We didn't celebrate Christmas in Russia. We give gifts for New Year, instead, and we have Father Frost instead of Santa Claus. He looks exactly the same though. I prefer New Year to Christmas, because it's not tied to any particular religion, so it doesn't force anything on anyone. It's a chronological holiday, that's it.
The spirit of New Year makes more sense than the spirit of Christmas. It's "out with the old, in with the new" reevaluation of your life, coming to terms with what you've done and setting goals for next year.