It is another pagan holiday that people loved and refused to give up so the Christians are still trying to convert it to their holiday.

About the same way Christians celebrate Halloween . Had a Halloween Party awhile back , and my Christian neighbors came as a witch and a vampire , and had a fun time . Yet no one ever asks Christians about celebrating Halloween. Christmas is a family celebration , whether you are a believer or not . It's what we grew up with . Just like Halloween , there are traditions and stories , and no reason we can't have fun , without taking things seriously .

You can celebrate anything you want without any religiosity attached to it. If you get accused for being a non-believer on Christmas, that's tantamount to having someone accuse you for not believing in Harry Potter or magic while you're at Harry Potter World at Universal Studios. You don't have to believe it to enjoy it with your family.

To me Christmas is a day for family. We treat it as a non-religious holiday. A lot of aspects of Christmas are non-Christian anyway so there you are. I also think the debate on how to greet someone for the holidays is silly. I say just be happy they are greeting you in a friendly way. Making a big deal about them not being "politically correct " is kind of childish. I say greet everyone how you want to and smile when they return in kind or however they greet you. It's supposed to be a time for peace and warmth and families.

I celebrate the Winter Solstice as it was intended. It’s the darkest (shortest) days of the year and early humans made up celebrations to get them through it. Yule log, decorated trees, lights, songs, drinks, evergreens, presents, all to distract from the darkness. Religions of the book try to steal the season from the pagans but I don’t let them. I say happy winter solstice or happy holidays. If someone gives me christian bullshit about it, I ask where in the Bible does it talk about decorating a tree and drinking eggnog?

I canceled all holidays 30 years ago when my wife refused to send Xmas cards to business contacts I felt obligated to mail this nonsense. From then on we always travel on holidays, leaving no forwarding address. This year leaving Nov 30, returning Feb 11. Holidays are subtle way consumerism forces us to buy rubber duckies no one needs or wants. Taking a trip is much better then causing a living plant to be cut, destroyed, placed in our homes where it make a mess. Some pay back catching on fire and killing the unweary. Next it is on the street presenting danger to motorists. Food? Who need the extra calories??? In our culture X mas time is called "home slaughter time". Most stressful time of the year when relatives kill each other under the tree. The Xmas is remembered for month, sometimes years when we write that check to the credit card. Not for me. I believe that we have evolved.

Us guys us gals do whatever we please 365 & .26 days per year....looks like you want to save money not buying shitty little toys for all your favorite cousins nephews nieces....so don't.....xmas is sometimes fun bullshit like Halloween....beware Easter boy bunnies laying candy eggs on dogshit lawns.....Festivus was invented by Seinfeld and Kwanzaa is an invented American celebration of certain African ideals......go ahead and cut a tiny Solstice Conifer or dig a little one into a pot and grow it in your place...make decoration with popcorn needle&thread....arrange xmas lights onto a board in the pattern of the American Atheist ORBIT symbol and put it in your window....have fun and don't lie to Virginia THERE IS NO Santa claus....get along and say PastaFarian Greetings to the REASON4the SEASON delusionals

I just enjoy the good and getting together with family and friends and ignore all the religious aspects.

We call it, "A tradition" and a good reason to get the family (what's left of it) together. Nobody bakes a birthday cake for Jesus.

I wish people a Merry Yule or Solstice, depending on my mood. I decorate my apartment with mini Yule trees and drink eggnog. I buy one gift for the gift exchange at work. I really like a very calm, peaceful holiday.

It all originated as celebrations of the return of the sun in the northern hemisphere anyway.

I would ignore the religious side of it, and use these sayings "Tis the season for reason", merry winter solstice, reasons greetings, happy winter solstice, and spend alot of money if I had alot.and stuff some stockings with atheist books and videos.

I spend my time with my close friends... It's a fun time of year...

Since nearly everyone in my life finds it significant, I have little choice but to grin & bear it. Really the toughest part is the music. All else is cake by comparison.

Just enjoy it . Have a few drinks good food .

No need to include religion in the holidays. It’s a time to enjoy and have fun with family and friends. To show kindness and caring to others. And to eat, and eat some more. Then go on a diet. I’m full already just thinking about it.

No problem! I wish that more pagan traditions were practiced; ie. spring fertility festivals, bacchanalias, leprachuan steeplechase. Hey, maybe be reciprocal & invite all xmas keepers to a pagan party?
We are creatures of cultural habit & it's not so easy breaking a habit. Party with some like-minded people & celebrate the soltices & equinoxes. As if we need an excuse to party.

Americans are actually celebrating Pagan Saturnalia/Generic solstice festival rebranded as Christian through a tortuous series of events throughout history. I just enjoy the time off work and don’t take it all too seriously.

This podcast goes into a lot of detail about it And is pretty entertaining

[pointofinquiry.org]

I feel you!!!! I absolutely HATE Christmas. Partly because it was never a HAPPY TIME for me as a child. We were always threatened with no presents and surprised if there was any. This was a sick mind game my Mother Dearest got pleasure in.

As a parent, I played along to make my children happy and to ensure they would never have the disappointment of getting nothing.

As an Agnostic adult I loathe this time of the year. The in your face decorations and the friggin music pisses me off. I am actually looking for a t-shirt (I live in Hawaii) that says "FUCK XMAS"

I also count the days until the bullshit is over and get on with my life.

I can enjoy the gift giving without any of the religiosity. That said, it's only my 3rd favorite holiday behind Thanksgiving and Halloween.

How do I deal with Christmas? Stab it in the face until it leaves me alone!

All the fun, none of the dogma

Christmas falls close to the old celebration of the solstice which was celebrated by the pagans. Solstice occurs usually on the 21st and 22nd December. There is no need for expenditures. Just remember the old celebration days of the pagans and enjoy it. By the way, history indicates that Jesus was born in April and was executed 30 years later. I do not celebrate the birth or execution of criminals.

if someone cannot enjoy a holiday without some religious superstition has not much brain power

I try to see my Mom and my Aunts. I don't have a lot of family left. I see friends too. That's what it's about for me, seeing good and important people in my life. I like the Winter Solstice as well. It can be lonely and depressing too. It's not my favorite time of year.

ask for money. lol i look at it if its a pagan holiday about good will and peace ignore the so called christian holiday that stole it from the pagans.