Why there is nothing bad about Christmas (even if you arent Christian)

Christmas, X-mas, Jesus' birthday, December 25th. Whatever you call it, everyone knows about Christmas. Most of America celebrates Christmas by putting up a tree covered in lights and ornaments, going to church, and distributing gifts to friends and family. It truly is a time of joy for everyone involved. But wait! Aren't there some people who are not Christian?

Of course, there are indeed lots of people who aren't Christian, and most of them shun Christmas, and dislike the general holiday cheer associated with it. I, however (being not Christian- I'm Jewish) see things in a different light than many of my fellow non-Christian brothers. I celebrate Hanukkah every year, and enjoy the celebration of the holiday. However, I also find time to enjoy Christmas, even thought I don't believe in any of the miracles that were supposed to have occurred on that fateful night in Jerusalem.

So, I present a simple guide for non-Christians to enjoying Christmas, while not being pretentious or mean. The first, and most important rule of enjoying Christmas, and the whole of the Christmas season is to embrace the happiness and cheer that all the Christians have. When you receive a "Merry Christmas" from the cashier at Target, or Wal*Mart, don't think of them with disdain for assuming you celebrate Christmas. simply enjoy what they are doing: being nice.

Regardless of religion or creed, life should be about helping yourself and others live the best, happiest and most productive lives possiblle. When you smile back at the Wal*Mart greeter and say "Merry Christmas" right back, the greeter is happy his wishes are well taken, and you are happy for making the greeter happy too, everyone ends up happier than they were before.

The second big rule is easy: love the lights! Christmas means lights, bright lights everywhere, and as a non-Christian, the best thing you can do is love the lights as much as everyone else does. While Christmas tree's and nativity scenes are inherintly Christian, no one can deny the beauty of it all. If you can look at a house adourned with lights of all shapes and colors, and simply smile, you will find the season to be much brighter for you and everyone else around.

The final rule is about the day itself: what to do on Christmas day. Jews have a storied tradition in America of going to the movies with their families on Christmas day. In fact many people, including many non-Jews and Christians, go to the movies on 'the big birthday.' For me, this is the best part of Christmas for a non-Christian. It's not the movie that I love, it's the family. Because the rest of the world is closed down on Christmas, it means everyone is basically forced to spend the day with their family. Even if you are a person who doesnt like Christmas, you can enjoy spending the day with your family. Also, movie studios know that we're coming, so the movies on Christmas day are always high quality.

So why is there nothing bad about Christmas? Because, even if you aren't a Christian, you can still enjoy the festive lights, the holiday cheer at Wal*Mart, and most of all, you can enjoy spending Christmas day with the people you love.