During the Holidays

So right now I'm in NC because we can't move to Jax yet and the holidays are coming. Stores are already decorating for Christmas and plans are already being made everywhere. It is extremely hard to be atheist during this time of the year here. I was curious what others do during this time? If we haven't moved down by then we are thinking of spending the week in Jax, but I wanted to know if stores close down and the city becomes quiet like it does here. You can't go anywhere or do anything because everything is closed. Our families are religious and every year it's a battle with them at Christmas time, they can't understand why we don't celebrate. It is the hardest time of the year for us. Does anyone else have this issue? Does anyone on here get together during this time and hang out? Thanks and I am looking forward to being able to meet and hang out with everyone!

We used to celebrate "anti-Christmas" a week or two early with a group of friends - most of whom have now moved, and the tradition has died. We exchanged cheap presents, ate good food, drank and played games. Those were good times :)

We still celebrate Christmas, though - just not for the reasons that our Christian family members and friends do. We get together with family, eat good food and exchange presents. For me it's about family, and celebrating Winter - my favorite season. I love all of the comfort food, and the cool weather (someday I plan to live somewhere where Christmas actually means COLD weather, not just a breezy 75 degrees, lol). We've had all the arguments about religion, and occasionally it comes up throughout the year, but at this point I think they're just happy to have us around and don't want to push us away with arguing about it at Christmas.