My family celebrates Christmas, and I recently converted to HP. I still want to do the "gift giving and gift receiving" but not with all the Christianity stuff. Any one know how I can do that? (My mom goes to church for the Christmas play about Jesus and stuff) I need ways to 1, tell my mom that I don't want to go to church so I don't disrespect my religion and the gods and goddesses. And 2, how can I still celebrate the holiday without all the Christianity stuff (I'm the only one in my entire family -grandparents and cousins included- who isn't Christian). Thanks!
My personal opinion. Christianity is not true religion but a cult doctrine created by the kings and priests that replaces spirituality. It is a make-belief people are taught to hold on to by hope and fear. Because they are made to believe that (indoctrinated), they are fanatical in holding on to their doctrine, and easily see someone thinking differently as someone they must either save, or who is a danger, or even an enemy. That is part of the doctrine itself. Or as their mangod frames it: those that are not with us, are against us.
That is why particularly Christianity is very hostile to other religions, and that hostility easily goes over to their adherents. That is the nature of this beast. And it demands some diplomacy not to become victimized. You do not want to become ostracised. Knowing the Christian weakness, rule number one is to never discuss religion with Christians, especially not family. It was Christianity that turned it into a society matter, and even created church police (inquisition, elders) to check on people following the doctrine. Luckily today we live in a society where religion again is considered a personal matter, as it always was for Pagans. Out motto is live and let live. Pagans have always had very individual ideas on the cosmos and afterlife.
Your reflex to talk about it with your mom is rather Christian. Christians are taught they need to express their beliefs to others, that way they become billboards for Christianity. Just like they were taught to tell their private thoughts, doubts, offences during confession so they could be controlled. The doctrine is part of a control system. With Christians you are not dealing with people with individual ideas, but with people part of community sharing a doctrine. You talk to you mom, and you mom goes to the pastor to ask what she should do, etc. This can have serious consequences as some Christians are not very tolerant. You can become expelled by the whole community. Even worse things happened to children who do not want to comply. The love of Jesus is not of the tolerant compassionate kind: Or as he says:
L u k e 1 4
26 If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father,
and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren,
and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot
be my disciple.
You also have to think of your mother. If she is brainwashed in Christianity she will believe her son is going to hell and that idea can cause real suffering for parents. We know it is nonsense but that does not diminish the harm you are doing to her by telling you are a pagan and do not want to celebrate Christmas. Pagan Gods do not demand loyalty or be defended. That is a dumb Abrahamistic idea. Pagans never fought wars for their Gods, they worship them for mutual benefit and preserve harmony. They are not servants of Gods they need to defend publicly. Not harming others though is an important value.
As to question 2: For Pagans Christmas is just a beautiful Pagan festivity they can enjoy without reservation. That Christians impose their doctrine on it does not bother them. The spirit of the festivity has remained the same throughout the centuries. We should not abolish Pagan festivities like Christmas and Eastern based on natural events.
Besides for many ordinary Christians Christmas is no longer about the birth of Jesus either, but simply a feast of family reunion and wishing well. You can go to any church, engage in their rituals, no problem at all. Why, because we do not have a doctrine forbidding things. All the time you can surround it with your own thoughts. That way you respect their sensitivities which is always a good idea to avoid conflict. As long as you do not have to do anything that really offends your personal principles, you engage in them. All the Christian symbolism you can ignore. Besides most of it is pagan anyway.
In Rome the Christmas replaced the Saturnalia. During the Saturnalia there would be a role reversal and masters and slaves would eat together and the masters would serve the slaves and fulfil their wishes. The Christmas tree is typically a later Pagan addition by protestants in the Northern countries. (a few generations ago Catholics did not have a Christmas tree, only a stable). It comes from the old Pagan custom to gather round old trees considered sacred. Joining around the Christmas tree, we can not get more Pagan than that.