Recently I had a very long (but ultimately rewarding) conversation with a friend over drinks about the nature of Christmas and how it relates to God. To throw some necessary backstory at you, I'm pretty much an atheist. I have found no logical reason to believe in a god, so I don't. There are some more aggressive atheists out there who think religion should just be wiped clean off the earth, but I can't bring myself to go that far. It's a choice, and even though I think I'm right (and have things called "science" and "evidence" on my side), having that choice is more important to me than anything else. Just as we atheists don't like religious people shoving their beliefs in our face, I'm quite sure religious people don't like us coming down on them as if they were a bunch of idiots. I am perfectly fine with a "to each there own" approach.
Anyway, the question came up "If you don't believe in God, don't believe in Jesus, then why celebrate Christmas?" It's a fair point to bring up. Christmas is predominantly associated with Christianity. Christ is right there in the name, after all. It would seem silly for someone who doesn't believe in God, let alone his Earthly son, to give a crap about the holiday.
But you have to realize that Christmas has had different meanings and been celebrated in many ways over the years. Before the colonies gained their independence, the holiday season had virtually nothing to do with religion at all. It was a celebration of the end of the year's harvest, and ended up being a month long feast and alcohol binge. In fact, the Puritans hated Christmas. Hated it. So much so that they tried to freaking outlaw it. They figured that since the Bible actually makes no mention of the specific date Jesus was born, God didn't want them to celebrate it. This view isn't that far off either, as the only reason December 25th was selected was because it coincided with the Winter Solstice feasts the pagans were already celebrating, making it easier for them to convert. Most Biblical scholars actually put Christ's birth at April 17th, so there's that too.
And really, that tradition has carried on. For all the bitching about Christ being taken out of Christmas, he has never really played that important of a part if we're being honest with ourselves (and yes, I'm sure there are some out there who really do take the spiritual part seriously, but I'm speaking in generals). This became especially true after Santa Clause was introduced, and the commercialism of the holiday spread like cancer.
But see what happens when you strip the holiday down. Remove the bells and whistles, the supernatural births, the feasts and drinking, and you're left with two things: inclusiveness and charity. These virtues represent the best aspects of human nature, the desire to be with the ones you care about, to reach out and help those who may be less fortunate. To set aside your own personal worries, your own selfish tendencies, and be a part of a bigger world. These are things that belong to no specific religion, they are merely part of the human condition. After all, Scrooge didn't find salvation in the Baby Jesus at the end of A Christmas Carol, he found in finding joy in being with and helping his fellow man.
And that is what I celebrate during the holiday season. Christmas is a culturally sanctioned time to be with family and friends. It can get crazy at times with all the gift buying and running around, but the trick is to block that out as best you can. Because the only reason you're out buying crap in the first place is because there are people in your life important enough to you to do so. That is the most important thing to take away from the season, and it is a sentiment that is not bound to any one religion, or religion in general.
And this is coming from a cynical misanthrope.
So Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and drinks all around!
GC
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