Why do atheist celebrate Christmas? [Spirituality & Religion]

Christmas has cultural significance that extends beyond religion; it's a celebration of family, friends, togetherness, and unrelatedly, consumerism.

A few years ago the brakes failed on a truck I was driving, as we hurtled down the long winding hill one of my atheist passengers started praying, it was a bit strange and funny as he knows no prayers. Coincidently he celebrated Christmas as well.

Because Christmas has a significant secular side that people with varying degrees of religious belief celebrate. And people like time off from work. 🤷‍♂️

The holiday is older and been around much longer than Christianity. Christians took it over and made it their own religious holiday in an effort to do away with it's non-religious observances and traditions. "Christmas" as we know it is a mixture of both traditions and is actually not entirely either (but people still believe what they want and continue to debate and argue).

It’s convenient to call it Christmas, because it’s familiar.

I celebrate it because it’s a time to gather with friends and loved ones to share meals and exchange gifts.

Why? Aside from the whole church thing, how is this different for you?

I like the Christmas trees, colored lights, the wreaths, the caroles (except the Little Drummer Boy, horrible), and, oh yes, the Peace on Earth and good will toward all thing.

Because he wants to be edgey but isn't aware how cringe it is..

So they can get a gift too?

Christmas ain’t really about Jesus for most people - nor did Christians invent the whole idea of winter solstice holidays. At this point everyone is kind of conditioned that there is some rest and revelry that happens around this time of year no matter who you are.

Shit, the Soviets had Christmas - they just did it on New Years (actual orthodox Christmas is on the 7th).

It's entrenched in the culture. This isn't new, the holidays were embedded in pagan culture and so was adopted during the shift to Christianity. The same thing is happening today as it becomes more secular in unless faithful society.


Adopting the religious rooted traditions of the past into the current cultural shift is about as Christmasy as it gets.