For the non-Christians.... Do you have Christmas? Or your own version of a Christmas?
(I don't mean non-practicing Christians, I mean people who don't follow Christianity at all)

I'm a Buddhist, Shel is non-religious. Jazz hasn't been Christened or Blessed that ties her to any religion. Celebrating Christmas seems like the biggest hypocritical act, and yet it also seems a little impossible.
Our families celebrate Christmas, despite being non-Christian, and even non-religious too (some might be considered spiritual, but essentially non religious). So they do the tree and the big lunch or dinner, and, of course, the presents.
Shel also really loves and enjoys Christmas and the decorations, she just ignores the fact that it's Christian (and yes, it's not traditionally Christian, which she points out all the time but STILL she isn't pagan either so ... no reason to go through the ritual if you don't believe it KWIM?). She also says things like how do you not have Christmas, didn't we enjoy it growing up, and how Jazz will feel left out at school or in her peer group without celebrating Christmas etc.

I also find it really difficult because we have agreed that we want to take a flexible, educative stance on religion, and allow her to choose her own faith. So for me to push Rohatsu/Bodhi Day (which is a Buddhist celebration in early December) seems equally hypocritical. And then a part of me thinks, stopping her from being able to celebrate Christmas is like pushing my own beliefs and faith onto her.

A part of our Rohatsu celebrations includes decorating our home with coloured lights, and deocrating a tree with lights and beads. Sounds familiar right But I don't want to mash them together, even though that would be the easy way out I guess. It's hard. I don't want her to think I am anti-Christianity, which I don't think I am, but I also want her to see that we don't have to do what every one else does if it isn't what we believe.

BAH I don't even know what I want... talk about a bunch of ramblings. How do you celebrate? It would be easier if we were both Buddhist and decided that would be Jazzy's faith, but as we want to be as open and flexible and educative as possible, what do we do?
I don't want to be celebrating Christmas "just because" every one else does though, because it isn't what *I* believe in.