Happy Atheist Forum

I don’t personally know too many atheist or people with secular views, aside from one of my brothers. I was just curious to see how other freethinking people spend the holiday season?  I pretty much do the whole Santa thing because I have a 6 year old child. Is there anyone that does nothing for the holidays or maybe someone that does something different? I know the whole commercial aspect of xmas has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus. I actually just hate Christmas and it has nothing to do with religion, but I’ve started to think it does subconsciously…maybe because of all the symbolism that goes along with it.

I like secularized christmas and growing up it was about about being a time to set aside for family; hubby prefers to call it festivus around the house.  I also really just like the lights and wish there were more excuses to have them up year round without looking crazy.

Plus the holiday itself just exists because the christian church wanted to convert the pagans so they arbitrarily started celebrating jesus's birth around the winter solstice...Halloween has some christian history mixed into it yet secular people almost all embrace it as one of the best holidays.  I suspect that Christmas will not even be associated with religion in the next century, just as Halloween eventually lost it's religious connections.

Just enjoy the show is what I do.

The lights, the decorations, the mus... well, some of the music.

Whatever it's supposed to represent, it's all an experience, free to enjoy.

Eh... Christmas is just another day of the year, if you ask me. Work - home - sleep.

The only thing out-of-the-ordinary that I do is buy stuff for a few people I deem deserving  

Quote from: "Asmodean"Eh... Christmas is just another day of the year, if you ask me. Work - home - sleep.

The only thing out-of-the-ordinary that I do is buy stuff for a few people I deem deserving  

No ribbe/pinnekjøtt/lutefisk?

I do nothing, except cook the world's most delicious roast chicken.

I love and adore Christmas almost more than any other time of the year (opening day of baseball season might be the closest competitor).

I have two daughters. My wife and I absolutely do the Santa thing to the hilt. I love the Santa myth because I see it as the first step toward atheism.

There's the obvious comparisons between the big guy and the Big Guy, of course, but that's not what I'm talking about. Here's what I mean. When you're a kid, Christmas is absolutely magical. If it's done right, the transition from receiving the magic to giving the magic is a process of self-realization. The realization is this: the magic is real, but we create it ourselves. My parents loved me so much that they not only bought me all this stuff, but they refused to take credit for it, instead surrounding it in magic and mystery. The only thing they ask in return is that, if and when I have kids of my own, I continue the tradition. Santa, they taught me, is inside me!

This is the power and the joy of atheism. Life has meaning because we give it meaning. Magic exists - we make it ourselves. Love and family and special times are our creations - no one else's. We did it ourselves. How anyone can fail to find that uplifting, I will never understand.

I love Christmas, Santa, and the magic of the season - and I'm a thoroughgoing rationalist and committed atheist. I believe the Santa myth helped me get there.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Quote from: "Cecilie"No ribbe/pinnekjøtt/lutefisk?

No fun to cook something like that for yourself. Takes too damn long.

I'm the julegrændis-variety of Norwegian  

Quote from: "Asmodean"

Quote from: "Cecilie"No ribbe/pinnekjøtt/lutefisk?

No fun to cook something like that for yourself. Takes too damn long.

I'm the julegrændis-variety of Norwegian  

That was my fourth option. I don't blame you though, I once ate noodles at Christmas.

Quote from: "Cecilie"That was my fourth option. I don't blame you though, I once ate noodles at Christmas.

Having a thoroughly busted oven, making the julegrændis is kind of a chore though (By the following definition: 3. An unpleasant or burdensome task.)

Still, when my rats and I contemplate our lack of proper family relations and every kebab joint is closed, we prefer pizza to frozen microwave crap  

Quote from: "Asmodean"

Quote from: "Cecilie"That was my fourth option. I don't blame you though, I once ate noodles at Christmas.

Having a thoroughly busted oven, making the julegrændis is kind of a chore though (By the following definition: 3. An unpleasant or burdensome task.)

Still, when my rats and I contemplate our lack of proper family relations and every kebab joint is closed, we prefer pizza to frozen microwave crap  

Grandis doesn't taste good though.

What?
I didn't say anything.

Quote from: "Cecilie"What?
I didn't say anything.

... I STILL heard you!  :P

Quote from: "Asmodean"Nah... Not really. A Grændis by itself is kind of... Sucky.  :drool

Quote from: "Cecilie"Only a Norwegian person would like it... Like most of Norwegian food.
 
:P

Quote from: "Cecilie"No ribbe/pinnekjøtt/lutefisk?

I'm planning on a feast of lutefisk, haggis, and agutuk for dessert...

... then I'll have a great reason to take 2 weeks off!

Mmmmm... Agutuk!

Quote from: "joeactor"

Quote from: "Cecilie"No ribbe/pinnekjøtt/lutefisk?

I'm planning on a feast of lutefisk, haggis, and agutuk for dessert...

... then I'll have a great reason to take 2 weeks off!

Mmmmm... Agutuk!

What's agutuk?

Quote from: "Cecilie"

Quote from: "joeactor"

Quote from: "Cecilie"No ribbe/pinnekjøtt/lutefisk?

I'm planning on a feast of lutefisk, haggis, and agutuk for dessert...

... then I'll have a great reason to take 2 weeks off!

Mmmmm... Agutuk!

What's agutuk?

Eskimo Ice Cream?

Quote from: "Cecilie"What's agutuk?

Here ya go - Enjoy!

QuoteAGUTUK (authentic) - (ALASKAN ICE CREAM)
 
 Recipe By     : http://www.grand-forks.k12.nd.us/~wilder/recipes.html (http://www.grand-forks.k12.nd.us/~wilder/recipes.html)
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Ice Cream
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    2      Cups          seal oil
    1      pound         reindeer fat -- (1 to 1.5 pounds)
                         Berries (salmon berries, blueberries or
                         blackberries)
 
 Boil the oil and reindeer fat for 2-3 minutes.  Cool until lukewarm. Take a
 bowlful of loose snow (not too powdery) and add oil. Beat well to avoid
 lumps. Let freeze a bit and then fold in wild berries.

edit: some recipes also include elk or caribou meat and/or fat...

And I assume you eat smalahove as well?

You have been warned.
[spoiler:2ylbkmej](https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg42.imageshack.us%2Fimg42%2F5782%2Fsmalahoveklar.jpg&hash=41ff8baf3e2ff8f71bc6358a1c0e9eb4b3fd9096)[/spoiler:2ylbkmej]

Quote from: "Cecilie"And I assume you eat smalahove as well?

You have been warned.
[spoiler:k2qrbeqy](https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg42.imageshack.us%2Fimg42%2F5782%2Fsmalahoveklar.jpg&hash=41ff8baf3e2ff8f71bc6358a1c0e9eb4b3fd9096)[/spoiler:k2qrbeqy]

Hee hee!  No... haven't had it cooked that way - but I have eaten a sheep's head before.  The eyes were the oddest part (good with lemon).  Tongue was like beef tongue, but sweeter IMHO...

(how did this turn into the "Food You Eat On A Dare" thread?)

Quote from: "joeactor"(how did this turn into the "Food You Eat On A Dare" thread?)

Asmodean and I were discussing Norwegian Christmas foods.

Quote from: "Cecilie"Asmodean and I were discussing Norwegian Christmas foods.

Yup. Derailing is an art  

Quote from: "ablprop"When you're a kid, Christmas is absolutely magical. If it's done right, the transition from receiving the magic to giving the magic is a process of self-realization. The realization is this: the magic is real, but we create it ourselves. [cut]
This is the power and the joy of atheism. Life has meaning because we give it meaning. Magic exists - we make it ourselves. Love and family and special times are our creations - no one else's. We did it ourselves. How anyone can fail to find that uplifting, I will never understand.

Thanks for writing this. It's really well said, and it reflects the way I think I would like to approach Christmas when I have my own family a few years down the road. I think the Santa thing helped me get to being atheist too, because it was a practical example of how something I thoroughly believed in, thought I had good reasons for believing in ("I know Santa is real because he uses different wrapping paper than my parents!"), and which turned out to be false, no matter how nice the idea would have been in theory. I think the biggest thing to me was the fact that all the news stations carried broadcasts about following Santa's sleigh, which we all know wasn't really happening - it taught me that just because adults and even the news are saying it's true, doesn't mean it is!

I don't do the Santa thing. Could never justify raising a kid to think for himself while simultaneously instructing him to believe in a fat man who has magic reindeer and elves, while there would undoubtably already be other children at school telling him his parents are lying. Holidays can be perfectly fun without myths.

I don't do Christmas. I dislike the whole giving gifts because you feel obligated because you recieve them part especialy. My mother a few years ago told me she feels the same. I would much rather have a meal of spend time with someone ten go through a comercialised gift giving farce and have told my friends and family so (in nicer terms) I do however buy gifts for friend and family members kids. I loved Christmas as a child and Im not so jaded to ruin it for kids and I like seeing thier eyes light up. I also don't think as an Atheist it's apropriate for me to celebrate a Christian holiday. I don't celebrate Yom Kipor or Ramadan either for the simple reason that I'm not Jewish or Muslim.

Like I said I do like spending time with family and I love the good food. That's how I "celibrate" the season

Quote from: "Tanker"Like I said I do like spending time with family and I love the good food. That's how I "celibrate" the season

For reasons having nothing to do with atheism, but rather, with fatigue around the whole gift-giving farce, my extended family has instituted a new tradition among the adults*.  Starting this year, instead of giving gifts, we are each buying our own tickets to the Broadway play The Addams Family, and making a day and night of it together.

* At present, adults are all we have.  In a few years, this may change, as some of the nieces and nephews are at the point in life where having kids could be the next step.

We usually set up a rediculous number of lights, give gifts, and use the time off to visit with family.

Quote from: "Xtina"Thanks for writing this. . . I think the Santa thing helped me get to being atheist too

I think you're the first person I've ever encountered who agreed that Santa led to atheism and that it was a positive thing. So thank you back, Xtina.

I completely understand why some here wouldn't want to celebrate the holiday, and certainly the commercialism is pretty awful, but if you can get past it the magic of the season can be very beautiful. I even love the religious carols, in the same way I love Greek mythology. I love the gaudiness of the lights, the sappy loveliness of It's a Wonderful Life (angels and all), and the utter ridiculousness of celebrating the darkest, coldest, bleakest time of the year.

Good luck with creating your own magic!

Quote from: "Sophus"Could never justify raising a kid to think for himself while simultaneously instructing him to believe in a fat man who has magic reindeer and elves, while there would undoubtably already be other children at school telling him his parents are lying.

In my case, I was divorced by the time my oldest daughter was old enough to ask me if Santa was real.  Her mother had told her he was.  I had to tread lightly, so as not to offend her mother too greatly, so I answered, "Santa lives in your heart."  My daughter accepted that answer and didn't ask any further questions.  Presumably she took away the idea that, yes, Santa wasn't real, but adults weren't being mean to her or making fun of her with their fakery.

In my case, it was important to me that my daughter continue to know that I wouldn't lie to her.  Both for emotional reasons and for practical reasons, I sought to maintain my credibility in her eyes.  To this day, neither of my daughters, both of whom are in their twenties, has ever heard a lie pass from my lips.

I love all 3 parts of christmas.

christmas part 1 starting about october 20th-25th,

with people buying costumes and candy, and of course, christmas lights and trees going up around the city.

then my neices go trick or treating in my n'hood, and when the crash out i decide what candy they don't need.

then i love christmas part 2 which starts november 1st.
the company allows us to give food to homeless people,

EGG NOG LIKE A FUTHERMUCKER.

and the company makes so much money, you can't help but get a bonus.  even the people that suck do great numbers.

then christmas part 3 which starts the last friday of november.  with a wonderful day of people watching.
I don't buy anything on black friday, I just watch other people go bonkers and act like wolves on energy drinks.

then on christmas day, i literally eat over a dozen sugar cookies while sitting on my ass like a champ. and watching

home alone 1&2
a christmas story
buddy elf.
friday after next

and play video games and smoke cloves.

it's awesome.

I'm not a holiday type, my family cured me of that years ago.  Seriously, they aren't dysfunctional, they went straight to demented.  Holiday's spent with family have me watching screaming matches, massive complaining, etc.  So I would prefer a day off, a nice meal, and time with hubby.

But I like to give.  Everyone I feel close to or use for services (the vet, the local general store, the sheriffs department, the firehouse, ...) usually gets something from me even if it's just a little bit of candy.  This year though, I drove around with a truck full of jams, jellies, etc. earlier this week.  I feel good.  It was my gift to myself.

I'm kind of the same as KDbeads.  My family really put the MESS in chrisMESS.  Things weren't bad when I was a little kid.  We had some great xmases in my younger years.  But by the time I was in high school, and my mom's personality disorder had become more unhinged, xmas with the family was an awful experience.

When I graduated college and was living with my first serious boyfriend, we would sometimes get a small tree and decorate our apartment a little.  We usually visited his family for the holidays, though, so we weren't around to enjoy the decorations much.

For the past 13 years, I've been living on my own and don't do anything for xmas.  That's largely because I live in the world's smallest 1-bedroom apartment and literally don't have room for a tree, or any place to store decorations.  But I also try to be the good daughter and visit my mom for xmas, even though it's the last thing I want to do.  Up until a few years ago, she used to decorate her house, which I liked to see.  She's very old and ill now, so she can't put up decorations any more, which I have no problem with.  I don't want her to overtax herself and make herself sicker by trying to put up decorations.  I go to her house to see her, not a bunch of xmas decorations.  I can only spend about 24 hours in her house, though, before I have to leave.

Last year, I was dating a guy long-distance, a single dad with two young kids.  Even though he has primary custody of the kids, he pays his deadbeat ex-wife a lot of alimony and child support, so he doesn't have a lot of money to spend on xmas gifts for his kids.  His parents usually help him out, but I thought it would be nice if I gave back a little, too.  So I got him some gifts (a bunch of CDs he wanted that he wasn't going to buy for himself), and got his kids a bunch of DVDs and a couple of kiddie card games to keep them entertained.  I like being able to give back, and would do the same thing again this year if we were still dating.

Quote from: "thirtiesgirl"I'm kind of the same as KDbeads.  My family really put the MESS in chrisMESS.  

Enough of this chrisMess business, and Tom Waits misery to, do I have to bring out the dancing bananas?

Here's a Christmas card, it's my favourite, my sister sent it to me years ago.

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWs3dV.jpg&hash=41a037eb35787ba4dcdd70d72b38a0208148ddf0)