If by practicing, you mean "going to church weekly" then sure, but that is not the necessary condition for christmas to be a religious thing.
It is extremely common in religions to have a large majority of people only doing the most visible festivals, not the daily/weekly things, that doesn't mean that the festivals are no longer religious.
Probably 70% of the student body was hindu, muslim, or jewish. But they still participated as an american cultural thing, they just didn't do anything church related with it.
I grew up in a major Jewish population center in the United States, most jews did not celebrate christmas outside of the ceremonial going out for chinese food.
> I grew up in a major Jewish population center in the United States, most jews did not celebrate christmas outside of the ceremonial going out for chinese food.
Going out for Chinese food is literally a tradition of said holiday. It's as much as celebration, as having a family gathering for atheists "for Christmas".
Wait, what, this is a thing? I'd never heard of that. Like, only the Jews would do it? Or more generally it's common for everyone to go out for Chinese food on Christmas? That has to be regional, if it's true. Kinda funny either way.
Oh yes, it is definitely a thing - and really only a jewish thing that I know of. I grew up in the mid-atlantic, but it is definitely also a thing in NYC.
That is fascinating, thanks for sharing it. I hadn't heard of it, but then again, I don't have any interaction (that I am aware of, at least) with Jews -- everyone in my circle is a Christian or impersonates one.
In the US most restaurants close on Christmas, with Chinese and other Asian restaurants often being the only ones open. So if you want to go out to a restaurant to celebrate there usually isn't much choice.
I'm sure if more restaurants were open people would be celebrating at all sorts of other restaurants as well.
At least where I grew up, it was more than just "these are the restaurants that are open." Perhaps it started as that but it is now a cultural tradition.
It is extremely common in religions to have a large majority of people only doing the most visible festivals, not the daily/weekly things, that doesn't mean that the festivals are no longer religious.