How far do you go with Xmas?

[keepitlow]

My family does little for X-mas. My mom and I dislike the present giving process because we don't like the feeling of obligation of giving them because we recieved them. .

...about sums it up for me too.

[Ellainix]

My dad gives me a specified amount of money each year.

[buttercupbaby]

Its just another holiday.   An excuse to get together.

[Will]

For anyone that wants to go even too farther, tonight's episode of Good Eats features Christmas meals from before Christmas was considered Christian. Seriously, that's actually how the episode is framed. Alton Brown made wassail (a hot spiced punch), duck (instead of goose, who flew behind Maverick) with oyster and duck dressing, and sugar plumbs.

[McQ]

For anyone that wants to go even too farther, tonight's episode of Good Eats features Christmas meals from before Christmas was considered Christian. Seriously, that's actually how the episode is framed. Alton Brown made wassail (a hot spiced punch), duck (instead of goose, who flew behind Maverick) with oyster and duck dressing, and sugar plumbs.

Excellent. We watch Alton all the time. Thanks for the heads up. This is a must-see!

[Whitney]

For anyone that wants to go even too farther, tonight's episode of Good Eats features Christmas meals from before Christmas was considered Christian. Seriously, that's actually how the episode is framed. Alton Brown made wassail (a hot spiced punch), duck (instead of goose, who flew behind Maverick) with oyster and duck dressing, and sugar plumbs.

Alton rocks!  I already have it set to record all his shows

[MommaSquid]

Hurray for atheists who love christmas!  

[SallyMutant]

Love the colored lights--the gaudier the better. And oh, the cookies. I even love fruitcake, if it's well made and has been basted in Harvey's Bristol Cream since Thanksgiving.
But whenever I'm in a group singing Christmas carols (ike every year at work) I must, just for me, sing the words to "Greensleeves" for  "What Child is This?" and the words to "The Red Flag" to "Oh Christmas Tree."

[buttercupbaby]

Most of my family is still christian, so we still do christmas like we always did.   Its only myself and my daughter that are atheists.   At least I don't feel like a hypocrite  anymore.  I used to always cringe at the commercialism of the season when we were supposed to be celebrating Jesus, not standing in line at Walmart.   Now that that monkey is off my back, I can enjoy myself without the guilt.    I'd rather call  it stuff your face and greedy present receiving day, than christmas, but what the hell.

[April]

We do the normal Christmas things minus going to church.  We have a tree that is topped with an angel of the sake of tradition, we have stockings over the fireplace, santa figurines in the house.  I have a light up decoration (train) that we STILL need to set up.  We will do the whole Santa Clause thing on Christmas morning and spend the rest of the day with family.

[Big Mac]

We get drunk, exchange gifts, create emotional scars and at the end of the fist fights, police visits, and threats of bodily harm with a kitchen knife...we hug, laugh, and enjoy the brief time we have together as a family.

IT'S WHAT CHRIST WOULD HAVE WANTED!!!

[quizlixx]

I get reminded about how i don't belong to my family's religion, so i don't get to celebrate it either. Instead, they call it "happy friday." minus the happy part, it's just another day for me. Although i do get the opportunity to be dragged to family members houses and be scolded on my religious non belief. I do like christmas, despite those around me being bent on my being miserable for not sharing their belief. Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, most everyone is in a great mood and generally kind and happy.  

[SallyMutant]

Japan has embraced Christmas in a secular way--not many Xians there, but they love the gift giving. Sounds great--gifts, parties--but no lip-service to a religion.
My fave consolidation of all greetings and the best salvo in the War On Christmas mess is from Sister Susie of the Fanatical Apathy  blog:
Merry Everything![color=#FF80FF][/color]

[Purplez]

I was born in Russia and lived there until I was a teenager so to me Xmas = New Year's. The whole process is a lot like Xmas over there. You have the tree (which is not called xmas tree) and presents underneath, and Santa who is also called differently. THere is no religion in it at ALL. People celebrate ALL night, even kids. Adults drink but kids play. At 12 everyone raises a toast (if you're a kid you have juice, but you still participate in the toast). New Year's was my favorite holiday. It sucks people don't do it that way here in U.S. =(

[Saeriva]

Even as a student in Catholic schools I knew most if not all Christian holidays where just bastardizations of pagan rights celebrating the seasons, and that any religious implications attached to them where merely tacked on in the 16th century as propaganda. As an adult (albeit a young, college-enrolled one)I still don't see anything wrong in celebrating Christmas or Easter for what they are as long as all the religious bs is treated for what it is, so I play along with the family when I'm home.