Non-theists and holidays. How to celebrate.

[Sand Dancer]

How do non-theists celebrate? As a recent non-theist, I wonder about the point of the holidays. How do you celebrate?

 

[LuisDantas]

We tend to naturally gravitate towards social circles that do not emphasize the religious aspects of the holidays, I think.

 

[Sand Dancer]

We tend to naturally gravitate towards social circles that do not emphasize the religious aspects of the holidays, I think.

Any specifics that are maybe a little different than the "normal" way of celebrating?

 

[columbus]

How do non-theists celebrate? As a recent non-theist, I wonder about the point of the holidays. How do you celebrate?

I find that all important holidays have a good secular reason for being celebrated.
Easter is a celebration of hope.
Christmas is a celebration of family and friends.
Then there are the nonChristian religious holidays. They are hard to get involved in here. But fun. Jewish, Hindu, Native, you name it. I'm good. Any excuse to eat and dance and listen to old stories works for me.
Oh, and candles. I love candles and fire. There is something magical about watching dead matter come to life and make warmth and light.
Tom

 

[Sand Dancer]

I find that all important holidays have a good secular reason for being celebrated.
Easter is a celebration of hope.
Christmas is a celebration of family and friends.
Then there are the nonChristian religious holidays. They are hard to get involved in here. But fun. Jewish, Hindu, Native, you name it. I'm good. Any excuse to eat and dance and listen to old stories works for me.
Oh, and candles. I love candles and fire. There is something magical about watching dead matter come to life and make warmth and light.
Tom

I totally agree!!!

 

[Laika]

How do non-theists celebrate? As a recent non-theist, I wonder about the point of the holidays. How do you celebrate?

The only major holiday I celebrate is Christmas. I don't do anything for Easter or Halloween, etc. I have wondered where not to celebrate Christmas but it is very anti-social to do so. I'm not sure whether I should but I just use it as a social occassion. You get to wish complete strangers "merry Christmas" and they generally light up about it. It weird, but you can actually be nice to people once a year.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

How do non-theists celebrate? As a recent non-theist, I wonder about the point of the holidays. How do you celebrate?

The Christians pinched all those festivals from the Pagans anyway. Seasonal indulgence including Guinness and ice-cream are possible solutions.

 

[Augustus]

How do non-theists celebrate?

Alcohol usually

 

[Altfish]

I find no hypocrisy at all in celebrating 'Christian' holidays; after all I am given the days off from work, I might as well make the most of them.
As has been said before Christmas was adopted from the pagan winter solstice holiday.
I don't go to church but it is a time for family and friends, I don't even mind carols - but I do have a CD of punk Xmas songs that I always play. Much to the amusement of my grandson.
Easter is a good long weekend, great time for parties.

If you want to celebrate something different, how about...

Darwin Day: http://darwinday.org/

or for a laugh...

How about Towel Day, celebrating the life of Douglas Adams...
http://towelday.org/

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

How do non-theists celebrate? As a recent non-theist, I wonder about the point of the holidays. How do you celebrate?

I mainly get together with family.

Honestly, out of the people I know personally, only the very religious people spend their holidays in church, so the "atheist" approach to holidays isn't that different from the moderately religious approach.

 

[Sand Dancer]

The Christians pinched all those festivals from the Pagans anyway. Seasonal indulgence including Guinness and ice-cream are possible solutions.

Just don't put them in the same glass.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I find no hypocrisy at all in celebrating 'Christian' holidays; after all I am given the days off from work, I might as well make the most of them.
As has been said before Christmas was adopted from the pagan winter solstice holiday.
I don't go to church but it is a time for family and friends, I don't even mind carols - but I do have a CD of punk Xmas songs that I always play. Much to the amusement of my grandson.
Easter is a good long weekend, great time for parties.

If you want to celebrate something different, how about...

Darwin Day: http://darwinday.org/

or for a laugh...

How about Towel Day, celebrating the life of Douglas Adams...
http://towelday.org/

Thanks for the info! What are some good punk Xmas songs?

 

[Altfish]

Thanks for the info! What are some good punk Xmas songs?

Here's one I found easily, so are nsfw!!

 

[illykitty]

I always celebrated things in a non-religious way, since no one in my family is really religious. I mean, imagine Christmas without anything Jesus-ish, with family, friends, gifts, foods and some decoration. That's what it's always been like for me.

There's a lot of people who don't believe in deity and/or religion but are still celebrating whatever the culture's festivals are. Culturally Christian/Muslim/etc is a thing.

Also, I tend to participate in things like "Earth day" because I love our little planet and it's very important for me, personally. That's not attached to any religion.

 

[jonathan180iq]

How do non-theists celebrate? As a recent non-theist, I wonder about the point of the holidays. How do you celebrate?

However you want. You get to have more fun now and not worry about why you aren't constantly in-love with the "reason for the season."

It's axial tilt, by the way.
Axial tilt is the reason for the season.

 

[Demonslayer]

I celebrate pretty much the same way I always did growing up. Christmas is gift giving, spending time with family, watching holiday specials, decorating the tree, etc. I just don't get dragged to church like I did when I was a kid. Then what other religious holidays are there really? Easter is the big one I guess, I don't do anything for that. The other big ones aren't really religions. New Years, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Halloween, 4th of July.

The only change is Easter I guess, where I used to get dragged to church before getting a bucket of candy. Now no church, no candy bucket, and better off without either.

 

[jonathan180iq]

I celebrate pretty much the same way I always did growing up. Christmas is gift giving, spending time with family, watching holiday specials, decorating the tree, etc. I just don't get dragged to church like I did when I was a kid. Then what other religious holidays are there really? Easter is the big one I guess, I don't do anything for that. The other big ones aren't really religions. New Years, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Halloween, 4th of July.

The only change is Easter I guess, where I used to get dragged to church before getting a bucket of candy. Now no church, no candy bucket, and better off without either.

Had to over-dress too, so mom could feel really important when walking past all the other moms who did exactly the same thing...

Maybe the South isn't common, but Church was very much a social gathering place for us. It's where you'd show everyone how high class you were by wearing clothes that came off that one rack from Sears that no one every actually bought.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Just don't put them in the same glass.

i must try that! Guinness ice-cream, yum!

 

[psychoslice]

I celebrate everyday, I don't need a holiday to do that.

 

[Sand Dancer]

I celebrate everyday, I don't need a holiday to do that.

Great attitude!