Merry Christmas

[rjoubert]

I've heard how people can get offended at this holiday greeting. I say screw being P/C...this holiday is a celebration of the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. Over the years it has become so commercialized and more about gifts than anything else. I'm not trying to push my religious beliefs onto anyone, and I sincerely hope you don't take it that way.

So, I'm sorry if you get offended, but I'm going to wish you all a [red]M[/red][green]E[/green][red]R[/red][green]R[/green][red]Y[/red] [green]C[/green][red]H[/red][green]R[/green][red]I[/red][green]S[/green][red]T[/red][green]M[/green][red]A[/red][green]S[/green] anyways.

 

[Grenage]

Happy Holidays, rjoubert

"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area" - Major Mike Shearer

 

[AnotherHiggins]

Ah, BS.

I think the 'controversy' over the greeting "Merry Christmas" is almost entirely in the minds of the people who are upset about it being a controversy. That is, the people who yell about there being a 'War on Christmas'.

People have been saying, "Happy Holidays" since I was a little kid and it has nothing to do with trying to oppress Christians or being Politically Correct. It is because there are multiple holidays in this season - even multiple holidays that Christians observe, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.... Throw into the mix the fact that there are holidays observed by other faiths, and "Happy Holidays" is, was, and will continue to be an appropriate, respectable Christian greeting for this time of year.

That having been said, Merry Christmas, rjoubert. And Happy Holidays. [santa2]

[tt][blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

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[rjoubert]

I agree with you that Happy Holidays is an appropriate greeting for this time of year. I wouldn't be upset or offended in any way if someone wanted to use that greeting instead of Merry Christmas. Hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

 

[jebenson]

Happy Christmahanukwanzaakah everyone!



I used to rock and roll every night and party every day. Then it was every other day. Now I'm lucky if I can find 30 minutes a week in which to get funky. - Homer Simpson

Arrrr, mateys! Ye needs ta be preparin' yerselves fer Talk Like a Pirate Day!

 

[kjv1611]

paraphrase idea: Happy Holidays has nothing to do with taking away the meaning of Christmas

I disagree.

We don't say "happy holidays" in regards to any of these:
[ul][li]New Years - you can say it's lumped in, but at least most will talk about it totally separate.[/li]
[li]July 4th in states[/li]
[li]Halloween[/li]
[li]St. Patrick's Day[/li][/ul]

Yes, "Happy Holidays" has been used for quite some time. But the method for it being used has surely changed. For instance: now, many customer service reps for different organizations have been taught they are specifically not allowed to use "Merry Christmas" because it might offend some people.

Here in the U.S., anything to do with Christian holidays seems to be getting the same treatment:
[ul][li]Crosses[/li]
[li]Manger Scenes[/li][/ul]

At least I can think of those 2 specifically of being in the news over the past 5 years, at least, with people practically being violent in their show of disapproval. Yet if someone puts up a Jackolantern for Halloween decoration, now one raises any concerns.

Jackolantern History

Another source:

http://www.albee.org/halloween/jackolantern.htm

And you can peruse the search results if you wish for further:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...lt&cd=1&q=history+of+the+jackolantern&spell=1

So, yeah, I won't personally be using any Jack-O-Lantern decorations any time, but I'm not going to gripe and complain if others want to. It is a good example, however, of this difference.

Merry Christmas! May the True Light that shineth in darkness shine upon your holiday gatherings this year!


Oh, BTW, what's this one got to do with word us... oh, never mind.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[Neil Toulouse]

This caused some upset in my home town at the time:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winterval

I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours...

 

[tresanus]

Happy Festivus!

 

[AnotherHiggins]

Time for the feats of strength!

[tt][blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
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[KornGeek]

I think the main people who would get upset over "Merry Christmas" would be people who hold other religious beliefs. Just because you celebrate the holiday doesn't mean everybody does. (However, I suspect that relatively few people are actually offended by it.)

Imagine if the vast majority of retail outlets you went to said "Happy [insert non-Christian holiday here]" instead of "Merry Christmas". I imagine that might get tiresome.

I believe that "Happy holidays" is much more appropriate for retail workers, etc., simply because you don't want to alienate any of your customers.

I'm fairly certain my point of view on Christmas will offend some, but that's ok, because I reserve the right to hold beliefs that other find offenseive. My point of view is that I celebrate Christmas, not as the birth of Jesus, but as a celebration of family, friends, and community. Thanksgiving serves as a reminder of how fortunate I am, and Christmas is the season to show the appreciation for this good fortune by sharing it with others. I am not particularly religious, so the origins of the holiday have little to do with how I celebrate it.

And to head off any comments that suggest I should stop celebrating it, I will simply say no. You have the right to your beliefs, and I have the right to mine, different though they may be. Yes, I could call the holiday something different or celebrate it differently (Festivus?), but I choose not to, and that is my right.

 

[traingamer]

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

And to all a good night!









Greg
People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. Kierkegaard

 

[kjv1611]

Just thought of something. For clarity, when I posted:

==>Oh, BTW, what's this one got to do with word us... oh, never mind.

I meant the us... as in the first part of "usage." I would imagine most everyone here would get it, but then again, it'd be easy to read that as "{uh}s"

So, I mean "{you}s" - and no, it's probably not notated correctly.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[Opieo]

Happy holidays all. =)

~
“Your request is not unlike your lower intestine: stinky, and loaded with danger.” — Ace Ventura.

 

[vanka25]

I'm with rjoubert and kjv1611 on this one; in our PC culture it seems as if we try to avoid offending everyone except Christians. Now as it has been pointed out, "Happy Holidays" has been used for many years so the question is why are Christians upset now all of a sudden? I really don't think that people are upset by the phrase itself, what upsets them is hearing that companies/organizations are requiring their employees to use "Happy Holidays" just to be PC. The second part of this is that since Christmas and New Year are only a week apart "Happy Holidays" was a way to wish someone happiness for both holidays with one breath. Now we have Hanukkah, Winter Holiday, Winter Festival, Kwanzaa (the biggest non-holiday ever); which is fine, but the majority celebrates Christmas.

I personally do not get the "offense" that some people "suffer" when someone wishes them a Merry Christmas. To me this seems to be a way of drawing attention to oneself, I just look at people like this and draw the conclusion that these people have the emotional maturity of a 3-year old. It appears that they want everything in society to be how they want it. To those that would think that I'm being to harsh and judgmental, I'd like to say that I know what it's like to be in the minority regarding holidays. As and immigrant to the US I do not celebrate Halloween; yet every year I'm forced to "endure" for a month and a half the decorations, Halloween sales, and people wishing me "Happy Halloween". And yet I somehow have been able to live through each Halloween season for the last 20 years. I realize that the majority has been celebrating for decades and that it is their holiday. If someone wishes me a "Happy Halloween" I just smile and nod; I know that by this gesture they are not trying to take away my freedom (religious or otherwise) and force me to celebrate Halloween, they are just wishing me well and I appreciate the good sentiment. I realize that had this person known that I did not celebrate Halloween they wouldn't have made the remark.

But as kjv1611 pointed out there is no concerted effort to not offend those that do not celebrate Halloween, Independence Day (4th of July), St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, etc. It seems as if only Christian holidays are singled out.

 

[KornGeek]

It seems as if only Christian holidays are singled out.

Actually, it's more that religiously-oriented holidays are singled out. You just tend not to notice that holidays of other religions are ignored by the masses.

 

[jsteph]

I don't see "Happy Holidays" as 'anti-christian', I just see it as a sign of inclusiveness and the recognition of globalization.

I've heard "Happy Holidays" since I was a kid (in the US, btw), and I inferred it to mean Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year, all in one.

But Hanukkah happens to be around the same time, as well as Kwanza, and possibly others, so they're included as well--but only because they happen around the same time.

It's my opinion that the greeting originated in America, which is why thanksgiving is included. It's also my opinion that it was originated specifically around Christmas, and meant to include thanksgiving and new years as well, but has naturally grown as people acknowledge other religious and cultural holidays--that happen to fall around the same time. If Kwanza was in July, they wouldn't say "Happy Holidays" in July--same for the others--excluding Christmas--because as I'd said, I believe the term originated as Christmas-centric.

So my opinion is also that marketers aren't seeking to 'dis' Christmas...they're just trying to include everyone, which is not a bad marketing move.
--Jim

 

[CajunCenturion]

I have everyone has a merry, happy, and safe holiday season.


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[p5wizard]

I have you hope one too CC ;-)

p5

 

[CajunCenturion]

:-D

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[jebenson]

Yet if someone puts up a Jackolantern for Halloween decoration, now one raises any concerns.

Jackolantern History

Another source:

http://www.albee.org/halloween/jackolantern.htm

And you can peruse the search results if you wish for further:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...d=1&q=history+of+the+jackolantern&spell=1

So, yeah, I won't personally be using any Jack-O-Lantern decorations any time, but I'm not going to gripe and complain if others want to. It is a good example, however, of this difference.

Merry Christmas! May the True Light that shineth in darkness shine upon your holiday gatherings this year! smile
xmastreexmastreexmastreexmastreexmastreexmastreexmastree

Just out of curoisity, kjv1611, do you put up a Christmas tree?

http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_tree.htm

Jeremiah 10:2-4: "Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." (KJV).



I used to rock and roll every night and party every day. Then it was every other day. Now I'm lucky if I can find 30 minutes a week in which to get funky. - Homer Simpson

Arrrr, mateys! Ye needs ta be preparin' yerselves fer Talk Like a Pirate Day!