It's Baaaaaaack. . . Christmas . . . Now what?


Well, the ghosts and goblins have been taken down, the pumpkin thrown out and the Halloween chocolates are on sale at the stores. Taken their place are coloured lights, trees and decorations. It is that season again where people get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and everyone else is expected to join in or be happy about it whether or not they worship this person. Everywhere one goes they see and hear the signs of Christmas whether it be the mall, work, or the homes of friends and family. Christmas work parties are for all staff whether or not they might celebrate Christmas, but hey, it is all in fun, right? Wrong. Not everyone wants to celebrate the birth of someone they don't know or be reminded of past beliefs. And what is one to do if they have now moved on but still have children who enjoy the season? What are they to do if they are invited to the family dinner on Christmas day?
As an ex-Christian, I for one know what it's like to still enjoy the lights and decorations, yet I do not like hearing songs about the person I have put behind me and don't like seeing mangers every where and be told that “Jesus is the reason for the season,” when in fact the season has been stolen from the Pagans. I also don't want to be continually reminded about Jesus' supposed birth as I know it already. But admit it, Christmas is EVERYWHERE. Yet is it wrong to still like some of the decorations and if you do, what is to be done about it? What if your children might perhaps be Christian or just like Christmas? This can be difficult for the Satanist, but I will give some suggestions that you might want to try to keep your chin up during this season.
If coloured lights is something you like, think of the colour blue, the colour of Lucifer and place blue lights around your window to symbolize your belief in him. Spend time thinking about what it is Lucifer stands for, he is the Light Bearer, the Morning Star, so at the time of year when darkness hits its peak, usually on December 21, and then begins to wane the day after, take this time to appreciate Lucifer, who brings light to the world. Light a blue candle and spend time contemplating Lucifer and focusing on him, so that when everyone else is talking and singing about Jesus we can know in our hearts that we believe in the true light bearer.
Another suggestion regarding decorations if you like them, is concerning the tree. Bringing a tree in ones home to decorate is in fact a Pagan tradition, a symbol for their celebration of Yule. It was stolen by the Christians who then began to call it a Christmas tree contrary to what it says in the bible about NOT doing as the Pagans do by bringing into one's home a tree. But most Christians are ignorant of this fact, or wave it aside as they like the Yule, I mean Christmas tree so damn much. :) But what is a Satanist to do if they still like the imagery of a decorated tree? Well, I suggest finding out as much as you can about Yule, or if not, feel free to put up a tree and decorate it celebrating Lucifer. Create Pentagrams out of foil and place them around the tree. Make strings of popcorn and use food colouring to make the popcorn blue. Use your imagination to create things that are meaningful to you for your tree.
Now the question, what if you have children who are Christian or who just like celebrating Christmas? Well, you could explain to them if they don't know already about your beliefs, but if you don't feel comfortable doing that for whatever reason, tell them that you yourself are going to celebrate this time of year in a different way, yet they are free to celebrate it the way they want to. Of course there is going to be some compromise needed on the parts of everyone, but that is to be expected. You don't have to explain the meaning of everything you do, as it might not be appropriate for your situation, so when you are putting up your blue lights around the window, tell your kids that you are doing something different for a change, or that you like blue. When you give gifts, in your heart you may be remembering the many gifts that Lucifer/Satan has given to you and to mankind, yet the people around you won't know the wiser. You can be as open as you want as only you know what your situation will or will not allow or what you feel comfortable with. But when it comes down to it, use this time to spend with your loved ones, as it can be hard to find the time in this busy life. The same goes for the traditional Christmas dinner you may be invited to or might have to put on for the sake of your family. During preparations try to concentrate on your relationship to Satan as it will give you strength when everything around you speaks of Christianity. It might be hard to put aside what used to be dear to you, especially if you are new to leaving Christianity, but this is why I am suggesting things you can do to incorporate into your new beliefs while still being able to enjoy some of the things you used to. As the years go on, it will get easier.
Another thing that I will suggest during this time is to spend more time than usual reading about Satan/Lucifer and about Satanism and taking more time out to perform rituals or devotions in order to keep your beliefs and yourself strong. It can be hard to have Christianity and Jesus constantly shoved in your eyes and ears but if you keep your faith and belief in Satan, you can do it.