‘Tis the season to be secular. Fa la la la la la la la la!
That may sound counterproductive to the idea of a
religious holiday. But, upon further reflection, it makes a
lot of sense since it really is the secular component of
Christmas which elicits more excitement. As a secular
humanist, I am biased, and I feel it is ethically responsible
to admit as much. So I have to ask: who recalls going to
Midnight Mass or a Christmas Eve sermon when they
were 10 years old? Opening presents and watching
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or Charlie Brown
Christmas were the more memorable parts of Christmas
Eve.
Holiday memories often center around going to a
relatives’ house and gathering together with everyone else
to open presents, talk to people you rarely see, and enjoy
some wonderful food. Aside from the prayer said over
the meal, it is pretty much a secular gathering. These are
the memories created which last a lifetime and it has
nothing to do with Jesus who is, as I heard all my life, the
reason for the season. As a secular humanist who grew
up in a Christian household, I genuinely still love
Christmas to this day. I honestly do celebrate the holiday
in the way most religious people do minus the Jesus
portions. When talking to newly secular people or folks
unfamiliar with secular humanism, they are often taken
aback by how conventionally I celebrate the holiday. I
will put up a Santa rather than a Krampus. My house just
doesn’t have a Nativity scene.
In secular circles, the celebration of Christmas is
often a divisive topic and that certainly is understandable.
I do not begrudge anyone who is unenthusiastic about the
holiday. It certainly can be a depressing time of year for
many people and their feelings should never be
discounted. The rampant commercialism of the holiday
can also be overwhelming. I feel all of that should be
acknowledged and validated. Personally, I enjoy the
holiday and know many other secular people who do and
I really hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and
whether they celebrate it or not is up to them. No one
should be forced to conform in either direction. For those
who do celebrate it, I hope they certainly have a
wonderful and healthy holiday season. JA