# Happy Whatever: what are you celebrating this season? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568 "2013-12-17T17:21:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/1 "2013-12-17T17:21:54Z")
Me, Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/2 "2013-12-17T17:24:50Z")
Christmas, then New Years. Happy holidays to all! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/3 "2013-12-17T17:28:03Z")
I’m not sure why I’m checking out completely this year. My wife and I are just not doing this anymore. We told the kids (mostly grown). No Christmas, no nothing. I’m quite happy about it. No xmas village, no lights on the house. No tree. No shopping. It’s very peaceful and wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/4 "2013-12-17T17:31:22Z")
I picked “Christmas” because we’re going to the relatives’ house Christmas Eve (at least that’s the plan) and “Nothing” because this has been a pretty sucky holiday season for me and we don’t really celebrate Christmas all that much these days anyway. We’ll probably just stay home Christmas Day, watch the Doctor Who special, and eat something boring and nontraditional, then go out and shop when the crowds die down. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/5 "2013-12-17T21:52:16Z")
Isaac Newton’s Birthday. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/6 "2013-12-17T22:45:41Z")
St. Lucy’s Day (Dec. 13th) - my daughter is named Lucy. Then Christmas, New Year’s, and Epiphany. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/7 "2013-12-17T23:36:37Z")
Secular American Christmas for us, with a quiet undertone of winter solstice. As my husband puts it, solstice recognizes something that actually _happened_, and still happens. ---
**Author:** ![Cerealbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Cerealbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerealbox)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/8 "2013-12-17T23:41:32Z")
edit: eh, i’m not as clever as I thought ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/9 "2013-12-18T00:43:56Z")
A secular Christmas, officially. But in reality, this year is ending in such a chaotic mess that I’m having a hard time really making an effort. There’s a tree, and presents, and there will be dinner at the in-laws. But I’m skipping many other traditions for lack of time and energy. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/10 "2013-12-18T00:55:44Z")
Christmas but the secular version. I used to go to Mass but I’ve lapsed. I still enjoy the trappings of Christmas, however and we put up the tree, send cards, decorate the house and so on. This year we’re having to bring our Christmas Day forward to the coming weekend (not sure whether Saturday or Sunday) because I’m working on the 25th. I haven’t worked a Christmas Day shift since 1979. This is going to feel really strange. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/11 "2013-12-18T06:09:49Z")
Christmas for certain. We often talk about doing something to observe the Solstice, but never seem to get around to it. Since it falls on Saturday this year, perhaps we’ll remember… ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/12 "2013-12-18T07:37:45Z")
Somewhere between a secular Christmas, and the SUMMER solstice. There will be much eating and drinking, swimming in the pool, barbecues in the sun, and going to the beach. And fighting with siblings and complaining about parents. And then more drinking. ---
**Author:** ![Bibliothecarius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@Bibliothecarius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliothecarius)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/13 "2013-12-18T10:17:39Z")
It ended two weeks ago, but Hanukkah. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/14 "2013-12-18T21:53:43Z")
Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/15 "2013-12-18T22:15:46Z")
We did the candle lighting and latke thing at the beginning of the month. Unlike many American Jews, we keep the gift giving to a minimum. We’re going to a Solstice Day open house that friends are throwing down in Denver on Saturday, but I don’t expect anything more elaborate than canapés and wine. Sunday, we celebrate my wife’s 50th birthday (which is today!) with an open house of our own. Christmas day we will probably eat Chinese food with the rest of the local Jewish community. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/16 "2013-12-19T00:10:34Z")
Winter solstice, because it’s the shortest day of the year and after that it just gets better! Wheeeeee! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/17 "2013-12-19T00:15:32Z")
I’m up for anything where alcohol is served-- preferably good wine, but I can be flexible. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/18 "2013-12-19T00:20:13Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Winter solstice, because it’s the shortest day of the year and after that it just gets better! Wheeeeee! I’d like to say the same about the summer solstice but, for reasons I’ve never been able to fathom, summer just gets hotter and hotter (and more and more humid) **after** the longest day. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/19 "2013-12-19T02:02:43Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m up for anything where alcohol is served-- preferably good wine, but I can be flexible. Just have a hit of whatever’s in the Kwanzaa chalice. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568/20 "2013-12-19T06:41:47Z")
Nothing, I specifically volunteered to come to our Kabul office over the holiday so that I could avoid Christmas. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-whatever-what-are-you-celebrating-this-season/676568.md?page=2)