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Why is it when people who claim not to be religious still celibate religious holiday? Is it just me that sees some wrong with that?

Carl71 3 Feb 6
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5

Christmas and Easter have become fairly secular, Halloween was never a christian religious holiday

4

Utilize to get together with loved ones. Period.

Like any other time you mean?

I was fully expecting this "any other time" response. And yes, it could be, but in my family, we all have our own stuff going on, and life gets in the way. And we're all separated by distance. I enjoy having a "special occasion" where we all can plan to be together. It's not that complicated.

@Carl71 More people -- family and friends -- congregate during the holidays. Good opportunities to see several family members at once -- especially if some are flying from different areas.

But, you knew that already, right Carl?

No, I mean when most everyone has the opportunity that society gives, like Taijiguy and BlueWave understood.

3

I celebrated Xmas when my kids were young so they wouldn’t feel left out. I made sure they knew where the gifts came from and why others celebrated, but we called it Winter Gift-Giving Time. Now that they’re grown, it’s lovely to not have to do it anymore.

3

Holidays are better than working

2

In my opinion, it's just you. Well, and a lot of other people who think similarly. 🙂

I celebrate holidays. To me, they are just good opportunities for fun, family, friends and food all at one time -- holidays! 🙂

I don't celebrate the religious aspects of Easter or Christmas, but everything you can think of non-religion/church related to those holidays, we participate.

I always will. Because, well, fun, family, friends and food.

2

All christian holidays have pre-christian roots. Much like a sporting event that is sponsored by a large corporation. They are centered around solstice or equinox dates. Christmas or yule tide occurs just after the winter solstice, Traditionally when you would slaughter livestock that you could not feed though the winter. A feast time. Easter A spring equinox festival originally from the fertility goddess Estre or Ostara (root word for estrogen) is celebrated with eggs or rabbits nuff said. I celebrate these holidays as a connection to less modern times.

2

Some religious people think atheists shouldn’t get days off work for their holidays, but they never should have had national holidays to begin with. Not to mention Christians have a way of stealing anything they like, they stole Christmas, Halloween, and I’m sure many other things, by claiming it has something pivotal to do with their beliefs.

2

Christmas, for example, has become largely secular. But beyond that, it is part of my cultural and family tradition. It's possible to enjoy cultural traditions without buying into the underlying mysticism.

2

I don't celebrate any religious festivals but think celebrate is a dodgy word if someone wants to get married in a church because they are religious and invite me to come - I certainly would go without feeling a hypocrite because its a kindness and it isn't going to affect me one iota. I don't do Christmas or Easter mainly because I have no interest in the eating and drinking side of it and if someone wishes me Merry Christmas I will reply same to you without it damaging me at all - I live in sheltered accommodation and most people here are protestants or catholics so it doesn't hurt me to pass myself and would certainly hurt me if I got into lengthy discussions that would go nowhere about religion or religious divides. if someone in the street blesses me I say thankyou - It did me no harm and the main thing is --I let it go---

2

No, not just you. Other self-righteous zealots feel the need to impose their myoptic world view on everyone else too, because it feels so good to call oneself superior. Don't it?

2

What holiday?

Christmas is not a religious holiday .. it is food, music, gifts, day off of work, and spending time with relatives and friends.

Halloween? Who considers the day of the dead to be religious? It is about having fun dressing up.

Rosh Hashanah? What non-religious person celebrates that?

Vasant Panchami ? Seems dull for the non-religious -- but it might be fun to just say that you did it.

1

Because its fun. a party is a party.

0

All or the christian and other religious holidays were stolen from previous belief systems. I love the winter solstice celebrations - burning logs, feasting, getting together & keeping warm, and hoping the winter ends and the sun comes out again. Nothing to do with jeebus, who was born when the figs were ripe on the trees according to the buybull - not december for sure! And I love easter, the beginnings of new life after the winter, flowers beginning to bloom, eggs and baby animals all over the place - new life (nothing to do with jeebus and his resurrection - this was all around way before hhim). And it's still named after the pagan goddess Eostre, and we have derivitives such as the word oestrogen all thanks to her. So these festival have nothing to do with christianity, and neither do I, so go ahead and celebrate! Go back as far as you like - it's all there.

0

If by "religious" we mean to say pagan, as a nonbeliever I find such an association to be harmless. Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and more were appropriated by Christianity, and repackaged as 'holy days.' In light of the persecution pagans once suffered at the hands of Christians, to recognize their holidays in a perfectly secular, if not irreligious manner, may be seen as thumbing one's nose at the Church!

0

Guilty but easter is the only time they make leg of lamb

0

I really can't see any non-religious folks giving up sex for Lent...

Sorry. Couldn't help it.

Nope, nothing wrong with secular people hopping on a cultural bandwagon. These things take on lives of their own. Get over it.

0

Because humans like to celebrate. There's nothing wrong with that.

0

Because its fun. Also traditions don't need to be religious to have meaning. Most modern holidays have become traditions more than a religious experience.

0

Nope.

I'll take any holiday I can get.

And was celibate a freudian slip? 😉

0

It is all in what you do or focus on when you celebrate, many traditions are cultural and lack religious components.

0

My wife and I both love Christmas. But there isn't much to do with Christ in the tree, Santa, or gifts. Or gathering with family and loved ones to get stuffed.

We like to celebrate Easter by attending the American Atheist conference each year. 🙂

0

Depends what you mean by "celebrate". I don't go to church at Xmas or believe in the whole bible story ... but I do enjoy Xmas and I will hum along to carols, because it is a nice holiday for being with the family and the songs are catchy and evocative 🙂

0

The only religious holidays are christmas and easter. Lots of religions cooncidentally celebrate at these times, which coincide with the winter solstice and spring equinox. Reasons on and of themelves to celebrate. And seriously, who thinks Christmas is religious? It’s a retail holiday and always has been. And why the heck not?

0

I celebrated Xmas when my kids were young so they wouldn’t feel left out. I made sure they knew where the gifts came from and why others celebrated, but we called it Winter Gift-Giving Time. Now that they’re grown, it’s lovely to not have to do it anymore.

0

or marry in a fucking church. no, it's all a load of shit. I think most if not all traditions make people more excepting of cruel behaviours like tree killing and bull murdering etc or a sudden urge to eat a turkey.

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