An atheist talks about Christmas

Heathen Origins of Christmas: An Atheist Celebrates  The article was a link on facebook and the title fascinated me.  Reading it took me back to my own childhood. 

I grew up in a family that celebrated a secular Christmas. As a child and young adult the birth of Christ was simply not associated with the holiday. Santa came and brought gifts to us. Families gathered at Mama Brown's house and we all exchanged gifts.  Then we went to Granny Taylor's house to be with that side of the family.  Both times we ate lots of turkey and dressing with all the trimmings.  We had good family time with gifts around the Christmas tree but there was never a mention of Jesus and no one thought anything about it. 


Mother became a Christian when I was in the 3rd grade but we were in a church that did not recognize December 25th as Christ's birthday so the family celebrations did not change at all.  Christmas was still a family gathering with gifts and good food, a very secular holiday. When I was 16 years old I became a Christian but even then this December holiday remained a secular family celebration. This tradition extended into the early years of my own marriage.

However, as my faith has matured during the last fifty years I have grown to appreciate the spiritual importance of the incarnation of Christ, the birth of Jesus, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. And I usually celebrate that spiritual reality during this time of the year--along with much of the Christian world.  On the other hand, if you should visit my home any time during the year you will find several nativities displayed around the house.  As I said, the spiritual impact of this event is too important to limit to one day or even one season!

As this author described the family gatherings, the food and the secular celebrations I was transported back to my own childhood. Remembering from whence we came can be a good thing, but celebrating where we are now is even better.