Renowned Atheist Richard Dawkins Celebrates Christmas

by Jon Azpiri | December 25, 2008 at 09:31 am

549 views | 29 Recommendations | 11 comments

Noted atheist Richard Dawkins, author of the best-selling book The God Delusion, told BBC Radio 4 that he celebrates Christmas with his family.

Dawkins said that while he doesn't believe in God, that doesn't make him a scrooge. In an interview with British rocker Jarvis Cocker, Dawkins said that his family celebrates Christmas and he even sings the occasional Christmas carol.

Dawkins said his family had a typical Christmas celebration each year like so many others.

'We are not kill joys, we are not scrooges,' he said. 'We give each other presents and when my daughter was a bit younger we would have a tree. We don't now.

'We go to my sister's house for Christmas lunch which is a lovely big family occasion. Everybody thoroughly enjoys it. No church of course.

Of course, that doesn't mean that the noted biologist and writer isn't a bit of a skeptic. As a child, he had some serious doubts about Santa Claus.

'My very first Christmas, maybe my second Christmas, there was a man called Sam who apparently dressed up as Father Christmas,' he said. 'All the children loved it, all completely fooled by Father Christmas being there.

'Eventually he said: 'Ho ho ho, it's time for me to go,' back to Greenland or wherever he comes from, so he left. Then I, the youngest of all of them, said: 'Sam's gone' and completely gave the game away to all the other children.'

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polylogue

at 14:50 on December 25th, 2008

There are many things to celebrate on Christmas. Getting together with family and even nostalgia for childhood can be embraced by atheists and the believers alike.

panzerlawyer

at 15:43 on December 25th, 2008

Such a nice secular humanist pig our atheist friend is. Great story.

Jason Sanders

at 22:36 on December 25th, 2008

Just because you don't agree with his atheism doesn't mean you should resort to name calling. Bury your resentment in the Christmas snow, at least for a while.

lefty_liberated

at 09:47 on December 27th, 2008

You're the pig.

Paschen

at 15:53 on December 25th, 2008

Well, Why not Christmas, it was a Pagan Celebration long before the Christian followed it as well and now the Atheist doing the same is only a natural evolution of things to come. :)

apeashmore

at 17:57 on December 25th, 2008

well I am a newbie on this site and I agreed to allow my picture to be used so thought I would post a comment. I guess I am in the same boat as Dawkins...I celebrate christmas...the tradition...the being with the family....I even stay quite during prayer before dinner out of respect for my christain in-laws. It doesn't change how I feel...and I don't do the whole church thing.....but hey...neither does my devout christain in-laws..ha..ha..ha.

dunkelberg

at 18:13 on December 25th, 2008

Perhaps the only reason Christmas rules is that there are no Christmas rules.

Graciela

at 21:26 on December 25th, 2008

Well, I do not see any conflict with him being an atheist and celebrating the holiday his own way.

I am an atheist myself and during this holiday I either receive friends in my house or I get invited to friends houses, basically in my case it is an excuse to get together with family and/or friends since most people do not work this particular day. And of course, in my case, there is no religion involved. And I have a tree, you can call it a Pagan tree....

Art_By_Alida

at 22:11 on December 25th, 2008

I know many atheists who do celebrate Christmas along with family and friends who are believers.

Best story in "Strange" I have seen for some time....nice.

lefty_liberated

at 09:49 on December 27th, 2008

I have a total disdain for christmas. I hate all the waste and the warm and fuzzy feelings that people indluge in while going through the motions of mindless material tradition totally disconnected from its pagan roots while buying slave labor goods to toss in the landfill and slaughtering innocent animals.

I watched Religilous on Christmas. I reccomend it. Religion is the greatest threat to the survival of humanity.