What do you celebrate at this time of year?
 

Almost everyone celebrates, but for lots of different religious and non religious reasons. What do you celebrate? And how?

We're atheist, but our celebration centers around the non-religious aspects of traditional christmas celebrations. Mostly we're celebrating a time when work and school stops and we can be together as a family, and exchanging gifts is fun. We enjoy the light aspect in the middle of winter -we love to put up lights on the house and in the yard and keep them lit well into January. We do have a biggish meal, but there's no dressing up, and if the 25th isn't convenient, it will be another day. Not British traditional turkey any more, though. this year will be roast lamb. Santa/Father Christmas visits. Sorta. but it really is a stocking and we operate on a don't sleep, don't tell policy..... and it's known that santa is a dollar store fan...... we like the fun of it, but see no reason to encourage a belief in an unknown. And the kids see no reason to ask ;) but they love Norad Tracks Santa.

Mons, you could say almost all the same things for our family, except for the lights on the house.
We put them on the tree... always a Grand Fir - for their room-filling fragrance.
My wife was raised on wild game, so lamb is a favorite "big meal"

We don't exactly celebrate Christmas either. We choose a day at the end of the month when we're all free. We ate Western food once or twice but my mom and older brother had requested Asian food, so we've been eating Asian dishes since then. We exchange gifts just cuz....why not? It's fun receiving gifts, hehe. No Christmas tree or any sort of Christmas decorations either. Just an occassion for the family to get together. :)

I'm a big fan of the return of the light, so the winter solstice means more to me than Christmas does. I usually put up lights and maybe a small tree and burn lots of candles. This year I was going to put luminarios outside on the Solstice, but it poured rain all that night (stupid global warming). Christmas Eve is supposed to be clear, though, so I'll put them out then. I'm considering really going to town on the project, so I'll have to buy a bunch more candles tomorrow!

Very similar to yours Monster.

As a kid we always had a little nativity scene set up on the cabinet in the sitting room (which was where the tree and most of the more elaborate decs were: as opposed to the telly-room/livingroom where we mostly hung out) and a huge tree, with ornaments all over it and under it...and big piles of pressies. Tree always went up on Xmas eve.

The Christian aspects gradually fell away. To be honest the whole Baby Jesus thing kind of merged in with Father Christmas as a pretty and multi-coloured, glowing story anyway.

As an adult: all my immediate family are atheists, including the girls, so there is no religious undertone. We get together as a family, usually down at Our Kid's house*. As I live alone, my morning is a quiet affair: Pilau and i have our breakfasts (both have sausages ;p) and listen to Radio 4, intermittent Christmassy phone calls, then a walk with Mum and Dan. Then back to mine for a cup of tea and a mince pie (possibly a glass or two of sherry or Baileys). Then off our separate ways for a bit. Then Mum picks me up and we go to Martin's (leaving dogs at ma's house) and eat enough for a week.

Much jollity, much drinking and chatting and exchanging of pressies. The girls showing off their new tech etc. At some point we'll drift home.

Foodwise; it varies. Sometimes turkey, sometimes beef, or lamb, occasionally something less traditional (one year was an Indian banquet) or really old skool: we had goose a couple of years ago. There's always a good range of meat and vegetarian dishes, with separate lots of potatoes and gravy/sauces (meat eaters' spuds roasted in goose fat). All depends what is sparking Martin and Jen's enthusiasm :p They are both very good cooks. Between them they make the most amazing Christmas meals.


* translation: 'Our Kid' is Northern English slang for sibling.


[eta] one time when we had turkey, a few years ago, us adults had taken a little acid and ended up naming the turkey Janice. That was a strange Christmas dinner ;p

Christmas Eve will be with my side of the family, oyster stew on the menu early enough so much sister's family and Dad can go to church. We've exercised most many of the family demons over the last few years so I'm expecting a calm if religiously oriented afternoon. Christmas Day will be at home with our kids with a visit from one set of Grandparents. Not religious but a close immediate family time keeping a spirit of joy and thankfulness in mind. Monday will be the annual Bacchanalia with Pete's Mom, hardcore consumerism slaved to strong family bonding. This was once a planned bender day for me but I'm better now. Pete's Dad will be later in the season it feels sorta atheist Lutheran.

There are no christians in our house so we just call it 'Saturday' (this year anyway). I hope you all have a nice day whatever you call it.

My parents and my sister's family all celebrate the birth of Christ.
Even being an atheist I'm not immune to the stirring power of carols - We Three Kings moves me still, and some of the descants (Adeste Fideles and Hark the Herald for example) raise goosebumps.

So we're a mixed bunch.
Christmas to me in my glory years was a real solstice celebration in that it meant snapping cold and clear dark skies, frost and isolation outside, everyone together and light and life and celebration and real fires inside. These days my light and company come via the computer screen. I still feel the pull of the seasons though. And especially being around the children this year - I almost wished we could be snowed in for a while so I could enjoy it for longer. In a non-creepy way of course.

Climbing back up towards summer again now. Boooo!
I'll relish the weather while I can.

My birthday.

Hi Jesus!

do you celebrate anything else? (other than being alive each day...)

Christmas, in all of its traditional glory.

I'm like this, too, Sammy. Loads of candles. Loads of light.

Not quite... Just the day after ;)

I'm on the verge of some wild Christmas Depression!!!!!

Ye HAW!

serioulsy. I want to die. Ugh.