"Christmas isn't even Christian!"

[captain_slinky]

I'm sure you've heard your enlightened friends go on and on about how Christmas isn't even really Christian - how Jesus wasn't born on December 25th, decorating trees is a Druid thing, and most every Christmas Tradition has been borrowed, copied or stolen from some other religion.

I'm an Atheist, sure, and I think that this observation probably started from an Atheist... but I'd really like that to stop please.

The Christians took all that stuff from all the other religions and smooshed it all together in to something that's really great! If your first response is to take it apart, that's...

...That's like saying "Ugh that Cake isn't even really a Cake! It's just some flour, eggs and milk stirred together and baked till light and fluffy, then they slapped some frosting on it! Heck, even the FROSTING is just powdered sugar and milk!"

So I'd like to see credit given where credit is due. Thanks, Christianity, for making my favorite Holiday! I appreciate it!

Comments

[hannah easterson (from livejournal.com)]

You're welcome! I did all of it.

See, this is why I like you Brian. At it's core, yeah, it's a Christian holiday, even though it's iconography is all bastardized, because of what it's come to represent for those of us who celebrate it for that reason. But it's also a midwinter festival, and an excuse for gift giving (or receiving?), and it's a celebration of humanity during the darkest, coldest part of the year. It's a Christian holiday for me, because that's what it means to me, a reminder of Christ and Christian values (I mean the real ones, not the crazy ones). But if it means something else to you, then it can be a celebration about that. That's part of the joy of having it be such a mish-mashed holiday. Christmas is, ultimately a reflection on what's important, and a wonderful excuse to celebrate one another and wear ridiculous hats. Why fight that? The fact that you and I can agree on this, for exactly the same reasons without making it a crazy excuse to hate each other for our lifestyle choices (is that the right way to classify a religion???) means that we're (hopefully) some of the good guys.

Cheers Brian, Merry Christmas and let the jingle-bell-hat wearing commence!

[aurora77]

Iconography meaning can change over time and some things have many meanings. Heck, many even think the cross symbol was co-opted from elsewhere, but its current meaning is quite clearly Christian. Cultures borrow from other cultures all the time and make those things their own. Christmas has clearly become its own thing, important to different people for different reasons. And I'm okay with this. It's a holiday that can be many things to many people.

[man-of-snows.livejournal.com]

I take partial responsibility for the war on Christmas. My mother goes overboard every year…she may be the reason Christmas is still around in fact.