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some do some dont

Christmas is a Pagan holiday to begin with. Christians just add their religion to it because they estimated it to be the birth of Jesus. Christmas was originally invented for Pagans to have a holiday where they could be with their friends and family and be thankful and give presents. So yes, I celebrate it because it's a good family activity to give gifts and have a day in common.

By the way, I'm an atheist that has been to Church hundreds of times. My parents raised me as a Christian and I believed it for many years but after a while I started to study it and I became an atheist.

Christmas is nothing to do with either Christianity or Islam but it does have it's origins in the midwinter festival and many other basically pagan rites but since much of it is a celebration of nature rather than religion everyone should be able to enjoy it and be happy together despite religion!!

The ancient European pagans celebrated the midwinter festival and a number of other festivals long before Christianity ever existed!

Babylonians celebrated the feast of the Son of Isis with gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift giving and the goddess of fertility, love, and war.

The Romans held a festival on 25 December called “Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, celebrating their own god Sol Invictas - PAGAN.

The Persian god Mithras, the Syrian sun god Elah Gabal, the German Sol, the Greek Helios and the Mesopotamian Shamash. But also Saturnalia, honouring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. The law courts and schools were closed. No public business could be transacted an this is where the holidays originated - ALL PAGAN!!!

Wax tapers were given by the more humble to their superiors. The origin of the Christmas candle - PAGAN!!

In Rome groups of costumed went from house to house entertaining their people. And this was where the carolling Christmas tradition originated PAGAN!!

Statues of the Mother and lover or Mother and son were paraded through the streets not only in Italy but also in Africa, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and Bulgaria. Thus, the symbolism of the Heavenly Virgin and the infant child paraded on a yearly basis are not of Christian origin. They stem from the Mother-goddess religion, which is very ancient ENTIRELY PAGAN!!.

Scandinavian countries celebrated Yule honouring Thor - PAGAN.

In Germania (not Germany) they celebrated midwinter night followed by 12 wild nights of eating and drinking. The 12 days of Christmas PAGAN!!

The church under Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25 in 350 AD in order to try to hijack the PAGAN festivals but it was largely ignored. Christians did not really celebrate Christmas until 378 but it was then dropped in 381 and not resurrected until 400.

The Christmas tree stems from pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice, which included the use of holly boughs ivy and other foliage as an adaptation of pagan tree worship. Holly and ivy represented male and female. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual - all PAGAN!!

Santa Claus came from the Dutch “Sinterklaas” and was a tall figure riding a white horse through the air and usually accompanied by Black Peter, an elf who punished disobedient children. Also the origin of the reindeer, sleigh and the elves ALL PAGAN!!

The modern red coated Santa was brought about by coca cola!!

America actually banned Christmas several times and is the originator of the expression “Happy Holidays” which came about because of the pagan origins of Christmas to include all religions and traditions!!

The Venerable Bede, an early Christian writer pointed out that the Christian church absorbed Pagan practices when it found the population unwilling to give up the festivals. Thus a lot of what Christians now see as Christians practices are in fact pagan!!!

Christmas is the time of year christians strive to prove just how pagan they have become!!!

Kind of. My parents are essentially agnostic, so Christmas has never had a religious significance for us like it does for most people. Christmas is a large part of the American culture. You don't see wal-mart advertising toys for Hanukkah. I think that Christmas has lost a lot of its' religious meaning for Americans over the years, due to rampant greed. There was a poll done, and Santa is more recognized figure than Jesus Christ.

My sister and I are atheists, and we use Christmas to celebrate family and being together, instead of the birth of Christ. For us it is one of the times of year that we show appreciation for each other, like buying gifts, spending time together and enjoying a well cooked meal.

I personally will be celebrating "Christmas" with my children. I will be teaching them the importance of family instead of about the birth of Christ.

I can't speak for all Atheists though, this is just how my family has decided to interpret the holidays.

Firstly, Christianity is NOT tied to culture, don't kid yourself. If it was, then it would not be so easily spread around the globe and you'd probably consider it more private like Jewish people consider theirs.

Your religion took much of it from Pagans, you have no place to get possessive.

And how do you not get that not everyone celebrates on that day the way you do? My family certainly does not do the Jesus thing. We may call it the same word, but it's hardly the same. We're more concerned with family on that day. But maybe you have something against family. (An who are you to screw with the family tradition of strangers.)

Christian belive in the pagan rituals of the Winter Solstice? i though we just celebrated our holiday at the same time due to old roman guys that have been dead for decades decided we should before it turned in to a holiday where we buy crap during some good sales that lost all religious meaning unless you as it back on a personal level but still some how manages to remain a celebration of good will and joy for all.

Any way they do for the most part.

I celebrate the pagan celebration that was taken over by christians and has since become a secular celebration, yes.

Also, nice assumption about not going to church. You Do realise that many atheists were once christians, right? I was for 13 years.

Most Christians celebrate Christmas in a profoundly secular or pagan way anyway. What does Santa Claus and rampant consumerism have to do with Jesus? Sweet f* all.

I celebrate Christmas.

I grew up celebrating Christmas; it's a holiday my family celebrates; and I celbrate it with them. We get together, marvel over how much the kids have grown, catch up with each other's lives, exchange gifts, and eat too much.

Oh yeah, and the Christians usually say something about the Baby Jesus. It's over quick though.

I am sorry you're annoyed. Would it help to tell you I've been to church in my life?

Think of it this way. Christmas has melted in the mainframe of American media. Rather than the being the religious holiday it once was, it has become socialized into the slave of the corporate world. The whole country is submerged in gifts, hot chocolate, reindeer, and Santa. Christmas is now the season to spend, not the season of faith. In light of this, of course some atheists celebrate, it's American.

Yes, I am an atheist and I love Christmas. Why you may ask? I am a selfish bastard who only cares about himself, but really who isnt? I have come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as altruism. Everyone has their own agenda and acts on their own accord. In other words people do what they want. People who are considered "altruistic", all have selfish reasons or reasons that do not pertain to altruism for doing the things they do. A person simply uses altruism as a means to the end that they wish. A person would be "altruistic" for reasons such as: It makes them feel good, it makes them look good, It would relieve their conscience, it would bring them salvation, they are only acting according to human nature.

Knowing this I act accordingly to what really makes me happy, but I admire theists, since "where ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise"