this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2026
25 points (57.8% liked)

Showerthoughts

41555 readers
847 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. No politics
    • If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
    • A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct and the TOS

If you made it this far, showerthoughts is accepting new mods. This community is generally tame so its not a lot of work, but having a few more mods would help reports get addressed a little sooner.

Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report, the message goes away and you never worry about it.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Christmas is a pagan holiday co-opted by Christians. Christmas is most definitely a secular tradition in the US and there is nothing unusual about an atheist celebrating it.

What is unusual is Christians trying to bring Christ into the celebration when the timing just doesn't make any sense. Was he actually born during this time? Where does he fit in with Santa Claus? Why do we bring a tree indoors? What about Jesus equals buying gifts to give to loved ones?

Clearly Jesus doesn't belong in Christmas no matter how hard Christians try to pretend he does.

[–] uenticx@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

As usual, a brain-dead "Gotcha" from the indoctrinated falls flat.

[–] codewizard@hear-me.social 4 points 1 day ago

@Doomsider all the so-called Christian holidays are actually pagan occasions.

[–] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Most atheists keep the holidays they grew up with. Atheists who were raised Jewish celebrate hannakah.

[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's very very hard to just sit out a major holiday like that. It's a time to see family, hang out with friends.

You go to work on Monday? Then clearly you worship Luna. Right? See how stupid this comparison is.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] FreddiesLantern@leminal.space 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

On the flip side I’ve never met a loud and outspoken Christian that didn’t celebrate Christmas.

You know, since it’s a stolen Holliday used as a yearly excuse for a capitalism orgy.

[–] Ydna@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

No but we celebrate December To Remember in this house 🌲

[–] roofuskit@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Most Christan holidays are co-opted pagan celebrations. Easter is the celebration of spring hence the chicks and bunnies and eggs, all symbols of new life. Christmas and the tradition of bringing evergreens into the home are the winter solstice celebration. Christians can't steal peoples holidays and then complain that non-christians celebrate them.

Celebrating these holidays without being Christan is actually standing up against thousands of years of forced conversion tactics.

[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You think Xmas is a religious holiday? LOL.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 32 points 2 days ago (12 children)

Did the celebrate the birth of christ, or were they celebrating a day off work to be with their family and exchange gifts as a way of strengthening familial and social bonds?

load more comments (12 replies)
[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 94 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I'm an atheist and I celebrate all kinds of holidays. Because campy traditions are silly and fun.

[–] djdarren@piefed.social 14 points 3 days ago

Also, time off work AND I get to eat and drink too much. Fine by me.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 83 points 3 days ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] UnPassive@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Atheists here who's favorite holiday is Christmas.

I do kinda wish it had a different name, and kinda wish it was on the winter solstice; but as long as no one wants to go to church, read the Bible, or reinact the nativity; it's a fantastic areligious holiday to enjoy with loved ones.

Most Christians I know only pretend it's a religious holiday while they enjoy family, food, and gifts. Though some actually go to church, and I kinda feel bad for them.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] espentan@lemmy.world 27 points 3 days ago

I celebrate Christmas in the sense that I get together with family for a good meal and exchange some gifts, but none of us spare a thought to baby jeebuz or any of that jazz.

Also, I'm Norwegian and I seem to recall that jule celebrations were a thing before christianity forced Thor & Co. to step aside.

[–] JTskulk@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Nice to meet you. I told all my family to stop buying me presents and that I would stop buying them presents and that I'm not celebrating a holiday I don't believe in. The holidays are a lot less stressful.

[–] rayyy@piefed.social 44 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I've never met a loud and outspoken Christian that was really Christian.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] boboliosisjones@feddit.nu 19 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Christmas predates Christianity in my culture. We just didn't call it Christmas.

[–] Mubelotix@jlai.lu 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Yeah, Christmas was part of the genocidal strategy to supress the culture of our ancestors. Romans also burnt holy sites and killed everyone opposing to build churches at the exact same spots

[–] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 48 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I've never met a pro-lifer that didn't celebrate their day of birth instead of their day of conception.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Michal@programming.dev 19 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Define celebrate. Do they go to church? Do anything religious on those days?

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 days ago

Exactly.
I am agnostic but still "celebrate" it with my family which arent super but still religious enough to attend church.
Even on Eastern I enjoy the public holidays. After all they are for everyone ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] cerebralhawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com 42 points 3 days ago (5 children)

Most Atheists use it as a gift-giving holiday.

I've met very few people, Christians included, who actually celebrated it as the birth of Christ. They just do gift exchanges, too.

I have celebrated Hanukkah with a Jewish family once. That was very interesting. My father dated a Jewish woman for about a year or so. Very religious. Never tried to convert us. They had some interesting ways about them. I was like 10 or 11, I don't remember much. I remember potato pancakes, I remember they got lame presents every night for seven days (or nine? Whatever it is). It's not like multiple Christmases. Whole different holiday.

We mainly use it to exchange gifts.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] GameOverFlow@lemmy.zip 17 points 3 days ago

Its part of my culture but not part of my belive.

[–] Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk 37 points 3 days ago (2 children)

And I've met very few Christians, if any, who actually follow all the rules in the bible

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 12 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Well there's some rules that contradict the other rules

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] crypt0cler1c 4 points 2 days ago

Sounds like you haven't met very many of them.

[–] SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 32 points 3 days ago (7 children)

Hi. I'm an atheist that doesn't celebrate Christmas. You are probably from a part of the world where there is a Christian majority. Honestly I'm assuming American lol

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] jtrek@startrek.website 24 points 3 days ago (5 children)

Hello.

Also meet more people of various backgrounds.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] king_comrade@lemmy.world 14 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Get back in the shower and keep thinking, surely you have the imagination to understand why atheists (and other non Christian groups) celebrate Christmas. This is not a deep thought and kinda makes you sound like a dumb cunt tbh.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] remon@ani.social 7 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I have, including myself.

It's still a public holiday where I live, so it's a convenient date for visiting family for a few days. But apart from some joke decoration (like a single bauble on a tiny potted citrus tree) there is nothing Christmassy about it.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 13 points 3 days ago (4 children)

“Celebrate” is doing a lot of work here. What are we supposed to do? Go to work?

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] Noel_Skum@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Pretty sure Jesus’s birthday isn’t the first and only mid-winter celebration in the entire history of humankind. Most people are just happy to get the solstice out of the way.

What are your views on atheists eating Easter eggs?

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Merry Festivus

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Well yeah why not. The holiday was a pagan holiday long before the Jesus thing anyway. Besides the idea of gathering with your family to share meals and exchanging gifts because you love and care for them is not strictly a Christian thing.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] CanIFishHere@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 days ago

We call them Christmas and Easter, but they're really just secular holidays for the family to get together. No religious aspect whatsoever, but great getting together.

[–] starlinguk@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] massive_bereavement@fedia.io 15 points 3 days ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] socsa@piefed.social 5 points 2 days ago

Typical war on Saturnalia bullshit.

[–] Rocketpoweredgorilla@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Xmas was commandeered by christians but we have been celebrating Winter solstice for a lot longer than there has been christians on this planet. (same goes for most other 'christian' holidays)

I don't celebrate the birth of any fictional character, but I still celebrate the holidays in general, they mean different things to different people and there's nothing wrong with that. It should be about spending time with your loved ones and showing your appreciation. It should be to find a little bit of peace and relaxation this world with those you love, and taking a break before starting out on a new year with new problems and challenges.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Celebrating cultural traditions doesn't necessarily have to involve religious themes.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›