That makes a lot of sense, Nilly.

In my family, not being an atheist, or at least an agnostic, would be the thing I would have to tell/not tell.

Coffee

My father gave my mother a very Buffista like book this year. Has there already been discussion of The Dictionary of Disagreeable English yet? [link]

Hmm ita, I'm Jewish, and being wished a Merry Christmas does not offend me. On the other hand I do tend to use "Happy Holidays" (and have since I was a kid, as does my family).

In other words, though not a moderate on most issues, on this one I'm with Cindy. My feeling is that someone who is offended by being wished a Merry Christmas is looking too hard for something to be offended by. Someone who is offended by "Happy Holidays" is looking even harder.

I don't think "Merry Christmas" is a presumption of Christianity, but it is a presumption that the person you're saying it to celebrates Christmas. (So, a presumption of "cultural Christianity" in a way, I suppose. And incidentally, I just realized that I know a lot of people who grew up Jewish, don't believe in G-d, observe maybe two Jewish holidays per year, either because their parents expect them to or because they like the traditions from when they were kids, and still call themselves Jewish, but everyone I know who grew up Christian, doesn't believe in G-d, and celebrates Christmas and maybe Easter doesn't refer to themselves as Christian. I have no idea if this parenthetical note has a point. I'm not quite awake yet.)

how has the family worked it out between themselves, and the non-practicing family member?

Cindy, there's practically nothing in common between each case - it varies depending on the people involved, the relationships already in place, and so forth. The emotions can run all the way from "whatever makes you happy", through "as long as you are still a good person", until deep heart-break and emotional damage. And the actual deeds and results vary even more.

not being an atheist, or at least an agnostic, would be the thing I would have to tell/not tell.

The paragraph above, by the way, holds just as much for the reverse process (in starting practicing Judaism), as well.

In point of fact the Puritans, at least some of whom where the ideological ancestors of the Christian right, came to this country in part to escape the British practice of Christmas.

And because they were such pains-in-the-asses that it was heavily implied they get the hell out or they will learn what it really was to be persecuted...

Oddly that part gets left out at thanksgiving, too.

Much sympathy to Billytea.

Timelies,

My condolences to billytea.

Oddly that part gets left out at thanksgiving, too.

Not odd at all. They're family. One always tries to gloss over family weirdness during the holidays.

And because they were such pains-in-the-asses that it was heavily implied they get the hell out or they will learn what it really was to be persecuted...

Speaking as a liberal American Buffista, we'd better hope with all our might that nobody ever starts trying to persecute people for being pains in the ass. ijs...