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Why are we hated for hating xmas?

Every xmas and easter is the same, mostly since I have a child:
People who normally do not have strong opinions about anything criticise me when they find out I don’t do xmas and easter because I’m an atheist and for political and ecological reasons.
Suddenly they all start having strong opinions, calling me a Scrooge and other names. I try to make them understand the logic behind my reasoning (like what’s the point in celebrating the consumerist bastardisation of a religious event I don’t believe in, that along with ideas like degrowth and over-production and over-consumption) but they dismiss it all and say I should celebrate for the sake of my daughter.
If I told people I don’t celebrate because I’m Jewish or Muslim or any other religion, they wouldn’t bat an eyelid. I tell them it’s for political or any other reason, they get offended!
Does it happen to anyone else?

(I do do something for my daughter to not deprive her of joy and happiness but, at 4.1/2, she’s still doesn’t know what santa is)

SergeyCornwall 4 Mar 24
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70 comments

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0

I’m of the opinion that one should take any excuse for a good party.

Denker Level 7 July 14, 2018
1

I don't hate christmas because I don't believe in gods; I HATE christmas because of 25 years of retail management. If anyone ever questions me on this, I tell them they need to get some christian spirit and quit being dicks when doing their christmas shopping.

I also HATE all but about 10 christmas songs. Three of them involve being in jail at christmas, one is about Pagans celebrating, and most of the rest are about how horrible people are to each other.

Yep, I am a total BLAST at holiday parties. 😉

Ozman Level 7 June 30, 2018
0

I've thought about this quite a bit, because I, too hate Christmas and have done so for quite some time. First, the consumerist bastardization comment - Seeing as Christmas stood in for Saturnalia, which was all about excess, the giving of gifts, revelry and debauchery, I would say it is currently much more in line with the traditional celebration.

0

I don't advertise the fact that I don't do christmas thats my business luckily I am old enough to be hte backstop in the family the oldest member so basically I can do as I please I think if I started to ennumerate all of the things that make me weird in other peoples eyes I'd never stop so just doing what I want to do is good enough for me!

0

I feel the ones who hate Christmas are the Fox News types looking to make a buck promoting the War on Xmas and the Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays. Not to fond of those sour Christian pr*cks yelling about "The Reason For The Season" and telling little kids there's no Santa. As an Atheist I've always enjoyed Christmas for many reasons. The lights, ornaments ( I have some bitchin' ornaments), trees, decorations, winter weather, giving gifts, hanging out with the friends and family that I actually like, watchin' Rudolph on TV, awesome luncheons and dinners, paid days off work and rockin' Xmas tunes. So yeah, I'm an atheist who definitely doesn't hate Christmas. Now Easter is a whole different thing.

0

I don’t like Christmas at all. Very depressing time of year with added social pressure to buy crap. Once I made an effort to ignore it and focus on New Years’ Eve I started feeling much better. It came and went last December very casually. One of the few smart things I’ve done and will continue to do.

0

I LOVE Christmas! I get a week off 🙂

0

I admire you. I don’t celebrate them for religious reasons but feel culturally pressured into the consumerism. I hate lying to my kids about Santa, the Easter bunny, Jesus etc because when they figure it out on their own I’ll have to own the lie and debrief with them.

1

I don't hate Christmas, but I call it what it really is. The winster solstice celebration.

0

Religion and politics are hot button issues. Both are based on feelings more so than facts. When you are facing an unwanted discussion of either one (and sometimes both these days), politely decline to engage in the discussion. Set a boundary and stick to it. Saying something such as, "I don't feel that if is appropriate for us to have this discussion as we both may have conflicting beliefs in this area and I value our friendship and don't want to do anything to damage our relationship." If you are confronted by a complete stranger, then ask them to stop. Let them know that you are uncomfortable with such a personal discussion. Walk away.

0

I love Christmas. I love the lights, the concept of giving, the mythologies, the sense that miracles happen. And that it happens in the darkest part of the year I think is relevant since darkness can get rather depressing.

0

Speak for yourself! I'm very much into the Pagan Yule Season and celebrate all its rituals of evergreen decor and candles and feasting! I even regularly wear a wonderful high-quality stylish top hat in the image of Charles Dickens' novels.

1

Yes, it does. Declining to participate for religious reasons in Canada brings out the politeness and political correctness genes right smartly. However, most religious fanatics in Canada have just learned polite ways to be obnoxious - only in Canada, you say, pity.

Since most Canadian non-believers and otherwise celebrate the secular versions of these holidays, one can just lead with that.

I got into a bit of a dust-up with the admin of the school I taught in (now 7 years ago) when I objected to their playing Christmas Carols over the PA - a clear violation of non-believers' right to freedom from religion in Canada. They stopped when I quoted Ontario Human Rights Tribunal precedents, but then I had to point out that there was no reason to stop playing winter songs like "Frosty the Snowman," "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" etc. because they thought those were Christmas Carols.

0

DIrty Harry Quote - Opinions are like assholes everybody has one

0

I celebrate and enjoy them both, as the pagans did. Food, friends, decorations. Just a good time.

0

Google the Crusades and Inqusition to begin with. Since day 1 ppl are willing to kill for their fairy tale, a few mean comments is nothing.

0

I have friends with young children who do not buy them any presents until they are four or older. Even then its rarely more than one.I saw on the news that an actress does the same with her preschoolers so perhaps it's becoming a trend?

Almost all Christian holidays were stolen from other "pagan" religions so why not let your kids enjoy a secular holiday that is more in keeping with your family beliefs?

I think much of that fear and distrust is simply jealousy and also an atheist like Jews, Gays and others make good scapegoats for the faithful.

0

Religion needs tacit approval to help maintain the facade, the delusion. They are worried that XMas will become secular and lose its meaning in SOCIETY, which will mean their belief will be marginalized. That's a huge threat when they likely already have all sorts of doubt. Other religions are less threatening because they postualte some supreme being.

Geoff Level 5 Mar 29, 2018
0

If you're going to continually rain on someone else's parade you're not going to be well liked. Why bother telling anyone you don't celebrate? Why bother explaining if you're asked? Lie to their faces and giggle hysterically knowing the truth of your real feelings.

SamL Level 7 Mar 28, 2018

I can’t lie, I’m a follower of Emmanuel Kant!

0

No one serms to care when I tell them I don't celebrate holidays.

1

While I really don't celebrate Christmas (do typically do something for Solstice though) - I can't say I hate Christmas or avoid celebrating it in subtle ways.

Just do what I do - embrace the gift-giving and family reconnecting aspects of Christmas, and tell yourself that you're just celebrating Solstice a couple days late - and with people you love.

0

I do not celebrate xmas, but I don't hate it. Whe people ask me why, I simply say, "Christmas is a great holiday for Christians and I am not a Christian"....I tell them that I do not celebrate Hanukkah either, cause I am not Jewish....end of story.

1

I used to hate christmas - thinking I had to get the show on the road, cook food I didn' t want to eat then our family started to dumb down christmas , we gave the children money to buy whatever they wanted .We made it simpler for three years we went to a restaurant for dinner on christmas day came home and played games which is what we would have done on any weekend . It was such a relief to take the pressure out of it have a normal day that was just a bonus holiday.

1

Christmas is hated? ... it must be by some, perhaps knowing the full story of Christmas and Easter might make those not keen on so called christian recognised dates a bit more accepting of the festivals as more a family time to come together, thing is, Christmas is as far from christ as a thing can be, the 25th of december was the date the Pagans worshiped the sun, and the presentation of a tree decorated comes from the worship of Tamars, a pagon god who died and came back as a fir (pine) tree, Ishtar is the god of the moon and fell to earth in an egg according to the pagans on the full Moon that Easter is always celebrated on, her son was Tamars, the Roman conquered the Pagans and adopted these rituals, eventually the Roman Empire morphed into the holy Roman Empire or Chatholic church, many of the churches diates are from the ancient Roman Empire ... so in essence these festivals are Pagan, a system spoken against in the bible, why can't we just come together as a people and use the time to relax and be with the ones we love, cause it sure as hell aint no christain thing in reality!

I knew all that but I was living in the present time (at that time) and it wasn't okay. These days I ignore it if you can bring back all those other pagan times well done you

4

I don’t hate Christmas. I don’t hate Easter. I don’t celebrate the religious aspects at all. But I love family and friends and food and lights decorating and Easter egg hunts with little kids, and for years I enjoyed spoiling my niece and my daughter with things that they wanted and more things that they needed. I also get all of the major religious holidays off, including good Friday this week! ? I don’t have any regrets.

My feelings exactly. For me (even back when I considered myself a Christian), neither Christmas nor Easter were primarily about religion. Christmas especially was a fun time for all sorts of reasons, and still is to some degree.

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