Christmas For Atheists

Christmas for Atheists

To Trog, an atheist with a dilemna

Christmas in the United States isn't about the birth of Jesus Christ no matter how badly many Christians would like it to be so. Yes, of course, that is the origination of the holiday. However, over time, with the increased work hours, with the increased emphasis on shopping and consumerism, the religious meaning has slipped away leaving a winter break in its wake: it's become a time to hang with the family in order to show love or to mend broken fences; a time to air misery (oh it's true...this is the time to shun the nasty relatives by refusing to attend the family gathering or by failing to send a holiday card or by giving them an old xmas-present that's been sitting in the garage for ten plus years); this is the time for employers to show their employees either appreciation for their hard work or disdain (want to insult an employee? Fire him at Christmas! Or gyp him on the bonus. Ouch.) This is a time for "truth" buried in acts of seeming kindness.

Honestly, there's no religious sentiment to be found unless you are strongly Christian or strongly opposed. In which case, religious sentiment can be found wherever the person decides it can be found. You don't need Christmas to express your religiosity. Likewise, an atheist should be able to dismiss the religion with the greatest of ease.

Recently, several court cases have determined that Christmas trees represent secularism as opposed to Christianity. Skoros v. City of New York 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2234. In fact, the standard of determining the constitutionality of displaying items such as Christmas trees in or about governmental buildings is (partially) whether the display has a "secular purpose." And more often than not, a secular purpose will be found, freeing schools and courts to wildly display Christmas trees and allow performers to sing Christmas carols, with a menorah and the kindergardeners singing, "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" for good measure.

Indeed, the general Christmas-y stuff we see everywhere absolutely has a secular purpose: spending money. That's as secular and as American as you can get. Again, I see no religiosity there at all. And furthermore, I don't even see an attempt to tie the holiday spending to religion.

On a related note, I recently heard an interesting talk on NPR about the decline of Ramadan - that the extremely holy month has lately turned into a version of the American Christmas, i.e. the month is spent in a frenzy of no work and high consumerism in an effort to entertain family members. The true meaning of Ramadan is slipping away. This is becoming a real problem is Muslim countries because the holiday is so darn long! The strange spending frenzy is creating havoc on their economy.

So Americans are not alone in having a religious holiday morph into something non-religious in some way.

If you need further proof that Christmas is a secular holiday and shouldn't interfere with your atheistic soul, please visit Disneyland at this time of year, and take a particular jolly ride on the Haunted Mansion (an homage to Tim Burton's holiday fest, "Nightmare Before Christmas"). Really, not a hint of old J.C. there! Christmas becomes rather...well...nightmarish. No salvation in the ghostly trees and monstrous presents...just pure fun and an interior decorator's dream (one could even venture the whole deal to be quite blasphemous actually despite the hype and glamour).

So...how does an atheist get into the Christmas spirit considering the reality that Christmas in America isn't going anywhere? I suppose you should follow the route of many other disenfranchised Americans: create your OWN holiday during the winter break. After all, this is a winter break, much like the siesta is observed in Latin countries. Schools are out, people are taking off work. Take advantage of low crowds on Christmas day to go see a hot movie (some good Jewish friends of mine do that every year) or enjoy the secular sales and shop for things you need if you can find places that aren't teeming with shoppers. Perhaps, too, there's enjoyment in people watching. There's nothing funnier than watching other harried people while you bask in your utter calmness since having abandoned Christmas pressure.

I suppose that what you need to do is re-evaluate what the season means to you now.

For me, as an agnostic woman with Christian-Jewish-Israeli-Mexican roots, I remember watching my father be "Santa Claus" at the Christmas eve parties for my mother's extended family and become my comic hero. Oh yes, he was the funniest man I've ever known and on Christmas, he shined. He was Jewish, had no interest in religion, held a burning disdain for the "Hanukkah bush" that lived in our house, and yet, he loved a good party, Christian in origin or not. Really, it was his comedy, his dry, wry, loud, irreverent sense of humor at the family Christmas parties that I remember most. I also loved the pajamas I always got at midnight on Christmas eve from my mother, the cold, tired, return home to open presents, the cuddling, the admiration of the night, being on the cusp of womanhood, being a child.

None of that had anything to do with the birth of Jesus Christ for me - it was a distant foundation. I gather those things I mentioned, throw in the births of my children, and find I love Christmas, Hanukkah always being the gateway to a loving, joyous season.

One last minute thought: www.atheists.org/flash.line/ganul2.htm

Happy Holidays to everyone at writing.com!