How do other atheists/agnostics view the holidays?

That being said, I usually, when on my own, just get a nice pine bough, set on the table, put a candle in the center and a few favourite ornaments, that my son made and the "nothing says Christmas more than a handmade red rooster made in China," ornament nestled in the bough.  I still give to the three sorts of charities as well.  And I do enjoy what I think of as "real," Christmas music, like early music and some of the Loreena McKennit winter CD's and Carol Tatum's "Sanctus," recording.  I really dislike the commercial greed that has taken over and pretty much refuse to partake in it now that I am on my own again, although my late husband loved to give gifts, have a tree and a feast, and we did it for his sake when he was here.  

For New Year's I still put out a new penny for everyone in my immediate family, closest friends and pets for the Faeries to bless overnight, per my grandmother's tradition.  

During the brief period when I dabbled in (well, let's be honest, played at) the wiccan religion I can to appreciate just how much of the chrisitian christmas was of pagan origin. Christians appropriated Yule as the major christian celebration because it was a widespread festival across Europe. Remove all the pagan trappings from the christian holiday and all you're left with is a nativity play and a few hours of singing carols in a cold and draughty church ~ no one is going to supplant a mighty winter feast with that. The bit we really like, the bit we actually look forward to and the bit we revel in, is the huge pagan bit.

Therefore it bemuses me when christian complain about the holidays lacking the true meaning of christmas and throw up their arms in horror at any attempts to de-christianise the yuletide celebrations that were never theirs in the first place.

So, all that aside, how do I view christmas? (let's call a spade a spade - irrespective of your religious beliefs you are allowed to call it christmas, or saturnalia, or yule, or lohri, or koliada without causing offence or secretly breaking some atheistic code) ... exactly the same way as every one else - overfed and mostly pickled as a parrot. Just without the shallow 'christian' sentiments that evaporate long before the last of the christmas dinner is scraped into the recycling bin. Probably.

From the perspective of present day Christmas, I like the days off, I like the excuse of having extended family around (long enough so I can appreciate them, but not long enough so that I recall why I don't see them the rest of the year), and I like to eat. Well-considered presents are also welcomed.

Without boring everyone with the details, this year my enthusiasm for cooking waned a lot so I'm hoping that with three whole glorious weeks off work I'll rekindle my love of cooking and baking by preparing a selection of delicious meals for my wife and daughter. 

While not quite chestnuts roasting around an open fire, I've already discovered that walnuts boiled for 5 minutes in sugar syrup and then deep fried are exceptionally good as are cashews roasted in Masala spices.