Athiest? As in athy, athier and the athiest?

What makes you think all atheists were once christians? I was raised secular jewish. We didn't celebrate christmas. Why should we? I still don't. In fact i hate its ubiquity. It's always in my face. People always assuming i celebrate it. Lots of people are not now nor have ever been christian. It's not our culture. Even if i were not an atheist i still would not celebrate this alien holiday.

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The winter solstice was celebrated long before Christianity was invented. I hope you don't have a tree in your house you naughty pagan you.

Long before Jesus was born, this holiday was celebrated as the Winter solstice. It celebrated the return of the sun. That is why all celebrations this time of year revolve around the sun(haha) or light of some kind. So our celebrations came before christ and Xmas was put at this time of year to convince Pagans to celebrate it. Do research dude!!

The solstice has been happening this time of year for quite some time, well before there was a Christmas or any other type of holiday season. Being the reason for all the lights because it was freaking dark when there was no electricity. Welcome to the site.

It is just a cultural celebration. I can live without it, but it is hard to avoid all the parties and food and drink. Sometimes there are gatherings to celebrate family which can be nice.

Which holiday season... Saturnalia? Jul? Solstice? The virgin birth of Mithra? Honestly, the holiday is nothing but a bright spot in the middle of winter, inspiring generosity and good will. I say just go with that.

Not much.
It's a commercial marketing scam, ripped off from a pagan solstice festival.
But the kids enjoy it.

Humm this holiday season has been celebrated much longer than there have been Christians. It was just co-opted by Christians from Pagans. So there are many reasons to celebrate other than the reason the Christians celebrate.

A religious neighbor recently asked me about my Christmas decorations , since I am an atheist . I told her it was a bit like the Halloween Party I had invited her and her husband to . He came as a well dressed vampire and she came as a witch . And no , they don't believe in those things .

I support any reason to party, dress-up, and drink. Tell me when your birthday is, and I'll toast to your health.

Christmas was stolen and converted and perverted... It was never about Jeebus originally...

Christ is not a name. It is a title. There may or may not have been a real Jesus that believers think their gospels were based on. Even if there was a real Jesus, Christmas has nothing to do with that person. The church decided in the fourth century to use December 25th as a birthday for Jesus. If these words are true and can be found using the Internet, it appears that you need a lot more education.

Maybe religous people will live up to the ideals they espouse and actually take a minute to be good to each other rather than being the judgmental, uptight assholes they normally are.

I don't believe in devils, goblins, ghouls and ghosts, but I still enjoy celebrating Halloween.

I really enjoy celebrating Festivus in my own way.

Christmas is a holiday with a lot of fairytale mythology attached to it -- elves, flying reindeer, Santa Claus -- it's all part of the fun. When you were a child I assume you believed in all of that Xmas magic. Eventually you grew up enough that you had to let go of the Santa myth. It's time you also grew up about the God/Jesus myth too.

I see you're a believer. Welcome.

Is this a trick question? LOL No need to believe in any Christ in order to be thoughtful and kind to others. That is what this time of the year means to me. Trying to be kind to people and animals is a worthy goal for everyone, and no religion or god or Jesus is needed.

It is a festival based on pagan rituals to observe the winter solstice. Neither lights, trees, gifts, Santa Claus, reindeer, December 25th, red and green, mistletoe, decorated cookies, shopping binges, egg nog, Christmas carols, etc. are in the Christian scriptures. So the occasion really has little to do with Christ, and everyone is free to take it or leave it as they desire. This is really common knowledge, which makes me think the questioner is quasi-trolling.

And it's "atheist," not "athiest." It is not a superlative. It is not "athy," "athier," "athiest."

One doesn't have to believe in God to enjoy the festivities.

I think you mean the Winter Solstice Holiday Season?

Great time of year for a feel good party, to bad religion fucks it up so much.

Well first of all Jesus wasn't born in December in fact the bible doesn't state when he was born. The truth is that early Christians appropiated the Winter Equinox celebrations for their own (A trick borrowed from the Romans, who would apropriate the gods of the people they conquered and gradually rename those gods as Roman ones) . All the celebratory rituals that are done on Christmas ( Gift giving, Decorating the tree the origional Sinta Claus etc etc) are all Pagan.
Now I have no problem at all with Christians celebrating our ancient rituals but I do get upset when they start telling us we can't.

Happy Solstice. I am ready for long sunny days.

I celebrate axial tilt by eating too much and drinking even more. Axial tilt is the reason for the seasons.

I have a hard time believing this is a legit question and not a troll though. As many have stated, we humans know that Christians have tried to steal and then redecorate a long standing pagan holiday. A celebration of a sun god who returns light to a world in darkness (literally, in a literary fashion, and figuratively).

Ok, time for some pun "Hanukkah 'm over here and help me out?If you don't, Yule be be rewarded with cookies. You see, the X-mass-ed up my tree."

I am going to sacrifice a rib of beef on a burning alter while consuming fermented spirits. Whatever gods enjoy that sort of thing, I hope they look favorably on me.