Christians! Old men! Party hats!
While most of you brits are just starting, here in New Zealand, Christmas is already over. Getting drunk was the most rational way to endure it. My whole extended family are christian - virgin birth, 7 day creation christians. This has always been the cause of a little friction - I'm atheist and I don't hide the fact. For me, Christmas is a festival which has been stolen so many times from so many different religions that for any religion to assert ownership of it seems rather arrogant. For my extended family, Christmas celebrates the birth of good old JC.

i'd wondered if it was going to cause problems on Christmas day, and enquired as such to my mum the day before.
"It'll be fine, it's all very low key, those who want to go to church will go, those who don't, won't. There are no obligations in any shape or form."
Which assauged my worries somewhat.

Christmas morning:
9am: Woken up for church. We're not going to church, we're having family church. In the house. in the lounge. As the only atheist, it is conceded that perhaps I don't HAVE to attend. If I'm really sure. But it would be SUCH a lovely time to have the family together. Your Grandmother will be so disappointed. This really is all rather inconvenient, you know. Pointed stares abound. Eventually, my assertations that I would rather drink antifreeze sink in. Of course, this won't stop my grandfather coming to have a chat with me and tell me to "stop being silly about it" and come and join the 'church'.
10am: The bible readings begin. Apparently it would be antisocial for me to tactfully withdraw, but if i were to sit in on the proceedings, that would be rude. So I'm given a couch in the corner to keep me out of the way, but not out of the way enough that anyone has to feel guilty.
10:15am The bible readings begin.
11.15am the songs about Jesus begin.
1pm After a rousing chorus of 'Christ the holy child', lunch is served. Topics of conversation include 'muslims just going back home where they belong', 'people who don't believe in god aren't in the majority so why shouldn't public money be spent in churches?' and the all time favourite 'PC brigade, can't look sideways at a faggot without being carted off but they can do whatever they like to us'.
2pm Party hats are donned.
2.05pm After biting my tongue for most of the day, I venture a suggestion that perhaps we should consider some of these issues from a different perspective. For example, if my grandfather went to Iran, would he find it reasonable to not be allowed to practice Christianity?
2.06pm I'm firmly 'advised' to not speak on such topics because disagreeing is "simply rude"
2.07pm onward: Losing the will to live, I try to remember why I didn't go spend Christmas with somebody - anybody else.

For a day that's supposed to be about peace and love and family, it sure was shit.

Anyone else not quite as cheery for the holiday as Hallmark expects them to be?
(Holy Gabrielle is Holy, Fri 25 Dec 2009, 10:40, 1 reply, 15 years ago)

Oh dear.
I thought you were being quite tactful.
I would have flipped and told everyone to fuck off. And then flounce out.
( Boss Keloid Got your mother's maiden name tattooed on my arm, Fri 25 Dec 2009, 11:16, Reply)