First holiday season as atheist!

[sliceoflife]

Phase 1: Thanksgiving

Let's see how this goes...

Not quite as tense in my family as a lot of others because only a few people in my family know I'm an atheist, but I hope to break it to the rest of the family by mas. Regardless, religion will definitely play a part in our day. The prayer at lunch, thanking god for blessings, etc.

On the other hand it will definitely be entertaining to observe. But fuck it gets annoying sometimes.

If for some reason the family found out I'm an atheist tomorrow, they'd definitely freak out, so I want to try to avoid that at all costs.

Any of you guys having their first atheist thanksgiving/ mas? Any other similar experiences?

[Free Thought]

I am most certainly not having my first christmas as an atheist, and I don't have thanksgiving at all.

There is no need to christmas, remember; it was a "pagan" ceremony loooong before the christians adopted it in an effort to assimilate the "pegan" cultures.

My advice, just relax and enjoy time with your family, and as much as I hate too say it, but perhaps you should take pains to be respectful to their beliefs, at least until they catch on, then be as irreverent as you please!

[Logisch]

I honestly don't really feel different about holidays as an atheist.

I will say though that my neighbor annoys the holy fuck out of me (but that was done a long time ago). He puts up these signs in his yard this time of year that says, "Keep the CHRIST in CHRISTmas!" and I want so much to say, "I wasn't trying to take it out in the first place!"

My family always celebrated holidays by just having a nice dinner, hanging out and talking and bullshitting. We never really thanked jesus or any of that stuff. It was just family time. We celebrated thanksgiving early (I had to work, they had to work and so did my sis the day of, so we celebrated monday). We had a nice dinner, hung out, bullshitted like any other holiday.

I see no reason to make a big stink out of how people celebrate it. Families usually just see it as a time to chill anyway. So if it's observed by a place of business, I can have time off and chill with my family? Works for me.

Doesn't mean I have to pray at the table though

[Free Thought]

Dude, make a counter sign about keeping the pagan symbols pagan!

[Logisch]

LOL! hahahaha!

Dude he is the most annoying fucking neighbor. He's very old fashioned, very conservative and in some ways a bit of a badass, he's a vet and could easily fuck a guy up. I'm nice to him because he's been nice to me but he has NO idea I'm an atheist or my wife as well. We don't really feel the need to go around and tell our neighbors. If it comes up then whatever.

But he's the type that expects you to do shit because you're a neighbor, get nothing in return because it's "the neighborly thing" to do. Drives me bat shit crazy.

Overall pretty nice guy, but he reminds me of my dad in the sense that he thinks atheists are secularists are on this witch hunt to take away his beliefs.

[Free Thought]

Well, some beliefs should be taken away.

Either way, i maintain my suggestion good sir.

[Logisch]

I respectfully decline. I do not wish to start a neighborly feud with a narrow minded, ex vietnam vet who probably has more guns than me over a sign. But it is an entertaining and comical thought.

[Free Thought]

And I respectfully accept the decline makes sense after all.

Though I will leave the suggestion open to anybody else who might see it.