So how do you deal with your atheism around the holidays

[GoHalos1993]

My family is religious and every Christmas Eve we have our entire family over. My sister and my other sisters family of 3 kids and her husband and my other two brothers. We tend to have a nice dinner of the best clam chowder ever. We then go and each open one present each that's under the tree. However, before this my Dad will always read that Christmas story in Luke 2..I think that's where it is. And the last 2 years I just think in my head "Wow, this all sounds like such bullshit". lol Of course I don't say that, but you get what I mean. 

ALSO: Why did Christianity hijack Christmas and claim it as their own holiday? I've read that it was originally a Pagan holiday.

[Iroscato]

Luckily, almost my entire family is atheist, or at least secular. I've never known what it's like growing up in a religious house, but I imagine it involves a lot of forced smiling and gritted teeth, especially this time of year.

[Longhorn]

I try to focus on the food and gifts and OOOOH IT'S SNOWING

[The Valkyrie]

I try to just enjoy the holidays.

If a family member brings up religion, especially in an attempt to push it on others, then the arguments start.

[Natachan]

We have Christmas at our house. Everyone knows we are atheists. And since it's our house we don't have to deal with that shit.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I tune out the religious claptrap, not that there's much at all at our celebrations.

[Crossless2.0]

I usually order the slaughter of all infant males within a couple hundred miles of where I live.

When nothing comes of that, I settle for exchanging gifts and overeating.

[Athene]

Ironically, Christmas is the time of year that I hear the least about Jesus from the Christians I know. It's mostly about the weather, the best place to buy a holiday ham, and 3-day at sales at Macy's (or wherever) from late November to the beginning of January.

[drfuzzy]

My family is religious and every Christmas Eve we have our entire family over. My sister and my other sisters family of 3 kids and her husband and my other two brothers. We tend to have a nice dinner of the best clam chowder ever. We then go and each open one present each that's under the tree. However, before this my Dad will always read that Christmas story in Luke 2..I think that's where it is. And the last 2 years I just think in my head "Wow, this all sounds like such bullshit". lol Of course I don't say that, but you get what I mean. 

ALSO: Why did Christianity hijack Christmas and claim it as their own holiday? I've read that it was originally a Pagan holiday.

The Roman Saturnalia, as well as winter solstice celebrations, existed throughout the world.  Somebody decided that Jesus' bday needed celebrating, and decided that Saturnalia (which meant all sorts of celebrating that was decidedly NON-xtian!) would be a good day to spend in church.  It evolved from there.  
Jeremiah 10: 3-4 even advises the Jews to NOT cut down trees and decorate them.   That was between 626 and 527BC.  Solstice celebrations have been in existence a long time, and the xmas tree predates xtianity by at least 500 years.

[Clueless Morgan]

My family is religious and every Christmas Eve we have our entire family over. My sister and my other sisters family of 3 kids and her husband and my other two brothers. We tend to have a nice dinner of the best clam chowder ever. We then go and each open one present each that's under the tree. However, before this my Dad will always read that Christmas story in Luke 2..I think that's where it is. And the last 2 years I just think in my head "Wow, this all sounds like such bullshit". lol Of course I don't say that, but you get what I mean. 

You're family is a way more religious than mine ever was. The most my family every did was put up a little nativity as part of the decorations. So as for how I deal with my atheism around Christmas, I don't really see anything much that needs to be dealt with. In fact, this year my family is doing Christmas two weeks early because that's when my sister will be home to celebrate with us, and the extended family is doing the big sit-down dinner the day after because my cousin's ex-wife is a vicious bitch who decided that my cousin won't get his boys on Christmas day after all, even tho that's been the arrangement all along...

Ah, family dynamics...

ALSO: Why did Christianity hijack Christmas and claim it as their own holiday? I've read that it was originally a Pagan holiday.

The Roman Saturnalia, as well as winter solstice celebrations, existed throughout the world.  Somebody decided that Jesus' bday needed celebrating, and decided that Saturnalia (which meant all sorts of celebrating that was decidedly NON-xtian!) would be a good day to spend in church.  It evolved from there.  
Jeremiah 10: 3-4 even advises the Jews to NOT cut down trees and decorate them.   That was between 626 and 527BC.  Solstice celebrations have been in existence a long time, and the xmas tree predates xtianity by at least 500 years.

I had always heard that it was easier to get pagans to merely switch what the holiday was about than to make them give it up entirely. Sort of a "You can still celebrate, just throw in a 'huzzah for baby Jesus' every once in a while and we're good" type situation.

I admit that I have not spent a lot of time looking into the history of Christmas celebrations, tho.