Christian origin Festival days celebrated by most Atheists as Christians do?

[englands123]

Just to name a few :
Christmas Day.
Easter Day.
Easter Friday.
Hallowe’en Day.
St Patrick’s Day.
Mothering Sunday.
Valentines Day…

There are loads more I could list… So my question is… Most Muslims and Jews refuse to celebrate these days but many Atheists do… Why is that ?

 

[jesusmademe]

Most Muslims and Jews refuse to celebrate these days but many Atheists do… Why is that ?

The athesist don’t really celebrate X-mas like Christians. Christians ussually go to church but atheists ussually don’t.

 

[englands123]

Of course I should add…

Guy Fawkes Night originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a failed conspiracy by a group of provincial English Catholics to assassinate the Protestant King James I of England and replace him with a Catholic head of state. … This made 1605 the first year the plot’s failure was celebrated.

 

[Diaconia]

Most of them celebrate the secular notion of the feast days; time off work, parties, etc.

Both Christmas and Eastern have become highly commercialized in the Western world.

Jews and Muslims celebrate their own feast days.

For the Christian, the focus of the feast day should be on attending the Eucharist.

The practice of celebrating feast days comes from our Jewish roots,
Deacon Christopher

 

[englands123]

Will be interesting to hear an active atheist thought please ?

And I mean no disrespect either towards you my friends.

 

[jesusmademe]

Most of them celebrate the secular notion of the feast days; time off work, parties, etc.

Here in Sweden most people see religious holidays as red days (days of from work).
Do English speaking people say red days? Or do you have another term for it?

Both Christmas and Eastern have become highly commercialized in the Western world.

Easter as well?
How do they commercialise a man being crucified? I mean, sure people commercialise everything but Easter is harder to commercialise.
A child in a manger is easier to romantisize.

 

[Diaconia]

In the USA, Easter is commercialized by the Easter Bunny, giving candy, and Easter egg hunts.

Many people do those things without going to church or even remembering the reason for the Feast.

Sad but true,
Deacon Christopher

 

[Freddy]

Will be interesting to hear an active atheist thought please ?

And I mean no disrespect either towards you my friends.

We treat them as secular holidays and enjoy the opportunity for the family to get together.

 

[BartholomewB]

I don’t think it requires much explaining. For someone of a different religion, Christianity is a false religion and therefore observing a Christian holy day would be a betrayal of their own religion. But for an atheist, a public holiday, whether it’s Good Friday or the Fourth of July, is just a day off work. That’s all it is. He has no religion to betray.

 

[Elias]

Good old fashion American commercialism.

 

[gam197]

Here in Sweden most people see religious holidays as red days (days of from work).
Do English speaking people say red days? Or do you have another term for it?

No there are no such things as red days in the USA, no colors to our days off work. We do have Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving when many business stores finally start to make a profit)but that has only been called that by community in the last 30 years or so and nothing to do with days off.

Workers get personal days (death in family, jury duty, sick child etc.), sick days, and vacation days,

What we are talking about on this thread are holidays which workers get off. We do not have religious holidays.These vary be employers but most get at least the major six days off which are by date, New Year’s Day- January 1st, Memorial Day- third Monday in May, Fourth of July, Labor Day- First Monday in September, Thanksgiving- Fourth Thursday in November and Christmas.

We do however used color for causes but that is another discussion. Hope this helps, So again, NO we do not have RED days.