As an atheist, non-theist, rational person or a non-believer in ancient mythology, call it what you like, I celebrate Christmas. Why not? I love Christmas decorations, holiday parties and gift giving, just like most people. I just don't believe in an invisible god. Remember, there are people who believe in a god and don't celebrate Christmas, for example, Jehovah's Witnesses. In fact, one of the nicest friends I know is a Jehovah Witness.
What if you don't want to celebrate Christmas? Fear not! There are many winter festivals around the world to choose from. (I found them in Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winter_festivals)
And, I alphabetized them, just for you:
• Advent (Christian, The four weeks before Christmas)
• Armenian Apoststolc Christmas (Christian, Jan 6)
• Bhaubeej (Hindu)
• Bodhi Day (Buddist, Dec 8)
• Boxing Day (Secular, Dec 26, Gift-giving day after Christmas)
• Burns Night: (Secular, Jan 25, Birthday of Robert Burns)
• Candlemas (Christian, Feb 2)
• Chahar Shadbeh Suri (Persian, Festival of Fire, Last Wednesday of the Iranian Calendar year.)
• Chinese New Year (Late Jan – early Feb)
• Chrismukkah (Secular, Slang term for the amalgam of Christmas and Hanukkah celebrated by religiously mixed families and couples.)
• Christmas (Christian, Dec 25)
• Christmas Eve (Christian, Dec 24)
• Diwali (Hindu, Festival of Lights, five day festival)
• Dong zhi (Chinese Winter Solstice, Dec 21-28)
• Eastern Orthodox Christmas (Christian, Jan 7, according to the Julian calendar)
• Eid ul-Adha (Muslim, 10th of Dhul Hijja of the Islamic Calendar)
• Epiphany (Christian, Jan 6, the arrival of the Three Magi.)
• Feast of Fools (Christian, Jan 1)
• Feast of the Circumcision (Christian, Jan 1)
• Festival du Voyageur (Secular, February winter celebration of the fur trade in Winnipeg, Manitoba)
• Festival of the birth of the Unconquered Sun (Roman, late Roman Empire, Dec 25)
• Fur Rondy: (Secular, Late February and early March, Winter celebration in Anchorage, Alaska)
• Groundhog Day (Secular, Feb 2)
• Hanukkah (Eight festival starting in Nov or Dec, 25 Kislev, Hebrew calendar)
• Hogmanay (Secular, Night of Dec 31 - Before dawn of January 1)
• Scottish New Years Eve Celebration
• Holy Innocents' Day (Christian, Dec 28)
• HumanLight: (Secular, Dec 23, Humanist holiday originated by the New Jersey Humanist Network)
• Imbloc (Celtic, Feb 1)
• Imbolc (Pagan, Traditionally, evening of Jan 31, or Feb 1 or 2)
• Karachun (Slavic, Winter Solstice, Dec 21-28)
• Kwanzaa (Secular, Dec 26 - Jan 1, Pan-African festival)
• Lupercalia (Roman end-of-winter festival, Feb 15)
• Matariki (Polynesian, Usually early June)
• Modranect (German, Winter Solstice, Dec 21-28)
• Navratri (Hindu, 9 day celebration in Oct and Nov)
• New Year's Day (Secular, Jan 1, First day of the Gregorian year)
• New Year's Eve (Secular, Dec 31, Last day of the Gregorian year)
• Purim (Jewish, Late Feb or March, 14th or 15th day of Adar, Hebrew calendar)
• Quebec City Winter Carnival (Secular, February, Annual celebration of winter)
• Sadeh (Persian, Mid-winter)
• Saint Basil's Day (Christian Orthodox, Jan 1, In Greece, traditionally he is the Father Christmas figure.)
• Saint John the Evangelist's Day (Christian, Dec 27)
• Saint Nicholas’ Day (Christian, Dec. 6)
• Saint Stephen's Day (Christian, Dec 26)
• Saint Sylvester's Day (Christian, Dec 31)
• Samhain (Celtic, Nov1)
• Samhain (Pagan, Nov 1)
• Saturnalia (Roman, Winter Solstice, Dec 21-28)
• Signature of the Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan, Dec 25)
• St. Valentine's Day (Christian, Feb 14)
• Sydney Winter Festival (Secular, August 1-10th 2008, Winter Festival recreates the magic of traditional European winter celebrations, including a variety of culinary delights, and first class entertainment on an expansive outdoor screen.)
• Tu Bishvat (New Year of the Trees, Jan or Feb, 15th of Shevat, Hebrew calendar)
• Twelfth Night: Epiphany Eve (Christian, Jan 5)
• Twelve days of Christmas (Christian, Dec. 25 – Jan 6)
• Watch Night (Christian, Dec 31)
• Winter Solstice (Celtic, Dec 21-28)
• Winter Solstice (Pagan, Dec 21, New Age Festival)
• Winter Solstice, Yule: (Secular, December 21 or December 22, Late June weekend in Australia. Celebration of the Winter Solstice.)
• Winterval (Secular, Winter festivities coined by Birmingham City Council to encompass all holidays being recognized from October to January)
• Yalda (Persian, Dec 21)
• Yule (German, Winter Solstice, Dec 21-28)
• Yule (Pagan, Winter Solstice, Dec 21-28)
• Yulefest (Secular, Midwinter Christmas, around late June or July. Australian New Zealand winter 'Christmas/Yuletide')
• Yuletide: (Secular, Dec 25, Classic and modern, respectively, terms for the social and federal Dec 25th holiday)
• Zamenhof Day (Secular, Dec15, Birthday of Ludwig Zamenhof, inventor of Esperanto; holiday reunion for Esperantists)
Ah! You made it to the end of the list. There are many options, aren't there? There are 65 winter festivals listed here.
1 comment:
I had an agnostic friend who worshiped in our congregation every Christmas and Easter. It was part of the agreement he had with his wife when they were married. For him, it was just a moving celebration and a nice memory from his childhood. I guess my point is that even for those who don't believe, there is nothing wrong with enjoying something that brings back memories or creates family ritual and traditions. We ought to find the celebrations that we enjoy and celebrate them.
I certainly appreciated your list of many of the options. Life is too short to take offense at someone's beliefs. I love the rich tapestry of life represented in your list and enjoy learning what others believe and celebrate. So, I wish you a merry Christmas, or Hannukah, or whatever you find joy celebrating.
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