I am responding in friendship. What I have to say may invite other interpretations, but I am writing in friendship.

I would just ask, as a friend, that you remain aware that the name of the holiday, itself, honors and incorporates the name of Christ. If you are going to do something as an alternative, then why not do it as a pro-SOMETHING, not an anti-SOMETHING. The whole paradigm of thinking about a celebration should be to celebrate one thing, not denigrate something else... and the thread title gives away the paradigm-- it just is indicative of a thought process stuck in the one paradigm, while tryig somehow to create a new one. In other words-- you aren't thinking "outside the box" yet.

So because I am discussing, not attacking or complainng of blaming, but answering your request to discuss-- let me suggest another approach.

RECLAIMING

CELEBRATING

DISCOVERING

IMMERSING

... as the first word of this idea you are pursuing, followed by the positive value you are trying to get at. I won't presume to speak it for you-- you know it better than I, this thing you want to proclaim.

If you change the way you talk about this with yourself, internally, you will find different ideas coming to the surface, and different responses coming to join your effort. If you are really celebrating something intrinsically good and truthful and satisfying to the human spirit-- calling that whatever you will-- people will rally to it.

Me, too.

~Susan