Do you celebrate Christmas? If so, how?

[Patheya]

I personally gave up 'Christmas' when I was about 17.

I was pressured a few years ago, when my son was three, to do 'something'. We lived in Norway, and people were asking him all the time if he was good and if he'd get presents from Nisse.

Now we talk about what the Christians believe, and we learn about Jesus's ideas.

Personally I like to use December as a 'reminder' to read the bible.

I'm not a Christian, but I love what they say Jesus said.

[scameter]

I personally celebrate it as apart of my culture. I understand that it came from Christianity, but over time it has developed cultural aspects, such as Santa, snow men, the Christmas tree, etc., that essentially have nothing to do with Christianity and are purely cultural constructs. I also just enjoy this season, with the snow, cold weather, etc.

[Flux]

Christmas is, by far, my favorite holiday. Losing my Christian faith failed to put a damper on my enthusiasm for it. My immediate family (mom, dad, sister, myself) travel from Maine to Vermont to visit my mother's side of the family, and spend Christmas there. The day after Christmas, we go to my aunts house in upstate New York to visit my Dad's side of the family. After a few days there, we head back to Vermont, and spend New Years there.

I love Christmas not becasue of anything that I believe to be intrinsic to the holiday, but merely because of a powerful sense of nostalgia for former Christmases. Every culture has their festivals, and my festival is Christmas. Not all traditions are ills, and although I don't beleive that Christimas should in any way be imposed upon others, I feel quite thouroughly justified in enjoying the holiday.

Eggnog, watching the musical version of A Christmas Carol with my family, reading books in front of the fire place, decorating the tree--personally, I find all of this perfectally delightful.

I agree with Scameter about the weather as well. I have always been partial to cold, and in the Northeast, we get plenty of it. Every thing appears frozen, empty, serene, like an Earth-bound sky.