How many Non-Christians Celebrate Xmas?

ORIGINAL: espencer

Weird, is like asking who celebrates Hanukkah without being Jewish

Not weird if you come from a family where everyone is not of the same faith.  Better than starting a war, don't you think?

I am not Christian and I celebrate Christmas. Many of the traditions - the tree, for example - were not Christian inventions anyway, they were pagan traditions for the winter festival. I grew up in Sweden, which is a very secular country (the least religious country in the world, actually), and it is treated as more of a cultural celebration; in such a dark country we need a lot of nice things to do in the winter. I didn't even know about the Jesus part until I was like 7. We also have witches riding around on brooms for Easter. Sweden has a very rich history of mythology and folklore, so I think the way we celebrate even religious icons is very different than the way Americans celebrate; we celebrate St. Lucia, for example, and I don't know anyone who goes to church or believes in God, but it is a lovely story about sacrifice, charity and hope and gives us a really wonderful way of gathering as a community. Plus, the food is awesome.

Also: there are many who feel that writing it "Xmas" isn't to cross out the "Christ" part, but that the X is a cross that represents Christ. I read an article about it a long time ago.

Well, I'm a christian and believe in Darwinian Evolution, but I might just be mixed up.

 
Charles Darwin was a devout practicing Anglican. I was taught the theory of evolution at Catholic school. The idea that one has to be a creationist to be a christian is a relatively new phenomenon. If you read about the Scopes trials, you'll find that actually it was mostly a publicity stunt to get more people to visit the town it was held in. Even back then, evolution was pretty much accepted by the vast majority of Americans of every faith and was being taught in schools around the country. The "controversy" is extremely new.
 
And I can second that "X" is used as a shorthand for Christ or Cross, not as a way of "crossing out" a name. In London the train station at King's Cross is always shortened to King's X. See also: Ped Xing. The Greek letter "X" is actually the "CH" sound and when you write "Christ" in greek, it starts with an X.

though calling it Xmas makes me shudder, I'll admit - what other religion would quiety stand by while the world X-es out their God's name in almost their biggest holy day
 
Also: there are many who feel that writing it "Xmas" isn't to cross out the "Christ" part, but that the X is a cross that represents Christ. I read an article about it a long time ago.

Here's a real shocker to add to the above...I use XMAS because it's SHORTER to write lol.
Sometimes a cigar....is JUST a cigar folks.

Charles Darwin was a devout practicing Anglican. I was taught the theory of evolution at Catholic school. The idea that one has to be a creationist to be a christian is a relatively new phenomenon. If you read about the Scopes trials, you'll find that actually it was mostly a publicity stunt to get more people to visit the town it was held in. Even back then, evolution was pretty much accepted by the vast majority of Americans of every faith and was being taught in schools around the country. The "controversy" is extremely new.

I dont practice so this rather unchartered territory for me......  but don't most christians believe that god "created" the earth and "created" man in the whole 7-day thing?  and doesn't this directly contradict the theory of evolution, in that man evolved from creatures of the sea at one point (even though big bang is a completely different thing, so excuse my primordial soup reference prior to edit)?  I find it difficult to believe in both a higher being that governs us and created us AND that we evolved from lower creatures over million of years.  I really don't mean this to start a huge debate, I'm just asking in general.

 Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings
 
Again...sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...I say the above to INCLUDE other celebrations around that time, and also to include New Year's Eve and Day, which I consider the official end of the HOLIDAY SEASON.
 
Good gravy...it's not about "avoiding" saying anything, it's to avoid EXCLUDING...ya know there are other things going on thruout December and January. sheesh.

ORIGINAL: NicoleS

Charles Darwin was a devout practicing Anglican. I was taught the theory of evolution at Catholic school. The idea that one has to be a creationist to be a christian is a relatively new phenomenon. If you read about the Scopes trials, you'll find that actually it was mostly a publicity stunt to get more people to visit the town it was held in. Even back then, evolution was pretty much accepted by the vast majority of Americans of every faith and was being taught in schools around the country. The "controversy" is extremely new.

I dont practice so this rather unchartered territory for me......  but don't most christians believe that god "created" the earth and "created" man in the whole 7-day thing?  and doesn't this directly contradict the theory of evolution, in that man evolved from creatures of the sea at one point (even though big bang is a completely different thing, so excuse my primordial soup reference prior to edit)?  I find it difficult to believe in both a higher being that governs us and created us AND that we evolved from lower creatures over million of years.  I really don't mean this to start a huge debate, I'm just asking in general.

 
Well, it's more of the idea that God started the big bang and then stood back and watched.  People evolved, but because God wanted us to.  So in essence, he started the big bang with perfect knowledge of what would happen and what he would create.  Intelligent design.  You can argue just how long exactly '7 days' was and was it literally seven days or was it not?  Are days the same amount of length to God as they are to humans?  It's just one of those 'Is this supposed to be taken 100% literally or is this just a metaphor' things.
 
Imo, there's way too much evidence supporting evolution to discard it...

Not all Christian groups take the Bible literally. I'd actually say that it's mainly a very vocal minority who do. In Catholic school I was taught that the Bible is not literal but an allegory. Not everything that happened in it happened exactly literally the way it is described. Catholics and most of the "main line" Protestant denominations have no problem with evolution. If you see the Bible as an allegorical story that God transmitted to humans to help us in our faith and not as literal truth, you can view the creation story simply as an allegory for the evolutionay process. God created all life on earth, set the process in motion, omnipotently guided it, whatever.
 
I'm not now nor have I ever been a Christian, but that's my understanding of how most Christians interperate evolution.
 
Anyway, remember that Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians all have major holidays around this time of year. And also keep in mind the Orthodox Christians have the same holidays but on different dates.  I'd get a lot of strange looks if I went around wishing everyone a Joyful Rohatsu Osesshin because that sort of implies that I'm assuming you celebrate it because I do and feel Joy over it as I do.  I live in a very diverse city and you can never ever assume here that someone is a Christian. We have the largest orthodox Jewish population outside of New York City. I will only "Seasons Greet" someone if I've been similarily greeted (because there are people that don't celebrate anything this time of year, and that's fine) but I always use a non-denominational greeting. Happy Holidays is inclusive. Christmas is included in that greeting, as is Divali and Rohatsu and Chanukkah and Eid al Fitr and Yule. Merry Christmas is exclusive as it only mentions one December holiday and exludes the rest.

Diversity, folks. It's a beautiful thing.

I'm an athiest and though I don't really celebrate christmas, I do perform the obligatory gift exchange with family and close friends.
 
I have started learning more about the Jewish tradition, since a small majority of my friends are Jewish.  I find them fascinating and quite enjoyable.  I'm going to my second Hanukah this year, and may in fact be invited to several.
 
So to the OP, yes and no....I do celebrate, but only in a half-hearted commercial way.

ORIGINAL: inne

Many of the traditions - the tree, for example - were not Christian inventions anyway, they were pagan traditions for the winter festival.

i am glad someone pointed that out. havent any of you that are christians ever wondered why major christian holidays come at the same time or almost the same time as traditional pagan celebrations (christmas=winter solstice; easter=vernal equinox (spring festival))? btw: colored eggs, bunny rabbits, and other small animals associated with the commercial portion of easter are symbols borrowed from pagan traditions.

i grew up going to a baptist church. i still consider myself to be a spiritual person, but i dont go to church anymore because i found the people (generally) to be very judgemental and hypocritical. we had a pastor when i was a kid that condemned people for celebrating halloween. he said it was the devils holiday (or something to that effect). but he didnt mind having a christmas tree erected in the sanctuary of the church. that always seemed quite contradictory to me, to bash the pagan rituals of one holiday but embrace them on another.

to answer to original questions, yes we celebrate christmas, and no i dont necessarily consider myself a christian anymore.

DH and I are atheists, but we'll celebrate any chance we get! So heck yeah we celebrate Christmas! Big time!

ORIGINAL: spiritdogs

ORIGINAL: espencer

Weird, is like asking who celebrates Hanukkah without being Jewish

I believe the OP meant in the general population without being among a mixed faith family.  Christmas is a holiday that everyone immerses themselves in. It is more than the day itself but a season now. Hanukkah may be eight days but it isn't advertised like Christmas is. Actually Hanukkah is a minor holiday in the Jewish religion. I do not think anyone who isn't directly involved actually celebrates it.

--Sara

Not weird if you come from a family where everyone is not of the same faith.  Better than starting a war, don't you think?

ORIGINAL: LoveMyDogCassidy

I'm a Christian, and of course we celebrate Christmas. And I do find the idea of a 'talking Jesus doll' offensive....how is that Christian anyway? Nativity scenes are a whole different thing, though. It also bothers me that 'everyone' now says Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings, just so they can get away with not saying Christmas. It's the same thing as saying X-mas, in my mind. They're trying to take the Christ out of Christmas. Or maybe some people are just trying to avoid using a long word like that, I don't know [&:] Also, the whole Santa Claus thing ( though not originally, as St. Nick) is used so that we don't have to focus on Jesus.....just like all those Christmas sales and all that.

I actually teach my kids Happy Holidays strictly so as to not offend anyone. One does not know a strangers personal beliefs. That is why we say Happy Holidays to strangers. In familial situations, we do say Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah.

--Sara

I will only "Seasons Greet" someone if I've been similarily greeted (because there are people that don't celebrate anything this time of year, and that's fine) but I always use a non-denominational greeting. Happy Holidays is inclusive. Christmas is included in that greeting, as is Divali and Rohatsu and Chanukkah and Eid al Fitr and Yule. Merry Christmas is exclusive as it only mentions one December holiday and exludes the rest.

Diversity, folks. It's a beautiful thing.

Alright that's it Houndlove...I'm joining your fanclub and I expect to receive my button and membership poster by XMAS! lmao...

Add another atheist to the list!!
DH, his kids and I are all either atheist or agnostic…but we do celebrate the holidays as a time to spend with family and friends and also to be thankful for one another. For us though, the day has no religious meaning…like Gina, I tend to use “neutral” greetings such as “Happy Holidays” and always have since many of my friends growing up were Jewish.