What does Christmas mean to you?

[Az]

We have been discussing this over in the A&A group and I thought it would make for a good thread here in GD.

We have heard Billo's notion of what we think of Christmas. That of course is a strawman. So lets hear from DU. What do you celebrate during this time of the year? How do you celebrate?

I am a big goofball gift giving fool. Xmas is my second favorite holiday (Halloween being the first). If anyone asks what I am celebrating I tell them the birth of Socrates.

As I see it its cold outside (or supposed to be). It sucks being alone when its cold and miserable outside. How much of an excuse do you need to get together with friends and family?

So we do the dual family thing. Xmas eve and morning with the GFs fam and Xmas afternoon to evening with mine. Her family is soft xian and knows we are atheists and are cool with it. My folks are implicit atheists and need just as much excuse to throw a party as I do.

In between the family gatherings we typically run around to the neighbors and give them baked goods or other home made gifts. It took my Eastern Orthodox Preist neighbor about 3 years to figure out that he lived next door to a crazy gift giving atheist. He finally had a gift ready for us when we showed up with a pie one year.

Its a time of connectivity. Letting people know you care. Letting people show you they care. Its the most humane holiday I can think of. At least how we celebrate it.

[Liberty Belle]

1. A time of sharing and caring for those we love and appreciate.

I for one have avoided buying items at corporate-owned chains this holiday season, especially those that donate money to Republicans.

I'm treating my husband to a New Year's Eve party and stay at a local B&B that nearly burned down in California's wildfires, in a town where the whole economy suffered because of the devastation.

For others, I got hand-crafted items from artisans here and in a town where we vacationed.

I did buy a few books at Costco, a 100% "blue" donor, and I'm baking loaves of cranberry orange bread for the neighbors.

[Kiouni]

2. Talent Shows and Swords!

every year my family gives the gift of talent to each other and we hold a talent show at my mothers house. None of us have any talent so its usually pretty funny. One year I got my brother a ninja sword and we cut up a watermelon on the lawn. This tradition seemed to stick with the holidays so no we drag out about 10 watermelons and massacre them every year in the yard. Happy Holidays!

p.s. my little mom gets pretty into whacking those melons too, its a blast.

[Dr.Phool]

3. As an atheist married to a non-practicing Catholic

We put up our X-mas tree. I sent out cards with Santa on the beach (this is Florida) to everyone, even atheist friends. We go to a lot of holiday parties, and enjoy all of our friends company.

We'll give each other a small gift, just for the hell of it. We spent more on the dogs than we did each other.

It's the perfect time of year. 81 degrees outside today. All the citrus is ripening, and I can have fresh squeezed juice every morning, or mixed with vodka in the evening.

[Lilith Velkor]

4. It means that Christendom never won the war on Yuletide

As a pagan, I find that kinda cool.

It's more about the party than anything else to me. That, and baking cookies for the fam.

I have to do it at night this year, it's been way too hot in the daytime.

[cosmik debris]

5. Cross posted from A&A

Have you ever been to one of those cheesy restaurants where the whole staff comes out to the dining area to sing Happy Birthday to some poor schmuck that did not want to be the center of attention in the first place? And if he did want recognition it would not be for his chronological success, but for something that actually made a difference.

And everybody laughs when he discovers that the candle he blew out has magically re-lit itself.

And they make him eat a cake that tastes like dry wall with icing so sweet it could induce a diabetic coma in the strongest of men.

And everybody else in the restaurant is wishing they would shut the hell up so that others could enjoy a meal.

That’s what Christmas means to me.