Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he is no longer an atheist

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg told a Facebook user over the holiday period that he is not an atheist, Quartz reports, despite having previously described himself as a non-believer.

On December 25, Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page: "Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from Priscilla, Max, Beast and me!"

One Facebook user replied: "Aren't you an atheist?" to which Zuckerberg responded: "No. I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important."

Zuckerberg previously referred to himself as an atheist on his Facebook page for several years, according to Quartz.

When Zuckerberg visited China in 2015, he prayed outside the Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an. "Buddhism is an amazing religion and philosophy, and I have been learning more about it over time," he said at the time. "I hope to continue understanding the faith more deeply."

Here is Zuckerberg's full holiday message:

"Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from Priscilla, Max, Beast and me!

Seeing the moments of joy and family shared on Facebook today is one of my favorite things about our community.

I hope you're surrounded by friends and loved ones, and that you have a chance to reflect on all the meaningful things in your life.

May the light of your friendships continue to brighten your life and our entire world."