Christmas is a religion-based holiday. If you don't celebrate the religious aspect then you're not celebrating the holiday.
I also firmly believe that showing people you appreciate them by giving gifts once a year is pretty stupid. If you really appreciate someone then you shouldn't have to wait to give them something. Being spontaneous and unexpected means much more and it also shows that person that you truly thought about them instead of instead of being forced into tradition and doing the same boring thing that everyone else does.
As far as family, I believe that just because you're related (aren't we all to some degree?) doesn't mean that you have to like them or be forced to spend time with them. I know I'm not the only person that think that you can have friends that are much closer than your family could be. Family means nothing, it's like being neighbors. Another forced relationship. On the other hand, if you care about your family and want to spend time with them, why wait until a holiday when everybody else in the world is running around in a rat race to do the same thing?
TL;DR: Why wait for a once-a-year holiday to show someone you appreciate them or spend time with people?
It's not a fact of appreciating someone or not I think. There are some people you just have not the possibility to see during the year. People you'd like to share a special day with because you haven't seen them for long time.
And in my opinion Christmas is such a day ...
For me christmas is special because I like decembre as mounth, I like the snow (well didn't get any this year) and I like to see happy people and nice lights in the gardens and in ublic places. It makes people happy and that's the important point for me.
Now I can perfectly understand your opinion, I just don't share it. So happy Jihad to you too