It’s that time of year again; many are out and about desperately trying to find the perfect Christmas gifts for their friends and loved ones. Christmas lights adorn houses, and evergreen trees are beautifully decorated. With all its merriment and joy, who wouldn’t want to celebrate Christmas, supposedly the most wonderful time of the year? However, Christmas is also a commemoration of the birth of Christ, the savior of Christians and people of other religions alike. Because of the religious aspect of Christmas and of other holidays such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, these holidays present a complex issue for atheists.

Some may be quick to conclude that atheists don’t have specific beliefs or don’t celebrate any holidays. However, atheism is simply defined as the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. This open-ended definition means that atheists are free to pursue whatever path they like regarding their belief systems or holiday celebrations. In fact, many atheists, including math teacher Dr. George Venketsamy, like to look upon the holidays more as cultural events than as religious celebrations.

“When I grew up in South Africa, for me holiday celebrations were more culturally than religiously significant,” Venketsamy said. “I had religious friends, including Christians, Hindus and Muslims, and most of us respected each other’s religions and beliefs. When it was Christmas, we had Christian friends invite us to their apartments, and we got each other gifts, and then when it was Eid, we had Muslim friends invite us to their homes.”

Venketsamy used to be a follower of Hinduism and celebrated traditional Hindu holidays, such as Diwali, every year. He started to move away from religion when at about 12 years of age, he declared to his mother that religion did not have any meaning for him anymore.

“I walked out of the temple into the courtyard and my mom came running after me to force me to do the prayers, but I rejected,” Venketsamy said. “In college with all my studies in philosophy, I started tending more towards atheism, and now I go back and forth between being atheist and agnostic.”

Even though many typically equate atheism with agnosticism, there is a distinct difference between the two. An agnostic is one who is skeptical about the existence of God. Unlike atheism, agnosticism does not constitute total denial of the existence of deities. However, most atheists and agnostics have the same attitude toward celebrating holidays.

Junior Julia Malone became agnostic when in 9th grade, she began to question her religious beliefs.

“I was, for the most part, an absolute Christian until about 9th grade,” Malone said. “But then I started thinking about it more and I realized that in my mind, there wasn’t absolute proof that a god existed or didn’t exist. I consider myself more agnostic. I do not reject God and claim that there is no god, but at the same time I do not worship a god and believe in one ‘just because’. I’m kind of just neutral.”

Even though she is agnostic, she celebrates most Christian holidays regardless.

“I do celebrate Christmas with my family, but we focus less on the religious aspect and more on how thankful we are for what we have in the world,” Malone said.

Perhaps the biggest loss for atheists during the holiday season is diminished family time. By not attending religious ceremonies and not participating in religious-themed rituals, atheists don’t have many chances to participate in family activities. However, alternative activities and holidays are available for families to take part in regardless of religious belief. The winter solstice, the time at which the sun appears at noon at its lowest altitude above the horizon, can be celebrated alongside Christmas, with dinner feasts and gift-giving. The autumn equinox, the beginning of autumn, can also be celebrated alongside Halloween, with pumpkin carvings and fall decorations. Holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day are not limited to specific religions and can be celebrated by everyone.

Despite the fact that atheists and agnostics don’t identify with certain religions, they still have opportunities to enjoy the holiday season. Whether atheists decide to observe traditional Christian holidays or celebrate and follow alternative holidays and traditions, most engage in the merriment of the holiday season nonetheless.