text: Western people celebrate Christmas in a very big way. There's the music, the build-up, the decorations, the gifts, the food. the family gatherings...and children experience all of this before any understanding of the religious nature of the holiday is real to them. Also, celebrating the winter solstice and the coming of longer days is a joyous occasion in itself that was celebrated long before it became a Christian holiday. I see no reason why enjoying the experience of family and friends and food and gift-giving should be forfeited because one happens not to believe in a particular deity. For many people Christmas is much more tradition than religion.