Merry Christmas! with love from an atheist

There are two complaints of which I’ve quietly taken note as an atheist during the Christmas season: 1. Non-believers are trying to cancel Merry Christmas because it offends them while everyone else is being bullied into saying Happy Holidays. 2. There is only one reason for the season, let’s not forget it. And yet, here I am. Just an atheist, sitting in front of a laptop, asking you to accept my Merry Christmas.

Possibly you’re thinking there’s some disparity here.

Possibly you’re right. Here’s why I’m okay with it.

I grew up very aware of religion. My paternal grandparents were involved in their church and I enjoyed going to Sunday School for a few years as well as socials and holiday events. The people were lovely, the songs were catchy, and it was a great excuse to wear a dress. What’s not to like? I stopped going to church when I felt I shouldn’t be pretending to believe something I didn’t, but I still enjoyed seeing friends at church social events. And, I can still hear my grandpa’s grace before dinner. I loved that man and I loved his grace, especially the “bless this food to our body’s use” part of his prayers.

Christmas in my own home was celebrated with stories like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolf, listening to Bing Crosby and Nana Mouskouri records, and of course, family and food. I knew many of my friends were celebrating advent as more than a chocolate countdown to Santa but I also learned that people had been celebrating with indoor evergreens since the 16th Century.

People have, of course, been getting festive for Winter Solstice in familiar ways for thousands of years. Gifts of dolls and fruit, candle lighting, yule logs, and wreaths aren’t proprietary to Christmas but rather were adopted as people moved from one belief system to another. And in the same way solstice traditions were incorporated into religious ones long ago, I choose what I want to celebrate about Christmas.

Family. A time of togetherness. Community. Hope for the coming new year. Full tummies and hearts. You get to decide what you believe and if you’re doing it with love, I’d like to share it with you. If that means you’re wishing me a Happy Chanukah, thank you and Happy Chanukah. Kwanzaa? Joyous Kwanzaa! And if it means you’re wishing me a Merry Christmas?

Merry Christmas.

xo