Are traditional western yuletide festivities a violation of integrity and personal ethics?
Is a xmas carol a paean to proselyte?
Should true agnostics say I don't know and atheists no thank you to holidays or a focus that is not wholly presents?
The christians copied these pagan celebrations, so why not celebrate just don't do the stupid religious part.
After 30 years of learning about the harm and violence from religion + being married to an Iranian wonmen, who from her childhood thought religion (in her case Muslem) was silly and being on sites like this and tons of reading I've become an anti-theist. I can't even stand to hear all the religious nonsense. Luckily, I have a public classical station - yourclassical- which has a lot of different genres (so far with no religious themes) so I can tune into this source to keep my senses during this time of year.
I ignore the proselytizing aspect and enjoy the good intentions most people have. It helps that I avoid celebrations with people who might go too far with the Mr Jesus stuff.
I do nothing for the holidays here because I live alone. Bring children into this picture and you might change this to include them. If not you may regret it later. Even so, I make sure that nobody remains indoctrinated into false beliefs about a Jesus birthday. You have gifts and exchange gifts. Fine. Let people be happy.
I love a ton of well-wrapped presents under my tree (including many for the dog!), the lights inside and out at a Very Grey time of year, and my family has a few stocking suffers to exchange but give to charities substantially as our main "gifts"...mine are Heifer International and Smile Train, my brother and his wife choose St Jude, and so on.
So doing good and feeling festive, why should extraneous "religious" stuff have anything at all to do with it?
Only if you let it......