Articles Index

Mixed Marriages with Atheists & Theists
Can mixed marriages between atheists and theists work or are such people so different that their marriage would be doomed to failure? Marriage is one of the most intimate and serious relationships a person can have in their lives; it is thus understandable that people wonder if the gap between atheism and theism will create further differences which prevent individuals from making a marriage work.

Atheism, Holidays and Rituals
Atheists spend quite a lot of time discussing religion and deeper questions of whether or not there is any rational justification for believing in gods. However, there are also much more practical issues which merit close discussion. One issue which affects pretty much all atheists is how, or even if, they might celebrate local religious holidays (or secular holidays with an important religious component).

Finding Meaning in Holidays
So, the way in which an atheist might best approach the question of religious holidays and the creation of new atheist holidays is to ask: What might this mean to me? Are you going to let Christians "win" by allowing them to decide what holidays like Christmas mean to everyone else, or are you willing to stand up and decide what it means for yourself?

Alternative Holidays for Atheists?
A question which faces many atheists is whether or not they should avoid prevalent religious holidays and instead adopt their own holidays. One method would be to develop new, uniquely atheist or humanist holidays - for example a celebration of historical developments in freethought. Another method is to adopt a holiday which is used by some but which might also have significance beyond religion, for example Winter Solstice.

Celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas
Should you participate in acknowledging, much less celebrating, any aspect of a religious holiday? If a holiday has no other aspects to it but religion and religious ritual, there are few opportunities for atheists to participate. In such cases, if you do participate, it will likely be because some other factor like family unity weighs more heavily on you than does the principle of avoiding religion.

Saying Grace With Family
A common tradition among many religions is to say some sort of thanks to their god for the food which people eat. As with participation in holiday services at churches, people who might otherwise never bother with "saying grace" the rest of the year can suddenly feel the urge to do so during the holidays in front of the rest of the family. This might occur either when you are visiting relatives in their homes, or even when they are visiting you in yours. What do you do?

Families and Traditions
Perhaps the biggest loss in not attending religious ceremonies at a church and not participating in religion-themed rituals is the loss of joint family activities and the diminishing of a family tradition. If this bothers you and others in your family, you should entertain the possibility of developing some substitute activities and starting some new traditions which might genuinely include all of the family regardless of belief.

Revealing Atheism on Religious Holidays
Perhaps a core issue which will influence all others is whether or not those around you even know of your unbelief. If they do, then they will be aware of the fact that you may feel, at the very least, uncomfortable or uninterested in the more religious aspects to the holiday season. But if they do not realize that you are an atheist, it will become much more difficult to assert yourself in any fashion and resist social pressures to conform to traditional religious observances.

What are Holidays and Rituals?
Holidays can serve to form a connection to your own past by evoking memories of past celebration. Holidays can form and reinforce connections with the friends and family with whom you celebrate. Holiday events can also create connections across an entire society as people develop parallel experiences which forge subtle bonds.