I love Christmas, and I am an atheist. I don't particularly believe that the Nativity happened, but I love the story and the holiday that it created nevertheless. Christmas is probably one of Christianity's greatest inventions, and it continues to be so to this day. There's basically nothing that I don't like about it. I decided that I would write a bunch of stuff about Christmas and why I love it so much.
I love the entire season of winter, first of all, it's my favorite season. I love snow, I love being cold, and, obviously, I love Christmas. The entire atmosphere of winter is fun, too. Looking outside my bedroom window and seeing nothing but white, having cold shivers run down the back of my spine, sledding with my younger siblings, eating snow, sucking on icicles... I could write a book of biblical proportions on why I love winter. Winter is just such a magical time of the year, and winter photography creates some of the most pleasing images to behold. I live in Wisconsin, so there's typically a lot of snow, too. The only thing that I don't like about winter is that the roads can be very dangerous if streets aren't cleared well enough, like the road that I live on. It's a very secluded, rural road in the country, and so plows don't go through a lot of the times, so we're driving on or through snow. Ice can also be a problem. But, road conditions are a small price to pay for the overall majesty of winter and what it brings. I don't understand people who say that they hate being cold or they hate winter or they dread the holidays. I admit, holidays can add a lot of unneeded stress, but you just have to enjoy it as much as you can while you can.
Now, as to the "true" meaning of Christmas, let me say a few words about the Christmas Story--not the film directed by Bob Clark 😂-- I love the Nativity story as a story, not actual fact. It is beautiful, iconic, and sentimental. It inspires people, it makes people happy, and it brings joy to the world when times are desolate and bleak. I read the story out of the Bible every year, and my family attends the local youth production of it as well. I may be an atheist, but I do quite enjoy many Bible stories for their icon status in pop culture and also because they're beautifully fictional--like a good Harry Potter book--and they teach good morals and have inspirational messages. The Nativity story just so happens to be one of my favorites. Christianity (and religion in general) have done a great many terrible things in the world--in fact, more people have died from religion than any other thing--but they have done a few good things, too, like charities, schools, and hospitals. But those are things that atheists could have done, too, if not better. What are things that religions have done that atheists could not have? They have created holidays that are so embedded into our minds that when we hear words like "Christmas" or "Easter" or "Halloween" or "Thanksgiving," we are filled with joy. Religions give people false senses of hope and inspire people when times are tough, but that doesn't really help in the whole grand scheme of things. Yes, it's nice, but only for a short amount of time, then it's back to reality.
I must admit that presents are a reason that I love Christmas, but I also love to get gifts for others. I love seeing people's faces light up (especially if they're young) when they get exactly what they wanted. I also love receiving gifts as well, but that's to be expected. I love Christmas music, Christmas movies (most of them, at least), and Christmas decorations. It all adds to a beautiful and wonderful atmosphere. Yes, the holidays contribute to a lot of stress and exhaustion, and I know that very well, but, at the end of the day, it's all worth it. It only comes once a year, so savor it. 😌
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