Merry Christmas

Even though I'm an atheist, I have no problem at all wishing people a Merry Christmas. Equally, as appropriate I'm perfectly happy to wish people all the best for Hanukkah, Diwali or Eid, depending on the religion of the person I'm talking to.

A few Christians try to impose on atheists the idea that it is hypocritical to speak of Christmas if you aren't a Christian, that you should not use the word unless you believe in the religion it is associated with. They then get the Daily Mail to complain that atheists are trying to ban the traditional Christmas by refusing to allow use of the word!

If any Christians genuinely feel that you should not utter the name of a day or season associated with a god or religion you do not follow, then here are a few words that they themselves ought not to use.

Tuesday: Named after Týr, the Norse god of war and law.

Wednesday: Named after the Anglo-Saxon god Woden.

Thursday: meaning "Thor's Day".

Friday: the day of Frige.

Saturday: Saturn's day.

January is named after Janus (Ianuarius), the god of the doorway.

February is named after the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the old Roman calendar.

March is named after Mars, the Roman god of war.

May has been named for the Greek goddess Maia.

June is named after the Roman goddess Juno.

July was named for Julius Caesar, who was born in that month and turned into a God by the Romans.

August was named in honor of Augustus, also turned into a God by the Romans.

Finally, Easter is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Ēostre. Perhaps the Christians might want to rename it? Since the First Commandment is about having no other gods, I imagine that God might get rather cross about having Eostre's name mentioned every year in church at his own most important festival!

Merry Christmas one and all!

(References from Wikipedia)