# Is it hypocritical to celebrate christmas yet be an atheist?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-celebrate-christmas-yet-be-an-atheist/186523>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 6, 2003, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-celebrate-christmas-yet-be-an-atheist/186523 "2003-07-06T05:57:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-celebrate-christmas-yet-be-an-atheist/186523/41 "2003-07-07T19:54:06Z")

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> I ve never heard anyone say christmas is all about being christian

Right.

I’ll go further and say that Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ. I think that is something worth celebrating (even if I am not sure of the historical truth of the birth of Christ).

I find most of the modern secular trappings of Christmas annoying (especially the rampant consumerism) and, as an Englishman living in the US, I miss the sacred songs and hate the Frosty/Rudolph/Sleigh Bells style songs about Christmas… and, while I am ranting, I hate the phrase “Happy Holidays”.

Maybe that’s the essence of the question in the OP … Is it hypocritical to celebrate christmas if you think christmas is not worth celebrating ?

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**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-celebrate-christmas-yet-be-an-atheist/186523/42 "2003-07-07T19:57:07Z")

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> Huh? I suppose yes, without there being humans & around & civilization, there wouldn’t have been Christianity, but I don’t see what you’re getting at.

I think what Latro is getting at is the commonly held belief that the early Christian Church fixed the date of Christmas precisely because it coincided with several popular pagan festivals and because they didn’t know the actual date.

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**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-celebrate-christmas-yet-be-an-atheist/186523/43 "2003-07-07T20:00:36Z")

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> Even though Christmas’s ROOTS (as opposed to exteriour trappings) are firmly set in Xtianity, Christmas today is primarily a secular holiday. We have few symbols of Christ- many of Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, etc.

I think that’s partly true in 20/21st century America but is mostly not true in most other times and places.

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**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-hypocritical-to-celebrate-christmas-yet-be-an-atheist/186523/44 "2003-07-07T20:02:32Z")

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I was raised in a fundamentalist religion that barred celebrating Christmas - the event was considered “pagan” and “worldly.” No Christmas trees during my entire childhood. ☹  
Now, as an adult with free will, I put up 3 or 4 full-size trees and decorate with a vengence.

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