How Do Humanists Celebrate the Holidays? December 24, 2007

How Do Humanists Celebrate the Holidays?

By Guest Contributor
December 24, 2007

A story on NPR’s Weekend Edition today talked about Humanists and the holidays. It features discussion on the question: What do we do when there’s a Christian monopoly on the holidays?

The story featured Harvard’s Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein as well as members of the Harvard Secular Society.


[tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]

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  • Every now and then, it’s nice to remember that Christmas has a long and zany history as a holiday. The History Channel recently aired an entertaining program on the subject.

    It’s clear to me at least that lots of people have celebrated at this time of year for lots of reasons and in lots of ways. And the Christian “monopoly” waxes and wanes enough that I have no problem ignoring it and having a very secular, very merry Christmas.

  • grazatt

    This kind of got me in the Holiday mood.If you are from Europe you might be familiar with Krampas, Santa’s pet
    monster who whips the kids who have been naughty . Well now he has his
    own music video (notice the birch rods)

    http://www.lesbarons.net/xmaswithkrampus/xmaswithkrampussong.html

  • We celebrate Dec 25th pretty much like Christians do. Put lights up outside so the house looks more cheerfull. Put up a tree with ornaments. Wake up in the morning. Run down stairs. Open presents.

    Well actually we celebrated Christmas a day early this year because we were traveling and couldn’t fit everything in the car.

    We just don’t beat ourselves up thinking about how we are “fallen” and then prop us back up with how Jesus “saved” us. Besides that, there is really not much difference between how we celebrate Christmas and how the believers we know celebrate Christmas.

  • Mriana

    We don’t celebrate Christmas in our house anymore. My older son likes Bodhi Day and I like Human Light day. Christmas carols? Handels Messiah for my older son and Carol of the Bells for me.

    I don’t think Epstien has bad ideas. I think they are good ones, but they need some polishing. I think he is right though, it only seems like religion because religion is changing.

  • Allison

    We celebrate Christmas in our house. But then, we celebrate solstice as well.

    grazatt, I showed my boys the Krampus video and they’ve been singing it all day.

  • grazatt

    Allison did you get some whipping rods ready?