Freethinkers' Forum: How should we relate to traditionally religious holidays?

Discussion prompt:
Many of us secular humanists have roots in religious traditions — even though we've since rejected the supernatural beliefs those traditions are built on. But what about the holidays that come with them?

Religious holidays like Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah, Ramadan, or Diwali are often celebrated in ways that blend religious meaning with family, food, music, ritual, and cultural identity. Some of us continue to observe these holidays in secular or modified ways. Others avoid them altogether, choosing to create new traditions or celebrate explicitly secular holidays instead.

This raises thoughtful questions about identity, meaning, and authenticity:

• If you've rejected religion, do you also need to reject the holidays that come from it?
• Is it possible (or even desirable) to celebrate the cultural or familial aspects of a religious holiday while discarding its theological meaning?
• What about participating in rituals you no longer believe in — lighting candles, singing hymns, fasting, or attending services — for the sake of community or tradition?
• Can secular adaptations of religious holidays (like a purely cultural Christmas or a humanist Passover Seder) offer value and meaning without requiring belief?

For those raised without religion, do these holidays feel alien or unimportant — or is there still something worth engaging with?

Let’s explore how secular humanists navigate this complex territory of heritage, community, and belief. How do you relate to traditionally religious holidays — and what values guide your choices?

You can bring dinner! We are allowed to have food and drink inside the community room at the library (we just can't have heat sources). Since we are meeting around dinner time, we invite people to bring take-out dinner or snacks. We also have the space from 6 pm, so welcome people to come early to socialize before we begin the discussion.

***All participants are asked to familiarize themselves with and agree to follow our code of conduct.

About the group:
The Freethinkers' Forum is a monthly gathering facilitated by the Secular Humanist of the Lowcountry to discuss topics of interest to freethinkers, atheists, agnostics and other non-religious people. The purpose of these gatherings is to foster respectful dialogue of interesting and intellectually stimulating topics. The focus is discussion and so we will not have speakers. We may have brief presentations to introduce topics, but those will be restricted to 15 minutes or less. There may be optional readings or television or film recommendations to stimulate discussion.