How many Non-Christians Celebrate Xmas?

I say "Merry Christmas" to the Target clerks to watch them try to remember that they have to say "Happy Holidays" back. 
 
"Happy Holidays" seems very generic, cold, and commerical to me.  I don't get warm fuzzies when someone wishes me a "Happy Holiday."  Honestly, if I were wished a "Happy Hannukah" I'd be tickled pink, and I'm not a bit Jewish.  Tolerance goes both ways.  If one wants their beliefs to be tolerated, then they should tolerate those of others in return.

I say "Merry Christmas" to the Target clerks to watch them try to remember that they have to say "Happy Holidays" back.

 
[sm=lol.gif]  Christina...that is just CRUEL!!

Oh I forgot one...we also do Festivus...tho DH has NOT agreed to the metal pole yet. I do have another use for the pole with which I think I could change his mind however!

 
In high school all of my friends celebrated Festivus. Metal pole and all. We even aired our grievances and wrestled. []
 
I am not a Christian and I have always celebrated Christmas. I celebrate the holiday as a chance to exchange presents, get together with family and take a welcome break from the long winter. I don't really see any harm in celebrating the holiday, since the "true meaning" that Christians are celebrating is not in December anyway.
 
What Aina said is true--December 25 was not actually the day Jesus was born, I think the actual date was in May sometime. The time frame for Christmas came from the pagan winter festival. If you look through Christian folklore, many traditions were taken from pagan rituals.
 
At any rate, I don't buy into the Christian religion per se. But I do believe in God and try to live my life as a good person. With all of the different faiths in the world, that's all you can really ask. We're not all going to agree, but we can all treat each other with respect and get along. [] And I do like a good celebration and a reason to give loved ones presents. So I'm all for Christmas!

I thought people might be interesting in reading Wikipedia's take on "Xmas" - [linkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas/]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xmas/[/link] . Christ has been abbreviated as X or XP or XC or Xt for at least 1,000 years.
 
I don't feel that "Happy Holidays" is a cold expression. To me it points to just how many holidays we are all celebrating from Thanksgiving on through New Years... I like it because you can say it for over a month and be all-inclusive. [] Certainly I use the phrase "Merry Christmas" on holiday cards to family members, but I also send out cards to clients and colleagues and I don't know what they celebrate but "Happy Holidays" covers it all.

I don't understand why people are so offended by Happy Holidays. It is all encompassing and quite friendly. While Christians may be the majority in the US, worldwide they are not. So I think a greeting that encompasses the entire holiday season is very appropriate.

ORIGINAL: tashakota
Yes!  I so wish it was less commercialized.  For cryin' out loud there were "Christmas" decorations on shelves in some stores before it was Thanksgiving!!  ugh..

lowe's had there xmas stuff out about halloween here. that just plain sucks.

ORIGINAL: denise_m

ORIGINAL: glenmar

I don't know about non-Christians, but I personally as a Christian find the idea of a talking Jesus doll offensive....

Offensive, like a bobble head Pope?

I think that was the *last* Pope. []

I celebrate solstice as do many Alaskans. The return of the sun is WAY important to us, who end up with 2.5 hours of sunlight around that time. To know we've hit the turning point and that the days are now getting longer is cause for celebration.

I am Catholic, officially, I guess. I'm rather equal-opportunity as far as religions go.

Christmas trees are wonderful (the ones that smell good, not the plastic ones) and are a pagan item that was adopted by Christians. All for the good, I think. []

And now that I have read the entire thread....

LOTS of us say "Happy Solstice!" The city has Solstice festivals at EACH solstice. In June we have the Midnight Sun Festival and it goes on until midnight, too, with a street fair and music, entertainment, parades... It's a BIG party up here, and Fairbanks isn't a big town at all. Religion has nothing to do with it, we're just so overjoyed about having the sun!

I've done more praying with my Native friends than I've done in "church" since I moved here. As far as I can explain it, I LIVE in my "church." Alaska is like living in the world's largest National Park...you can't get a better reminder of the beauty of the Universe than that, especially under the Northern Lights!

I celebrate Christmas/Solstice/whatever to give gifts and be with my family... I haven't yet been able to afford a christmas tree... I've only been on my own for like 3 years lol... But perhaps this year I can get myself a nice fake tree (allergic to the real thing).

(raises hand) I am a Non-Christian, Xmas celebrating, Happy Holiday saying, Santa bribe user!   

I'm a non-practicing Christian and I pretty much dislike the commercialism of Christmas.  Why can't we be good to each other all year?  Why are many so *caring* between Thanksgiving and Christmas and then don't give a rat's butt any other time of the year?  Food drives are predominantly done during the holidays - do these people who don't have much food not eat the other 11 months of the year?
 
I still handwrite my own Christmas cards and personal letters because this may be the only time we hear from each other.  I moved a lot with the military, so friends are scattered.  We don't see each other much, but still enjoy the annual updates.
 
I don't have much family.  When my son was little, it was just fun to watch him open presents, even if they were silly things like socks and underwear.  I always try to get him one *big* thing that's on his list, which I've done for as long as I can remember.  He may not get a lot, but does get things at other times throughout the year. 
 
As a kid, I was always reminded "look how much we spent on you."  Thanks.
 
This is slightly OT, but relates to the article Houndlove posted the link to.  I never understood why Christians feel compelled to go to other countries on so-called mission trips and spend time in places trying to convert others to Christianity.  I'm not saying it's a bad faith, but what makes Christians so bold as to think that everyone should believe the same as they do?  Didn't the Europeans do that to the Native Americans (among other things)?  What's so wrong with the religions others practice?  If you don't celebrate Christmas like I do, so what? 
 
Anyway, I'm pretty scroogy when it comes to the whole holiday thing.  I spent  Thanksgiving alone after I volunteered at the Animal Shelter for about 4 hours and it was okay by me.  I may do the same on Christmas.  I don't care if you wish me Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays.  If you can't be nice to me on December 26th, then just leave me alone.

I guess when I tried to post on campus for some reason it didn't let me. Anyway, i'm an atheist with a tree and decorations outside the house. I just think the decorations are pretty, and I like to decorate. We put up lights for everything. We do Valentines, St.Patrick's Day, 4th of July, we go all out for Halloween, and if we want to put up decorations in the winter, than nobody has any right to stop us really. Our decorations aren't really christmassy in my opinion though. We've got penguins along the pathway, snowflakes over the doorway, a penguin and a snowman, and colored lights on one of the trees. We decided to be funny and hang up stockings this year too. The dogs have big dog bone shaped ones, and we put up little tiny ones for all of us humans. The dogs have stuff in their stockings already, and the humans' are empty thus far.
Since I think I would feel awkward receiving gifts and not giving anything, I do buy some gifts. I work in people's homes with their children. I know they're going to get something for me this year, since they did last year. At the one house, I was almost certain I was getting something, since the kid's mom asked a few times what movie theater I usually went to so that she could get me a gift card for the one I go to. So,I got something for him and a little thing for his brother. The other one, I just took a guess, and his birthday is the 20th, so I gave it to him then for both occassions. I didn't get for his sisters last year because first, he has 3, and second,I truly had no idea what to get. I didn't know them well enough. This year I did get something for each of them, and i'll also get for the other child and his brother once I figure out exactly what I want to buy. I'd feel odd not doing it, and I like it when I find something that they like. If I can pick out a toy that the kids really like, it makes my life better too.

I'm not saying it's a bad faith, but what makes Christians so bold as to think that everyone should believe the same as they do?

Because it's one of the few very specific directives we have from Christ. But it's not to go out and grab people by the throat and not let go until they promise to go to church. Most missionaries today simply go out and do good works in the community, filling needs like medical centers, schools, crisis centers, community centers, air transportation service - the list goes on and on. Living Christ's message is what He asked us to do. There's a BUNCH in the gospels and the epistles about that. I'm probably going to serve Inuit children this summer at a camp in Alaska. I pay my own way for the privelege of preparing food, or painting, or doing construction, or whatever else needs done. I may never talk to a child. But God's work is done when those children are offered a refuge from the lives they lead, make connections outside their camps, perhaps get the courage to better themselves when they get the chance. We see this all over the world. Yes, bad stuff has happened and still does in terms of intercultural contact.

I believe people around the world have just as much right as we do to choose for themselves what direction to follow - but how will they be able to choose without someone to offer them another choice? It's like saying, "You can choose anything on the menu, but you can't see the menu."

ORIGINAL: brookcove

I'm not saying it's a bad faith, but what makes Christians so bold as to think that everyone should believe the same as they do?

Because it's one of the few very specific directives we have from Christ. But it's not to go out and grab people by the throat and not let go until they promise to go to church. Most missionaries today simply go out and do good works in the community, filling needs like medical centers, schools, crisis centers, community centers, air transportation service - the list goes on and on. Living Christ's message is what He asked us to do. There's a BUNCH in the gospels and the epistles about that. I'm probably going to serve Inuit children this summer at a camp in Alaska. I pay my own way for the privelege of preparing food, or painting, or doing construction, or whatever else needs done. I may never talk to a child. But God's work is done when those children are offered a refuge from the lives they lead, make connections outside their camps, perhaps get the courage to better themselves when they get the chance. We see this all over the world. Yes, bad stuff has happened and still does in terms of intercultural contact.

I believe people around the world have just as much right as we do to choose for themselves what direction to follow - but how will they be able to choose without someone to offer them another choice? It's like saying, "You can choose anything on the menu, but you can't see the menu."

If you don't mind me saying...

I don't like being preached at and I really resent the folks who feel that they have a right to disturb me at home to show me the error of my ways.  I live in the boonies for a reason folks...I don't want to be bothered.  And while I understand that these people really believe that they are doing God's work, I don't want them pushing THEIR religion on me like some Fuller Brush salesman.....