In America, there truly are two different Christmas celebrations: the religious Christmas, and the secular Christmas. The first one is based on Biblical stories, in which the baby Jesus is born on Christmas day, and people who subscribe to the Christian faith generally try to acknowledge this as they go about their annual celebrations. But the second Christmas, the secular version, is the one celebrated by nearly all Americans, to some degree, and it has nothing to do with Jesus or the Bible: it is the holiday that celebrates good cheer, gift-giving and materialism, festive decorations, delicious treats, and serves as a marker, of sorts, for the end of the year and transition to the new year. As an atheist, the first Christmas means nothing to me; it’s the secular Christmas that I enjoy and celebrate each year. It truly is one of the happiest times of the year, and I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces as they go about their shopping, and listening to the wonderful holiday tunes, and see the joyful decorations in store windows and on the front lawns of my neighbors (such cute deer!).
With that in mind: Merry Christmas to all of you! May you enjoy goodwill, warm smiles, heartfelt gifts, cheerful thoughts, and assorted happiness of this holiday season!