Do you celebrate Christmas?

Just wondering how many people "keep the Christ in Christmas", and how many just love the idea of goodwill towards man, or the presents, being with family, etc.

Christmas is very much a secular holiday in the US now. It's mainly focused on presents, sales, and being with friends and family.

Plus, there are roughly 29 Holidays during November and December, within the 7 major religions, so it makes sense to use Christmas as the starting point for a lot of celebrations. Christmas itself is based on a lot of Pagan holidays and rituals.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

I don't celebrate Christmas-- however, I do get fully absorbed in the Christmas spirit. I love the music (it's really all I listen to in the car from thanksgiving to New Years).. I love the decorations in stores... the Christmas movies.. the joy it all represents.. I just love this time of year, even as not someone who officially celebrates.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

I am Catholic, but not religious, and I celebrate (and live for!!!! ) Christmas!!

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes!!! I am catholic but am very sporadic with church during the year but we always go to Church on Christmas Eve or Day. I LOVE Christmas. We have a nativity set and I read a couple of related books to the kids which they like...but no mistaking we fully embrace, Santa, Elf on the Shelf, Cookies, Presents, Decorations, time off work - LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of year

Do you celebrate Christmas?

A mix. I try to teach dd about the religious aspects of Christmas, and we do go to mass on Christmas some years. We also keep polish traditions in dhs family

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

I put other. I'm not really a "Christian," but I wouldn't call myself a non-Christian. It's really hard for me to click on Christian and then say I only do the tree and presents. I also don't want to click on non-Christian-- but that's another discussion.

I love Christmas.

Do you celebrate Christmas?

Other- I waver between atheist and agnostic but celebrate Christmas. Christmas has always been just about family/presents/santa with no religious aspects in my family.

Message edited 11/20/2016 6:45:42 PM.

Do you celebrate Christmas?

Although we're not very religious we still go to church on Christmas Eve.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

Other. I've moved into the atheist category from non practicing Jewish category; and dh is Catholic but also non practicing so we don't practice anything together

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

We actually do go to church, and go even more during December, but don't go on Christmas Eve or Day. We are usually traveling and church is so crowded those days. Weak excuses, I know.

Do you celebrate Christmas?

Catholic.. got to Church every Sunday and other Holy Days of Obligation, not just Christmas. Christmas is much more than Santa & presents for Catholics.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes we celebrate and cover baby Jesus until Christmas

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes we celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ. We have a nativity set & my kids are learning that Jesus was born on Christmas Day & that's the reason it's an important day. I have some books I read to them about the meaning of Christmas.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

I was raised Christian but I don't feel I really identify with the religion. I'd consider myself more Agnostic. That being said, we do the tree and presents.

Do you celebrate Christmas?

Were Catholic, we make a point to make sure we go to church at least once a month. My husband was raised where you didn't open presents till after church to remember the real reason of Christmas. This is my son's first Christmas and it is a tradition we are keeping. However we also love all the decorating and Santa type stuff.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

I LOVE Christmas time... the colors, movies, decorated homes and stores, etc. Now that I said that, I don't celebrate Christmas. LOL! We are Jewish and celebrate only Hanukkah. We make it very big for the family. We have Hanukkah family parties, the kids will get a gift each night and we light the menorah and we also decorate the house. Nothing crazy, but enough with the menorahs, dreidels and other stuff we put around. I have to say the cleanup is super easy so when it's over I say to myself... few, I'm glad I don't celebrate Christmas just for the cleanup. LOL!

We will go to our friend's home for dinners and love to see the tree. Boys love it too, but they love Hanukkah as well. We go away with other Jewish friends for Christmas and make it fun and special.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

I’m atheist

We celebrate the season of giving. So you could say xmas is my Thanksgiving. Which is ironic since I’m also part American Indian and sort of hate Thanksgiving and use Thanksgiving to just eat and watch Football on a day off from work. I spend Thanksgiving with friends and just hang out. But xmas we do the family thing and have the whole meal and kids thing and I feel like that’s truly a Giving of Thanks for the whole year.

The Festival of Lights and Tree are beautiful. The fat man in the red suit is fun for the kids. I have a lot of very religious members in my family and at first it was a difficult subject for them. They wanted me to convert (which is stupid) or they felt insulted (which is even more stupid) but they finally learned I just want peace and family time.

Xmas is when I make donations and take true stock of how grateful I am for my world. I mean I do that all year but I use it as a learning time for my daughter. We have 4 donations through the year but our tradition is a big donation runs during xmas. We are already piling up unopened toys in the house for the fireman. We are also going to make a run at a dollar store for towels to make towel teddy bears for the homeless shelters and family centers.

To me, as an atheist, my religion – if you will – is the faith and belief in the the human race. We need to be kind to each other. We need to be there for each other. I don’t care what you believe in or how you spend your Saturday or Sunday in temple, church or parish. I want all of us to be happy, whole and together in harmony. That is my Atheist faith. So xmas is our time (Atheists) to show that side of our beliefs. I enjoy it immesely. It’s a wonderful time for my daughter and I.

Message edited 11/21/2016 10:48:36 AM.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

Do you celebrate Christmas?

Other - Father is Catholic, Mother is Jewish - celebrated all the holidays but was Bat Mitzvahed - so I'm Jewish
Husband is Catholic, I'm Jewish - celebrate all the holidays but kids are being raise Catholic
So while I embrace the religious aspect of the holiday, we celebrate family and the essence of Christmas more than attend church

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

Yes - I celebrate Christmas. I try to go to mass at least every other week during the year. I put up a nativity and celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ. We go to midnight mass every Christmas Eve. I've been doing that since I was a kid.

However, I also do the non-secular aspects of the holiday - it's really my favorite time of year.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

It's my favorite holiday!

It starts on Thanksgiving. We write our letters to Santa. Ds makes DH and I write one as well.

Friday after Thanksgiving we always go to see Santa, give him our letters, and have out picture taken.

We do the chocolate advent calendar each year and DS is excited each morning to open a new day.

We put up our fake tree and decorate the first weekend in December. We have holiday music playing, lots of christmas-scented candles, and hot cocoa. After we decorate, we watch a Christmas movie. DS loves "a nine-dog Christmas" so we watch it every year.

About 2 days before, we make cookies for Santa.

I used to do midnight Mass, but now we go to the Pageant at 5pm with DS. He has the opportunity to be in it this year, but is refusing. I LOVE seeing the kids re-enact the nativity story. I cry every year.

Then straight from church to Christmas Eve dinner at mom's. In Poland Christmas Eve is the big day, so this dinner is more "important." It's still a fast, so lots of fish and vegeterian meals. DS, as the youngest gives out the gifts. He loves being in charge.

Christmas day morning it's just DH, DS, and me. We open our presents and stockings and eat sugary cookies or pancakes for breakfast.

Christmas Day is always at my house. Both sides of the family come, along with DS' godparents and any other friends who have no where to go. I usually end up with 15-20 people. We take a group picture each year and then use it in our annual calendar. The dinner starts around 3pm and goes on until my dad decides it's time to go, so around midnight.

And then our celebrations continue because 27th is our Wedding anniversary and DHs family celebrates New Years like we do Christmas.

I LOVE the traditions, the family and friends being together, and seeing the happiness on everyone's faces.

Do you celebrate Christmas?

We just started going back to church last year (we switched from Catholic to nondenominational). Our church does a Christmas Eve Eve service. It was beautiful. I went to the candle lit service and everyone sang the more religious Christmas carols. So we're a little more religious than we were before about Christmas.

Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?

DH and I were both raised Catholic but decided years ago we no longer believed in a lot of what Catholicism represented. We chose not to have our children baptized but still celebrate Christmas. It was important to DH that our children believe in Santa. So, we do the Santa thing. We celebrate more the Pagan traditions and talk about the symbolism behind the Christmas tree.