When my daughter was 5, we drove by a nativity scene and she or he requested me what it was.
“That’s a scene depicting the start of Jesus Christ,” I knowledgeable her.
She couldn’t cease laughing at what I had mentioned.
“What’s so humorous?” I requested.
“Jesus Christ is what you yell whenever you’re annoyed!” she defined.
It was at that second that I spotted that perhaps I hadn’t accomplished the very best job at explaining the nation’s dominant faith to my two children, in any respect — and I definitely hadn’t accomplished the very best job of explaining the actual that means of Christmas to them, both. And it sounded prefer it was in all probability time.
I used to be raised an atheist by two microbiologists. That implies that once I requested my dad and mom who Jesus was, they instructed me he was “a pleasant man with some good concepts,” and once I requested what would occur once I died, they instructed me that my physique would slowly decompose, with the assistance of worms and bugs consuming my lifeless flesh. Nice job, mother and pop!
Now in my 40s, I’m nonetheless an atheist with little or no curiosity or perception in something non secular — however I additionally need to perhaps take a barely extra… religious… angle with my very own children. Like: sure, your lifeless flesh will probably be eaten by bugs and worms. That’s nonetheless true. However then that flesh will rejoin the universe’s Circle of Life and your soul will reside on within the hearts of your family members. Or one thing. I’m nonetheless engaged on the main points.
I spotted, after the nativity scene speak, that, Jesus Christ, I additionally wanted the same technique for Christmas, too. I wished it to be significant, however I additionally don’t imagine that Mary was magically inseminated and gave start to the son of God, so now we’re going to embellish a tree in our front room and look ahead to flying reindeer.
Right here’s what I landed on to have a significant, kind of religious Christmas whereas skipping the Christianity.
Christmas is a time to rejoice the solstice
You’ve in all probability already heard this out of your crunchy good friend who drinks unpasteurized milk and as soon as really helpful you place a crystal in your vagina for a purpose you’ll be able to’t fairly recall: Jesus in all probability wasn’t born on December 25, and a variety of Christmas traditions are actually lifted from the Pagans. Yep, together with the tree stuff.
And, actually, a ton of various cultures and religions all through time have a giant, showy vacation proper across the winter solstice. Why? There are tons of theories (together with non secular ones) however it’s all the time been a turning level within the calendar: a time to rejoice that there’s actually somewhat bit extra gentle on this planet.
Additionally: winter is chilly and boring and most cultures on the finish of December want a giant occasion to maintain up morale and make good use of all of the stuff they harvested within the fall.
Actually, you’ll be able to take a look at each of these items scientifically (hat tip to mother and pop): we rejoice Christmas due to the place of our Earth, hurdling by house, and likewise for some cultural anthropology causes.
Christmas is about giving
I do know lots of people don’t rejoice Christmas in a spiritual approach anymore, or that they simply accomplish that nominally. However I additionally need to hold my household away from celebrating solely commercially, too. Though I don’t need to spend my vacation pretending there’s a Christian god, or any god in any respect, I additionally don’t simply need it to be about presents and stockings and consuming issues. Or — I need the presents and stockings and consuming issues to be in context. The context of celebrating our world and our bounty and one another.
Christmas is about peace and pleasure
Listed below are two ideas I believe we will all agree are good to rejoice: peace on earth and pleasure to the world. I discover it type of blah when playing cards say one thing easy like “Joyful Holidays.” However I like discovering decorations that say “Peace on Earth” or “Pleasure to the World. And even “Holy Night time.” Even thought I don’t imagine in both God or Santa, I can nonetheless embrace the magic of our world and the redeeming facets of humanity.
Truthfully, a variety of the Christian vacation songs might be simply appropriated by atheists who identical to good issues. There are actually just a few I want to skip for being too non secular, plus Little Drummer Boy as a result of let’s face it, it’s a foul tune.
Christmas is a couple of good man with some good concepts
That is one half my dad and mom received very proper.
Some folks get confused once I inform them that whereas I don’t imagine in Jesus Christ, the man who can stroll on water, however I do imagine in Jesus Christ, an individual who had some good concepts a really very long time in the past. I don’t assume he’s Our Lord and Savior, however I do assume he was on to one thing when he instructed folks to like their neighbors, cease killing one another, cease judging, and so forth. I acknowledge that Jesus has had a large impact on our tradition and our world as an entire and that parts of that affect have been actually good. Christmas is a superb time to rejoice these parts.
I simply go away the magical elements to Rudolph, although.
Sarah Aswell is the Particular Tasks Editor at Scary Mommy, the place she contributes her modifying and writing throughout the web site and runs Scary Mommy Guide Membership. A humor author and humorist, Sarah’s work has appeared in locations like The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Nationwide Lampoon, MAD Journal, Reductress, Humorous or Die, and extra. Her writing about comedy, leisure, and parenting has appeared in Vulture, Forbes, USA At this time, Vice, The Advocate, and Working Mom Journal, to call just a few. Sarah lives in Missoula, Montana, along with her two daughters and barely too many cats. She was just lately named probably the greatest unknown comedians in America by Thrillist, which is a type of insults that feels like a praise. Comply with Sarah on Twitter at @sarahaswell and/or take a look at her comedy at sarahaswell.com.
