It’s the winter solstice, and Silicon Valley’s atheists, agnostics and humanists want to extend their sincere, secular season’s greetings. While they reject the religious teachings behind Hanukkah and Christmas, the avowed nonbelievers aren’t against throwing parties, eating rich food or giving gifts.

“Human beings need celebrations,” said Arthur Jackson, founder of the Humanist Community in Silicon Valley. “It’s good to step out of the norm and live more joyfully.”

This past weekend there were solstice parties all over the Bay Area. On Sunday the Humanist Community had its Human Light celebration, with lots of food and a show called the “Free Thought Follies.”

“It’s our version of Christmas,” said Armineh Noravian, ﻿group president. “We don’t pray. We eat and have fun.”

As a lifelong Methodist, I love the religious meaning of Christmas. I need the shepherds and the baby in the manger. But it’s also a secular family holiday. And a bloated spend-fest that lasts from the day after Halloween, when the store decorations go up, through the year-end final clearance sales.

Atheists are welcome to join in the fun.

This year, the local humanists had something special to celebrate at their Human Light party. They are among seven atheist and agnostic organizations launching the Silicon Valley Coalition of Reason. It’s part of a nationwide campaign aimed at raising the profile of nonbelievers and showing the public that godless doesn’t mean goodless. Find out more at www.SiliconValleyCOR.org.

“We want people to know that we are just like everybody else,” Jackson said. “We have more in common than we have points of disagreement.”

So what’s the atheist agenda? Are they out to control the country? Remove “In God We Trust” from the dollar bill? Make churches pay taxes?

Jackson laughed.

“It’s more a matter of letting people know we’re around,” he said. “Most people think free thinkers are an irrelevant group, but we are 15 to 17 percent of the population.”

While I’ve gone through a couple of agnostic phases and still struggle to understand what God is, my faith gives me comfort and provides meaning for my life. So I was curious to know where atheists find meaning in their lives.

Jackson said he finds all the meaning he needs in nature and in people.

“Human beings are the ultimate reference system,” he said. “How do we build a better society? How do we support one another to make our lives less painful and more comfortable? We are the ones who must come up with the answers to those questions.”

Mark Thomas is founder of Atheists of Silicon Valley, another group in the coalition. He can argue at length that God doesn’t exist, using quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity. But when asked about the meaning of life, he had a surprisingly simple answer:

“Love. Helping others.”

Humans are a social species, he said. “We need each other. We don’t survive alone very well.”

Thomas sees why I find comfort in believing God exists. But it bugs him when believers use God as a reason to wage war or curb scientific inquiry.

“There is no atheist agenda,” he said. “We are just trying to make the world a little happier. How can you be mad at people who are supporting love?”

I think we can all agree that love is a good reason for living, especially this time of year.

So I’ll keep the atheists in my prayers.

Contact Patty Fisher at pfisher@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5852