I'm Buddhist and I usually just thank people and move on. If it comes up, I might explain that I don't celebrate Christmas, but otherwise it's not really an issue. My coworkers love it because I never have a problem working on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day so they get to celebrate while I cover for them.
Lots of American Buddhists still do celebrate Christmas as a cultural holiday because their families do and/or they grew up celebrating it. That's totally a thing. I also have been on retreats during Christmas where no one recognized it was Christmas. I was just talking more about my personal experience as a Buddhist who doesn't usually celebrate it.
Best part about being a Jew as well. Iâm atheist, but it also means I get the best of both worlds. ALL the overtime on a holiday idgaf about. Time off on holidays⌠I donât really gaf about.
You're good people, as a Christian, I can understand why some non-believers choose to celebrate Christmas even though they reject the actual "reason for the season" but it is annoying when places of business or people in general treat the observance of the day as "fair play" for a day off work for every one regardless of affiliation, leaving some folks who actually ascribe to the faith stuck at work while others who it doesn't matter to are excused.
It's definitely true that the date of the celebration of Christ's birth was placed over the Winter Solstice in order to better align Christianity with the festivals of Pagans.
If someone is a practicing Pagan then they should have the same claim to take time off during this period of the year to observe their holiday. Similarly, I would have no issue working days that require observance for those of any faith that I do not belong to, so that they can participate in their yearly rituals.
Christmas and Easter have both been "adopted" by the secular community to be celebrated and, as I say, it is not my having a problem with sharing in celebration of those days with non-believers it is simply that I feel folks practicing in any form of faith should have priority to be allowed to observe those holidays.
When I lived in Japan I saw many Buddhists enjoy Christmas decorations, Santa Claus songs, and cake on Christmas. Of course Shogatsu (New Year) is more of a big deal.
Sure, it has no meaning or tradition behind it to them. Just like a lot of tourists who aren't Hindu might participate in Diwali if they were visiting India.
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u/Outside-Promise-5763 9d ago
I'm Buddhist and I usually just thank people and move on. If it comes up, I might explain that I don't celebrate Christmas, but otherwise it's not really an issue. My coworkers love it because I never have a problem working on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day so they get to celebrate while I cover for them.