How To Celebrate Christmas Without Religion

I couple of years ago I had a co-worker whom I believe was Catholic, but at least Christian for sure.  One day, we were in the kitchen, and Christmas was coming up.  She knew I wasn’t religious, and she asked ‘Well, what do you do for Christmas then?” in such a way where it seemed like she couldn’t understand what a heathen like me would even care.  I was offended.  Isn’t trying to include everyone the Christian thing to do?  I said “Well, we do everything that you do, except go to church.”  I know that church is a large part of Christmas for religious people, but jeez, I know that’s not all they do.  “I spend time with my family, and we eat lots of food, and enjoy each other’s company.”  Just her attitude and the way she put the question was just so ignorant and hurtful.

In my family, although there weren’t very many of us (I’m an only child, and so is my mom) we would always get together.  Food was always part of it, and we always got a Christmas tree, and getting it and decorating it was always an event.  My dad had a couple of Christmas books from when he was a kid and my mom would always read them to me on Christmas Eve.  It was really about making traditions for us, and then putting those first.

On Christmas morning I was allowed to go through my stocking before my parents woke up, but I couldn’t touch my presents.  Eventually, my parents, and if we had any family there, them too, would arrive in the living room and sleepy watch me go nuts with my presents.  I’m a little OCD, so I would make sure everyone had a turn.  Then we would eat a big pancake breakfast together.  At some point, we started going to the movies together in the middle of the day, before arriving home for another special meal. 

Anyway, aren’t the holidays really about appreciating one another, honoring traditions, and creating memories?  Well, religions works well for that, but it’s not necessary.