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Has Christmas Become Too Secular? >

The Christians Stole Christmas

The Winter Solstice is the reason for the season

December 22, 2011

About Annie Laurie Gaylor:

Annie Laurie Gaylor is co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists and agnostics) working to keep religion and government separate. She is author of a book about sexism in the Bible and edited the first anthology of women freethinkers.

Away with the manger—in with the Solstice!

For a fact, the Christians stole Christmas. We don't mind sharing the season with them, but we don't like their pretense that it is the birthday of Jesus. It is the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun—Dies Natalis Invicti Solis.

Christmas is a relic of sun worship.

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For all of our major festivals, there were corresponding pagan festivals tied to natural events. We've been celebrating the Winter Solstice, this natural holiday, long before Christians crashed the party. For millennia, our ancestors in the Northern Hemisphere have greeted this seasonal event with festivals of light, gift exchanges, and seasonal gatherings.

The Winter Solstice is the reason for the season. The Winter Solstice, December 22 this year, heralds the symbolic rebirth of the Sun, the lengthening of days, and the natural New Year.

We nonbelievers are quite willing to celebrate the fun parts of anybody's holidays. We just want to be spared the schmaltz, the superstition—and the state/church entanglements.

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The customs of this time of year endure because they are pleasant customs. It's fun to hear from distant family and friends, to gather, to feast, to sing. Gifts, as freethinker Robert Ingersoll once remarked, are evidences of friendship, of remembrance, of love.

The evergreens displayed now as in centuries past flourish when all else seems dead, and are symbols, as is the returning sun, of enduring life.

In celebrating the Winter Solstice, we celebrate reality.

Tags:
holidays,
religion,
Christianity
Other Arguments
#1
#3

No — We have taken the opportunity to come together and positively celebrate our diversity

ROY SPECKHARDT, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association

#4

No — Christmas in America has always been a secular holiday

HERB SILVERMAN, Founder and President of the Secular Coalition for America

#5

Yes — Go ahead and doubt, or just join in while we believers enjoy the season

JANICE SHAW CROUSE, Senior Fellow of Concerned Women for America's Beverly LaHaye Institute

#6

Yes — Christmas is a celebration of Jesus's birth

ANDREA S. LAFFERTY, President of Traditional Values Coalition

#7

Yes — Crackdown on religious free speech can't be ignored

J.P. DUFFY, Vice President for Communications at Family Research Council

#8

Yes — Because of Jesus, we live in the best country in the world

TIM WILDMON, President of American Family Association

#9

Yes — Who are the anti-Christmas police protecting when they seek to smash Christmas?

BILL DONOHUE, President and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

Reader Comments Read all comments (16)

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If you want to call it a celebration of the winter, then call it something else, the name is Christ-mas, don't like it? don't clelebrate it, I personally want it removed from the federal holiday list, you should not get time off for my holy day! In fact, while you are at it, let's delete the whole federal holiday list, federal employees have too many un-earned benefits!

Joel of CO 12:26AM January 20, 2012

Just came back from Xmas eve mass. The had big Xmas trees with lights next to the manger. Pretty soon it will be all so confusing to the youth. Christianity swallowed up any celebration to make thief own. It's in front of your face. Merry Xmas. Enjoy your time with your fam and make the kids happy

Colin of NJ 8:10PM December 24, 2011

As a Pagan I personally love how this time year brings out the raging battle between Christians and Pagans. Does it even really matter, both of us believe in the spirit of the holiday, who cares about the exact fine print as to why. Currently I'm working this entire weekend, I don't get to have a day off until the 2nd of Jan. I'd love to be sitting at home with my friends and family, but I'd rather be making some extra money so that bills can be paid.

Chris of OR 10:42AM December 24, 2011

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