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If most Europeans aren’t believers, why is Christmas a big deal in Europe?

In Germany, where most people are atheists, there seem to be an abundant number of Christmas markets. Do they celebrate Christmas out of tradition or belief?

Tradition. The traditions associated with Christmas in Europe predate Christianity, so it’s no wonder.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 8:38 am and is filed under europe deals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

17 Responses to “If most Europeans aren’t believers, why is Christmas a big deal in Europe?”

  1. Theyve nothing else to celebrate, 2 world wars, 0 wins, not great.
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  2. It’s a fun holiday. Plus, it’s originally a Pagan holiday called Yule. Got nothing to do with Christianity, really.
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  3. Jesus loves us! on June 21st, 2010 at 3:10 pm

    Christmas is a commercialized holiday for a way that stores can make more money. That’s it, and for people to be more greedy.
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  4. Out of tradition. Just because we don’t believe in God doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a holiday with our family and friends.
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  5. Tradition.

    It sounds like you already knew the answer.
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  6. Tradition. The traditions associated with Christmas in Europe predate Christianity, so it’s no wonder.
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  7. huliendin returns on June 21st, 2010 at 4:02 pm

    The story of Santa, or whatever his name was, (Kringle?) originated in Germany, or maybe Austria or Prussia. The point is, he is a Germanic hero. He is known for giving kids toys to make them happy, even with society being cruel in it’s usual ways.

    By the way, Germany is, around, 80% Lutheran. Or so I read.
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  8. 2 Cor. 11:14, 15: “Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light. It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness.” (Here we are cautioned that not everything that originates with Satan may appear hideous. One of his chief methods of deceiving mankind has been false religion of all kinds, to some of which he gives a righteous appearance.)
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  9. Tradition.

    Remember, Germanic countries (such as Germany, Britain and the Netherlands) are the sources of many of the Pagan traditions on which Christmas is based.

    Even if those countries had never become Christian you would still have seen feasts, presents, decorations and trees on the 25th of December.
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  10. It’s a pagan holiday that the Christians hijacked. It celebrates the winter solstice.
    Belief in supernatural entities has nothing to do with it.
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    European agnostic atheist

  11. Black Ice Queen on June 21st, 2010 at 5:50 pm

    They celebrate sales profits from all the holiday theme products.
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  12. Christmas has very little to do with christianity, christians have "stolen" the date, for lack of a better word and put their own spin on it.
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  13. Christmas may be for some a great celebration for Jesus birth (simbolicaly speaking, because Jesus didn’t born in that day).
    For the ones that aren’t Cristian is more like a day in were you spend with familly or friends to demonstrate to them how much you love them and of the kind… You don’t have to be of some religion to celebrate it.
    I think Christmas is an "agnostical" day :P
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  14. Actually, pagans had a winter celebration before Christianity. And, like America, a holiday is a holiday, and not a state sponsored endorsement of religion.

    In any case, in Germany, the real celebration starts on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day.
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  15. Monkeybumpants The Second on June 21st, 2010 at 7:05 pm

    >> Do they celebrate Christmas out of tradition or belief?

    Tradition, mostly. It’s similar here in Australia, even though we have a higher percentage of religious people than much of Europe. It’s a largely secular holiday. The religious folks have their religious rites in the season, the rest of us still have presents, family dinners, barbecues by the beach, giving to the less fortunate, renewing hope for a better tomorrow…

    For Christians, Jesus is the reason for the season.

    For the rest of us, it’s about love, hope and generosity.
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  16. I am your amigo on June 21st, 2010 at 7:54 pm

    Um first off, the majority of Germans are Christians. The Roman Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church in Germany comprise over 60% of the population alone.

    Secondly, Christmas is popular EVERYWHERE. Even people in Japan, who have a very small population of Christians celebrate Christmas.
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  17. Who said "most Europeans aren’t believers"?
    I live in Belgium which is officially at least 75 percent Catholic, where some major political parties are identified with a religious label (Christian Democrats, for example), where there are Catholic public schools (as well as non-denominational ones), where most businesses (supermarkets, department stores and such) are closed on Sundays because that’s the "Lord’s Day".
    North, in The Netherlands, 30 percent are Catholic, 19 percent Protestant and 42 percent who list "none" as their religious affiliation. Still there are some communities that are so religious they’re said to "take the rooster away from the hens" on Sundays.
    About one-third of the German population are Catholic, another third are Protestant (and don’t forget Martin Luther, who started that whole church movement, was from Germany).
    It took me about 30 seconds to get this information. I’m surprised you didn’t do the same!
    References :
    (CIA!) World Fact Book, Wikipedia

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