Even Though You're Wiccan/Pagan Do You Still Celebrate Christmas?

Hi Pye, I don't know what I am, haha. I have my own religion with no name to it, and I, as you, are very comfortable with it. It's almost a combination of many different religions and beliefs, not just one. No matter what it is, I will always celebrate Christmas as I love that time of the year, and have always had a live Christmas tree, even a Charley Brown one. There's something about the live tree that I just HAVE to have it, haha....my world wouldn't be the same without it at this time of the year.

I will wait to read some veiws from people that are wican/pegan but also think that christianity had to develope from some where I do beleive that most religons started out to be a completely different beleif to begen with.

Lol, I celebrate the modern version of christmas in conjunction with Yule, even though technically Yule is a few days earlier than christmas itself, it's the day I spend with my family...the fact that the holiday has so many pagan qualities to it helps greatly. I still sing christmas songs with christian references to them...but only because I like to think of myself a singer, and those songs ARE beautiful. I love many stories connected to christmas..and I respect all religions..but to me, they're just stories. And there isn't any harm in singing pieces of stories ^_^ I love the holiday. Both its modern traditional version, and Yule itself which it's pretty much connected to anyways..though I don't see me abandoning paganism, even for atheism, I think I would always celebrate the holiday. Heck. I celebrate Ninja Day..just because I like ninjas! I've always liked what christmas/yule season represented, so I reckon I'll always celebrate it, regardless ^_^

ACTUALLY, if the shepards were in the feilds, then it was probably summer, maybe August or so.

I am not a practicing wiccan or pagan, pyewacket, but I see nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas. It is true as you say that many of the Christian traditions are actually carry-overs from the old pagan religion. Besides, with so much misery in today's world, any reason for a celebration should be considered a departure from all the bad news.

I celebrate Christmas, on the day recognized in our times. I do believe the Christ existed and so celebrate his birth in a small way. I also ceebrate with my family and friends more as a celebration of our love of one another. My most dear-to-my-heart acknowedgement at this time is in celebration of Yuetide. Yes, Roman records as well as common sense reveal that a date of December 25 is highly unikely for the birthdate of the Christ. Additionally, more recent history reveals that this date was set during the Councils of Nicea around the time when the Holy Bible as we know it was created. There were debates as to whether Jesus was ever born at and as to his diety status. December 25 was chosen because the (newly Holy) Roman Emporer Constantine and the Pope along with the rest of this council wished to retain as many hoidays of the Romans as possible to make the conversion of the Roman populace to Chrisitanity more smooth. December 25 was the birthdate of Mithras, an ancient god, whose birth was ceebrated with feasting and giftgiving, much as Christmas is today. The council knew the Roman people would not wish to give up this hoiday period, so they set it as Christ's birthdate so that the celebrations would continue with only 'the name has been changed' so to speak. As my family and friends consist of many faiths, as well as those who have little or none, Christmas for us is a time to celebrate our connections with one another and with mankind in general.

I celebrate Yule on its due date, giving gifts to Pagan friends on the 21st, but then I celebrate Christmas as well because most of my family are Christians, apart from my sons of course, whom I left to decide what they wanted to be on growing up. Needless to say, neither of them has done anything about it, but they celebrate Christmas as have all the rest of my family through the years. I like to celebrate Yule in a more reverent, traditional way. I have my Yule Log, my tree, and all the candles, incenses and bits and pieces that go with it. I also hold my main ritual on 20/21st December, which kind of slides into Christmas. Then, Christmas, to me, is more of a time for the kids... that's all the meaning it has. It's a nice time, when I love to see the smiles on the kids' faces and spend time within the love of my family and friends. Joyous Yule to you, my friend, with Brightest Blessings.

Yeah I celebrate Christmas. I still have strong connections with Jesus - as you know and besides - who wants to pass up a reason to celebrate, buy gifts, and be with family?? Not me LOL.

I am not Wiccan but I have heard that the Christian church, in order to woo the Celts and Druids,adopted many traditions that were Wiccan.That we even celebrate in December was adopted.The bad news for me is Jesus may not be a capricorn. I like the idea that there is such a variety of capricorns and I hate to see Jesus get taken off the list. Okay, how does a Wiccan celebrate Christmas?

I wasn't going to respond to this discussion because it was addressed to a group of people that I don't belong to but after reading the responses I think I can safely.. I too like Christmas trees and it's on my list of things to do today with great joy. I'm not connecting it with any 'beliefs' just hey it's that time of year and something different to do in the living room. If I get to it before the big expected snow storm I may add some lights to the porch too. I think it's fun and can't see anything wrong with it.

Well, I am not Wiccan/Pagan. I do not practice any religion, but I still wanted to respond to this discussion, so deal with that :P I celebrate Christmas because I get presents. That's right, I am greedy. I also enjoy giving to other people because I like to see them happy, along with spending time with my family who I don't get to see often. (Not my extended family though, they are boring.) Other than that, I do not care about/believe in that Jesus crap. I mean stuff.

Nah, we don't celebrate Christmas. We celebrate Yule. I was raised Roman Catholic and my better looking half was raised Southern Baptist. We both came home to our Pagan roots when still young. What others call the Christmas tree or the Tannenbaum we call the Pagan bush because it is Pagan. We also use mistletoe and decorate the tree and house and outside palm tree with colored lights. The lights are a lot safer than the candles used on the original Pagan trees! Not having snow here in Florida means that many of the Christian memories and the Santa traditions do really seem out of place this far south. Not a chimney in sight around here. In Pagan tradition the god is under the Earth resting until he reappears in the spring. Many many cultures have a Festival of Lights to mark the darkest, longest night of the year and the promise of renewed life, warmth and growth at springtime, so there's no reason not to celebrate these Pagan concepts in their original form. In changed forms they were taken and used by Christians because the original Pagan ritual and meaning is so powerful. Yule is a wonderful, magickal time!

Personally, I am quite sure that the Christians would be just so happy to hear that I view Christmas as a good time to celebrate the birth of baby Horus. LOL. But considering that Christmas was chosen so that they could convert worshippers of Mithras, I am happy to do my part to take it back. Evil, ain't I?

Well, a tree could be a yule tradition as well as Christmas tradition. Personally, I celebrate both. Yule tends to be a smaller, more reserved celebration for me, not having a lot of pagans to celebrate with. But, although my mother was raised religious, Christmas has never been a religious occasion in my family unless we were visiting my maternal grandmother for the holidays. It was always more about celebrating time with family, giving gifts to the people we love, that sort of thing.

Hey pw, I'm not Wiccan/Pagan I am a Christian but I do not believe Christ was born on the 25th of Dec either rather he was concieved that day & I think it's great that you still celebrate. +'s |:)

I still celebrate Christmas. I live at home so, it's only natural that in a house full of Christains, I still celebrate Christmas. I don't see the harm in it. It's so close to Yule, it's practically the same thing. So, no harm really. As long as we're celebrating with the family and making the most out of the holiday season, I think Pagan or not, you should be able to celebrate.

I usually have holly, ivy and mistletoe in the house for Yule, and a tree as well. These days I feel that any chance to have a celebration shouldn't be ignored, and I will celebrate Yule and enjoy myself over the whole festive season regardless. Have a cool Yule :-)

I celebrate a secular Christmas with family and friend who do celebate Christmas, but we have a private Yule celebration at home. I think it's hard to avoid Christmas no matter what your religion is simply because it's such a part of our culture. Just keep reminding yourself, most of the "traditions" are Pagan in origin. LOL

I love that Christ (the Light of the World) was born at the darkest time of year, after His Nativity the days begin to grow longer again. It does not surprise me that He chose such a day to be born.

OMG.. I'm thinking you were right and we are so exactly the same. So I was baptized Catholic as a child then confirmed Protestant older and then we moved in my teens and started going to Southern Baptist and then we moved back home again and by then I'd had it and took up a more wiccan/pagan path for myself. Nobody was surprised as they said my grandfather was into "evil witch stuff" which I tried to explain but I digress. As of lately I don't practice anything except what I feel at the moment and I don't go to church but have found one Catholic church a couple of hours away that was build by a famous nun on a vision and gives me this complete feeling of peace, I visit during non service hours as the service itself makes me uncomfortable. My grandmother was very Catholic but also the most naturally pagan woman when I think about it. I inhereted her rosaries and Virgin statues and they give me such a loving feeling. Ok so having such a strong Catholic influence and feeling so naturally drawn to a more wiccan path I find one common thing that draws me to both wich is the Virgin Mary/Goddess. To me they are one and the same and as a Hispanic, we're more raised on the belief of the Virgin and all her power and it is more to her that the prayers and alters are made, every Hispanic Catholic home has a Virgin Mary alter. So when I go to that beautiful church I feel Her presance and I just know in my heart that my own path is just that and how I believe is the right way for me to as long as I get that overall feeling and understanding of love in it's every form and know that to each his own way. Which after all is a Wiccan belief, presented to me by a Catholic entity. I promise this all has something to do with Christmas, lol... Ok so for me having taken all of that into thought, I celebrate Christmas two ways, one as the little Miss Martha Stewart JR that I was raised to be and for all of it's tradition and the other as a celebration of life, of the miracle and power of it and of the complete meaning of love as my vision of the Goddess/Mary has taught me. We have a tree and all of the garland and mini trees and what nots and then I have my lenox nativity set. I also have some mother and child sculptures and Virgin pictures that I keep up all year to remind me of everything I believe in.