What does Christmas mean for non Christians, non-religious people?

For me it is just memories. Memories of presents (a soccer ball that was too hard), and illuminated trees, and special meals in my poor youth, and church events, and being young and naive.

Today, I see the hold Christmas has over people, many of whom are like me, non-religious. Are we being manipulated to participate?

Christmas is a cultural thing that is hard to resist. I resist it as much as I can.

a reply to: droid56

I love Christmas. Great food, great booze, fun parties, good cheer. I spoil my wife and kids with gifts. Lots of fun.

Im an atheist, I still participate, to me its really getting to see the family and the gift of giving, it doesn't bother me .I maybe have 2 dumb ass aunts that pray to their middle eastern homeboy but that's about it, in my family its about gifts and eating. But religions are just different versions of really old middle eastern B.S. as far as Im concerned.

I've heard people say it makes them feel tense.
Is it a vehicle for the corporations to make money? Yes.
Santa is a myth for children. Some like the Santa myth.

I spent all year wracking my brain trying to think of thoughtful, useful gifts for my hubby & kids. I'm fairly sure I nailed that, looking forward to seeing their faces in the morning
We in our little heathen family like it for the atmosphere. As in, both the rich cultural roots of the mythology (and I'm not talking about the biblical hijack one) and the thoughtfulness/generosity among family & friends. It'd be nice if people were generous in general to random strangers as a principle, but that's not how it developed in the US. It's primarily a family holiday here. Because of that, I'm not inspired to give more to strangers in value or quantity during the holidays, we donate year-round when & what we can. People in need don't need only at Christmas, but we are still happy to make sure a little kid gets a gift they wouldn't otherwise receive.

Edit: However, if you don't like Christmas, don't celebrate it. We don't like Easter, so we don't celebrate it. Real easy choice there.

Okay. You non-religious people like Christmas and all it represents. Consumer orgy. Santa myth.

Interesting. I'm surprised.

I just came home from having a wonderful xmas dinner with new friends that I met a couple of months ago and it was great. Totally non religious, have some great food great drinks great smokes great company.....all was good.
My new friends aunt, knows from years ago, my sons grandfather on his dad's side. Omg, talk about only six degrees of separation!! How friggin weird is this world! Not even from this province!

Come home to giant breed excited puppies get lovingly assaulted, by both, and a Shihtzu (boss of the house) lol, life is good

Merry Xmas peeps. Luv u all tonite !

originally posted by: droid56
Okay. You non-religious people like Christmas and all it represents. Consumer orgy. Santa myth.

Interesting. I'm surprised.

Ah, so you think only 'Religious' people should or could desire peace, health and happiness for mankind??

You should think higher of yourself....

I enjoy Christmas just for the tradition. Gifts are only given to children with the occasional thank you gift for the host .

When I was able I loved the cooking and preparation along with the memories of a warm glowing home with relatives all around and especially the wonder of the children as they saw there most wanted items unwrapped.

My family has come a long way from where I once was to place the fun of christmas in a more proper perspective.

Christmas is like any other American holiday: A shameful display of consumerism brought upon by the commercialization of the season. I cannot wait for it to be over, and soon we'll have Spring time.

Forgive me if I sound cynical about the holidays. It's just growing up in the 90's, every holiday, or event, has become commercialized. Everywhere you go instead of celebrity holidays because of their religious, cultural, or historic traditions; business capitalize off the holidays, and I think it's worse when people have a one track mindset that they'll only consume.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for gifts, the food is delicious, and so forth. I just wish holidays like Christmas had more meaning. Today Christmas is so watered down because of commercialism and consumerism, that it's no different from other holidays like Halloween in my opinion.

originally posted by: droid56
Okay. You non-religious people like Christmas and all it represents. Consumer orgy. Santa myth.

Interesting. I'm surprised.

All of it. People need to choose to have some fun.. Life's too friggin short...
Celebrate it all

We give gifts of money to close family. This time of year everyone can use some extra cash. My hubby takes some old guys who don't drive/live out in the country to holiday festivities in town. He does that for any holiday or whenever they want to party.

We celebrated santa, gifts etc. when the kids were small, fun memories. One christmas we worked at a ski area, absolutely beautiful just like a x-mas card. Lots of fun people. I love employee christmas parties. Another year we went to Puerto Rico for a wedding/tropical x-mas, way too much fun.

The kids grew up, left the boonies and now holidays are just good excuses to get together if they have the time off. It's a long drive, weather can be crap at christmas and they could get stranded. This year we all have the flu so we're making plans for a get together next week.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Festivus whatever and a very special thanks to all those who'd very much like to be home celebrating but can't, soldiers, docs/nurses, snow plow drivers, police, fire/emt, store clerks etc.

a reply to: droid56

I see Christmas as just another excuse to shop for material items.

When to comes to Christmas I still give something sometimes as part of my generosity.

I don't expect any gifts given to me though since material items don't seem interesting. All I want from anyone is just courtesy and acknowledgment.

originally posted by: droid56
Okay. You non-religious people like Christmas and all it represents. Consumer orgy. Santa myth.

Interesting. I'm surprised.

Well gee, Scrooge, I'll let my 8 year old budding artist know that all the artwork she spent months drawing, detailing & painstakingly coloring, personalized for each recipient (including a handmade coloring book for her 6 year old sister) was a waste of effort & meaning, and it's just all about buy, buy, buy and nothing else.

You've completely missed the point of "thoughtfulness" and "generosity".

It means spending some quality time with family and friends, sparking some magic for the kiddies through the medium of santa, eating drinking and being merry. It's for the kids really, but a day to be enjoyed on the whole. It's a day off for most people no matter what religion

And best of all it means that the longest night has been and the days are getting longer again! More daylight, more sunshine on its way. Goodbye little sun, hello big sun!
Call it what you will, this festival is ancient - enjoy it, enjoy seeing the people you love happy and well and make the most of another year together.

I'm non religious and I still celebrate with my wife! For all the people who say it's consumerism and the like, I truly feel sorry for you! You must not have felt the magic that it is/was for children, a very special time in their lives adults alike!

I hope one day that all you scrooges get to experience what Christmas can really be about!

originally posted by: droid56

Okay. You non-religious people like Christmas and all it represents. Consumer orgy. Santa myth.

Interesting. I'm surprised.

This is what I don't get. Christmas has everything in it that the statist-humanists should utterly despise--religion, family values, rampant materialism and greed, orgiastic capitalism, etc. The list goes on and on. The damage done to the environment by UPS alone this time of year should send these people into a conniption fit.

Yet many of them embrace it more fully than many Christians do. The "War on Christmas" people, as obnoxious as though they may be, are at least somewhat consistent in their ideology and their expression of it.

a reply to: NthOther

Doesn't have to have religion at all.
humanists against family values? News to me.
It goes far back beyond Christianity from pagan times and for me it is about fun and relaxing spending time with family and pals.
oh and slaughtering a goat tothe great one chulthu.

It means taking time to appreciate that we are already vastly wealthy because we have something worth more than consumerism - friends and family.