Why do Atheists celebrate Christmas?

As an atheist I celebrate because it is fun, it feels good to spend time with your family, it is a national holiday, and it's a great tradition that we were doing since we were born, and it has nothing to do with any religion at all.

The question is not if atheist should celebrate christmas but whether or not christians should celebrate christmas. Those who read their bibles should have this question already answered. Is it the atheist or the "christian" who is the hypocrite?

Because it's a national holiday. I suppose we could sit in a corner, glowering away at all the Christians scoffing their Christmas dinner, refusing the odd proffered mince pie, and saying nothing except 'Humbug!', but speaking personally, I like to join in and celebrate the winter solstice. :)

christmas is only christian if one goes to mass on christmas eve. did you go to christmas mass? christmas is a hallmark holiday. its a retail holiday. it is a family get together day. its a day promoted by capitalism. so very little of christmas is really church related. its a christian joke, really.

Because everyone else does. One could be an athiest and still enjoy the decorations, lights, gift exchanges, parties, excuse to eat unhealthy food, believers and other people being in a better mood, dressing up in a Santa suit, etc. I know Jewish people who get into it too. Who doesn't enjoy seeing little children's eyes light up? The day(s) around December 25th has nothing to do with the Christian religion anyway, it is an old pagan holiday, Yule (Dec 21st - 25th or thereabouts). Pagans could see the sun's position in the sky rising after the solstice on about the 25th with the naked eye meaning that the days will in fact get longer again. The sun stays at its lowest point in the sky for 3 days after the solstice and then starts to rise. Bible scholars who know their stuff say that Christ was actually born in the springtime. Mormons say April 16th.

why do christians have a christmas tree?

Because they want presents. I don't think atheists should celebrate Christmas.

Christmas is the Christianized version of the mid-winter festival that celebrates the winter solsice or the fact that we have turned from the shortest day and are on the way to spring etc. Early people celebrated for that purpose, Christians saw a tenuous link with new birth and instead of celebrating a Pagan festival took the opportunity to worship God for the birth of Christ. As Christianity became more popular it became more the norm to celebrate the birth of Jesus than it did for the solstice. Therefore we have Christmas . My issue is that as with all things they are only imortant to it's adherants and so as Christianity has lost importance in the West so Christmas is brought under question. Therefore why are not the opposers of the festival as enterprising as earlier Christians and celebrate mi-winter for whatever reason they choose and stop the accusations that it was taken by theft and declaring therefore that Christmas has no spiriual purpose. Make what of the day you will and a very happy !whatever it is day!. Oh by the way only 6 months to go before you have to decide why you celebrate. I am already happy with my day, are you?

Because Christians stole the pagan festival.

No one knows what date Jesus was supposedly born on, but the church saw a perfect opportunity to wipe out a pagan festival and replace it with one of their own.

In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.

In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Holly berries were thought to be a food of the gods.

The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshipping huge trees.

In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25.

So a better question is why did the christians steal yet another pagan festival?

Santa Claus is their God.

Culture. Why do you use products knowing that there is a possibility that an Atheist could have made them?

The commericial aspect overrides the spiritual, unfortunately.

Asked and answered many times over. Christmas is a holiday, do atheists celebrate the holiday? yes, of course, in their own way. Just as theists celebrate it in their own way. Why would you think other wise?

It is a pagan holiday.


In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.

In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras.


In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity.

It's more like putting up with it rather than celebrating it, it's incredibly difficult to avoid Christmas, regardless of your religious beliefs.

I celebrate the change of season with a lit-up evergreen decorated with rocking horse ornaments and gather together with family to exchange gifts with loved ones, listening to songs about sleigh rides, magic snowmen and flying reindeer. None of that has anything remotely to do with Christian dogma. I do appreciate the truly Christian desire for Peace on Earth, but you don't need to follow a god to hate war.

i do it for the cookies.

There's a huge difference between celebrating Christmas and its message and celebrating the 'gimme gimme gimme' Christmas.

Christmas is a mockery of what it is supposed to be. I agree that atheists should not celebrate Christmas, but only if you Christians start celebrating it for the true reasons.

That's not the only reason to celebrate Christmas. I think I speak for most atheists when I say that the over-commercialized festivities of the incorrectly dated birthday celebration of a Christian religious figure is nonetheless charming in its own right, the actual divinity of the figure and the existence of an overweight, bearded gift-fairy notwithstanding.

Yes he does!!! >:P

Do Theists celebrates christmas? Neither does god.

Damn you! Did you really have to tell me that Santa doesn't exist? And right before Christmas too.

No, but midwinter does. Christmas is the festival of the winter solstice: every religion sticks their own label and customs on it. It was Saturnalia to the Romans and Yule to the Druids. Atheists pick the bits they like and celebrate with them.

Because we want to.

because face it. christmas has very very little to do with the birth of christ lately. its all about what we want and know we will get for christmas.

its a lovely celebration of a time when a lot of humanity offer feelings of love, peace and joy, when families unite, friendships are thought of, things stop for a few hours to allow the spirit to just feel, float. thats well worth celebrating ! :)

Christmas is also Yule, a celebration of winter, and a time to get together with family. None of those have anything to do with the Christian God.

God is debatable...

Christmas dinner, presents, egg nog, day off of work... that's all pretty conclusive

Hell ya. I'm all for happy cheer and yule time carrage.

You people forget and or deliberate ignore the little fact that this time of the year was stolen by the Christians from the Pagans who celebrated the solstice. I realize that you're stating that we are hypocrites so, you tell me, who's more hypocrite, Atheists for putting up a fake tree and blowing their money or you for pawning the crap on the rest of society and celebrating the alleged birth of the most humble being in your history by getting into debt upto your arm pits thru the practice of excessive consumerism, eh?

i'm an atheist and i have a lovely christmas tree. i don't believe in the meaning of it, but i look forward to the time with my family. and it gives one hope becasue every one is happy at that time of year. well normally, i'm a very positive person so i love holiday's with family. i love easter aswell. i was brought up in a christian home, even thow my father was an atheist aswell.

Because it is theri right to do so! What do we have here the religion police one more time? Mr Bill

Why do YOU celebrate on December 25 then? That date was a Roman celebration (Sol Invictus) picked by Christians, since the Bible does not mention when was Jesus born. I guess you don't fix a christmas tree either, since that is another pagan tradition from Northern peoples. Since you are a faithful christian, I suppose you don't give away presents because that was the Roman tradition of their beautiful celebration (not the false tale of St. Nicholas).
I am an atheist and celebrate the seasons with a living cypress tree, give presents to my family and celebrate the renewal of life. It is fair, it is humane, it is legitimate and it is not only christian. It is good to read
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm

I know non-Christians who celebrate the holiday because they look at it as a time for their families to get together. Businesses are closed and it allows them time to celebrate their year and families.

I see no reason why they shouldn't if they want to. Christmas these days doesn't have a lot to do with God and religion anyway. Christmas wasn't always a Christian holiday, why should Atheists (or anyone) be excluded from the spirit of the season? The spirit of giving, brotherhood, good will toward your fellow man, and all the other stuff which seems to only be important at this time of year...for some.

Why does anyone celebrate chriostmas??? It's more depressing than anything else. Go out spend all the money you have, wrap the presents, then you get to struggle to pay off that credit card bill the rest of the year! This life is worthless and full of too many problems. I'm tempted to just lay down with my gun and end it. I've got nothing to live for and am ready to leave this wretched body full of nothing but medicine and pain!!!

Deep in their hearts they are believe but don't want to admit that!!

For the same reason that northern Europeans celebrated it for thousands of years before Christ.

Christmas marks the end of the year and a time to forget about the old year and enjoy yourself.

I do not believe in any God, but I celebrate Christmas though not with Christ.

Because the idea of Christmas in general is good.It about family and friend togetherness, love, kindness, giving, and all over is a very happy time. Take all the God and Jesus things out and it's just a celebratory festival like it was originally intended. (and yes, I say Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays. Sue me politicans : p )

Christmas isn't a religious holiday anymore. It just isn't. Even in my former Catholic home, we never celebrated Christmas like it was "Jesus' birthday." It was all about a pine tree with lights on it and getting presents. Pine trees and presents have nothing to do with God, so someone who doesn't believe in God can participate.

We're not celebrating Jesus. We're enjoying being with our families and sharing love. Oh, and there's presents, decorations, booze and food. It's fun!

The question is why do Christians celebrate Christmas in December? And the answer to that is that it is a festival that far predates Christianity. So you apply your meaning to the date, and others apply their own meaning.

aint shit else to celebrate during that time

Tradition?

Why not?

Because it's traditional. In prehistoric times people probably had to be indoors with one another alot more in the wintertime. A good way to make this bearable is everyone plans a party and gives gifts and celebrates being with each other. Takes your mind off waiting for spring so you can get away from your family.

I celebrate Christmas because I love being with my family and loved ones. I like the presents, but even better is the giving presents, especially when you've found someone the perfect gift. I don't care that the current popular incarnation of the holiday is named after a religious figure. I like the winter festival, whatever it's called.

I don't. But my family does 0_o

For the same reason that people of other faith celebrate Christmas. For the devout Christians it is a religious festival for the rest of the world its an occasion to celebrate close ties. Its an occasion to remember their close ones and spend a few joyful hours with them .

Do they ? Or is it simply an opportunity to have a party, buy and give some presents and enjoy yourself? If by "Christmas" you refer to the birth of Jesus and the beginning of the various religions we call christianity, then I'm not sure this is what athiests are celebrating. If you refer to a commercial experience that falls on December 25 every year, then atheists, non-christians and even some christians celebrate it.

Because they feel left out. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. lmao. Not just atheists you know. People like Hindus, Seeks, and much much more people who have immigrated to north america also celebrate Christmas. It is not just a Christian tradition but vast more with different faiths also celebrate for it.

Why does anyone celebrate a pagan ritual like that?