34 F
Spokane
Sunday, March 30, 2025
spot_img
HomeCommentaryAsk An Atheist: Do you celebrate religious holidays?

Ask An Atheist: Do you celebrate religious holidays?

Date:

Related stories

How to be religious without being spiritual

Read this counter guide to Sam Harris' mindfulness-based spirituality, emphasizing the value being religious, living for others without requiring spirituality.

When someone cares enough to embrace your imperfections

Celebrating imperfection, this piece reflects on how when we care others, despite flaws, grace shines, much like God's grace does in our weakness.

Protecting human rights shouldn’t be up for debate

Trump pulled the U.S. out of the United Nations Human Rights Council, and this columnist can't understand why. She prescribes a way forward.

Ask a Bahá’í: Where was the Short Obligatory Prayer first mentioned in the Bahá’í writings?

This Ask a Bahá’í column seeks to discover the first time the Short Obligatory Prayer shows up in the Bahá'í writings. Is it in "The Most Holy Book"? Read more and find out.

When democracy finds her voice

"Beyond the ballot box spectacle: How active citizen engagement fuels democracy year-round through advocacy, accountability, and community action—not just during election seasons.

Our Sponsors

spot_img

What do you want to Ask an Atheist? Submit your questions online or fill out the form below.

By Jim Downard

Do you celebrate “religious” holidays like Easter, Valentine’s Day and Christmas? Why? Why not?

SPO_House-ad_Ask-an-atheist_0425133My secular family has always put up Christmas trees, and I’ve been a carol fan from the get go (religious ones just as much as non).  By the way, one of best albums is the one Leonard Bernstein & NY Philharmonic did with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Christmas is too fun of a time to leave it to Christians to monopolize. And countries like Japan enjoy the practice too without any of its religious connotations being endorsed.

 

Easter was less important, though did do the egg coloring thing as a kid, and chomping on chocolate bunnies.  Valentine’s day less important still.
It’s interesting you didn’t mention Halloween, which also had religious roots but has been so overlayed It’s interesting you didn’t mention Halloween, which also had religious roots but has been so overlayed with secular practices that many forget that (though would be more noticeable in other countries where the Christian religious calendar is more actively followed culturally.

Jim Downard
Jim Downard
Jim Downard is a Spokane native (with a sojourn in Southern California back in the early 1960s) who was raised in a secular family, so says had no personal faith to lose. He's always been a history and science buff (getting a bachelor's in the former area at what was then Eastern Washington University in the early 1970s).

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
spot_img
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest


0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
spot_img
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x