felt (oddly, they can't read my mind).Don't worry that's normal. :worried: It's an unfortunate thing that our coldest night of the year has been overtaken by corporate agendas, but it's uncomfortable the way we feel pressured to buy during that time.

For the first time in my life, I put up a Christmas tree this year and there is a huge pile of presents underneath it. And guess what... I love it. Next year I plan on putting up a bunch of Christmas decorations instead of the subdued and conservative ones I have up now and really getting into the spirit of the holidy.Wow, congratulations! It's so nice to be able to open up your heart like that. I hope you find the perfect display for the winter. Yule is one of the most beautiful holidays.
Sure, I am an atheist and I do not buy into the whole "Jesus is the son of God" thing, but... So what? I enjoy the experience, even if it is out of character for me. There is nothing wrong with exposing ones self to new and different things. For me, it is not about Christ.What does Jesus have to do with Yule? :)

[Agemegos]

We actually call it a Solstice tree.

I'm tempted to put one up and call it a Yule Log.

[Aristophanes]

a chanukah bush

[Killer Mike]

I see no problem with Christmas. Traditions can evolve and their meaning can as well. Im an atheist and see Christmas in a more secular light. The meaning of Christmas to me is the spirit of good will. A time when we can be a little more like the human beings we all wished we were all year long. A time of giving, sharing, being a little nicer, and helping those in need.

One can hold to a secular Christmas, and I find no offense in having a christmas tree, exchanging presents, calling it Christmas, etc.. Just because christmas trees were initially Pagan, does not mean it is a Pagan tradition today. And just because some celebrate Christmas as the time of the birth of their Jesus, does not mean Im celebrating his birth by having a secular christmas.

The bottom line is the underlying meaning that you hold to Christmas. As I drive past all these department stores, with lights, christmas trees, etc., I think of the spirit of good will. This is what Christmas means to me.

[Primer Mi Carucha]

Bart: Aren't we forgeting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa?

[Not-For-Prophet]

Christmas never has been treated as a religious holiday in my family, so I'm still comfortable celebrating it. It is more of a family festival for us with a pretty tree, a gluttonous feast, bottles and bottles of wine, and of course, loot.

[Shake]

I feel that the "Christmas spirit" isn't necessarily religiously based. It's a time to celebrate the joy of giving. It's about being with loved ones and enjoying their company.

Also, I'm sort of a traditional sort of guy. We always had Christmas growing up, even during some lean years and those really made you appreciate it all the more. It's not about giving or getting the best, most expensive things out there. It's about thoughtfulness and caring about those close to you.

The disconnect many folks have is that they're caught up in the whole, you need religion to be moral or kind, rigamarole. Talk about missing the reason for the season! :rolleyes:

No, we'll continue to do it, and do it big for quite a while, as our son is 5, and baby #2 is due in March, so there'll be many years to watch the joy on children's faces.

I like the look of the decorations, the smells of Christmas trees and good food, and the music of the season.

[penumbra]

Does it seem to anybody else, besides me, that most of us heathens fall into one of two groups:

1. Those that view "Christmas" as a generic term for the winter holiday season, and feel that the word itself has mostly lost it's religious connotation, and,

2. Those that prefer not to use the term "Christmas" at all due to it's religious origin or implications, and usually harken back to older mid-winter designations like Solstice or Yule or Saturnalia?

I'm just perverse enough to place myself in that latter group. :D

[Hooboy !!]

We actually call it a Solstice tree. And we celebrate in the traditonal pagan way, partying and carousing. To each his own. :devil3:

Happy Solstice to the Druids - the original tree huggers
I'm sure there are many variations. I would like to do a different theme each year. Not sure how practical that is.

[Hooboy !!]

I actually had a menorrah for like a million years before I realized what it was, so that illustration didn't really have the oomph it might've had you not just grossly overestimated my cluefullness.
Yea. Not my best work. I really struggled to find some good analogies.

[Hooboy !!]

Wow, congratulations! It's so nice to be able to open up your heart like that. I hope you find the perfect display for the winter. Yule is one of the most beautiful holidays.
Thanks!

My wife really likes it. She makes her own wreaths, center pieces and stuff like that. My oldest daughter is just like her, so there is a tremendous amount of energy that is available.

Of course, I had no idea what you meant by "find the perfect display" until just the last few days as I have been prowling the neighborhood looking for ideas on what I want to do next year and develop my plan for implementing it.

What seems to be popular this year are the blowup snowmen and stuff. I'm not into that. I like lights though, particularly the great big colorful ones. So, I will build on that. I also like lights in the trees, shrubs and cacti to outline their shapes.

I suppose it is an accumulative process too. But, I tend to obsess.

[penumbra]

What seems to be popular this year are the blowup snowmen and stuff. I'm not into that. I like lights though, particularly the great big colorful ones. So, I will build on that. I also like lights in the trees, shrubs and cacti to outline their shapes.

I suppose it is an accumulative process too. But, I tend to obsess.

Can I say "ditto" on the air-blown stuff??

23 years ago I unknowingly (at the time) moved into a neighborhood where light displays are the next step below "required by law" (ie, it's not in the covenants, but the peer pressure is enormous). Took me the first few years to cover everything possible with lights and graduate to lawn decorations (my house has a snowman theme), and outdoor speakers. These are not small houses (2500 to 3500 sf - split level and 2 story), and mine is wide (70 ft) across the front. Nowadays it takes me a good 3 days to set everything up, including replacing bulbs. I did, however, get smart a few years ago and added 3 dedicated 20 amp circuits on a timer for outlets on the front and sides of the house.

I hate to even begin to add what up what I've invested in lights, displays, extension cords, etc, (not to mention the electric bill) over the years. And some of my neighbors are a lot worse than I am (a full size mechanical Santa, sleigh and all 8 reindeer, a fully lit 60 foot fir tree, digital controllers, etc, etc.).

It was a lot of fun for many years, but has lost some of it's appeal for me recently. But that's fine, because I plan on moving in a year or two anyway. Unlike the previous owner, however, I will leave about 90% of my stuff for the next guy!

One thing that was fun the last few years was finding unusual items on the internet that weren't in the local stores so that I had something unique. But now the neighbors have caught on........

[inmeitrust]

Christmas would be observed (in a secular way - a celebration of family and seasonal transition) in my house if my son was with me this year. He's 10 and I don't get him until next year. I'm not really going to through the extra work of decorating for just me. Next year though...tree, lights, etc.

[fjripit]

I celebrate the newborn Sun on December 25th, when it actually begins its northward migration after the solstice on Dec. 21st (this year).

On December 25, the sun rises 1/10 of it's width farther north — just barely detectable by carefully observing the shadows cast at sunrise. Our savior, the Sun, has been reborn, to begin the cycle of the year and the cycle of life again.

A fascinating allegory:

http://home1.gte.net/deleyd/religion/solarmyth/christ2002.htm

[anders]

Muted. Means having no tree, including not having to vacuum those infernal pine needles for months, and telling mom, and sisters and their families that I neither want nor will give presents. We ourselves know better than others what we want, so why have them do the fun thing, choosing those items? Besides, my SO isn't into European holidays at all. Suits me perfectly.

All of us being fairly busy in lots of ways, the positve thing about the celebrating of Yule (no X in that word in any way) is that a fair number of us are sure to meet and dine and have a generally good time.

[Unbeatable]

I guess I'd go with the first option, since my family does the big fancy tree thing and the gift thing. Or should I go with the second because our tree is plastic and we don't do any external house decorations?

In any event, Christmas is a completely secular holiday for my whole family. It's not just secular; it's totally meaningless. It's not even about family togetherness or good will towards men or any of that stuff. It's not about anything. It's just mindless consumerism and dispassionate, artificial, forced ritual. To call it a holiday or "celebration" at all would seem strange. "Observe" is indeed a good word for it, because it connotes numb detachment, which is exactly how I feel towards it when I'm not feeling dread or embarassment.

It used to be that putting up the tree was fun back when we all had free time. My mother, brother and I would make a big event out of taking the big plastic tree out of the box in the closet, assembling it and decorating it. We'd set aside a day weeks in advance to do it. I even made a bunch of home-made ornaments back when I was in elementary school. Now we put up the tree if we have the time.

Last year, my mother, brother, and I finally verbalized what we had all suspected-- Christmas is meaningless to all of us. So we opted not to put up the big tree at all because we didn't have the time or energy, so instead we put up this little three no-assembly-or-ornaments-required tree for the sake of visitors. This year, though, my mother and her boyfriend's four-year-old son put up the big tree since that sort of thing's fun for little kids. They even put up a light-up Santa in the front window that can be seen from the street, although there still hasn't been any effort at exterior lighting. This was the first year with a tree where my brother and I didn't participate in the process.

The gift thing's become a dreaded, pointless obligation. We've got this messed up arrangement in my family where my mother insists that we still make up Christmas lists, but when it comes to her gifts, she'll either hint at one and only one item around that time of year or she'll not mention anything at all, leaving me to keep track of any product she might've expressed a passing interest in earlier in the year. And because there's usually only one, I'm still motivated by guilt to try to come up with some extra "thoughtful" gift, which fortunately is easy, because she apparently feels too guilty to ever spend money on herself. I, in turn, feel too guilty to ask for presents, but since she makes me write a list, I make sure to make rank the entries in terms of priority and stress that she is only to get the two or three highest ranked entries, but if they're too difficult to find, that she should move down the list at her convenience.

My father doesn't want gifts anymore. He specifically has been telling us not to get him anything for Father's Day or his birthday; he went so far as to tell us not to get him a card either, but I usually do at least that. Thankfully, he doesn't make us ask for specific gifts. Our routine with him is set-- he'll either buy us some sort of electronics/computer stuff or we'll go out and he'll pay for whatever clothes we opt to buy during the post-Christmas clearance sales.

What I dread most about Christmas is Christmas morning when we're all exchanging gifts. We all keep pretending that the gifts I buy and wrap are from my brother and I when everybody knows full well that my brother's a schizophrenic without the presence of mind to buy anything for anyone. And we also try to feign enthusiasm even though typically everybody knows what they're getting. It's becoming harder and harder for me to feign surprise or excitement.

I don't know if Christmas in my family is going to survive if I ever manage to move out. I can tell that the whole thing's basically hanging by the thin thread of my mother's childlike enthusiasm for it, but even she has acknowledged its pointlessness. A huge Seinfeld fan, she's bought the book on Festivus and has occasionally joked about celebrating that instead of Christmas. A few times years ago, she tried to get us to celebrate Kwanzaa in addition to Christmas, but nobody would go along with it so she dropped it. I wonder how much longer she can go on being the only one still pretending to care about Christmas before she decides to stop wasting her energy. I suppose it'll probably survive as long as I keep going through the motions, but it's become such an embarassing joke I don't know if I'll be able to keep doing that forever.

[IRON MAN]

Bill O'Reilly has been on a crusade this year because places have gone from saying "merry Christmas" to "happy holiday" and instead of it being a "Christmas" tree it is a "holiday" tree. He cracks me up, because he thinks it is a full on assault of religion by atheists. I guess he needs something to talk about. Whatever.

I can understand why people do not want to say "merry Christmas". When I was a believer, I was very uncomfortable when someone would say it to me. I did not know how to respond. Because, I did not share their belief and if I said "merry Christmas" in return, I would be recognizing/celebrating Christmas right along with them.

The notion is absurd.

When people wish me a "merry Christmas", I say "thank you and have a happy holiday". And I genuinely mean it. It is a Christmas celebration. I don't have to believe it to appreciate it or want to wish them a little happiness.

Calling a Christmas tree a "holiday tree" is like calling a burrito a "small flour tortilla wrapped around some kind of filling." It's a buritto!!! Call it a buritto. Its a menorah, not a "candle holder for 9 candles". Call it a menorah.

It's OK to call it a Christmas tree and to celebrate Christmas. It is not like you are getting baptized or anything. God is not going to strike you with lightening for blaspheming His holiday. It's just for fun. Enjoy!

By the Christ I'm glad to hear an ex-JW say that! It means there's hope for the rest of them. I've never seen a bunch of people get so fucking hung up on a couple of words before.

[Howay the Toon]

Look at Christmas and Easter. Two festivals with pagan roots, overlaid with Christian stuff. Both have celebratory traditions with both pagan and christian elements. Both have various names with pagan, christian or secular roots

Christmas, Yule, Sostice, Holidays, Noel etc

Easter, The passion, Holy week, spring festival etc

In one case it is the Christian name which has become the generic common description, in the other it is the pagan name. Big freeking deal.

I always find it odd to hear people arguing that using the term "Christmas" implies an exclusively christian holiday don't appear to use the same logic for Easter.

[Hooboy !!]

I've never seen a bunch of people get so fucking hung up on a couple of words before.
LOL

That ain't the half of it. I could write a book about all of my hang ups.

[Tom Sawyer]

I LOVE Xmas. It's the best time of the year. The decorations are great, you get all sorts of presents and get together for a big meal and lie around drunk for a couple of days. There's really nothing to compare. Also, it's the only time of the year you can drive around listening to really cheesy music and not feel obligated to switch to the classic rock station when you go through a drive-thru so that the server doesn't think you're a dork.

So some old Roman dudes decided to switch their main festival to a big pagan one so all their followers wouldn't feel left out when everyone else was celebrating and things went and got out of hand - big deal. The day is crass consumerism at its best and a chance to feel normal when doing stupid, silly things. It's great.

[reddhedd]

As an ex JW, I also had some problems with xmas, easter,birthdays etc. Just felt really weird!
But, I figure, I'm not christian, so I don't do xmas. Neither am I jewish, so don't do hannukah...Seems to me that jumping into one is just as good as jumping into the other. We do however celebrate birthdays. The most important and well loved people in my life are here because they were born! Damn right I'm gonna party! lol

We do a very quiet Solstice thing, just to mark the real thing that it is, a short day and long night. In every culture around the world, as far back as history goes, it's been noticed, and marked in some way. We talk about solstice traditions from around the world, light a fire, put together a puzzle while listening to old radio shows...eat beer cheese soup and a flaming steamed pudding! Yum!

However, we do a HUGE gift day in January. We make it a point to hit the after xmas sales, with checks from elderly relatives in hand ;)... on whatever day suits us best that year. Decorate the house in snowflakes, snowmen and penguins, have a bunch of folks over for clam chowder...
Fun, noise, gifts, food. What could be better?

[Kevin]

I chose Other, because I'm not celebrating Christmas purely for the entertainment value in watching the proselytizers flail around when I respond to their question "If you're not a Christian, why do you celebrate Christmas?" (Yes we breed a stupid strain of fundy here in Kansas.)

Instead, I celebrate the voyage of HMS Beagle with Darwin on board (it set sail Dec 27, 1831). Since I am, as far as I know, the only person who observes this holiday, I'm enjoyably free of any constraints as to how to observe it. My Beaglemas will involve presents, a visit to the "Explore Evolution" exhibit at the KU natural history museum, viewing Inherit the Wind, going to visit my friends with their presents and some food, and going to Drinking Liberally.

[Siamang]

My stock response to "why don't atheists/liburls work on Christmas?"

"You're a Republican? Do you give up Labor Day because it celebrates Unions?"

[Iskander]

Yes we like Xmas it is now the only time when all the family gets toghether.

We celebrate and enjoy

[NoJ33bu5!]

I'm giving and reciving gifts, thats about it.