Do any athiests/agnostics here put up lights on your house?

[snooper2]

I could care less about jesabus or the manger or any of that shit..but I do enjoy putting lights up as I am light master on the house, trees and shrubs.

[Call Me Wesley]

1. I enjoy the lights as well,

so yes, without any religious background, I put them up. :hi:

[Orrex]

2. I skulk around the neighborhood and kick down people's creches

It was a real problem last year when I tried it with the live-action manger scene at the church down the street.

[TZ]

3. .

:spray:
Why do you hate Baby Jeebus?

On edit: My non religous Jewish mother and her Jewish convert husband do put up a lot of lights. The grazing deer and generic colored lights. As my county calls them..."Winter lights"...:)

[tigereye]

18. my brother and his buddies used to steal statues from people's manger

scenes. I seem to remember the police arrived at the house one year.

And they were all Christians! :rofl:

[Chan790]

37. I used to steal Jesus every year from the campus crèche.

In college. Every year. I don't remember what I did with them all anymore...I'm probably going to find them in a box in the attic someday. I've got 5 of them.

You might be asking why a seminary student (for two years of that before I left the church) would be stealing Jesus, the reason was actually rather simple. It was there for the taking...so I took it. It seemed like a dumb thing to be leaving Jesus out in the rain, snow and sleet.

[trof]

46. I pee on 'em. Had the same problem with the live creche.

They were more pissed off than on.
:rofl:

[DemBones DemBones]

51. Maybe that explains things.

[Rambis]

4. I do

I have three little trees and pink flamingo lights- good fun

[XemaSab]

5. I have lights as a permanant fixture on the back porch

:D

[snooper2]

7. Is that something you copied off HGTV

:P

[XemaSab]

47. It's something I copied off of a Mexican restaurant in Oakhurst

:P

[Lethe]

63. thats the way to do it!

as a matter of fact, i have permanant lights on the back of my house too!

i'm still lobbying for a dilapidated couch on the front porch but so far no dice.

[XemaSab]

64. We have a couch in the carport

I think the back porch would be a great place for it but *someone* thinks that's too redneck. :P

[Lethe]

66. yeah, lol, the great thing about furniture is that it rarely gets moved

if somehow, the couch ended up on the back porch it probably wouldn't get moved.

there would be a lot of complaining and bitching, but the couch somehow never moves.

[rurallib]

6. We have a snow people display

And on easter we take it down.

[GoCubsGo]

8. No, but...

I do enjoy the lights on others' homes. That's the only thing I like about this season. I especially love the over-the-top displays I once thought were tacky. I consider them a mood lifter, as I hate winter. I find "cold and dark" to be especially depressing.

[Bertha Venation]

9. I'm agnostic. I like to decorate.

So does Mrs. V. who is a follower of Christ but also a free thinker. :)

[Kali]

10. yep

do easter dinner too

tradition can have many roots, even religious ones.

and then there is the obvious point that lots of christian events have roots in MUCH older beliefs/religions

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. No, I only allow people who live with me put stuff on my house.

Or the landlord, but they don't do decorating.

[jmm]

12. I'm planning the holiday party for my dept at work and I'm agnostic.

I'll be the only non-Christian there but I'll use nearly any excuse to have a party.

[Pool Hall Ace]

13. Sure, I love it. I don't even know how the lights are tied to Jesus,

but they do help cheer up the longest, darkest days. :D

[sarge43]

16. Lights in whatever form predate JC by thousands of years.

Just about every Northern Hemisphere culture has a ceremony of light around the Winter Solstice. As you say, cheery and hope that the light will return.

[Pool Hall Ace]

28. Ah, yes, like this . . .

[sarge43]

29. That sums it. Excellent. n/t

[defendandprotect]

40. They're not . . .unless you understand the Apostles/Jesus as astrological . . .

The lights are about the season we are in -- going into the darkest days of the year --

and the new season emerging -- "the return of the light" -- coming as we enter winter --

It's about WINTER SOLSTICE and nature --

But all the celebrations have always carried over the theme of bringing light to these

dark days -- and celebrating the "coming of the light" which begins immediately after

Winter Solstice. Days become longer, lighter --

Join the celebration of Winter Solstice -- !!!

[Pool Hall Ace]

45. Oh, I thought maybe the Christians kept it because

of their belief that Jesus was the light of the world, or something along those lines.

[defendandprotect]

59. Yes . . . Christian Church had to take on most of the PAGAN traditions . . .

altering them to suit their own purposes --

I think at one time even calling it "Christmas," the PAGANS were so still involved in

joy and celebration that the Christians tried to cancel "Christmas" -- if I recall correctly?

But, finally they simply adopt most of what the pagans were doing and call it "Christian."

Son -- Sun

Light of the world/Light of the world!!

[Pool Hall Ace]

60. So the Christians may have had their own war on Christmas?

That truly is just laugh-out-loud funny! This is some interesting stuff! :)

[CrownPrinceBandar]

14. I do..............

The lights are my favorite part of the holidays.

[sarge43]

15. No, but this agnostic and her atheist hubby do

put wreaths on the bee hives. The girls like them and whatever keeps them happy and productive.

I like the tiny lights in the small trees, quite magical on a dark night.

[tigereye]

17. the lights are secular, too- they hark back to winter festivals that helped

people feel better about the impending darkness of winter...

[snooper2]

23. that's what I thought...

I'm in Plano TX though so a angels and baby Jesus pop up on every tenth house or so :)

[MorningGlow]

19. Lights have nothing to do with Christianity

It's a pagan tradition to use lots of light to chase away the darkness on the shortest day/longest night of the year (winter solstice, around Dec. 21) and as a reminder that the light will return, the days will get longer, and the earth will bloom again. So light up (!) to your heart's content--consider it an astronomical thing instead.

And for the record, green and red decorations have nothing to do with Christianity either. Green represents the plants that will return in the spring (holly, ivy, fir, and mistletoe are used because they all stay green in the winter months). And red decorations represent the return of the sun (dawning light). Silver and gold also represent light.

[HopeHoops]

20. 25 years or so ago, a buddy of mine put Kermit on a cross with blinking lights.

Kermit's mouth was open like he was singing. It was really funny. I told him he was going to Hell, but he said, "No, if I had hung him on an upside-down cross, THEN I would be going to Hell."

[sarge43]

21. It's not easy being green. n/t

[old mark]

22. Wreath and other secular decorations, plus a Menorah for my jewish wife.

I'm more agnostic than anything else - I'm not into organization/formality enough to be an athiest. BUT I love any holidays, will celebrrate any religious days as long as the food is good.
If the "sacred book" is accurate, Jesus liked a party, too.

mark

[enigmatic]

24. I'm a Buddhist and I do

This is our first Xmas in our new house so we'll probably get a little bit more elaborate than we usually do as far as lights, but nothing too Clark Griswald..

[FloridaJudy]

53. I draped necklace of tiny lights on my statue of Kwan Yin

She seems to be pretty cool with it.

[conscious evolution]

57. I turned Ho Ti into

Ho Chia last year.

[Throd]

25. I am an atheist who decorates the house for Christmas

[Hepburn]

26. I don't do lights, but I do garland and stockings.

I have a white picket fence ~~ and the decorations adorn the fence.

:hi:

[Dogtown]

27. No.

Just another day.

[Bonn1997]

33. Sounds like you might have the same view as I do (reply #31)

[Dogtown]

35. Seems right, Bonn

Not against celebration, but I'll pick my own time/reason.



:hi:

[Lance_Boyle]

30. Entry, Flood and Accent, yes. N/T

[Bonn1997]

31. No, I don't. I'm actually not a "holiday" kind of person.

Holidays strike me as just another example of our countries capitalistic, commercial, consumerist values. (Sorry if I ruined anyone's holiday happiness though!)

[Deep13]

32. Nope. The sky already has lights in it....

...when they are not washed out by artificial lighting.

[Lucian]

34. I'm an agnostic and I love putting up Christmas stuff.

Of course, there's no snow here in MN (shocking, I know!) and it felt weird putting them up, but oh well.

[montanto]

36. Not on the house, but

we get a tree and put lights on it and ornaments, play christmas music and all that. I think we even have some angels and stuff. Weird? Probably. My BAC SIL thinks we are in denial.

[defendandprotect]

38. Yes...that's what Winter Solstice is about . . . darkness, nature changing . . .

and that's what "coming of the light" refers to -- the new season of winter --

That's what all the pagan bond fires and celebrations were about --

celebrations -- joy --

Celebration of nature --

:)


Lights -- YES

Autumn wreaths with fall leaves, etal -- YES

[TrogL]

39. Just put up more motion detector lights and replaced all the bulbs with high-wattage halogen

A flea moves and it looks like a nuclear bomb went off.

[conscious evolution]

58. LOL!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

41. Yes. I love Christmas decorations.

[krabigirl]

42. I'm agnostic and do the tree, etc, but no outside lights...because I'm too lazy :)

[valerief]

43. Too much work, energy waste. I'll stick with my Festivus pole. nt

[JonLP24]

44. No

I wonder if it wastes energy or hurts the environment. I'm not sure.

I also wonder about Nascar's environmental impact as well but never ask.

Either way I won't because it'll just be another day for me.

[pink-o]

48. I've never lived anywhere that would support outdoor Xmas decorations.

Fourth-floor walkups, bed-sits in London and In-laws here in San Francisco--don't exactly have places to string lights or display manger scenes! But my mother was an atheist, my father was raised Orthodox Jewish, and my house growing up looked like Las Vegas every freakin' year!!!

I think a lot of us Agnostics will enjoy any excuse that gets people to think, appreciate what they have in their lives and take the time to help others who might be in dire straights. At my job, we're collecting toys for foster kids and canned goods for food banks. Yeah, you can say it's always a glut of charity this time of the year, whereas the rest of the time no one even thinks about it. But at least these poor people can depend on charity one month out of the year!

[applegrove]

49. I'm agnostic and I love xmas. I've even gone to church to sing carols at midnight(okay

my 97 year old grandmother who is a believer was in tow). I don't have anything against Jesus and am fond of anyone in history who taught the golden rule.

[riderinthestorm]

50. Absolutely I do! It's to light up the dark season

It's cheery and festive. I'd probably do it even if there weren't a season associated with it - I love candles in the winter cold, a roaring fireplace, twinkling lights on the xmas tree in the living room at midnight.....

I also have kids. Kids love the lights. It feels so "right".

I also wonder if there's a certain psychological warmth factor: I live in an old farmhouse and it's drafty, and cold. Candles, xmas sparkle lights, the fireplace lend a warm ambience that transcends their actual output. I also cut a lot of evergreens today and spread them around the house with a candle in the windows.

The smell of the wick and the candles and the evergreens.... Indescribable.

[hippywife]

52. Nope.

No lights, no decorations of any kind. I've never put a single decoration in this house even when I was a believer. Too much trouble putting it up and taking it back down, especially with cats in the house and there's no space in this tiny place to store such unnecessary things.

:hi:

[pitohui]

54. yes i love lights they are beautiful

however, i am a traditional atheist i guess as i don't put them up until AFTER thanksgiving AND they must stay up for all 12 days of xmas and come down on jan. 6 NOT ON FUCKING NEW YEAR'S DAY don't get me started or i might foam at the mouth

if we honor tradition let us honor tradition and not be like the whited sepulchres who haven't even read the damn bible they're thumping

:-)

tree/lights/xmas decoration does not come down until ephiphany, if you're sick of it or the tree is brown by new year's day that's your first clue not to put the damn tree/lights up on columbus day next time...

[texanwitch]

55. Hell yes.

I spent all day putting up the lights and other things.

It is the pagan to do.

I really hate when I have to take them down.

[conscious evolution]

56. I'm thinking of putting up

a sign that says Merry Mithrasmas and a Happy Horus Day!

[Odin2005]

61. Live in an apartment. I put up a tree and some decorations.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

62. Yes of course!

On the tree (7 foot tall artificial), inside the house, outside the house, around the trees, up in the trees....yeah!!

Sign I'm going to make:

AXIAL TILT IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

[Skittles]

65. no but I do like seeing the light displays

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

67. Nah, I light the tree in the living room, 'sall.

Maybe living in an apartment has something to with it, though.