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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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1

People want stuff. I love the idea of Xmas. The practice has declined into a ravenous orgy of commercial gluttony. The idea of giving is lost. I give to the propane delivery. He makes sure I am well stocked for the dark cold months. The mail carrier. Working outdoors all year has my respect & & show it. I give to 10 of my favorite 501C3 organizations. In the past I would shop all year in that when I saw something I know so and so would love, I would purchase & wrap it for the coming season. I so enjoyed the giving. Also the decorations on State Street in Chicago were relished by anyone who enjoyed the creative displays. Then Jayne Byrne malled (mauled) the street & the entired atmosphere changed. Plus I am sick of It's a Wonderful Life when the Gift of the Maji is so ignored. If I had children I would honor the tradition with much explanation. If I had family that observed perhaps I might relinquish my distain for the current culture of excess. But I do not so I will not. =0{

13

I don't hate Christmas and celebrate it in a very secular way. I don't hate anybody for choosing to to celebrate it, and I don't hate anybody for celebrating it in a religious way. I don't celebrate Easter, but when my sons were little, I did the egg, basket, chocolate bunny, etc. thing for them. Live and let live, or die and get resurrected... whatever ignites your sparkler.

Deb57 Level 8 Mar 24, 2018
8

Hate begets hate. Stop hating. If you don't like something, you are free to ignore it. You may even find that this is much easier on you than hating....less stressful. There's no need to explain to those who know you, and those who don't know you, well, they actually do not care what you do. So my advice is to just lighten up and go with the flow. Be who you are and let others be who they are. Life is too short to be comparing notes all the time. Peace out.

Just how can one ignore xmas and easter when it’s in all our faces?

7

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.

6

I hate to say this but it seems like you are provoking these encounters. I don't do xmas either and can't recall anyone getting worked up about it.

Only with those who know me, friends, workmates, family. I don’t just pick fights with random people on the streets or anything.

@SergeyCornwall right so you are provoking these fights. You really can't pretend to not understand why you are hated for something when by your own admission your are baiting someone on an issue.

No one bugs me about this stuff.

5

I love Xmas. I celebrate it for what it is, the celebration of the Winter Solstice, before the Borg assimilated it as a religious holiday, along with Easter (Ishtar).
Xmas is a time for the three Fs in life.
Family, friends and food.

5

I celebrate both I just leave out the religious bullshit. But to each their own you do what you feel is best.

5

I don't hate christmas or easter. I actually really like them and celebrate non-religious forms of them.

I think if everyone could respect everyone else's beliefs we could all enjoy everything.

4

I would say it’s the two most important events in Christian history and we hate it because it’s been turned into a capitalist hell while there are people still chanting and preaching that it’s abour Jesus. If there’s one thing we atheists hate more than God, it’s hypocrites. In the case of Xmas and Easter, it’s people who preach about the goodness of Jesus while simaltaneously endorsing an economic system that they are supposed to hate. Christians who get this pointed to them either get a disappointed look of agreement while going about their daily lives like they never heard it or defend the holidays as religious when their capitalist bank accounts say otherwise.

Adam7 Level 4 Mar 26, 2018

well said Adam!

4

I like many things about Christmas. I went on liking Christmas long after I stopped believing.

4

I celebrate all the seasonal holidays without shame....I love Yule and Samhain the best.

3

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

3

I don't hate Christmas. The Christians stole it from the pagans. I rather enjoy lights and I respect the pagans. So I don't hate Christmas, I hate Christianity. Just like I'm a lesbian, but I don't hate men. Sometimes I also hate men, but in addition to photography I also work part time in a tool store in the deep south, so it's understandable. Lol Why does one have to be 100% against something mainstream to be respected? Christmas is a time of joy, family, and traditions that to me, especially in 2018, have nothing to do with Christianity. Jesus wasn't even born in December.... They straight up stole a holiday and said it celebrated the birth of someone that facts (Christians' loose interpretation of facts, anyway) say was born in July. It's no more their holiday than mine and I celebrate it joyfully with my friends and family and cats.

Nice! Reminds me of the wonderful song by Dar Williams, "Pagans and the Christians sat together at the table, Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able..." Check it out on YouTube.

We are now in the year 2018 AD (Anno Domini) Does that mean Jesus had THREE birthdays??

3

It's one of those Fox News ploys to whip the ignorant religious nuts into a frenzy..and to vote GOP to "save" the holiday traditions, which are mostly copied from pagan rites in the first place.

3

I'm an athiest and I love Christmas, actually. I guess it's more to do with how special the holiday was as a kid, and we love the tree and lights and stuff. There's no religion involved at all, obviously, but still fun. The kids and I have been sticking up a Festivus pole in addition to the tree for the last few years for kicks, too.

Awesome!

3

I understand your antipathy toward money-grubbing holidays that have lost any real meaning except to merchants. I'm more free now, since my children are grown and grandkids will be soon. While I still get gifts for the grands, I don't pretend for anyone. I just grin and say, "I've gotten back to my roots; I celebrate Solstice!" Or, "Yes, I love hunting the brightly colored eggs provided by the goddess Oestara's rabbit consort." It might annoy some people, but the ones who matter love it. So give wee gifts to your wee girl and tell her the tradition behind the tinsel, including support and love to the forest creatures.

2

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

2

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.

2

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.

2

If you want to make enemies then launch an attack on someone or a group.
You don't have to like something to tolerate it.

2

I don't hate it. I think it's good to sit back and reflect on things and do a little sharing of gifts. I don't like the whole competition mind set. Even the false religious aspect doesn't bother me.
If people feel good about it then so be it. I'm not one to wreck that. In the end I stI'll know who I am and how I feel about things. If you just look at the concept of it, it's not a bad thing.

2

Meet it with aggression, I do. Works for me.

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
1

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

1

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.

1

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.

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