Stephanie's post got me thinking about my own Christmas traditions and beliefs, so bear with me as I ramble on a bit.
I was raised Congregational Protestant and went to church regularly as a child, but my spiritual path led me away from Christianity as an adult. I know that some people would consider my Christmas sacrilegious since I don't believe Christ is my savior now, but my celebration has evolved into something very personal and precious to me. I believe that Jesus did exist and was an important figure, and my Christmas does honor the aspects of his teaching that focus on love and forgiveness. More so, however, I believe in the spirit of Christmas, in celebrating the people in my life with love and gifts. I believe in the tree as a symbol of life in the heart of winter and in the power of the changing seasons. Christmas, to me, is about peace and joy. I used to struggle with whether I could introduce any child I had to Christmas given the fact that I am no longer a Christian, but I think I have come to terms with that now.
I would let my children believe in Santa and his reindeer, in the magic of the holiday. When children are young, they don't need complicated explanations, after all. As they grew up, I would teach them about all the major religions, including Jesus and about why Christians cherish the 25th as his birthday, and I would talk to them about the ideas of love, forgiveness, and generosity that Christ's teachings exemplify. I would also teach my children about the spirit of Christmas and about its varied roots--about the pagan solstice and the way that Christianity incorporated that celebration into its own beliefs. My hope would be that my children would come to embrace the spirit of the holiday as I do, as a time to contemplate the people in our life and honor them, and as a time to come together joyfully.
I completely respect Christians' desire to preserve Christmas as a religious holiday for their families. I'm also glad, though, that American culture allows me to preserve this cherished holiday in a secular way. It's anathema to the Christian Right, but hey, what part of my life isn't? (I'm tempted to add a smiley emoticon to show the lightness of my mood right now, but I will abstain.)