“For a fact, the Christians stole Christmas. We don’t mind sharing it with them, but we don’t like this pretense of theirs that it is the birthday of Jesus. It is the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun–Dies Natalis Invicti Solis. Christmas is a relic of sun worship.The customs of this time of year endure because they are pleasant customs. It’s fun to hear from distant family and friends, to gather, to feast, to sing. Gifts, as Robert Ingersoll once said, are evidences of friendship, of remembrance, of love.The evergreens displayed now as in centuries past flourish when all else seems dead, and are symbols, as is the returning sun, of enduring life.
In celebrating the Winter Solstice, we celebrate reality.”
– Anne Nicol Gaylor, president emerita, Freedom From Religion Foundation. Speech written for the 8th annual Winter Solstice Party, New Jersey chapter of FFRF, Dec. 22, 1985. (Freethought Today, Jan/Feb 1986)
About: Bill Kaszycki is the President of the CFI Community of Pittsburgh. Read more from this author
on Dec 22nd, 2008 at 4:07 pm
This is so true. I try to explain this to people and they look at me like I’m from Mars. It’s also interesting when people talk about how Christmas is a Christian holiday – when it is also a National – and therefore secular – holiday.
on Dec 29th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Holidays are traditional events that are based on local cultural morals, time with family members young and old, and of course food.
There are historical links to sun worship, but I grew up in Pittsburgh and most of us use artificial light.
So my traditional Christmas events were handed down from the previous generation.
These of course are the animated stop action television shows from the 1960s.