"The War on Christmas"

[Gatekeeper]

I use both "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" when I greet people. To me, it's the *spirit* behind the words (i.e. intent), not the words themselves.

The folks getting all hung up on the words really need a reality check — like, say, a week of volunteer work in a homeless shelter. Or a vacation in a country where people of faith really do face persecution.

"Culture" warriors, indeed. Hmpfh. Waste of good oxygen, IMO.

Gatekeeper

[Dis]

I was kind of shocked when I went into Sears yesterday. It said Merry Christmas on the door. It's just weird to see the word christmas now days.

[lord of the mark]

A few years ago our newspaper delivery man left us a card that said "merry christmas" not happy holidays, or whatever, just Merry Christmas.


Our newspaper delivery man was, of course, named Muhammed.


Only in America, as I told QOTM (cue: Molly, on how things like this happen in London all the time)

It brings a smile to my face whenever I think about it.


Happy holidays to all, and to all a good Kwanzaa

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Az
Man, I am telling you, I am sick and tired of those arabs giving me the eye when I say "Happy Hannukah" to them. Why can't they be just like everybody else!


Honestly, though, it's a topic are really couldn't care less about.

Az, wouldnt it be better to say Happy Hanukkah to Greek Macedonians?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by loinburger
This is just a manufactured "culture war." Christmas has already been so popularized and consumerized that it's less a religious holiday than it is a national holiday (at least in the US) -- even the atheist couple I'm friends with celebrates Christmas (they've put up a tree and everything) because the whole gift-giving Santa Claus candy cane Yule log Christmas tree business doesn't have a whole helluva lot to do with Jesus. Heck, growing up Catholic the only indication that Christmas was a religious holiday was the fact that we went to church for an hour and they had extra masses to make room for the folks who only go to church on Christmas and Easter.

You'll find some residual differernce between Jewish atheists and "christian" atheists on that.

[lord of the mark]

Say merry christmas to me, say happy holidays to me, just dont say "your tie looks stupid" to me.


Then theres the custom around here, of asking "are you ready for christmas?" WTF? Now i know the expected answer is along the lines of "yeah, i bought a tree, but ive still got presents to buy, and a cookies to bake, yadda, yadda"

But what am I supposed to answer? "Er, Im Jewish," (implied - you idiot)

Or how about "No, but Im ready for Hanukkah, Ive got the candles, the latke fixings, and ive already killed two Macedonian Greeks"

Usually i just mumble something - you get tired of explaining stuff.

[loinburger]

What's so stupid about this "war on Christmas" crap is that the fundamentalists are completely missing the point. If you want to take back Christmas for the Christians (or for Jesus or whatever), then stop buying Christmas presents. Boycott stores that have Christmas sales (you'll need to make this a year-long boycott, though, because you're not buying Christmas presents anyway), boycott film studios that release Christmas movies (unless they're Christmas movies about Jesus), boycott publishers that sell books about Santa Claus or Rudolph or Frosty the Snowman or whatever. Stop putting up Christmas trees -- put up a nativity scene instead. (If you've already got a nativity scene in your house, then put up another one.) Don't put up Christmas lights or decorations, unless it's a nativity scene. (You can never have too many nativity scenes.) Not until you've de-commercialized and de-popularized Christmas will you have your victory.

[Pyrodrew]

...who are confused when being saluted...

Completely off topic, but what does it mean when a (retired) soldier (I presume he was) salutes a civilian? No one else around, no flag, etc. It was my understanding the military only salutes others in the military.
Any military person recognizing a need to salute or a need to return one may do so anywhere at any time.

I'm guessing the salute was simply a formal greeting to me?

--------

On Topic:
Happy Holidays = Thanksgiving+Christmas+New Years+ Hannukah+Festivus+etc

I find Happy Holidays generic and weak, but I'm not offended by it. I would rather be wished a 'Happy Hannukah' or some religion I'm not a part of since then it sounds like I'm being included in something specific. Even if I don't celebrate Hannukah they still wished their religious/celebration days to be happy for me. Even a "Happy Festivus" is better for some humor. "Happy Holidays" is like being called "Hey you". "Happy Holidays" is 1 step away from "Happy Weekend" or "Happy Day(s)" and I hear "have a good weekend" so often it's as bland as water. Not to mistaken with "Happy Hour". I find Christmas lights being called "winter lights" worse.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Hell I'm just curious why Christmas vacation turned into winter break?

Anyway, Why avoid using 'Merry Christmas'?

POTM said that she finds it stupid that they call in winter break, since its always timed around Christmas, NOT around Hanukkah, which doesnt always match. It would be one thing to have a REAL acknowledgment of diversity, by comprosing on when we take off - calling it winter break is sham multiculturalism.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Pyrodrew


Completely off topic, but what does it mean when a (retired) soldier (I presume he was) salutes a civilian? No one else around, no flag, etc. It was my understanding the military only salutes others in the military.
Any military person recognizing a need to salute or a need to return one may do so anywhere at any time.

I'm guessing the salute was simply a formal greeting to me?

--------

On Topic:
Happy Holidays = Thanksgiving+Christmas+New Years+ Hannukah+Festivus+etc

I find Happy Holidays generic and weak, but I'm not offended by it. I would rather be wished a 'Happy Hannukah' or some religion I'm not a part of since then it sounds like I'm being included in something specific. Even if I don't celebrate Hannukah they still wished their religious/celebration days to be happy for me. Even a "Happy Festivus" is better for some humor. "Happy Holidays" is like being called "Hey you". "Happy Holidays" is 1 step away from "Happy Weekend" or "Happy Day(s)" and I hear "have a good weekend" so often it's as bland as water. Not to mistaken with "Happy Hour". I find Christmas lights being called "winter lights" worse.

happy hanukkah, Pyrodew, I salute you!

Chag sameach, a gitn yontov, a gitn hanukkah.

So, candles or oil this year? Or even electric? Latkes with onions, or without? Homemade, a mix, or (Shanda) frozen?

Confused yet?

I take this opportunity to salute all serving members of the US military. Gott bench America!

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by lord of the mark



POTM said that she finds it stupid that they call in winter break, since its always timed around Christmas, NOT around Hanukkah, which doesnt always match. It would be one thing to have a REAL acknowledgment of diversity, by comprosing on when we take off - calling it winter break is sham multiculturalism.

So this is the same thing as Christians thinking the term "holiday" is inclusive of everything except Christianity, right? "Winter" now means "a season, except for the Jews who can go screw themselves"?

[Pyrodrew]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
happy hanukkah, Pyrodew, I salute you!

Chag sameach, a gitn yontov, a gitn hanukkah.

So, candles or oil this year? Or even electric? Latkes with onions, or without? Homemade, a mix, or (Shanda) frozen?

Confused yet?

*mumbles something*

[Az]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
Say merry christmas to me, say happy holidays to me, just dont say "your tie looks stupid" to me.


Then theres the custom around here, of asking "are you ready for christmas?" WTF? Now i know the expected answer is along the lines of "yeah, i bought a tree, but ive still got presents to buy, and a cookies to bake, yadda, yadda"

But what am I supposed to answer? "Er, Im Jewish," (implied - you idiot)

Or how about "No, but Im ready for Hanukkah, Ive got the candles, the latke fixings, and ive already killed two Macedonian Greeks"

Usually i just mumble something - you get tired of explaining stuff.

best solution, IMHO, is to answer "thanks!"

[Pekka]

Nothing wrong with merry christmas. If someone has a problem with it, they can fight me.

[Az]

You buy me a plane ticket, I fight.