Celebrating with Friends

Happy Lammastide everyone! I'm ready for more visitors tonight. Just need to set up the table with the bread and beer and other nibbly treats.  Big Daddy chose a few brews and has managed to leave some of the bread alone. I will also put out some charcuterie and cheese and maybe some olives along with the rosemary olive oil and flavored butters I'll be putting out. The table will be adorned with some small bowls of grains, some in-season flowers, red and purple candles, a few knives here and there and perhaps a few tools as well. (Because the holiday is also known as Lughnasadh or Lughnasa- it is also a holiday for the God Lugh, he's the God of craftsman and is also a great warrior. So having some tools or representations of weapons/crafts/or skilled labor is not uncommon for the altar.) I will do a separate post of the actual party and setup.

Yule 2009

I, personally, love to have my friends over for my holidays but I also recognize that many of the symbols found in Wiccan/Pagan beliefs have very negative connotations in modern Christianity, and most of friends are Chirstians. So, I don't make an altar out for the public. In fact, you would NEVER know my altar was there if I didn't point it out to you. It just looks like a display on a table of family pictures, some fruits, stones, shells, and spices as well as some candles and a knife. I keep the pentacle out of sight as it can really upset people and I don't need any religious animosity building in my home. I employ the same technique in my holiday decor. I put out colored candles and no one is the wiser, they ask about the knife or the hammers and I tell them that it's "tradition" that this is the time of year to channel the warrior or to take up a new craft. The word "tradition" seems to really appeal to non-pagans and makes it more palatable to them, sort of like covering family photos, mirrors and clocks when someone passes away- it's not necessarily religious it's "traditional."

Samhain 2011

I want to make something very clear, I'm not ashamed of my religion. It's just that it's mine. I don't want to spend all my time defending my beliefs, nor do I wish to spend time convincing people that I don't worship Satan. That I have zero interest in Satan, that he doesn't factor into my life at all, I neither fear him nor concern myself with him, but I don't disbelieve in his existence. These thoughts seem to be hard for many to wrap their minds around so I don't bother trying to make them. I keep my beliefs on the interior and I while sharing my holidays and traditions with my friends I keep it fun for them, which makes them more receptive and understanding when they finally DO ask about them.

I would love to hear from everyone about this. My only request is that no one be derogatory of anyone else's beliefs, to enjoy tolerance we must exhibit it ourselves.
Do you have friends over for your sabbats that are not of the same persuasion? How have you dealt with this situation?