How can you speak on an emotionally charged subject?
Simply make it personal.
Recently a TV show called Bones had a segment where the atheistic lead character started to explain how Christmas is based on pagan festivities where naked and drunken singers reveled and partied all hours of the day and night.
It is a well known fact that Jesus was not born on December 25th and the earliest disciples did not celebrate his or any birthdays. Christmas is a pagan celebration that was fused into the church to make a fusion religion.
Then there is the whole Santa Clause thing, The biggest challenge to promoting Santa is that when the child learns that it is really a fantasy (read lie or at least that is how I felt) then how are they to know that God is also not for real? How are they to know that the stories about Jesus are not for real, and not fantasy as is Santa Clause?
Where does fantasy and lying end and the truth begin?
Don’t get me wrong. I do believe in God. I just choose not to join in this commercialized pagan celebration. I am amazed that many are taking this same stand. Of course, some for religious reasons. Many are not celebrating because they disagree with the various negative aspects of Christmas Celebrations.
What to Say?
Rather than getting into these emotionally charged issues, the better thing to do is simply say, “I have chosen to not celebrate Christmas.” It is simple, elegant, and it does not make the recipient feel uncomfortable.