What Do You Give an Atheist for Christmas?
It may sound like a riddle or set-up for a joke, but what do you give an atheist for Christmas? Simple — give an atheist what you would give me — nothing. (Note: many atheists do exchange gifts during the holidays.) I am not an atheist, but FCE and I long ago decided against giving each other Christmas gifts. Our feeling is, if one of us sees an item the other would appreciate, buy it and give it. Why wait for a holiday? There is a practical solution here, as well; we have too much stuff and we would buy each other gifts that we don’t need or particularly want, just to have gifts to give. Eventually, where do you put all that junk? If it’s going to end up donated to charity, just donate the cash amount and everyone is a winner.
Because our children are grown and far away, we eventually stopped putting up a tree and holiday decorations. At Christmas we celebrate being together, the same thing we celebrate whenever we’re together. We do give gifts, particularly to our families, but that’s about it. I suspect that our Christmas and an atheist’s Christmas are very similar, except Santa Claus might visit the atheist home and we celebrate the birth of Christ.
Robin Harvie and Stephanie Meyers are the editors of The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas, a collection of 42 essays written by people who do not celebrate Christmas. Contributors include comedians, novelists, philosophers, scientists, musicians and journalists. They share their feelings and beliefs on what to give an atheist for Christmas, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, helping others, religion, and — yes — the birth of Jesus.
The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas is not only for atheists (although if you’re fond of a “non-believer” and would like to give a gift “just because,” this is the gift to give), nor is it an anti-religious rant or deep philosophical treatise. The essays are humorous and shed light on an aspect of our culture which many people do not understand (e.g., many atheists celebrate the holidays much more elaborately than some Christians). In essence, The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas is a good gift for anyone with a sense of humor.
Bottom Line: Would I buy The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas? Yes, it is entertaining and enlightening; is there a better time of year to experience both?
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