I play along with Xmas. I just ignore the religious parts, and enjoy getting together with the family.

It is interesting that "Christmas" existed before Christianity. It was a pagan holiday, later adopted and christianized as Christmas. (Myths of virgin births, resurrections, etc., also existed prior to Christianity. The New Testament is just one fairly recent phase in the long evolution of mythology.)

I make it a point to celebrate everything! Life is too short to worry about religiosity. I engage in all the things I love to do and share it all with family and friends. There's a "secret Santa" game, "Headbands" which is HYSTERICAL, grab-bag, Christmas Crackers, etc. and since I am a fabulous cook and enjoy doing it, lots and lots of great food. Two years ago, at my UU Fellowship, the Minister who is a lapsed Catholic assisted in a Christmas play. I was sitting in back and when it came to the Angels singing, they way it was staged made it all so obvious that the "Angels" were extraterrestrial beings descending from a "star" (spaceship)! I was delighted but many of the people around me were beatified so I chose not to point it out in public. Afterward however, my like minded friends and I had a good laugh over it.

I celebrated Christmas as a Muslim and currently celebrate it as Atheist. It's harmless fun.

I celebrate it as a time to be with family and friends...festively. I respect any religious discussion or prayer that Christian friends or relatives partake in. I do some decorating, baking and cooking. I still love turning off all lights except the tree lights and it brings back wonderful memories.

When my boys were young - Christmas was all about them. After they were grown, I enjoyed baking and putting together little gifts for my coworkers. I loved decorating the house - inside and out - and that continued even after I retired. I always say "this year I'm not going to mess with all of that".....but, of course, I always do.

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I still enjoy Christmas because of the children. They still allow us to give gifts without a sense of owing a gift in return. It's true "gifting" and incredibly wonderful to be able to do. Giving a gift to an adult is like generating a karmic debt. I found one year that I could get the same feeling of gifting without knowing the kids. Simply a letter written by a group of inner city Chicago kids that my office became involved with. We volunteered to answer the gift letters of a number of kids corresponding with our office participants. We had the kid's names and their letters and would go buy for them with a limit. My wife and I picked two kids and really enjoyed shopping for them even though we never actually met them. We of course ignored the limit slightly. One of the kids asked for a warm winter coat. That really tugged on our emotions. So the energy is real whether the context is valid or not and I still enjoy Christmas.

Chrstmas not just for those who believe, family food smile on kids,just enjoy

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When the kids were young , yes of course/ But now I just give some money and really do not like it at all. I like Thanksgiving but this year , my FAVORITE is Nov 6, This is the greatest event of the year let alone perhaps a life time. We must rid ourselves of merry christmas focus and think about the nation.
Vote to rid this ass of his oval office.

Christmas, as it is celebrated in the USA, is a creation of capitalism. I celebrate it as a celebration of prosperity and joy.

Yep, all the religious holidays are made up by humans. They're fairly delusional in their founding but humans none-the-less and I happen to be a human. I'll celebrate most any holiday that my friends and family want too.

It is nice to see family and share a meal. Aside of that, i really don't get involved.

Yes. For me it's about family, friends, and food.

December 25 was the date of the winter solstice on the Roman calendar. The Christians merely adopted that date for as the birth of Christ, and made new rituals. Thus, why be concerned about celebrating 25 December. Now, if your concern is the commercialization; I agree. We should not celebrate by buying gifts; there is way too much waste paper, plastic, trees and food.

I like the lights. Go on line and check out The River Walk in San Antonio at Christmas. It is awesome, especially in person.

Yes, I do celebrate. I don't care about "the reason for the season" shtick. My tree is covered with ornaments the kids & grandkids have made over the years. I love seeing people get presents. I love that people seem kinder & more cheerful. This year is going to be kind of tough. This is the first year I don't have children living with me in over 40 years. I am not sure what I am going to be doing. I don't know.

"The reason behind it". Christmas or yuletide well predates christianity. In an agricultural community, there comes a time in the year when you have to decide what livestock you keep though winter and what goes to slaughter. Traditionally this was done at the equinox. There is only so much meat that can be preserved so a feast is in order, hence the holiday. I celebrate "Christmas" as a throw back to more ancient times.

For my family it's never been about religion. It's more about spending time together and making it magical for the kids.

I celebrate anything with food, drink, music, and dancing!

I believe in the Solstice. That's the entire reason for the season. The celebration of the return of longer days. Then religion bullied their way in and took over all the lovely holidays.

Being raised Jewish, I always felt kind of left out around the holidays. I appreciate it now for the seasonal beauty and the togetherness of friends and some family members who also feel the way I do. I look forward to fun things like the department store windows in NYC, the bright lights and beautiful decorations when they don't scream religion, visiting with friends, exchanging small gifts, and eating holiday foods. To me, it's all about the celebration of light at a time of darkness - which is what the Solstice is all about - and no coincidence that a few religious celebrations that time of year have similar themes (Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.) or that several Christmas traditions were co-opted from pagan rituals.

It means nothing to me , other than extra trafic and bad music everywhere along w cheesy movies for the stupid.
I find at least ridiculous that people take their kids to sit on a strangers lap on the malls . I wouldn't even let my dogs to anyone's lap I don't know very well .
I used to be nice , or I guess I needed to be perceived as " nice ", many years ago , and I use to volunteer at work and take the shifts so the Christian co workers can celebrate their time w their families .
The last ten years I decided that I am not a nice person . I will never facilitate anymore actively or by silence anyone's celebration of harm , murders , pedophilia , suppression of women and suppression of brains for f shake . Not only I gloriously make my abcense at work known during Xmas times , I also make known that I am at home doing NOTHING and just not willing to " help out " .
??

I love Christmas. It's so much fun, and honestly, the religious purpose behind it was lost years ago. It's a holiday about magic, based on the false birthday of a religious icon, while actually being based off of a pagan holiday that the Roman Catholic Church was unable to get rid of, so, because they didn't even know the birthday of their most important symbol, they tried to change the meaning of the holiday to suit their needs. The history is great, and the holiday is fun.

Hell yeah....a happy time of the year, for family, for children....just leave the sky-guy, both of them, out. ( yeah, papa and mamaw got you this cause we love ya)

I agree completely. I think it's fun, even though I haven't been a believer for a long time. Nothing churchy, although we go to a carol singalong at our friends' home every 23 December, but it's entirely secular except for the actual words we sing (and some of them aren't really carols anyway — "bring us some figgy pudding", etc.)

Now that I'm divorced and no family still lives here, I don't have to 'celebrate' anything! I'm loving it?