Assalamu alaikum fellow Muslims!
SOmetimes, life's situations are not always black and white. Before reverting to Islam, I knew that Christmas is a pagan holiday, but I celebrated it! It began as a religious celebration, but has spiraled off into this big monster of greed and gluttony. Anywhoo, I never liked Christmas because I was that one kid who's parents could not always afford lavish gifts and I had to suffer and watch all the other neighborhood kids play with all of their nice things (bikes, barbies, hot wheels, game systems) while I may have only gotten coloring books or puzzles. Worse yet, I lied about what "Santa" brought me because the teachers would always make us stand up in class and tell the class how great of a time we had during the holidays.
Back on topic, Christmas invades my life and there isn't much I can do about it but pray that Allah eventually remove these elements in due time. My household is 50% Christian, 50% Muslim. My mother, who is Christian HAS to put up the CHristmas tree, lights and decorations, and HAS to make pork filled dishes that me and hubby can't eat. We have discussions that sometimes blowup into arguments about some things because my mother does not understand (and at her age, refuses to understand) that something she's blindly celebrated for soo long is just haram to us and we want no part in it. I can't change her on my own, so I try to deal with it. Does it stress me out? yes, but what can I do? I'm not going to disrespect or shun my mother or my family because they have a different belief system.
People around me at work always say, "merry Christmas" or Happy Holidays to me, knowing full well that I do not celebrate Christmas. I respond "Enjoy your Holiday" and continue on with my life.
Old lades in their eighties give me Daily devotional (christian) books and Jehovah's witnesses bang on my door on a Saturday morning and sometimes even shove their book through my front door :raging:. I politely deal with them. I pray for Patience and guidance from Allah SWT.
Sometimes, I feel as if I am in the belly of the beast. These things make me hold ever so tightly to becoming the best Muslim that I can possibly be. It makes me happily give Salat five times a day and read surahs from the Quaran because I have to be prepared for the craziness, and yet not offend or turn another human off from Islam because I want to be mean or offend them like they offend me. I see every person as a potential revert and they must be treated with love and care as our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was commanded by Allah (SWT) through Gabriel to Read Read read. We Muslims must be careful not to offend or scorn others or they will close their minds to us and never consider Islam.
Honestly, I have many people (mainly Christians) who come to me, asking for prayer, how to pray, asking for an Islamic point of view, asking how to get closer to God, for guidance, etc. These are opportunities for me, insh'Allah to open their hearts to Allah (SWT)and Islam because Allah (SWT) MAKES MUSLIMS. Some of us are born into Islam, but some of us WANT to be MUSLIMS and Allah SWT Blesses us to become Muslims.
So, I say, let them have their pagan holidays for now. Surely Allah (SWT) has the power to change these things.