Do I Celebrate Christmas?

In Trinidad, where about 99% of people espouse religious beliefs, I sometimes get asked, sometimes in an aggressive, accusatory manner, if with my non-religious views, I celebrate Christmas.   

It's funny that this question never ever came up in England, a place where religious belief isn't quite so assumed. But then again, a big mid-winter feast, with lots of lights makes a whole heap of sense in a country where it's cold and miserable in the winter, and gets dark at 4pm.  And I'm pretty sure this existed long before Christianity arrived on British shores and became the predominant religion.

It's actually ironic that the mid-winter festival is merged with the Christian birth ceremony; whereas the new life festival celebrated in spring with bunnies, chicks and eggs corresponds with one of the more gruesome parts of the bible.  Yes, the resurrection is about new life in one context, but I don't think we can really say it's a celebration of spring...that would fit better with the baby story. But cultures merge in their own inimitable way, and like most things logic isn't really part of it.

The funkiest Christmas Tree in town...made of driftwood

so In terms of my celebrating Christmas....I most certainly do! I usually take great delight in decorating my tree (pine tree... Bethlehem ... not exactly related...), I enjoy buying gifts and eating my whole baked salmon with cranberry sauce on Christmas day, not to mention the bubbly with sorrel and various other seasonal treats. Obviously in the southern Caribbean there isn't such a huge need to light up the cold harsh winter nights as it only gets dark an hour earlier than midsummer and although I am at this moment wearing a cardigan, it doesn't exactly get cold...Christmas for me fulfils the basic human need for ritual feasting and ensuring quality time spent with busy family members. It also marks a three week vacation from teaching, which is something else worthy of celebration!