deconversion

I'm wondering if anyone celebrates the winter solstice instead of Christmas, Chanukah or whatever religious holiday you used to celebrate.

I know there has been some discussion about how to celebrate a secular Christmas, but seeing that it is just a Christian adaptation of the roman and anglo (maybe a little saxon thrown in for good measure?) solstice, I am curious if anyone has had solstice celebrations.

As I tend to be a purist, I'm of a mood to dispense with the christianized bullshit and, if I'm going to have a winter holiday, do it up proper!

So, if you've done it, what did you do?

Not me. I never re-invent a wheel when there are plenty already rolling around.

We have friends who throw a Solstice Party every year. (Got snowed out this year, though.)

We tend to pick up on the secular traditions of the holiday season, and include the parts we like, and ignore the rest. Since the xians stole their traditions from earlier cultures, they should not have any grounds to complain when we do it too.

And since we are also good Pastafarians, we celebrate "Holiday" which stretches from Thinksgiving-ish to sometime after New Years. The traditions include eating too much and goofing off. Everytime someone wishes you "Happy Holiday", they are honoring His Noodliness without even knowing it. Boy did my Fundie brother-in-law have a conniption last year when he saw that our tree was decorated in Flying Spaghetti Monsters!

And, in the tradition that Pharyngula got started last year - Happy Monkey!

My sister hosts a Solstice Dinner every year. She goes all out with it; sending out formal invitations to family and doing a great job with the food. I love the idea, but it creates an awkward situation with the rest of the family who are all strong christians. Religion is never discussed, but it's the elephant in the room.

Long term, I don't think the idea will work. I'll celebrate it with her, but I prefer just to stick with Dec. 25 as a good opportunity to get together and celebrate with family and friends, even if I don't beleive in the 'christ' part of it. Maybe I'm just lazy...or maybe I just like to take advantage and celebrate twice!

Andrew