It would be an interesting survey:

Do you celebrate any holiday in December? If so do you celebrate it..

A) Saturnalia
B) Festivus
C) Yule
D) Solstice
E) Kwanza
F) Chanukah
G) Christmas

Please indicate whether this has predominantly cultural significance, religious significance, or both.

Christmas - both

Christmas - cultural

G

It's mostly family significance. A chance to see everyone. Not sure if that counts as cultural, and certainly not religious.

I'd say cultural, it's part of your familiy's traditions, right?

Yeah, I suppose that's true.

cultural. We celebrate soviet secular new years festival with a tree and santa clause and stuff.

Christmas - paid days off significance.

Christmas - religious.

And I thought pretty funny that you've included Festivus ("for the rest of us").

Chanukah - mostly just to spend (brief) periods of time with my family, but also reciting hebrew prayers, which have been recited in the same form for quite a while, creates a sort of connection to the past.
and presents of course

Okay so early results give us:

Christmas 3 cultural / 2 religious / 1 economic (?)
Chanuka 1 cultural / 1 religious
Soviet new Year's 1 cultural

Christmas for cultural reasons

My gf celebrates Chanukah and I celibrate Christmas, both for non religious purely gift ofiented/culture reasons.

Chanukah, for both.

Christmas 5 cultural / 2 religious
Chanuka 2 cultural / 2 religious
Soviet New Year's 1 cultural

Christmas. For the baby Jesus and for the family parties.

Christmas for culture, religious, and family and friends
Hannukah for family (jewish in laws)
Winter's Solstice for some Wicca friends

Christmas 7 cultural / 4 religious
Chanuka 3 cultural / 2 religious
Soviet New Year's 1 cultural
Winter's Solstice 1 cultural


I'm beginning to see a flaw in my survey as most everyone who responds to Chrismas as a religious holiday also sees it as a cultural event (which it is and has always been). I wonder if relgious & cultural and non-religous and cultural would have been better. It skews the data differently (4 to 4) but I wonder which is more accurate. I suppose that's a survey for next year though.

Christmas-religious but for the fun as well

Christmas, cultural. I believe that it is religous, but my family doesn't care about the religiousness of it all, so put down just cultural for me

+1 Festivus. We're about to begin the airing of grievances end of this coming week. Haven't bought the pole yet, though.

Christmas, cultural. I don't think I've ever seen it as a religious holiday.

Christmas for me. Mainly cultural. Religious to a lesser extent but for my family it's mainly just to see each other and spend time with one another.

religion is a subset of culture. 'Holiday' comes from the english word 'Holy' meaning religious. I like how 'Holiday' has become a neutral cultural items with any 'Holy'/religious conotations.

Christmas, However, we do not particularily celebrate the event as both my wife & son hate change, suprises or anything that is not part of the daily routine of life.
They have sensory issues with touch, sight & sounds, smells & taste.
We meet with relatives if we have to & for very short periods of exposure.
We do not believe in a god but we all do voluntary work & serve society as much as we possibly can. Religious study facinates us all & we constantly debate & read philosiphy, religion, economics, government & law & order, & Justice.
As I work for the government in the judicial system, I am allways of work during the christmas holiday period.
So, I have no idea where I fit as to cultural or religious or both or neither.

D

It's all about the solstice. There's a reason that all religions celebrate at this time of year. They were doing long before their mythical gods sprung to life. Since the earliest days of mankind we've understood the significance and importance of certain natural facts. We've all managed to cover these truths with blankets of lies but deep down we all know the truth of these events. We have nothing to do with it. If we're ever left to survive by any means possible we'll soon realize that the natural events happening over the holidays is far more important than our fabricated fantasies.

The 21st is the shortest day of the year. Then the sun appears to remain at the same height in the sky for three days when, on the 25th, the sun rises.

From this point the days begin to grow longer and the promise of spring lifts our cold spirits and we know that in about 3 months we'll be able to celebrate the Spring Solstice. (Easter)

Christmas, cultural and religious. Actually, I am more into celebrating Jesus than celebrating the holiday that bears His name but doesn't represent any of His values. Just my thoughts.

Christmas 10 cultural / 5 religious
Chanuka 3 cultural / 2 religious
Soviet New Year's 1 cultural
Winter's Solstice 1 cultural / 1 religious
Festivus 1 religious

christmas cultural

Christmas- religious first. cultural second

Christmas 12 cultural / 6 religious
Chanuka 3 cultural / 2 religious
Soviet New Year's 1 cultural
Winter's Solstice 1 cultural / 1 religious
Festivus 1 religious

Why is there no option for the holiday of Decemberween? Oh, and Ramendan. Have you heard of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

The COFSM uses a lunar calendar so those holiday's may fall in different months. This is for specifcally December Holidays. As you know Decemberween is a shortened version of "December's evening" so it traditionally falls on November 30th (not in December).

Chrismas - cultural.

Christmas - cultural, religious, and family.

Christmas - cultural. A pity we lost Odin and Sleipnir along the way, but thank the Norsemen for this magnificent holiday.

Christmas 15 cultural / 7 religious (although putin seems to be thinking of Festivus)
Chanuka 3 cultural / 2 religious
Soviet New Year's 1 cultural
Winter's Solstice 1 cultural / 1 religious
Festivus 1 religious

My memory is fuzzy but I thought Festivus was the Seinfeld thing, not the Nordic holiday of Yul.

Yeah I thought it was Yule as well. I'd heard a Swede refer to Festivus and took his word for it. I might be completely in error there. Yule works for me. It was always "Gud Jul" at my grandmother's house.

The person who responded to Festivus mentioned some pole and airing grievances, which I think is a Seinfeld reference.

I never was much of a Seinfeld fan. I think I watched it twice or so. Too much else going on in my life at that time, I guess.

A little research to find out I'm a pretty big idiot, (I'll be looking for that Swede). Ah well, here's to the O'keefe's and Festivus. :-S