Never celebrated Christmas.

[Azutael]

Make your own traditions
There's no standard way of celebrating christmas, everyone I know does it differently. No matter their religion, or lack thereof. They all do something different.

Heck some people just order a pizza for christmas, if it works for them I am not going to tell them it's "wrong" or anything.

[Ashnazg]

I was raised a proper Soviet citizen, so I only celebrated New Years, never Christmas. When I came to US and started interacting with the locals, the fact that I never celebrated Christmas raised a few eyebrows and made people "pity" me, although Russian New Years celebrations are basically identical to a traditional Xmas - tree, gifts, Santa Claus, etc.

10 years later it still causes friction with my American girl, since I prefer to celebrate NY, and she prefers to celebrate Xmas.

[Cybran]

The lack of presents was more of a family thing than a religious thing. The focus on services and such was the one related to religion.

Presents are new and just mimic the western celebrations. My family also stopped bothering with gifts and a tree when i was 5-6, no one cared enough. We are eastern orthodox as well and it never bothered me.

[Gamdwelf]

i dont mean to pry but im really curious to know what religion, you were brought up in

how about you read the thread, its already been stated.

[Phlegethon]

Hello there.

I just had a few questions about christmas.

So I was raised in an extremly religious family. I will not mention wich religion altho some of you might figure it out.
I was told Christmas was wrong, Birthdays were wrong. Infact all holiday celebrations there is on this planet was wrong like easter, halloween etc.

But after 20 years I left the religon and started my own life with new friends. But I lost all family contact when I left becouse i was a disgrace for wanting to live a normal life and leaving the ''only and only truth''
I saw them again at the age of 33 when my grandmother passed away. I left when I was 20. For the first time in 13 years they barely even said hi. My family in a nutshell.
But thats another story I wont get into it.

Then again people are free to believe whatever they want and thats their buiseness but its not for me.


But during those 13 years I did not celebrate christmas simply becouse I spend it with. I have no family.
I dont feel right just walking up towards one of my current friends saying. Hi can I celebrated christmas with you, I have never done it before.

So how would one apporach this. I barely even know how christmas works. I know you eat and give eachother gifts but thats pretty much it. I dont even know how you dress.
But from what I can see it looks like a friendly and lovely time to spend with friends/family and I want to be apart of it. Thing is I have no clue how. :S

Jehova.

Anyway, you do whatever the fuck you want man. Christmas has very little to do with religion anyway. It's more spending time with people you like. Presents are not a must. Fine dining however, very much is ;-)

[Noujou]

how about you read the thread, its already been stated.

woah there bro, while i did, because i was curious and didnt feel like waiting for a reply, there is no need to be a rude ass...its not that hard to type a couple more words for someone asking

[Gamdwelf]

woah there bro, while i did, because i was curious and didnt feel like waiting for a reply, there is no need to be a rude ass...its not that hard to type a couple more words for someone asking

It was literally 3 posts above yours.

[Baracuda]

Dress in fuzzy clothes, bring generic presents, eat the food then scram.

[Kerath]

Just talk about your experience with friends, I'd be willing to bet one of them will invite you to spend Christmas with them. If I had a friend oblivious of christmas like you I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Same, I love Christmas and I like to see other people enjoying it too - When I was still living in England, I had a Czech friend that had never experienced an traditional English style Christmas. I invited her immediately and she had a great time.
OP, I echo Whitey's suggestion. Talk with your friends about it and it's likely one would invite you to enjoy Christmas with them.

[reohh]

Make your own traditions
There's no standard way of celebrating christmas, everyone I know does it differently. No matter their religion, or lack thereof. They all do something different.

Heck some people just order a pizza for christmas, if it works for them I am not going to tell them it's "wrong" or anything.

This x100000000000

Unless the people you are celebrating with people who are extremely religious, the holidays are more about spending time with friends and family.

I'll give you insight of what my family does:

We decorate the standard way (christmas tree, stockings over the fireplace, etc.). We go out to eat on Christmas Eve to a nice dinner and then come home and relax. My sister, my mom and I read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" before we go to bed. We've been doing this since we were kids (we are early 20's now). On Christmas morning we open presents and wait for my aunts/uncles/grandparents to come over before we serve breakfast that my mom cooks. It usually consists of eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, and fresh fruit. After that we relax, watch TV, and do whatever while my mom and Aunt finish getting dinnner ready. Dinner is simple since we are probably still full from breakfast. Dinner is usually shrimp or veal parmagianna (we are Italian, even though the Italian tradition is a lot of fish for dinner) with a side of pasta, a vegetable, and usually shrimp cocktail. After that we have coffee and cake and relax around the table for a few more hours until everyone leaves.

You'll get a million other responses on what people do for Christmas, so make up your own, do what you like, and that could be your Christmas.

[Kathandira]

Hello there.

I just had a few questions about christmas.

So I was raised in an extremly religious family. I will not mention wich religion altho some of you might figure it out.
I was told Christmas was wrong, Birthdays were wrong. Infact all holiday celebrations there is on this planet was wrong like easter, halloween etc.

But after 20 years I left the religon and started my own life with new friends. But I lost all family contact when I left becouse i was a disgrace for wanting to live a normal life and leaving the ''only and only truth''
I saw them again at the age of 33 when my grandmother passed away. I left when I was 20. For the first time in 13 years they barely even said hi. My family in a nutshell.
But thats another story I wont get into it.

Then again people are free to believe whatever they want and thats their buiseness but its not for me.


But during those 13 years I did not celebrate christmas simply becouse I spend it with. I have no family.
I dont feel right just walking up towards one of my current friends saying. Hi can I celebrated christmas with you, I have never done it before.

So how would one apporach this. I barely even know how christmas works. I know you eat and give eachother gifts but thats pretty much it. I dont even know how you dress.
But from what I can see it looks like a friendly and lovely time to spend with friends/family and I want to be apart of it. Thing is I have no clue how. :S

I spent 20 years celebrating X-Mas with my family, then I entered "the truth" I learned from the folks at the Kingdom Hall that a holidays were pagan and should not be celebrated as per their beliefs. During the 2 years i studied I did not celebrate any holidays (cept a birthday that i was literally forced to celebrate by my inconsiderate family) I have a friend who went through what you are. If I had a friend who was studied and then decided to "leave the truth" i would take them in every holiday and share my celebrations with them.

[Kasierith]

Presents are new and just mimic the western celebrations. My family also stopped bothering with gifts and a tree when i was 5-6, no one cared enough. We are eastern orthodox as well and it never bothered me.

Looking at my life in retrospect, I'm happy that I didn't have to deal with a swell of consumerism in a time that has true meaning for me in other areas. Materialism never really suited me.

[warex00]

Hello there.

I just had a few questions about christmas.

So I was raised in an extremly religious family. I will not mention wich religion altho some of you might figure it out.
I was told Christmas was wrong, Birthdays were wrong. Infact all holiday celebrations there is on this planet was wrong like easter, halloween etc.

But after 20 years I left the religon and started my own life with new friends. But I lost all family contact when I left becouse i was a disgrace for wanting to live a normal life and leaving the ''only and only truth''
I saw them again at the age of 33 when my grandmother passed away. I left when I was 20. For the first time in 13 years they barely even said hi. My family in a nutshell.
But thats another story I wont get into it.

Then again people are free to believe whatever they want and thats their buiseness but its not for me.


But during those 13 years I did not celebrate christmas simply becouse I spend it with. I have no family.
I dont feel right just walking up towards one of my current friends saying. Hi can I celebrated christmas with you, I have never done it before.

So how would one apporach this. I barely even know how christmas works. I know you eat and give eachother gifts but thats pretty much it. I dont even know how you dress.
But from what I can see it looks like a friendly and lovely time to spend with friends/family and I want to be apart of it. Thing is I have no clue how. :S

Im sure you've gotten loads of answers in this post, but I'll just post mine :P

Here in norway we celebrate christmas mostly with family and friends. We usually have a christmas tree, decorated n shit. Usually eat dinner around the evening and give eachother presents then. Afaik they do that in the morning in US.


My suggestion would be to talka bout it with your friends, ask if anyone got room for one more, wich Im sure they do

Edit: As far as dressing code goes. Usually ppl were dresses and suits (atleast in norway)