Xmas Meets Parenthood
23 December 2007 by Bob
I apologize for trotting this little ditty out yet again, but it actually says what needs to be said, especially if you live in places other than New York (like here in the Midwest):
But now that I’m the father of a 5-year-old, we get a little different taste: People ask my son if he’s “excited for Santa to come” or some such thing. This I actually do find annoying. In fact, when the family went to a local restaurant for supper last Saturday, my son got two of these inquiries. He has, in fact, been taught that the appropriate answer is “We don’t celebrate Xmas.”And when he gives this answer, it’s clear the person who asked is embarrassed. I’d like to think it’s because they’ve just been given a little remedial lesson in inclusiveness by somebody who still likes a sippy cup, and sometimes it is. But come on, folks, think a little. I know you’re trying to be nice to my son. But unless you just think we’re monsters for not doing Xmas (and you probably wouldn’t, if we were Jews instead of Atheists), you’ve got to be able to recognize that saying to a kid what amounts to “looking forward to all those presents? oh, what’s that, you don’t get those? you poor deprived child!” isn’t making his life happier. Aside from the whole creepiness of the imaginary old fat guy who sneaks into your house through the chimney in the middle of the night story, it’s really not very decent of you to ask a 5-year-old to think about the ways he might be excluded from something like this.
So shut the fuck up. If a kid is talking about Xmas, or wearing a Santa hat, or whatever, fine. But asking random small children how excited they might be about the pile of loot that comes to all good kids on Xmas morning is pretty insensitive.
23 December 2007, on 8:57 pm
I don’t have children, but I used to be one as a child.
I’m gonna try to phrase this without defending Communism… In the former Soviet Union, before it fell apart, they did a pretty good job of eradicating religion from the people’s collective consciousness and most elsewhere. Having grown up in such an environment I recall the traditional festivities that were geared at children which occurred this time of year.
We didn’t have Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan or any other such holidays. And no, we didn’t have a KGB officer or a member of the party come and lecture us on the dangers of capitalism and democracy either. But we did have New Year. We had New Year trees (basically a x-mas tree with a different name) that we decorated (usually with a star on top). We had Grandpa Frost (Santa) and Snow Girl (? – maybe from mythology or fairy tales, I don’t know) who did the delivering of presents in one night to all the kids shtick. By the way, presents showed up under the New Year tree over night from December 31 to January 1, as one would expect. I don’t have any vivid memories of unconditional belief in Grandpa Frost, he was always clearly either a relative or some strange creepy guy in a goofy costume, although when I got a little older I did think that the girls in the Snow Girl costumes were pretty hot:
http://vn.vladnews.ru/img/33d58fe722cfbad3705ba7be6a3e1e57.JPG
Anyway, my point is, even the godless communists allowed kids some fantasy and presents on at least one day of the year. And for adults, considering that all other holidays in the former USSR were all about saluting the five-year plan and praising party leaders for their visionary (er.. visionary lack of) leadership, etc, etc… No, wait, that’s not my point. Hold on, don’t yell it me, not yet.
My point is, what a fucking drag religion is. It drains all the fun out of everything to the point that atheists have to reject everything that’s even remotely related to it wholesale and it even makes communism look somewhat appealing. Ah, shit, that’s not my point either. Let me try again.
My point is: in the immortal words of Rev. Estus Pirkle via Negativland, “Christianity is stupid! Communism is good! Give up!”
23 December 2007, on 10:31 pm
My family always celebrated Christmas, but it was a fairly secular affair. A winter celebration, a family get-together, gifts for everyone. Very little mention of Jesus even among the churchgoers. Thus my lax attitude.
I don’t approve of government support of religion. No public funds should go toward religious displays, and no religion should get special treatment. But I can’t sympathize too much with the subject of this post. I sympathize with the child involved, because cheap-ass grinch parents suck. Even Dr. Suess knew that! You better have a great excuse and be planning a great birthday party each year, if you want your kids to talk to you after they move out.
Make your own holiday, celebrate whatever you like, but Xmas is the big game in town here. Call it Solstice, make it a learning opportunity, but don’t pretend it doesn’t exist. I feel the same about this issue as some here feel about Michael Newdow’s efforts. I feel that Newdow’s efforts, while largely symbolic, are centered around real issues like freedom of conscience and awareness of creeping jingoism. I hate loyalty oaths with a passion, but winter festivals just don’t get my ire up.
There are plenty of political issues surrounding Christmas that deserve serious consideration. But if you’re too cheap or unimaginative to think up a reason to buy your kid some cool toys, you just plain suck. If you refuse to celebrate any form of christmas or winter festival, at least come up with some good reasons and some family activities to have fun with while everyone else is opening presents. It doesn’t have to be about consumerism or christ, but everyone else will be busy eating and getting pinched by grandma and getting sweet loot.
There is no shame in not celebrating Christmas. There is also no offense in promoting it. Just because you don’t want to go to the party doesn’t mean that others can’t try to share their fun.
As a loudmouthed anti-superstitious atheist with humanist tendencies who loves a good party, I’m sorry I don’t have any real sympathy or better suggestions, but even my atheist dog gets christmas presents. He doesn’t want to hear about Jesus or be a victim of American consumerism either. But he sure likes those liver treats.
23 December 2007, on 10:49 pm
Oh yeah-off topic:
Thanks for the Negativland reference, untempro. I’m lucky enough to live within 15 miles of a college with a radio station. I can call during certain shows and get a little Negativland (or Devo or Slayer or Butthole Surfers or Medesky, Martin and Wood, or Frank Zappa, or Robert Randolph and the Family Band, or Bob Marley, or Phish, or Deicide, etc…)played on the air. In an area with 20 or 30 stations to choose from, it’s the only staion I’ve listened to regularly in years.
I’m too lazy to link. If you aren’t familiar, google Negativland and check it out.
23 December 2007, on 11:15 pm
Just watched a program on History channel about the origins and evolution of Xmas and the celebrations at this time of year have always been of pagan origins, and activities etc are mostly pagan. Baby Jeebus etc was tossed in there afterwards. Protestant churches here didn’t start celebrating Christmas till the mid 1800’s. It was said on the program that the religious aspects of Xmas would not be very popular if it weren’t for the Santa part of it.
Xmas gift-giving is fun. It’s nice to give and receive gifts…especially for the children. But in today’s world, xmas shopping is out of control to the point of insanity. Even when our grown kids were children, we always kept the presents to three things. We did our best to avoid instilling greed. No huge gifts, We always had one television and everyone had to share and cooperate about television watching, etc. Our kids didn’t have televisions or stereos in their rooms till they were able to work for and buy their own. Too much is given too young people nowadays, Xmas or no Xmas.
Now that my kids are grown, I stay away from malls and stores this time of year…except for grocery shopping I have to do. But my family and I enjoy the lights, the scents, and I admit I love the secular songs of Xmas and also love Handel’s Messiah and don’t have to believe in gawd to enjoy it.
I do agree however, that it isn’t very tactful to go up to a child you do not know and ask if they are excited about getting presents, etc. Not all people celebrate Xmas, not all people do the gift giving. We once had next door neighbors who were Jehovah Witnesses and they didn’t do Xmas at all, not even a tree. But the little boy seemed happy and not upset at all about not having a tree, etc. (He was more upset about not being able to dress up in a costume for Halloween, though.)
Anyway, people should stop and think before approaching children about presents and Santa and consider that not every family participates in Xmas and presents, etc. And if they don’t, it doesn’t mean that the child is at all deprived.
24 December 2007, on 8:37 am
My stated preference for this holiday is Yule. But I could also go for atheosmas. Apparently “mas” is from old English meaning “festival”.
Everyone has probably heard about the editorial “Yes Virgina, there is a Santa Claus”, but probably few have read it. It actually makes some good points.
http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/
” Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.”
I see it as a rather good explanation for those godophiles who insist that we can’t prove that god doesn’t exist. The ending where he relates it to childhood I also like. Implicitly it is not for later adult belief in the invisible dictator in the ether.
“No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”
24 December 2007, on 11:03 am
I have to agree with- was it Neil?- that the bad guys in this snippet are the 5 year-old’s parents. I mean, really, who’s so freakin’ persnickety in their ideals that they can’t compromise once a year for the sake of a child’s joy? Shit, the whole Santa Claus/presents/naughty/nice thing is a brilliant teaching analogy for religion, what with it’s being naturally outgrown as childhood ends. And that’s not to mention the exhilaration of trying to sleep on christmas eve, of sneaking downstairs before 5:00am, and of pestering your parents to get up and come see before six, of great mounds of shredded wrapping paper, of Dad with the Super8 camera- and the freakishly bright lighting attachment, of Mom opening whatever handmade monstrosity or dimestore perfume counter find you’ve rather inexpertly wrapped with the requisite oohs and aahs, of trying to make an appropriately joyful face over a not-so-favorite aunt’s gift of tube socks and fruit of the loom y-fronts, of ending up having more fun with the boxes they came in than with your new toys themselves. A holiday can be instilled with whatever meaning we ascribe to it. Forget Jeebus and celebrate, instead, another successful- in the sense we’re still here to mark it, trip ’round the sun. But celebrate something. Do it for the kids.
24 December 2007, on 1:27 pm
Just got around to reading these comments — and it might be useful to offer a couple of reminders.
First, there are other people in the world who simply do not celebrate xmas (i.e., Jews, Muslims, Pagans, etc.), and it seems a bit much ask them to simply “go along” with xmas because either (a) it’s the status quo thing to do (”that’s just what we do around here”), or (b) their kids will lose the “magic” of xmas, as if only xmas kids have the real scoop on the holidays.
Second, I don’t think anyone said anything about doing nothing during this time. If you wanted to do something else (Festivus, Human Light, etc.), that’s fine, too, and seems completely reasonable.
24 December 2007, on 2:05 pm
A good article on the subject by Austin Cline
Atheism and Christmas: Should Atheists Ignore Christmas or Celebrate It?
24 December 2007, on 2:55 pm
I love how American Atheists describes Easter and Christmas each as a “marketing extravaganza.”
That’s exactly what Christmas has been in America since the mid 1800s. The History Channel has had a really good series on the History of Christmas, The History (and evolution) of Santa Claus, etc.
and from the “Fun Facts” section:
So, no matter how “magical” Xmas is for a child, in modern times, children are being used to get the adults to buy lots of stuff so they don’t disappoint their little ones.
24 December 2007, on 3:37 pm
If you are bored at Yule, and who isn’t, Richard Dawkins Net has links to a CBC program “The Pagan Christ”.
http://richarddawkins.net/article,2057,The-Pagan-Christ,CBC-TV
A good way to pass an hour or so.
24 December 2007, on 3:48 pm
I see good points to this post, as well as Neil’s response. Yes indeed, there are a number of faiths in this world (in addition to the secular folks), so assuming that a child might be excited about receiving presents for xmas is, shall we say, provincial thinking.
Let us also not forget about children who come from very poor households. Save for the gifts they may receive from charities, one could only come to the conclusion, as a child, that Santa/Jesus loves rich kids better than poor kids (actually, this fits in well with the current, perverse Neo-Calvinist coupling of evangelism and “free market” capitalism.)
So, yes, perhaps it is insensitive to make this query with a kid. That said, I have to agree with Neil (and later RDZ) that secular parents who deprive their child of xmas gifts/celebration out of some rigid pedantry are far more callous than the folks asking these questions, who are largely well-intentioned (albeit narrow-minded) and simply being playful with the child.
Christians usurped the original celebration of the pagan winter solstice celebration and it’s corresponding rituals and made it Xmas–there is no law stipulating that secular folks can’t do the same and take the non-christian elements of this holiday, “reclaiming” it as their own. I am a proud, openly atheist secular-humanist, and I love this holiday (and yes, I still say “Merry Christmas” w/out hesitation. Get over it.)
Along the lines of Stardust’s comments, having come from a household of modest means, I can relate to the virtues of being reasonable in ones expenditures in terms of gifts. Don’t go crazy with the spending and turn this into a consumerist circus–no one needs this holiday to be a Corporate America orgy (I have made most of my gifts over the past 5 years). Children (and adults) lose the feeling of good fortune in receiving if they receive too much.
24 December 2007, on 9:00 pm
Great points all around.
I really am an extremely tolerant person on almost any issue. But I have never claimed to be a sensitive or particularly thoughtful person, especially outside of personal relationships. Since I have never taken elitist notions of “cultural identity” or “religion” seriously, it is often difficult to for me understand how deeply these things can affect people. I always had a christmas growing up, school pageants(including the nativity) but Jesus was always a minor player in our family. Being born into a fairly secular semi-Christian atmosphere, it took me a long time to figure out just how seriously people take this stuff.
As far as poorer kids go, I have mixed feelings. Showing off your affluence to the poor is always distasteful, but the spirit of generosity that is inspired does end up getting a lot of free meals, toys, blankets and jackets handed out. It’s a shame people need a murdered savior as an excuse to be charitable, but there it is. Keep in mind, this is coming from a lower-lower middle class guy. My parents and I make less money than a crack dealer in a ghetto; we just choose not to live in a ghetto. I never had much affluence to brag about, and didn’t when I could have.
I also have truly mixed feelings about the public nature of it all. It seems boorish or even offensive to some, but I have never been one to stop the party. I don’t need the stupid stories or gaudy trappings, but some people do, and it’s usually fun. I’ve been to a couple of Hannukah celebrations, A Serbian New Years celebration at an Eastern Orthodox church(I think) in Southern California(worst hangover EVER, so much liquor and polka I was spinning for days), a few catholic weddings(snooze), and I once escorted a nice young catholic lady to her Quincenera and danced Mexican polka all night long, even though I have always been freaked out by the ridiculously maudlin and bloody notions and images espoused by catholics. I will rant against the ridiculously bloody notions until I die, but unless somebody’s getting crucufied or burned at the stake, I just can’t spoil a good time.
I suppose it comes to this-intellectually and emotionally, I support celebration, for almost any reason. I also support inclusiveness. These ideals do not have to be mutually exclusive. The longer we go as a mixed culture, we may find better balance. There is one bright side for non-believers: the holiday blending that early christians did, along with modern commercialization, have undermined the seriousness of christian holidays more than a few protesters or letters to the editor ever could. The bad side: now we just have to find some place to store all the junk. I love gift giving, but the commercialization is a problem. No 5-year-old needs 200 toys, and the sheer mass of plastic crap and shitty food we consume is startling.
I hope that nobody reading takes any of this to mean that I buy into the whole “War on Christmas” gambit being played out by the illiberal media and their corporate “christian” backers. I’m not even too defensive of my childhood memories. I welcome any party that welcomes me. Can’t we all just get a bong…oops! I mean, get along?
24 December 2007, on 11:18 pm
Sorry (NOT!) if this is OT…
Anyone else, this evening (12/24), happen to see CNN’s Democratic version of:
“See? I STILL cling to my childhood “Jeebus” religious brainwashing!…Do I qualify enough to be your next “brains-up-the-ass” President; you eminently delusional religious assholes? Huh…HUH?…PRAY & KISS!…PRAY & KISS!”
Let me explain…
I don’t think I’ve EVER, in my 68 years, witnessed anything quite as fucking asinine…even downright EMBARRASSING…in an already pretty dumb Presidential kiss-ass game.
The apparent “dumbing down” of a vast portion of the population; particularly since Bush’s ‘Year 2000′ power heist; and, of course, the 9/11 insanity, is blatantly evident now, when watching the equally “dumb & deluded” major media’s mind-numbing display! And that was the Dems…Dare I watch the same for the Repigs?
Or did I miss that version?
Folks…I think we’re definitely in some R-E-A-L-L-Y “deep-shit” trouble in this country!
With all the comments by various GifSters about possibly moving to Canada…
I can’t help wondering…is it WAY too late, anyway? Hasn’t the “Terminally Delusional Religious virus” spread to all the other governments, as well?
SHEESH!
I’m guessing that CNN will be repeating the fiasco; or it’ll crop up on YouTube, soon.
Watch for it…if you dare?
25 December 2007, on 2:08 am
Neil said: “I hope that nobody reading takes any of this to mean that I buy into the whole “War on Christmas” gambit being played out by the illiberal media and their corporate “christian” backers.”
You’re not really serious about the “liberal media” comment, are you? Neo-liberal, maybe, but liberal media? C’mon Rush.
25 December 2007, on 3:49 am
Oh, no,no,no…
That was “illiberal media.”
25 December 2007, on 4:39 am
It funny, really. For the last eight years, whenever anyone is unfortunate enough to use the words “liberal media” around me, I laugh out loud and say “Oh, you mean the yellow press?” Usually a conversation stopper, but when I get a response it’s always entertaining.
The fact that millions of people in this country and billions on this planet are getting really sick of being expected to be mindless cheerleaders for any sociopath who lies his way into office, well it just isn’t getting through to some folks.
And ChuckA:
It’s painful, isn’t it? I’ve never had a big hard on for the Democratic party because none of them in my lifetime have expressed enough respect for PERSONAL liberty. But it still truly sucks to see the one group with enough clout to actually DO something about our renegade government not only roll over and take it in the ass, but start borrowing the same tactics so they can date rape the retards as well.
25 December 2007, on 12:13 pm
Bob?…
Please pardon my, slightly edited, copy/pasting of something I posted on Austin Cline’s Site yesterday.
In my defense for repeating in here, I think it’s appropriate to today’s Xmas “theme”?
As to the video links…nothing really new, of course…they’ve been around for awhile.
I think you’ll particularly enjoy the third, comedic one. I first saw it on Dawkin’s AAI 2007 talk; something he included as one of the more, on target, humorous examples of atheist related “zinger type” stuff.
Anyway…See what you guys think?
Happy Holiday?
[My comment made on Ag/Ath 12/24/07 RE: "Court Cases on Schools and Religious Holidays" (a 12/21 post)...as a response, also, to a Christian's "God Bless" comment.]
Speaking as a skeptical atheist. regarding this seasonal topic…
There’s never been…EVER…any scientific evidence for ANY invisible god(s) (Sky Daddy?), whatsoever! So-called ‘Sacred Scriptures’ are nothing but mythologically based…tribal…stories; replete with a history of deceit and outright FRAUD! As one who was brainwashed as a child in Christianity, I contend…few, if any, rational people, would believe the ludicrous doctrines of the various “faiths”, if they hadn’t been force fed those made-up ideas as children. Yeah…a form of (unintentional?) child abuse! For most adults…childhood brainwashing ‘trumps’ reason, when it comes to religion.
We DO, however…have, and have ALWAYS had on this tiny planetary orb…daily, readily observable, evidence of the local Sun…one of billions in THIS galaxy alone…our true source of light, life, energy, etc. Thanks to Science and the Hubble telescope; we don’t have to keep living in the mindset of the Middle Ages.
What! “Wake up from your delusions…perhaps…and Grow up a bit?”
RE the “SON (SUN) of god (Universe?)” Conspiracy?
No dogma intended…
Here are a few, somewhat, “different” perspectives:
“Sun of God?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ-kvw1fYXs
“Conspiracy of Religion”
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3324300922911060018
And, perhaps, for laughs?
“Religion – Marcus Brigstocke”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY-ZrwFwLQg
26 December 2007, on 3:19 am
Today, as a christmas gift to my niece and nephew(10 & 9, respectively), I explained to them that their belief in Santa Claus, which they’d rid themselves of within the last couple years, was just like most of their older relatives’ belief in Gob. I went on to explain that the only tangible benefit of churchgoing was the fellowship of others from the community- and that’s only if you can strip such a boon out from under the isolationist, backbiting, dishonestly political, bigotry, and intellectual stagnation that’s heaped upon it- so, giving it a miss was probably the safest course for a sane young person. Then, like the cool little fuckers they are, first my niece mused, “But if we don’t, we won’t get to go to Bob Evans with Gram and Pop.”(which kept me going to church even after, at age twelve, I could have opted out) and my nephew quipped, “At least with Santa, there’s presents.” As a result, my bleak view of mankind’s future got just a little brighter today. Okay, well that and the masterpiece of a damascene Hattori Gyuto I got for Xmas.
26 December 2007, on 4:15 am
Here is a guy who claims that the first xmas tree was in Riga, Latvia in 1510. It has pagan origins of course.
http://www.firstchristmastree.com/
In Latvia as in all of northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun as a part of pagan activities where people were living their life as they had done for hundreds of years before.
The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer.
It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.
Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule itself means wheel, the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Holly berries were thought to be a food of the gods.”
The video of the pagan celebration is nice. It is also nice that they aren’t appealing to xians. I don’t know how successful this type of ad will be.
26 December 2007, on 6:01 am
Stardust, I think the History Channel program you mentioned is now on youtube. “Christmas Unwrapped”.
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=qAZDGKSveD8&feature=related
There is also another similar program, this time made by jesus freaks. “The Origin of Christmas”.
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=qAZDGKSveD8&feature=related
26 December 2007, on 7:41 am
Just to add my 2 cents
We had a wonderful family “christmas”.. exchanged SIMPLE useful gifts.. got to eat and drink too much… had a few laughs and trips down memory lane
Any of the so called believers (really I think not – maybe you know my theory – NO sane person actually really believes else they’d give you doctors and medical insurance, etc. — different topic) never even hint of JC, his underage unwed at time of conception mother, and his lost in space non-biological father Joseph.
In other words — since it is the game in town so why not make the best of it – I do at least — life is too short to pass up an excuse for some warmth and fun – and it can well be done without compromising any significant principle I suspect if you have some imagination.
As to the DISGUSTING absolutely sickening religious ass-kissing displays by those that want to control the nuclear buttons I can only hope some moderator or someone (PLEASE) with some reason and guts asks the to explain there vacuous statements – I mean really in a clinical and precise and uncompromising way explain them. Like how the fuck does FAITH play in your decision making… give its EXACT definition you idiot?!?!? like do you go around waiting for a dream to direct you to ignore all evidence and good analysis and conclusions and do the opposite .. geeezzzz!! These guys never get pressured to REALLY explain what they mean EXACTLY – their vacuous statements remain just that vacuous. Makes my hair hut it is sooo fucking sad and pathetic.
Happy holiday time anyway (even though ChuckA got me all fired up)
26 December 2007, on 7:46 am
I’ll tell you what is also “fucking sad and pathetic” .. my typing while thinking and subsequent proofreading (i.e. LACK thereof) in general and especially after way way too much vino!! I am not quite as illiterate as I seem – LOL!
26 December 2007, on 11:13 am
Yeah…another Xmas bites the dust.
What!…Happy morning after?
Speaking of dust…erm…”Stardust”?…related to my reference to the number of Stars, or Suns in our Milky Way (Home) Galaxy; a quick Google, made to check the accuracy of my amateurish comment, yielded this somewhat startling page:
“The Stars of the Milky Way”
http://members.fcac.org/~sol/chview/chv5.htm
What now?…Onward to the year 2008? Somehow that number seems awfully silly compared to the age of all that stuff flying around out there in the galaxy.
Oh well, just a simple thought for today…how ’bout: “Peace on Earth!”?
ROIT!…”Dream On!”?
Or maybe, some post Xmas dessert (of a mundane sexual variety?):
“Piece on Earth!”…?
“…and let there be no moaning at the Bar!” (Tennyson, anyone?)
26 December 2007, on 12:18 pm
Stardust, I think the History Channel program you mentioned is now on youtube. “Christmas Unwrapped”.
bernarda, thanks for those links! I am going to grab those for my personal blog.
26 December 2007, on 5:21 pm
another grinchmas in the can…
speaking of liberal media (way up there), was it just me or did anyone else notice their NPR radio announcers chiming off a “merry x-mas” every twenty minutes during the past week? its bleeding inescapable. fucking enablers catering to the irrational whims of the retarded. as if I need (or want!) the reminder three times/hour since at least half the news they broadcast already has something to do with religion. Asshats indeed.
27 December 2007, on 6:18 am
Hell, my family’s idea of “Christmas” is getting together on the morning of the 25th of December and drinking copious amounts of either Mimosas or “Irish Coffe” (coffee with whiskey, preferably Jamison’s). We start at around 8:00 and by 10:00 (when we do the whole “exchanging gifts” thing) almost everyone is just-short-of-hammered.
We just hang out, have a good time, and shoot the shit.
And, on Christmas Eve, we have an oyster roast where the central question is, “Who’s bringing the booze?”
To top it all off, I’m the only admitted atheist in the whole family (my brother and one cousin consider themselves “agnostics,” even though they’re just as anti-religion as I am).
So, even though some of them consider themselves “Christians,” it’s obvious that Jesus has nothing to do with our holiday.
And it’s just really convenient that New Years (the bonafide drinking holiday) happens to occur in less than a week.
So, yeah, even self-professed Christians, who go to church every Sunday, can realize the real “reason for the season.” Being, of course, just another excuse to throw a kick-ass party.
My favorite part of Christmas is that my dad only drinks Crown Royal. So, for a few days, I get to drink on the high-end.