How to Observe a Secular Christmas

Atheists, agnostics and other nonbelievers often feel left out at Christmas, thinking it's a Christian holiday that's being forced on them. But there's good news -- most of our Christmas traditions have nothing to do with Christianity, so there's no reason not to take part. Here's how.

Instructions

1. Begin by realizing that nearly all Christian religious observances take place in the fall and winter because this is when people had time for them; they were much too busy raising crops and livestock in spring and summer.

2. Get a tree and decorate it. This is a holdover from pagan religions that saw winter as a time when most green things died. Because evergreen trees were the exception, they were brought into the home to remind the family that spring would come again.

3. Light your home. In winter it gets dark early in the evening, and people used to put candles in the windows so family members could find their way home. Some things haven't changed; it still gets dark early in December.

4. Write a letter to Santa. Although the idea of Santa Claus originated with a Catholic bishop named Nicholas, it now bears little resemblance to this historic figure. Think of Santa Claus as being a fantasy for children to enjoy, like the tooth fairy.

5. Send out seasonal cards. The end of the year is a good time to get in touch with family and friends. Write a personal note in each card or send a current family photo.

6. Give gifts. The end of the year is also a good time to do something special for those closest to you. Gear the gifts toward making a new start in January: calendars, datebooks, clothes for a new school semester and things to assist resolution-makers are all good end-of-the-year gifts.

7. Go to a party. Winter was traditionally the social season in many cultures, again because there was little farm work at this time.

Tips & Warnings

• You may consider finding a new way to tell the Christmas story so it's clear to your children that this is a myth that people enjoy, no more true than the idea that ghosts and monsters show up at Halloween, or that a rabbit leaves colored eggs for children to find.

Resources

• Learn more about the origins of Christmas traditions at the History Channel's Web site.